Volunteer Garden Coordinator
Time to Grow
Volunteer gardening coordinator opportunity with local food growers collective Time to Grow. Come and co-facilitate weekly gardening sessions in Dalston, in a fun, relaxed and supportive environment, holding small group sessions with garden volunteers, and learn more through hands-on direct practice about organic principles of food growing.
Time to Grow are a collective of food growers in North London helping turn unloved land into thriving food-growing spaces. We focus on helping people turn disused private garden spaces into community food-growing sites. All of our produce is distributed to volunteers, garden owners and community food providers. This includes the Gleaners Workers Cooperative, the Holy Trinity Food Share, North London Action for the Homeless and Curry Club. We also work with schools and local authorities to run workshops and trainings on ecological food growing. We currently help steward over 25 plots, with roughly the same number of volunteer coordinators. As we head towards our busiest period of the year we are looking for 4 garden coordinators within our Hackney team, specifically to help with 2 gardens in Dalston, (2 coordinators per garden) which are next to each other and need work to develop them into thriving, biodiverse habitats, and applying organic methods to grow healthy, nutritious food. As a volunteer garden coordinator you will become part of our coordinator team, being supported to take on the running of one of the gardens and be responsible for running weekly sessions, setting weekly gardening tasks relevant to food growing through all the seasons; supervising and supporting volunteers with gardening tasks – which include: regular weeding and clearing space; creating paths; watering, improving soil, green manures, mulching; propagating (seed sowing); potting on; planting out; crop, flower, and herb maintenance; harvesting; seed saving; creating support structures for beans, tomatoes etc; and making wooden bed frames; creating compost bays and making compost; making ponds and maintaining them. You will also become part of our core team, and invited to attend our supportive monthly meetings to share and receive ongoing support, and be involved in the development of our group. Gardening sessions are usually two hours a week with occasional 4 hour sessions with a break and a meal offered. As volunteer garden coordinator there will also be some other tasks, specifically practical preparation for each session and some comms such as managing WhatsApp group, taking photos of garden to share – up to 2 hours per week. Those that start as a volunteer coordinator would have the flexibility to decide which days and times they would prefer to run/co-facilitate sessions.
Art & Design,Befriending, Buddying & Mentoring,Community Work,Gardening,Practical Work & DIY,Teaching & Training,Environmental,Support Work,Volunteer Management
Admin, Basic IT skills - internet & email, Carpentry, Conservation, Creative & Design, Evaluating & Reviewing, Gardening, Language Skills, Managing People, Organising & Planning, Photography
- Good communication skills- friendliness, confidence, empathy, respect, active listening. - Understanding of difference and diversity and awareness of different learning needs - Experience of supervising and supporting volunteers - Willingness to work in all weathers – within reason - Some basic knowledge and experience of organic methods of food growing ideal but we can support you with this.
- As a volunteer garden coordinator you will have the opportunity and access to a garden to develop your interest, knowledge and skills in organic principles of food growing. It’s also a chance to work collaboratively with like-minded people, and offer support for small groups of volunteers. - You will become part of our core team, and be invited to attend our monthly meetings to share and receive ongoing support and be involved in the development of our group. - Working and spending time together outdoors in nature is well known to have many benefits on our health, mentally, emotionally and physically. - Working together as a group in a creative, collaborative and supportive setting learning together about growing food can feel empowering. - Connecting to nature and playing a role in improving soil health, biodiversity and growing food locally can feel meaningful, uplifting and joyful, in that you feel you are making a difference and positive impact on many levels. - You will also have access to healthy nutritious food and the harvest can be shared regularly through the seasons!
3/4 hours per week (2 hours per week session time and + 1-2hours planning and prep and comms) Those that start as a volunteer coordinator would have the flexibility to decide which days and times they would prefer to run/co-facilitate sessions.
E8
1-3 Hayton Close, Dalston Gardens Estate (formerly known as Rhodes Estate) and Clapton Garden, Athlone Close, E5
Hayton Close is on The Dalston Gardens Estate (formerly known as Rhodes Estate). This estate is behind Dalston Junction station, and between Dalston Lane and Forest Road E8. Also near to Kingsland Road. Nearest Bus Stops: Dalston Junction: buses: 242,38,277,56. Kingsland Road bus stop: 149,76,67, 242 Overground: Dalston Junction and Dalston Kingsland.
4
