Fortnightly gardening group in St Ives
Would you like to get outdoors, meet like-minded people, and make a difference? Come and get involved!
Did you know that The Leach Pottery has beautiful outdoor spaces? Our gardens are inspired by our Japanese influences, with plenty of bamboo and jasmine.
We are now running a fortnightly volunteering group to make this a regular opportunity for people to come together and help keep the outside spaces looking beautiful.
We’re delighted to invite you to join the Fortnightly Gardening Group at Leach Pottery, St Ives. Working hands-on to care for our historically important spaces, plant up and tidy our dry-stone walls, nurture borders, and bring beauty to this beloved heritage site.
When & Where
Thursdays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm (fortnightly)
Next meet up: Thursday 23rd October 2-4pm
Meet at the Museum entrance, The Leach Pottery
No experience? No problem!
You don’t need to be a gardener, just bring enthusiasm and a willingness to get your hands dirty. We’ll provide tools, gloves, guidance, and a warm welcome.
Why join?
- Be part of the exciting restoration and evolution of our unique cultural heritage site
- Come to talks, cultivate seeds and help replant our professionally designed garden
- Make new friends, spend time outdoors and be part of a community
- Attend quarterly creative workshops for volunteers
How to join/find out more
Email Hannah (Volunteer Coordinator) at volunteercoordinator@leachpottery.com or call 01736 799703. No formal application needed — just tell us you’d like to come along and we’ll welcome you. We next meet on Thursday, 23rd October 2-4pm at the museum.
“The Leach Pottery, founded in 1920 by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada, is among the most respected and influential studio potteries in the world. Over the last hundred years it has forged the shape of Studio Pottery in the UK and beyond.
The Leach Pottery was reopened to the public as a Museum, Shop and Studio in 2008. As a registered charity we are an ambassador for pottery, a champion for the handmade, and an open door for communities to access creativity. We are never happier than when we welcome people to our home, whether they are visiting the Museum and Shop or getting their hands dirty at one of our workshop sessions.
Clay has so much to offer to support well-being and mental health. Our aim is to ensure that the Pottery continues to thrive for many years to come, providing opportunities to support emerging talent, develop new thinking, and to help everyone access great art.
Our values of inclusivity and exchange are ever more important in this changing world. Our dedication to handmade products, created using local natural materials, demonstrates that sustainable practice, beauty and quality can coexist.
I am in awe of the work that everyone at the Leach Pottery achieves. Everyday our dedicated team of staff and volunteers work to stay true to Bernard and Shoji’s vision.”
— Libby Buckley, Director
Our Vision
The Leach Pottery is a place of creativity, connectedness and being well, committed to bringing clay to life, celebrating its rich history and supporting a vibrant future for studio ceramics.
Our Values
Our Values are at the core of all our activity, planning and creativity.
1. Quality & Care in everything we do
2. Sustainability for our organisation and the environment
3. Creativity in the work we make, and the work we do
4. Welcoming by inviting, understanding and creating friendships & exchange whilst championing inclusivity & diversity
5. Living Tradition of cherishing and passing on legacy, knowledge, skills, ethos and the site of the Leach Pottery whilst continuing to evolve and challenge creative boundaries
Our Aims
1. Welcome
Provide a warm welcome to everyone, broadening audiences, and deepening relationships.
2. Celebrate and share the Leach legacy
Capturing the history of the Leach Pottery from a variety of sources and maintaining a living tradition and the site of the Leach Pottery, whilst continuing to evolve and challenge creative boundaries.
3. Creative Hub
Establish a creative hub, where creativity through clay will flourish and people can access formal training as well as informal opportunities to learn about and experience the well-being benefits of working with clay.
4. Restoration of Buildings
Conserve and restore the historical buildings on the site for future generations to enjoy.
5. Economic Sustainability
Become economically sustainable and able to expand commercial activities in line with ambition and need.
6. Environmental Sustainability
Take action to reduce our negative environmental impacts, through research and understanding and through adoption of more environmentally friendly technologies and practices.
Volunteers are required to have an account on the website to complete this form.
If you've not created a volunteer account, please create one here.
The Leach Pottery
Higher Stennack
Cornwall
TR26 2HE
United Kingdom