See what ecological projects need volunteers in your bit of London.
Got a bit of time on your hands and want to bend it towards making London a better place? Scan our listings below for the latest volunteer opportunities, whether it's weed clearing, litter picking or tidying the Thames foreshore. You'll make new friends, see London from a different angle and improve the natural environment.
Note: The listings are aimed at Londoners who just want to register, turn up and do stuff to help. These are roles for which no specialist training or expertise is needed. More specialist opportunities can be found via sites like SimplyVolunteer London and Reach Volunteering.
Organisations listed in alphabetical order.
BrightenUp London
An initiative from HandsOn London which seeks volunteers to help with gardening tasks in green places around London.
Holland Park (take part in various gardening tasks to help brighten the park), 20 September
Streatham, Railside, 6 September
The Conservation Volunteers
A large organisation who carry out conservation work all over the country. Their London branch is very active, with numerous events each month, divided up into four groups (for each compass point). In cases with multiple dates, we've linked up the first date.
CENTRAL (via the South group)
Barbican, Fann Street Wildlife Garden (meadow scything), 18 September
NORTH
Harrow, Headstone Manor (scything), 8 September
Harrow, Newton Park (river landscaping), 11 September
Kenton, Queensbury Park (river improvements), 25 September
Little Wormwood Scrubs (conservation), 27 September
Neasden, Quainton Street (pond work), 25 September
Neasden, Recreation Ground (marshland restoration), 16, 17 September
Stanmore Marsh (channel clearance), 18 September
Stanmore Wood Farm (meadow maintenance), 22, 29 September
Wembley, Chalk Hill (orchard maintenance), 23 September
Wembley, One Tree Hill (litter-pick), 7, 9, 10 September
Wembley, St Joseph's Cemetery (conservation), 30 September
SOUTH
Brockwell Park (vegetation clearing), 16, 17 September
Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens (gardening), 23 September
EAST
The East team do exist, but their events are not listed on the web. See here for contact details.
WEST
Ham Woods (hedgerow maintenance), 11 September
Richmond, Cholmondeley Walk (willow coppicing), 10 September
Richmond, Pesthouse Common (scrub and meadow maintenance), 16 September
Twickenham, Rifle and Pistol Club (grassland management), 17, 18, 24 September
Keep Britain Tidy
The long-running anti-litter charity supports a #LitterHero campaign, which encourages people to actively litter-pick in their area, and organise litter-picking groups. Their site contains further information about the dos and do-nots, and why you should log your litter-pick. Find out more here.
London Wildlife Trust
London's biggest wildlife and conservation group runs numerous events and volunteer days across the capital. We've listed a selection below, but see the website for the full spread.
Brockley: New Cross Gate Cutting, 27 September
Gunnersbury Triangle: 4, 11, 18, 25 September
King's Cross: Camley Street natural park, 11, 18, 25 September:
Manor House: Woodberry Wetlands, 5, 6, 12, 19, 26 September
Mitcham: Spencer Road Wetlands, 6 September
Peckham: Centre for Wildlife Gardening, 3, 10, 24 September
South Croydon: Chapel Bank (meadow cutting), 9 September
Thames 21
Thames21 runs regular events along the Thames and its tributaries. They're always looking for volunteers to help litter-pick or help improve aquatic environments. Read our feature about their work.
In September 2025, they have three 'River Litter Detective' events, in which you'll help retrieve litter from the banks, then categorise it by type, helping Thames21 work out the chief causes of pollution.
City of London, Queenhithe (a rare chance to visit this protected foreshore), 30 September
Fulham, Sands End, 24 September
Island Gardens, Poplar Rowing Club, 10 September
They also run a few events that go beyond litter-picking to make wider environmental improvements.
Grove Park, Northbrook Park Wetlands. "From habitat maintenance and deepening ponds to litter picking and everything in between, you'll get hands-on experience helping nature thrive." 19 September
Edgware, Chandos Park. An ongoing project to improve the environment around the Silk Stream. "Activities include litter picking and vegetation management." 25 September
These listings are new and probably missing some important voluntary organisations, as well as smaller projects. Please do let us know about any we've missed by emailing [email protected]. We'll update and grow the listings monthly with new opportunities.
