Learn more about our roles, which range from taking visitors on guided tours, helping horticulturalists in the Gardens, or supporting our research teams.
Kew guides
Enhance the visitor experience by providing a wealth of interesting information and interpretation for visitors.
What will you be doing?
There are a number of different Kew guide roles:
- As a Kew guide you’ll lead general and specialist walking tours of the Gardens.
- As an information guide you'll answer visitor enquiries at our information desk.
Volunteers to assist with schools and families
Get involved in our activity tours and workshops provided by a specialist team of Kew teachers.
What will you be doing?
- As a school greeter, explainer or lunch supporter, you'll welcome schools into the gardens, provide lunch, programme and resource support and interact with school groups in the glasshouses and gardens.
- As a family learning volunteer, you'll get hands on in the preparation and delivery of enjoyable craft, horticultural activities and games for Kew's younger visitors and their families.
- As a garden explainer, you'll enhance the visitor experience by telling Kew-related stories to our visitors.
All volunteering placements that work with these groups are subject to the appropriate checks.
Plant shop volunteers
Support our plant shop and share your passion for plants with visitors.
What will you be doing?
- Helping out in the plant shop at Victoria Gate and assisting with a range of activities.
- Tasks could include watering, light maintenance of plants (e.g. dead-heading and weeding), giving advice on plants and answering general customer enquiries.
Science volunteers
Support our scientists at Kew's Herbarium. Founded in 1853, it houses over seven million dried and mounted plant specimens from almost every geographical region of the world.
What will you be doing?
- Roles involve digitising, databasing and helping to curate dried plant specimens.
Kew explorer land train support volunteers
Volunteer outdoors, and discover more about Kew. Support the operation of our Kew explorer land train.
What will you be doing?
- Providing visitor information and upselling tickets to customers.
- Ensuring safety of customers. Reporting first aid incidents, and ensuring customers and their belongings are loaded and unloaded safely.
Exhibition and gallery volunteers
Do you have an interest in galleries? Help us provide a friendly welcome to gallery visitors.
What will you be doing?
- You'll support gallery operations during busy periods.
- Assist gallery staff with exhibitions.
- Answer customer enquiries both in person and over the telephone.
Horticulture volunteers
Support the work of our trained horticulturists around the gardens.
What will you be doing?
- Helping out with the basic maintenance of Kew’s plant collections. This will include tasks such as propagation, planting, weeding, pruning, mulching, tidying and lawn edging.
We aim to provide the right placement for each volunteer and opportunities for a diverse range of people. We don't recruit on a first come first served basis. During recruitment periods, your application form is considered and the most suitable applicants for a particular role are invited for an informal chat. During this session we explain more about the volunteering opportunities available, and find out about more about why you want to volunteer.