Gardening Club Facilitator

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Part-time, 4 hours per week, 46 weeks per year

Additional hours available for maintenance and other tasks.

Besson Street Trust is looking for a new Gardening Club Facilitator.

Based in the beautiful Besson Street Community Garden, the job holder will work with a range of gardening volunteers to maintain and develop the site.

We need someone who is passionate about people, gardening, and food growing and who wants to share their passion, skills, and knowledge with our amazing team of volunteers.

The Gardening Club Facilitator will work closely with the delivery team at Besson Street.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible for:

1. Planning what needs to be done each session, ensuring equipment and materials are available and in good working order before the start of the session.
2. Carrying out a health and safety site assessment before each session.
3. Sharing the session plan in a way that our wide range of volunteers understand.
4. Developing medium and long-term plans for garden maintenance and growing.
5. Leading each session, sharing the session plan, considering volunteers\’ views and opinions, and overseeing the tasks being carried out.
6. Organising the tea and biscuits break each session and the necessary washing up afterward.

Recruiting and inducting volunteers

1. Drafting adverts for volunteers and identifying recruitment opportunities.
2. Inducting volunteers into their role, including a discussion on how the gardening club operates, a tour of the garden, and health and safety guidance (which may be done over multiple sessions depending on the volunteer).
3. Collecting necessary contact details of new volunteers and storing this information securely.
4. Providing training on the appropriate use of gardening equipment, with a strong focus on health and safety.

Nurturing volunteers

We cannot maintain this wonderful community asset without the hard work and commitment from our amazing volunteer team. You will be responsible for:

1. Talking to each volunteer to understand what they would like to gain from their experience and incorporating this into their engagement plan.
2. Supporting volunteers in developing their gardening skills.
3. Making volunteers feel valued, ensuring they recognize their contributions as important and appreciated.
4. Connecting with each volunteer during every session.
5. Organising afternoon tea sessions where volunteers can relax, get to know each other, and be thanked for their hard work.

General responsibilities

1. Managing the garden maintenance budget.
2. Developing and planning projects throughout the year, including costing materials and equipment and identifying who will carry out the work (regular volunteers or corporate volunteer teams).
3. Assisting in preparing funding and grant applications for gardening projects.
4. Reporting any safeguarding concerns and documenting any accidents in the accident book.
5. Monitoring and evaluating the progress of the gardening club.

Person specification

The candidate must have:

• Gardening qualification(s)
• Experience of working with a wide range of people including those with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities
• The ability to lead a team of volunteers in an inspiring, nurturing, and creative way
• Health and Safety, First Aid, and Safeguarding training (the successful applicant will get the chance to update these courses with us)

The ideal candidate would have:

• Good communication skills, an ability to communicate well with a wide range of people, imparting knowledge, information, and instructions at a variety of levels.
• Patience and empathy.
• Understanding of the therapeutic role nature and gardening can play in everyone’s well-being.
• Understanding of the importance of community connections and can make all those wishing to contribute welcome and accepted.
• Ability to support volunteers in negotiating good relations with other volunteers when required.
• Ability to nurture a friendly, supportive atmosphere in every session with the aim of everyone leaving having had a positive gardening experience.
• Creativity.

Contract, hours and pay

This is a sessional post for four hours per week, 46 weeks per year. The rate of pay is £30 per hour.

There will be additional garden maintenance hours throughout the year paid at £20 per hour.

Gardening Club takes place Monday 13:00-15:00 and Wednesday 12:00-14:00. Unfortunately, there is little flexibility on the times of the sessions.

How to apply

Visit our website for an application form below and send it to . If you\’d like to know more before applying, please email or call 0207 639 7605.

Deadline 17:00, Friday 25 April 2025.

Seniority level

• Entry level

Employment type

• Part-time

Job function

• Management and Manufacturing
• Non-profit Organizations

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