Activities may include:

• painting
• sanding outdoor furniture
• decorating the house for Easter and Christmas
• tidying the toy cupboard 
• activities depending on the needs of the house at any given time.

We hold corporate volunteering days at Bear Cottage where activities may include painting, sanding outdoor furniture, decorating the house at Easter and Christmas time, cleaning the toy cupboard or any number of other activities depending on the needs of the hospice.  

Working Bees make a difference at Bear Cottage but involve time and operational costs including: 

• time spent by Bear Cottage staff to coordinate and supervise the day
• food and beverages costs
• purchase of materials to ensure that projects can be completed. 

Donation amount

To cover the cost of running the Working Bees program, a tax deductible donation of $250 per volunteer is required. This applies to companies who are not financial supporters of Bear Cottage. 

You will be invoiced prior to the Working Bee and issued a receipt upon payment.

We'll capture photos of your team as a record of your day and post them on our Facebook and LinkedIn page. 

We're happy for you to share your shots from the day on your social media too. 

Please advise if your group does not wish to have their photo taken. 

We do not allow photographs of the children and families staying with us at Bear Cottage.

Volunteers will not be undertaking roles which will involve interaction with patients and families. 

You will be asked to complete a form prior to commencing your corporate volunteering at Bear Cottage. 

Bring the completed form with you on the day of your Working Bee. 

Insurance for corporate volunteers attending a Working Bee at Bear Cottage is covered by their own employer’s workers’ compensation coverage. 

We ask that the employer confirms these details in writing prior to the start of the Working Bee.

While there is on-street parking on Fairy Bower Road, there is a two hour time limit. 

We recommend car-pool or  public transport. It is approximately a 15-minute walk from Manly Ferry. 

You may be asked to do a variety of tasks on the day but in order to ensure your safety, we ask the following: 

• wear closed shoes
• wear casual/appropriate clothing
• bring a hat
• wear sunscreen
• bring gardening gloves (if required)
• if you have any allergies, please make sure you alert Bear Cottage staff and take appropriate precautions. 

Working bee volunteer hours are 10am-2pm. 

If your Working Bee is taking place over a full day, lunch will be provided. Unfortunately, we cannot cater for special diets and we would ask you to supply your own lunch if there are special requirements.