26 ways to help the Warrnambool Community Garden grow in 2026
- Courtney Mathew
- Dec 31, 2025
- 3 min read
Plant seeds of connection and watch community bloom!
The Warrnambool Community Garden is beyond what grows in the soil... it’s about what grows between people. In 2026, we’re digging deep into community spirit, teamwork with plenty of feel-good times.
Volunteering here gets you outdoors and brings you together with people who like their conversations as organic as their veggies. Here are 26 ways you can get your hands dirty and make a difference this year.
Connect and communicate
Social media sprout: Help craft Facebook and Instagram posts on any topic that takes your fancy.
Newsletter gnome: Write stories, source photos, and shape our Mailchimp newsletter into something that grows our communities knowledge about what's happening.
Photo fairy: Snap those “aww” moments, a bee on a bloom, a muddy boot, a sunbeam through kale leaves. Pictures really do grow connection.
Workshop wizard: Help plan our workshops, brainstorm fun topics, and upload them to our website platform WIX.
Buzz builder: Shout about our workshops and events online or put up posters around town. The more people know, the more we grow!
Grow connections
Membership gardener: Reach out to members with friendly reminders. A quick call might just replant someone’s sense of belonging.
Welcome wagon: Help new members find their feet (and their favourite shovel). A tour and a smile go a long way.
Lunch chef: Spend a couple of hours in the kitchen during working bees to provide for the people getting things done in the garden.
Major event crew: Help set up, run and pack down big events like festivals or workshops. Your energy turns one-off days into community memories.
School garden guide: Help us update school contacts and host tours. Young hands, big ideas, it’s where the next generation of green thumbs starts to grow.
Chook crew volunteer: Feed, water and check on our chickens daily, collect eggs, and give the coop a quick clean. Happy chooks mean fresh eggs and garden fertiliser!
Dig, water, mulch, repeat
Weed whisperer: Spend 15 minutes pulling things out from where they shouldn't be. It’s strangely satisfying, mildly meditative, and highly social when done with friends.
Watering can hero: Keep plants hydrated during dry spells. Super flexible for your schedule.
Propagation pro: Sow seeds for our projects and markets. Watching life emerge never gets old, especially when you’re helping the next gardener bloom, too.
Market-day marigold: Harvest produce and help at our local market stall. Chatting with passers-by is the best kind of fertiliser for community spirit.
Grow governance (minus the paperwork)
Food safety sprucer: Update our plan using the trusty template. A safe kitchen is a happy kitchen (and means more shared lunches to enjoy!).
Stakeholder stoker: Help refresh our partnership list and see who we can approach for support. The more connections we cultivate, the stronger our roots grow.
Fundraising fern: Come up with three creative ways to raise funds this year. Think outside the planter box!
Grant digger: Help research grants that match our projects. It’s not glamorous, but it’s pure garden gold when we get that “yes.”
Keep our garden buzzing
Hub hero: Help tidy up and clean the hub building by wiping down forgotten surfaces, sorting supplies, scrubbing floors and giving the space a fresh, welcoming vibe.
Shed sage: Clean and label tools so everyone knows where things belong. Organisation = less confusion, more cultivation.
Sign sprouter: Make or refresh plant labels and signs. There’s nothing like a bit of handmade charm to brighten a garden path.
Admin elf: Update lists, enter data, and keep our records tidy. Quiet work, big impact.
Sprouts sidekick: Lend a hand with our after-school children’s program, Sprouts! Help young gardeners dig, plant, water, and discover the magic of where food comes from.
Partnership pollinator: Help us partner with other local groups, aged care, disability services, schools, clubs. The more diverse our garden family, the richer our ecosystem.
Community champion: Share the story of our garden by chatting about it with friends, family and neighbours, and inviting them to come along to a working bee or event.
Grow together
No matter your skills or schedule, there’s a place for you in this garden. Come for the plants, stay for the people. To join the fun, email grow@wcg3280.org.au or chat to a friendly face next time you’re down at the garden.
Let’s make 2026 a blooming good year!
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