We Need: Volunteer Garden Leaders

We have started a small community garden space at Greenway Centre, BS10 5PY. Our aim is to create low maintenance, wildlife friendly sensory garden.

We need dedicated Garden Leaders who can play a key role in setting up and running our monthly Saturday Garden group and support our in-week garden group. The group will look after the garden by carrying out tasks like watering, weeding, planting, sowing seeds, pruning, and general maintenance throughout the seasons. You will be planning and delivering activities alongside the Climate and Nature Action Coordinator and other Garden Leaders to do these tasks. The group will be made up of members of the community so you will be working alongside other people.  

Commitment 

• One Saturday per month and/or 

• One weekday per month either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday 

• We are open to discussing the best time of day for a group to meet based on what works best for people wanting to be involved. 

How to apply 

• Complete our volunteer application form on our website at www.southmead.org/volunteer  selecting the Garden Leader role under the Volunteer Opportunities section.  Please also pay particular attention to question 10 where you can provide details of your skills and experience. 

What will you be doing?

• Creating and maintaining a garden which is low maintenance with lots of sensory plants to create a nice place for the community and different staff teams to spend time. 
• Creating habitats and food sources for wildlife. 
• Supervising the group to make sure tasks are completed safely and correctly, following risk assessments. 
• Working with the other Garden Leaders and the Climate and Nature Action Coordinator to develop and adhere to risk assessments for activities, and gather feedback and concerns 
• Providing the group with information about growing techniques, plants, and wildlife in the space. 

Experience and skills needed 

• Qualification/certification/relevant experience in growing or gardening. 

• An interest and passion in gardening for wildlife.  

• Confidence supervising and supporting a team of garden volunteers. 

• Working to health and safety guidelines and risk assessments. 

• Ability to communicate with people of different backgrounds, ages, and abilities. 

• Friendly, welcoming, inclusive and non-judgemental. 

• Patient and flexible with an understanding that people will come along to the group for different reasons, want to learn different things, and learn in different ways. 

• Understanding of safeguarding and ability to learn and follow our safeguarding policy and process. 

• Willing to complete a DBS check. 

You may be seeking more experience for a career in ecology, gardening, or horticulture and want to connect this to working in a community setting or community development. Or you may be looking for something different in your spare time.  

What is provided? 

• Tools, plants, seeds and equipment. 

• Opportunity to co-create a valuable community space. 

• Opportunity to develop skills and gain experience in group facilitation and garden management. 

• Training which is offered to our volunteers such as safeguarding, health and safety, and maintaining boundaries. 

• Opportunities for training as they arise for staff and volunteers.  

• Optional socials to meet other volunteers. 

• A reference after 6 months of placement if appropriate.