Please read all of the information below carefully before completing your application form on the next page. We receive a high volume of applications and advise that you apply in plenty of time to secure your required dates.
Placements are offered Monday - Friday for five days. You will be based in the Discovery Barn with the Entertainments team and will report to the Entertainments Team Supervisor.
This is a customer facing role and will help you to develop excellent customer service skills, gain confidence talking to adults and children and learn how to handle small animals safely.
Activities that you might be asked to undertake include:
- Spending time in the Discovery Barn interacting with visitors and handing out chicks and rabbits. It’s likely that you will be asked lots of questions about the animals that we keep - don’t worry! We don’t expect you to be a farming expert, just politely explain that you are here on work experience and find a member of staff to answer the question for you (we won’t be far away); this is the best way for you to learn the answers too.
- Helping with bottle feeding.
- Candle a tray of incubating eggs (we shine a torch onto each egg to see if a chick is developing inside).
- Feeding and mucking out animals.
- Putting chickens away and collecting eggs.
We will also make sure that you have the opportunity to watch all of our demonstrations and ride the Farm Safari.
Please Note: this is a customer facing role and is unlikely to involve trips to the main farm.
A typical day:
9:00-10:00am
During this time the Farm Park is closed to the public. We use the mornings to muckout and feed all the animals. You will be needed to help clean animal enclosures, collect eggs and make sure everyone has been fed and watered.
10:00-10:25am
Break time! You will head down to the staff room with the rest of the team. It’s a good idea to bring a snack to eat for this break as you will be working hard! Hot drinks and water are provided. Please use the toilet to change into your branded work top.
10:30am
The park opens to the public. You will need to be back in the Discovery Barn ready for the day by 10:30. The Entertainments Team Supervisor will provide you with jobs for the day and let you know when you are going for lunch.
12:30pm (ish)
You will be allocated a 30 minute lunch slot with a couple of members of the team. They will come and find you and make sure you get to the staff room ok.
1:00(ish)-4:30pm
You will continue working with the Entertainments team.
4:30-5:00pm
We are winding down for the day. The team take it in turns to go and put chickens away and move larger stock into their night-time fields. You may stay in the Discovery Barn to supervise the last few members of the public or you might find yourself helping the team outside.
5:00pm is hometime! It's a long work day, so get an early night :).