Duke of Edinburgh volunteer placements Embark on a volunteer placement at a CRT Farm as part of your Duke of Edinburgh award Young people have a huge role to play in protecting our countryside for the future. We believe it is essential to support and encourage a child’s interest in conservation and wildlife and we proudly offer Duke of Edinburgh volunteering placements on some of our farms. If you or your child are keen to join us, then here are a few pointers to consider first: Please check with your D of E coordinator that they are happy for you to group your hours together. 1 hour a week is recommended, but if you volunteer with us, it will likely be 4 hours a month as we do not run sessions every week at most farms. All volunteers under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. We will require both you, and a parent or guardian to both register and attend together. You don’t need to be working hand-in-hand, but within shouting distance. Only a handful of our farms can support D of E volunteers. Information on those farms are below. Please check that you’re close enough to one of these properties before registering. If you are close enough, have a parent/guardian who is willing to attend with you, and your D of E coordinator is happy with the hours being grouped, we would love to hear from you by registering below. Register as a volunteer Our farms We have three CRT farms where we offer Duke of Edinburgh volunteer placements: Lark Rise Farm, Barton, Cambridgeshire, CB23 7AY There is a monthly session at Lark Rise, led by our Conservation Officer Vince Lea. Sessions generally meet at 9:30am ready for a 10am start. They run through until approx. 3pm. It takes place on the 2nd Saturday of the month and the meeting point is in the large lay-by just off the A603 Cambridge Road in Barton. Lark Rise is a large arable farm, looking to support wildlife in every way it can. Vince, one of our conservation officers, monitors the wildlife on the farm and helps restore areas and improve habitats, working with our tenant farmer Tim. Lark Rise Farm is where the CRT began over 30 years ago. Lark Rise Farm Meeting Point: https://what3words.com/vouch.status.drew Bere Marsh Farm, Newmans Drove, Shillingstone, Dorset, DT11 0QY Bere Marsh have a group who meet every Friday at 10am. We’re aware that Fridays aren’t always good days for DofE, but we are hoping to do monthly Saturday sessions later in 2025. If you can make the Friday sessions, you would be very welcome. They are run by the Farm Manager, Hannah and they run from 10am through to lunchtime. This small mixed farm has some fantastic habitats, and a wonderful range of projects to get involved with. (Bere Marsh Farm Meeting Point: https://w3w.co/cheer.townhouse.passing) Pierrepont Farm, The Reeds Rd, Frensham, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 3BS Pierrepont has a great small team of volunteers who meet every other Saturday at 9:30am running through until lunchtime. Led by a lead-volunteer Brian, who picks tasks linked to the management plan for the farm. Pierrepont Farm is primarily a dairy farm, but with a wonderful range of habitats on site including a SSSI water meadow. Tenant farmer, Kayleigh took over the running of the farm in April 2024 with big plans to work together with us to develop the dairy farm's regenerative future. Kayleigh has firstly returned the herd to its original 50 milking Jersey cows. By reducing the herd, it has taken some of the pressure off the ground and allowed less productive land to be reseeded with herbal leys rich in clover, sainfoin, lucerne and chicory. By mixing longer tap root grass species, it will help protect the sandy soil during the summer months. The grazing areas will also be planted with more trees and hedgerows to divide up paddocks. This will provide extra shelter for livestock and give birds and wildlife even more habitat. Pierrepont Farm Meeting Point: https://w3w.co/ladders.gallons.outbursts Manage Cookie Preferences