Cute cartoon sheep with a fluffy wool coat and a smiling face, black background, white outline style.
A cartoon illustration of a cute sheep with a fluffy wool coat, standing and facing forward. The sheep has big eyes and a friendly expression, set against a black background.
A woman and an older man stand inside a barn with sheep on a straw-covered floor. The woman is wearing a gray jacket and a knit hat, and the man is wearing glasses, a headlamp, and a fleece jacket. The man is holding a soda can. There are sheep in the barn, one lying on the ground and another with hay or straw on its back.
Outline drawing of a cute cartoon sheep with a fluffy body, standing and facing forward.
Cute, cartoon-style drawing of a sheep with black wool and white face and legs, on a black background.

VOLUNTEER

Three women outside near a wooden structure, one pushing a wheelbarrow, another in a yellow shirt holding a gardening tool, and the third in a pink shirt and sunglasses standing with a trowel.
Three people and a sheep in a barn. The woman on the left is wearing a red jacket and green rubber boots, smiling at the camera. The man in the middle is holding the sheep’s head, wearing glasses and a black jacket. The person on the right, also in dark clothing and glasses, is tending to the sheep’s leg with a medical tool. The sheep is lying on its back on a bed of straw.

We have three main times of the year when we we desperately need volunteers:

SPRING foot trim and general MOT - usually end of March / April

SUMMER shearing time - usually end of May / June

AUTUMN foot trim and general MOT - end of September / October

We would love to have you join us and help keep the boys and girls in tip top condition so please contact us for further up to date information and have a look at our facebook page which is regularly updated.

Have a read below to find out what being a volunteer at Mirkwood is like:

A woman with glasses and a knit hat taking a selfie with a sheep holding a cookie in its mouth on a grassy field with fallen branches.
A cartoon illustration of a sheep with a fluffy wool coat, standing on a black background.
Three people are shearing a sheep inside a barn. The sheep is on a metal stand, and the people are using electric clippers. One person wears a gray hoodie, another is in a navy jacket with a headlamp, and the third is in an orange safety jacket. The barn has cinderblock walls, a small window, and straw on the floor.
A woman taking a selfie with a dog on a grassy path in a rural area, with trees and a house in the background.

“ In all honestly, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. The level of hard work Andy puts in on a daily basis and continues to do so with the help of volunteers is outstanding.

It really is special to be with someone so utterly selfless and grateful to have the help and support of others.

First on the agenda was hoof trimming. Unlike horses, you can not simply lift a sheep's hoof and trim it. Instead, you need to use a technique that lifts and flips the whole sheep upright into a specialised deckchair where the Sheep rests comfortably whilst hoof care is given.

This takes some decent man power to do effectively, and I felt glad I'd recently started doing more body strenghting sessions.

Whilst the Sheep were comfie in the deckchair, ears were dewooled, around the eyes trimmed, a whole underbody check undertaken, and worming treatment administered. Once the Sheep were back on their feet, back areas were checked, and upon completion Olly gave each Sheep a graffiti emoji tick off.

Andy cares for over 50 Sheep at Mirkwood, and with each one recieveing the time, attention, and loving care they needed and deserved, it was a full day's work with plenty to do to keep us busy. “

Three people are caring for a newborn calf in a barn. One person is holding the calf's head, another is tending to its leg, and the third is assisting. The barn is filled with hay, and there is a bottle of calf milk formula hanging nearby.
Three people are working together on a farm, standing around a large sheep. Two women are on one side, and a young man is on the other side, all attending to the sheep. The woman on the left is wearing an orange jacket with reflective stripes and black boots. The second woman in the middle is wearing a blue jacket, glasses, and a winter hat with a pompom. The young man on the right is dressed in a gray t-shirt and dark athletic pants with blue stripes.
Four people outdoors at a farm or garden, some wearing headlamps, standing by a fenced area with sheep, with trees and a small shed in the background, during sunset.