Volunteer

Volunteering

How to Volunteer at Edgar's Mission

Experience our beautiful sanctuary
We’re nothing without ewe! Edgar’s Mission gratefully appreciates the invaluable assistance of kind people who share our belief in a kind and just world for all.

Regular Volunteering

If you can commit to volunteering once a week or fortnight for at least six months, this is for you!

Daily tasks include cleaning chicken houses and paddocks as well as sweeping and raking to keep the sanctuary safe and beautiful. This requires trained people who can assist on a reliable and continued basis.

To apply, we require that you first attend a Helping Hands Day. This will give you an opportunity to meet us, see the property, test the length and nature of the drive and experience the physical nature of the work.  If you are still interested in becoming a regular volunteer, an application will be sent to you and we will find a date to get you trained up!

Biosecurity

To keep our animals safe from disease, please follow these important biosecurity measures:

  • If you are an Australian citizen who has travelled overseas or an international citizen in ANY country outside of Australia, please do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days after your return as per the Victorian Government directive. Please contact us if you have booked a visit and this applies to you.
  • If you have visited a factory/intensive farm do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days.
  • Please ensure your footwear, clothing and equipment is free of any mud, animal manure or other contaminants before visiting.
  • It is essential upon arrival at Edgar’s Mission, that you step on the foot bath at the entrance to ensure your shoes are clean.

Thank you in anticipation of your kindness and cooperation. Please remember that biosecurity is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

Please read our Help Centre regarding diseases and how we are minimising the risk.

Helping Hands

If you can spare a Saturday to help farmed animals alongside like-minded people, this is for you! While volunteering can be dirty work, it greatly assists us in keeping our animals safe, happy, and healthy.

While we incorporate a brief tour throughout the day, if you’d rather meet and interact with the animals, please sign up for a tour.

What a Day Looks Like

  • 8:15am – Arrive at Edgar’s Mission
  • 8.30am – Induction and safety briefing
  • 8:45am – Sanctuary tasks – these change each week and can include mucking out shelters, raking, weeding, painting, etc.
  • 12:00pm – Lunch break
  • 12:45pm – Further sanctuary tasks
  • 2.30 pm – Conclude your day

Helping Hands Volunteer Requirements

  • Participants must be 18 years and over. For safety reasons, 15- to 17-year-olds must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
  • A level of fitness and mobility to be able to complete tasks involving bending and lifting
  • Ability to work independently and part of a team
  • Willingness to work quietly to create a peaceful environment for our residents
  • Comfortable around animals of all sizes, including chickens, goats, and pigs

Out of respect for our animal residents, we request that no animal products make their way onto the sanctuary grounds via your lunch box (this includes meat, dairy and eggs). Also, please do not bring any avocado to the sanctuary as it is deadly toxic to our birds. Thank you.

Biosecurity

To keep our animals safe from disease, please follow these important biosecurity measures:

  • If you are an Australian citizen who has travelled overseas or an international citizen in ANY country outside of Australia, please do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days after your return as per the Victorian Government directive. Please contact us if you have booked a visit and this applies to you.
  • If you have visited a factory/intensive farm do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days.
  • Please ensure your footwear, clothing and equipment is free of any mud, animal manure or other contaminants before visiting.
  • It is essential upon arrival at Edgar’s Mission, that you step on the foot bath at the entrance to ensure your shoes are clean.

Thank you in anticipation of your kindness and cooperation. Please remember that biosecurity is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

Please read our Help Centre regarding diseases and how we are minimising the risk.

To book your spot, please complete the form below. Once confirmed, you will receive an email with further details. We look forward to meeting you!

Helping Hands 20th April 2024

Date Saturday April 20 2024
Time 8:30am – 2:00pm
Availability Sold Out
Price FREE
Location Edgar's Mission
🙇 Sorry Sold Out

Helping Hands 27th April 2024

Date Saturday April 27 2024
Time 8:30am – 2:00pm
Availability Sold Out
Price FREE
Location Edgar's Mission
🙇 Sorry Sold Out

We post volunteer dates on the 20th of each month

Group and Corporate Volunteering

The perfect opportunity to get your work team or group of friends together for a special bonding experience, plus help our rescued animals!

What a Day Looks Like

  • 9:00am – Arrive at Edgar’s Mission and get ready for the day
  • 9:30am – Morning briefing and sanctuary tasks – which can include mucking out shelters, raking, weeding and more.
  • 12:00pm – Lunch break
  • 12:45pm – Shop assistance – tasks include folding, packing, labelling merchandise and more.
  • 2:00pm – Conclude your day

Note: We incorporate a brief tour throughout the day, where you will get the chance to interact with some of the rescued residents and learn their stories.

Important Information

  • Corporate volunteer days are limited to Thursdays. Please note we require a minimum of 6 volunteers and are capped at 12.
  • We will go ahead regardless of weather conditions, with the exception of severe and above fire alert days, temperatures exceeding 32+ degrees and other extreme weather events.
  • We are some distance from the local shops, so please bring along your own lunch, snacks, and water bottle.

Out of respect for our animal residents, we request that no animal products make their way onto the sanctuary grounds via your lunch box (this includes meat, dairy and eggs). Also, please do not bring any avocado to the sanctuary as it is deadly toxic to our birds. Thank you.

Biosecurity

To keep our animals safe from disease, please follow these important biosecurity measures:

  • If you are an Australian citizen who has travelled overseas or an international citizen in ANY country outside of Australia, please do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days after your return as per the Victorian Government directive. Please contact us if you have booked a visit and this applies to you.
  • If you have visited a factory/intensive farm do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days.
  • Please ensure your footwear, clothing and equipment is free of any mud, animal manure or other contaminants before visiting.
  • It is essential upon arrival at Edgar’s Mission, that you step on the foot bath at the entrance to ensure your shoes are clean.

Thank you in anticipation of your kindness and cooperation. Please remember that biosecurity is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

Please read our Help Centre regarding diseases and how we are minimising the risk.

Please note, unfortunately we do not have any group and corporate volunteer availability at the moment. Please check back for updates.

Book Club

Well, a book club of sorts. Perhaps it’s more of a reading club, a kindness club, and a way to remind vulnerable animals there is indeed good in the world.

We’re looking for members to create a dialogue of kindness with our newest sanctuary residents who might be a little scared of humans, reading to them through soothing tones in a non-confrontational manner. It is lovely to patiently wait for the day when your audience feels secure enough to give you a sniff or maybe nibble on your book!

Book Club Volunteer Requirements

  • Readers must be 18 years or over.
  • We require a weekly or fortnightly commitment of 3 hours per shift for a minimum of 3 months.
  • You must be prepared to sit and read quietly and calmly with each animal or group of animals for a minimum of 30 minutes without making eye contact or any sudden movements. It is very important that you never try to initiate engagement with them.
  • And of course, a love of reading, animals and kindness are essential.

Recommendations: Please bring your own reading materials…whatever you like. The content is not important but reading in a soft, steady, soothing voice is. Please do not wear loose jewellery or clothing that might flap in the wind.

Out of respect for our animal residents, we request that no animal products make their way onto the sanctuary grounds via your lunch box (this includes meat, dairy and eggs). Also, please do not bring any avocado to the sanctuary as it is deadly toxic to our birds. Thank you.

Biosecurity

To keep our animals safe from disease, please follow these important biosecurity measures:

  • If you are an Australian citizen who has travelled overseas or an international citizen in ANY country outside of Australia, please do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days after your return as per the Victorian Government directive. Please contact us if you have booked a visit and this applies to you.
  • If you have visited a factory/intensive farm do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days.
  • Please ensure your footwear, clothing and equipment is free of any mud, animal manure or other contaminants before visiting.
  • It is essential upon arrival at Edgar’s Mission, that you step on the foot bath at the entrance to ensure your shoes are clean.

Thank you in anticipation of your kindness and cooperation. Please remember that biosecurity is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

Please read our Help Centre regarding diseases and how we are minimising the risk.

Please note, unfortunately we do not have any book club volunteer availability at the moment. Please check back for updates.

Kind Kitchen

We are seeking volunteers to assist in our exciting new Edgar’s Kind Kitchen, offering plant-based lunches and desserts to our sanctuary visitors. We need enthusiastic people who can commit to Saturdays every week or fortnight to help serve the pre-prepared meals and manage transactions. An existing Food Handling Certificate will be highly regarded.

Kind Kitchen Volunteer Requirements

  • Kind Kitchen volunteers must be 18 years or over.
  • We require a minimum commitment of one session per week or fortnight for 6 months, for approximately 6 hours from 9:30am.
  • You must be available to volunteer on a Saturday.
  • The ability to work as part of a team.
  • If you do not hold an existing Food Handling Certificate, you must be willing to complete the online course prior to commencing.

Out of respect for our animal residents, we request that no animal products make their way onto the sanctuary grounds via your lunch box (this includes meat, dairy and eggs). Also, please do not bring any avocado to the sanctuary as it is deadly toxic to our birds. Thank you.

Biosecurity

To keep our animals safe from disease, please follow these important biosecurity measures:

  • If you are an Australian citizen who has travelled overseas or an international citizen in ANY country outside of Australia, please do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days after your return as per the Victorian Government directive. Please contact us if you have booked a visit and this applies to you.
  • If you have visited a factory/intensive farm do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days.
  • Please ensure your footwear, clothing and equipment is free of any mud, animal manure or other contaminants before visiting.
  • It is essential upon arrival at Edgar’s Mission, that you step on the foot bath at the entrance to ensure your shoes are clean.

Thank you in anticipation of your kindness and cooperation. Please remember that biosecurity is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

Please read our Help Centre regarding diseases and how we are minimising the risk.

If you tick all the boxes, we’d love to hear from you!

Volunteer Form Kind Kitchen

Kind Kitchen Form

* Required


Garden Club

We are looking for volunteers to help keep our sanctuary gardens healthy and beautiful. If you have a green thumb, this is the perfect way to help!

Garden Volunteer Requirements

  • Volunteers must be 18 years or over
  • Minimum commitment of one session per week or fortnight for six months, for approximately four hours from 8:30am to 12:30pm
  • Available to come in on a Wednesday or Saturday for training, then you’re welcome to do any day with Mondays being our preference
  • Level of fitness and mobility to weed and water plants
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Willingness to work quietly to maintain a peaceful environment for the residents
  • Comfortable around animals of all sizes, including chickens, goats and pigs
  • A love of gardening, animals and kindness!

Out of respect for our animal residents, we request that no animal products make their way onto the sanctuary grounds via your lunch box (this includes meat, dairy and eggs). Also, please do not bring any avocado to the sanctuary as it is deadly toxic to our birds. Thank you.

Biosecurity

To keep our animals safe from disease, please follow these important biosecurity measures:

  • If you are an Australian citizen who has travelled overseas or an international citizen in ANY country outside of Australia, please do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days after your return as per the Victorian Government directive. Please contact us if you have booked a visit and this applies to you.
  • If you have visited a factory/intensive farm do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days.
  • Please ensure your footwear, clothing and equipment is free of any mud, animal manure or other contaminants before visiting.
  • It is essential upon arrival at Edgar’s Mission, that you step on the foot bath at the entrance to ensure your shoes are clean.

Thank you in anticipation of your kindness and cooperation. Please remember that biosecurity is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

Please read our Help Centre regarding diseases and how we are minimising the risk.

To apply, we require that you first attend a Helping Hands Day. This will give you an opportunity to meet us, see the property, test the length and nature of the drive and experience the physical nature of the work.

Skilled Trade Volunteers

We are on the lookout for kind individuals who can lend a hand and help keep our sanctuary safe and running efficiently.

If you are qualified in one of the following professions and have the capacity to assist us, we would love to hear from you!

  • Electricians
  • Plumbers
  • Builders
  • Carpenters
  • Painters
  • Floorers
  • Tilers
  • Mechanics

Skilled Volunteers must be 18 years or over and qualified in the area of assistance. If you can help, please complete the form below and we will be in touch.

Biosecurity

To keep our animals safe from disease, please follow these important biosecurity measures:

  • If you are an Australian citizen who has travelled overseas or an international citizen in ANY country outside of Australia, please do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days after your return as per the Victorian Government directive. Please contact us if you have booked a visit and this applies to you.
  • If you have visited a factory/intensive farm do not visit the sanctuary for 7 days.
  • Please ensure your footwear, clothing and equipment is free of any mud, animal manure or other contaminants before visiting.
  • It is essential upon arrival at Edgar’s Mission, that you step on the foot bath at the entrance to ensure your shoes are clean.

Thank you in anticipation of your kindness and cooperation. Please remember that biosecurity is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

Please read our Help Centre regarding diseases and how we are minimising the risk.

Volunteer Form Skilled Trade Volunteers

Skilled Trade Volunteers

* Required


Volunteering FAQ

Do I need to register?

Will I meet some animals?

Do I need to bring food?

What if the weather is bad?