Volunteering

Volunteer Beekeeper

For Petworth House & Park

Register your Interest

As we commence this journey of developing our hives, we are seeking volunteers to join the Petworth House & Garden Beekeeping team. We consider this a very prestigious accolade and are looking for someone with some experience or a real passion for learning about beekeeping. 

Our strategic plan is to increase the number of active hives from presently four to six during 25/26 and subsequently increase a further two hives each year until we achieve a total of 10 active hives.

The extracted honey will then be sold under our exclusive brand within the Petworth House & Park Retail Shop

Working 1 full day per week (Friday's) or seasonally directed by the bees and live within 20 miles of Petworth  

Please note:  At this stage we are looking for an expression of interest in this role and would aim to commence volunteering in early March 2026.

As part of our Outdoors team, the beekeepers will:

• Maintain bees, spread the conservation message, and promote Petworth Outdoors for visitors.
• Develop the hives and deliver engagement opportunities to help support our garden into the future.
• Raise bees to produce honey and pollinate crops
• Inspect hives regularly to ensure good bee health, to minimize swarming and to maximize the welfare of the bees
• Split colonies when necessary and deal with swarms if practical
• In the case of disease and parasites, take remedial action as recommended by FERA and report all cases of notifiable diseases
• Extract and process honey and wax as required
• Ensure that risk of stings to the public and volunteers is minimized, as far as possible, by indicating when bees are likely to be agitated (e.g. warning signs) and inform the garden/open space management
• Liaise with property management on any other changes to the hives that may impact on the public, staff or volunteers
• Help out with the planned development of the garden/open space if this impacts on the apiary
• Run educational sessions for visitors when required
• Be a friendly face for visitors and answer any questions
  

Skills

• Someone with some experience or a passion for learning about beekeeping
• Someone who enjoys working as part of a team and able to respond at short notice to potential problems or issues with bees

Important: You will need to ensure that you are not allergic to bee stings and consult your GP for additional advice if necessary

About Petworth House & Park

A ‘house of art’ overflowing with paintings and sculpture, a glimpse of domestic life in the historic Servants’ Quarters and Pleasure Grounds full of wildflowers and parkland where deer roam wild; with room to breathe and views to inspire the soul there is no better place for you to volunteer your time.

Details

• No - DBS check required
• Yes - Equality and Diversity Policy
• Yes - Expenses reimbursed
• Yes - Health and Safety Policy
• Yes - Is it fully accessible
• Yes - Ongoing support
• No - Suitable for physical or sensory impairment
• No - Suitable for Under 18's
• Yes - Training provided
• Yes - Volunteer induction
• Yes - Volunteer Policy
• Yes - Volunteers covered by insurance
• Yes - Written role description

Availability

Volunteering 1 full day per week (Friday's) or seasonally directed by the bees and live within 20 miles of Petworth At this stage we are looking for an expression of interest in this role and would aim to commence volunteering in early March 2026.

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