Position: Lead Gardener
Location: Lymington, Hampshire
Hours: 4 hours per week (Wednesday mornings)
Salary: £2,912pa - £3,120pa
At Oakhaven Hospice, we provide exceptional care, comfort, and support to patients and their families facing life-limiting illnesses. We are now seeking an experienced and motivated Lead Gardener to help manage and organise our beautiful gardens on the hospice site.
About the Role
We are excited to recruit a part time, highly motivated and enthusiastic Lead Gardener to act as the Hospice source of expertise and be the first point of contact for all horticultural matters within the organisation. To manage the team of gardening volunteers to ensure the maintenance and upkeep of the Hospice gardens and grounds.
Key Responsibilities
* Manage the team of gardening volunteers, providing them with timely and appropriate advice and by setting and directing work priorities as appropriate.
* Provide regular team meetings to discuss progress in the garden.
* Ensure that routine maintenance work on the garden and grounds (to include watering, grass cutting, edging, weeding and pruning) takes place in line with the seasonal maintenance schedule.
* Ensure that all staff and volunteers wear the required protective clothing, which will be supplied by the Hospice.
* Take personal responsibility for becoming fully aware of Health and Safety at Work Policies, Fire Procedures, Control of Infection, COSHH and Moving and Handling.
About You
To succeed in this role, you will need to be highly organised, an excellent communicator with the ability to lead and motivate a team of volunteers.
Essential Skills and Experience:
* A recognised advanced horticultural qualification or equivalent experience e.g., RHS diploma or certificate
* Relevant experience working as a Gardener in a Community Garden or similar capacity.
* A detailed knowledge of horticulture / plant and flower husbandry i.e. seasonal planting of trees, shrubs and flowers, composting, permaculture and biological pest control
* Ability to plan and implement garden scheme designs and layouts.
* Proven leadership skills, ideally managing volunteers.
* Ability to consistently offer horticultural advice with warmth and sensitivity, taking into account the needs of those who use hospice gardens.
* A good understanding of health and safety risk management with respect to COSHH, garden equipment etc
* Ability to cope with the physical demands of the role.
Why Join Oakhaven?
At Oakhaven Hospice, you will be part of a warm, dedicated team making a real difference in people's lives. We offer:
* A supportive and inclusive working environment
* Opportunities for training and professional development
* Generous holiday allowance
* Access to wellbeing support and staff benefits
* A meaningful role in a respected local charity
Please note that we are unable to offer skilled worker visa sponsorship for this role. Therefore, you must ensure that you are eligible to work in the UK without our sponsorship for your application to be considered
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: £14.00-£15.00 per hour
Benefits:
* Discounted or free food
* Free parking
* Health & wellbeing programme
* On-site parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
* Lymington SO41 8ZZ: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
* Do you have any experience working with Volunteers
Experience:
* Lead Gardener: 2 years (required)
* Health and Safety: 1 year (preferred)
* Management: 1 year (preferred)
Work authorisation:
* United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person