Community Gardener

| BOST

Location: Bankside SE1 and Surrounding Areas

Salary: £27,759.33 – £29,301.66 Pro-Rata (depending on experience)

Part Time: Part time, Permanent. 2.5 days (17.5 hours a week), occasional evenings and weekends

Closing Date: Sunday 31st March 2024

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Job Description

Job Purpose

To be responsible for supporting the day-to-day maintenance of BOST’s parks, managing volunteers

during group sessions and implementation of small-scale projects for repair, maintenance, and

improvement.

Delivering well planned, interesting corporate workdays with a range of tasks that suits the needs and

number of participants in the group.

To support the day to day social and community involvement activities within these parks including co[1]ordinating volunteers, supporting events and activities, and facilitating educational use and

involvement.

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Tasks and Responsibilities

1. In common with all BOST staff

1.1 To support the philosophy, aims and objectives of Bankside Open Spaces Trust and to

champion its work in creating a high quality open-space network and a vibrant healthy

community by managing local parks and facilitating community involvement.

1.2 To develop an enabling ethos in the management of work streams and the personal

development and support of individual team members.

1.3 To promote and champion equality, diversity and inclusion for all staff, volunteers, and

stakeholders.

2. Particular to the Community Gardener role

2.1 To carry out maintenance tasks for BOST parks such as gardening, litter picking, watering and

general maintenance.

2.2 To support the management and maintenance of BOST’s managed parks and small buildings

according to agreed maintenance plans. The role includes carrying out regular checks, reporting

issues, problem solving, fixing small damage, and reporting to the Parks Manager, erecting signs,

managing stores, managing litter, and monitoring problems.

2.3 To manage all volunteers within BOST’s policy and good practice systems, providing direction,

informal training, advice and supporting volunteers mental well-being and physical health where

necessary according to guidance, as well as contributing to or leading planting days, educational

sessions, and regular gardening clubs.

2.4 To achieve agreed outputs for open spaces within the local area including:

• Leading corporate workdays in the parks and open spaces we look after giving the groups an

interesting and fulfilling experience.

• Leading gardening sessions with our regular volunteer groups.
• Ensure all activities delivered are accessible to all participants, including adopting creative

solutions to common barriers, such as, English as a second language, accessibility, additional

needs or neurodiversity, and economic barriers.

• Carrying out Health and Safety and Risk Assessments for BOST activities.
• Collecting monitoring information and contributing to reporting arrangements.
• Supporting the organisation and delivery of community events.
• Promoting an understanding of organic and sustainable community gardening amongst

volunteers, within the local community and amongst Trust staff.

• Liaising as required with other Trust staff members whose functions overlap with the

postholder.

2.5 To be responsible for implementing the relevant areas of BOST’s Health and Safety policies,

sharing appropriate information for good practice across the team.

2.6 To help manage tools maintenance and storage.

2.7 To help manage budgets as well as the purchase, safe storage and safe ongoing usage of

supplies and equipment, including tools, protective clothing and COSHH.

2.8 To help manage site noticeboards across BOST sites, ensuring information is current and well

displayed.

2.9 To represent BOST at a variety of community and local authority meetings and events as

required.

2.10 To assist BOST staff in managing and organising public parks events.

2.11 Supporting funding applications and applying for small pots of funding e.g., Cleaner, Greener,

Safer

2.12 To be aware of, actively promote and carry out all duties in accordance with BOST’s policies,

including Equal Opportunities, Safeguarding and Health and Safety.

2.13 Such other duties of a similar nature which may be required from time to time by the Line

Manager.

 

Community Gardener

Person Specification

Essential

1. Two years’ experience of gardening, including a good plants knowledge, basic design skills, an

understanding of practical projects, and commitment to organic and wildlife-friendly methods

at RHS Level two qualification or equivalent.

2. Ability to manage and motivate groups in an outdoor environment.
3. Practical experience of parks maintenance and operations with a good understanding of tools

and machinery.

4. Practical handyperson skills with the ability to undertake small scale repairs to gardens and

gardening equipment.

5. Commitment to delivering services in accordance with Equal Opportunities policies, and an

awareness of relevant barriers to involvement in parks and gardens.

6. Ability to work with young people, homeless people, and people with mental health conditions

as well as other marginalised groups.

7. Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to transmit key messages

quickly and clearly and to relate positively to users, staff, stakeholders, and partners.

8. Ability to successfully undertake monitoring, report-writing, and overall administration

associated with the requirements of the role.

9. Computer literacy, including word processing, email, and Excel.
10. Good working knowledge of Health and Safety requirements for a practical community

gardening project, including knowledge of safe tools use and storage, risk assessments and

relevant current legislation.

11. Ability to administer a budget, including costing projects and monitoring spend.
12. Physical fitness and stamina with the ability to work outdoors in a range of weathers.
13. Good organisational skills including time management, the ability to prioritise effectively,

flexibility and the ability to take the initiative within agreed guidelines.

14. Ability to work as part of a small lively team where roles are interdependent.

Desirable

1. Understanding, and experience of facilitating community ownership and involvement including

facilitating steering groups.

2. Experience of coordinating and leading outdoor workshops and events with corporate groups,

community, or volunteer groups.

3. Training and qualification in gardening, horticulture, permaculture, or another relevant subject.
4. Understanding and experience of facilitating group decision making.
5. Knowledge of the Bankside, Borough, Waterloo, and Blackfriars area.
6. Experience of the voluntary sector.
7. First aid training.

Some weekend and evening working will be required, for which time off in lieu will be given. The

post holder will be required to be on call for some weekends and during holiday periods.

The post will be subject to a satisfactory DBS check

How to Apply

To apply, please fill out our application form on the form below. CV’s will NOT be accepted.