The Meridian One Community Garden is a meanwhile space which primarily grows fruit, salad and vegetable crops. We engage local people in the garden through weekly volunteer gardening sessions, school visits and other community events.
TCV are looking for a Senior Project Officer who has skills and experience in community engagement, delivering events and experience of managing a community facility. The community garden was established three years ago, and the site includes an office, community meeting/education room, toilets and a large polytunnel.
The Senior Project Officer will be able to effectively deliver different tasks as required, from planning and delivering a large community family weekend event to ensuring our site Health & Safety is maintained. The post holder will be able to lead volunteers in practical tasks such as making large, raised wooden planters, help maintain the garden plants during the Spring and Summer growing period and ensure administration tasks are completed on time. These administration tasks are varied and include procurement of materials, creating risk assessments, updating social media posts and completing task reports. The Senior Project Officer will be required to lead the delivery of our under 5's Nature Explorers outdoor playgroup activities, school visits, themed evening events and weekend family events. Additionally, the Senior Project Officer will deliver corporate volunteering sessions and provide holiday cover for our weekly Green Gym gardening session. Our wider events have included women's Pampering and Enrichment evenings, Repurpose, Recycle, Reinvent workshops and a Black Women in Conservation and Horticulture photography exhibition. Our weekend family events provide free food, music and arts and crafts activities. The post holder will also be required to lead occasional practical food growing and conservation activities with volunteers.
This a very much a public facing role and the Senior Project Officer must be welcoming and approachable to a wide range of stakeholders. The visitors to the garden have a wide range of backgrounds and needs, you'll need to be experienced in working with people, from toddlers attending the Nature Explorers club, vulnerable adults, to corporate volunteers and senior staff from our funders and the local authority.
In addition to this Senior Project Officer role, there are two other part time Project Officers working at the garden. TCV offers an excellent, extensive training programme and additional support from a great team of local colleagues.
Usual working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Given the nature of the role the Senior Project Officer will need to work from the garden during these times and home working will be limited, except in exceptional circumstances. Weekend family events take place on Saturdays, four times a year and there are approximately six evening events which take place between April to September. This post holder would be expected to plan & lead on the delivery of those evening and weekend events.
This role would suit someone with previous practical experience of day-to-day management of a community garden or community centre.
Ideally, we're looking for someone with experience of gardening and/or nature conservation. However, what's equally important is that the Senior Project Officer has initiative, is friendly, welcoming, and comfortable working with a wide range people. We'd therefore welcome applications from candidates who can display those personable qualities, perhaps with experience of working in a community centre.
To fulfil the role, you must be resident in the UK and have the right to work in the UK.