Community Gardener

Location: Thamesmead
Contract: Fixed term, 12 months
Salary: £24,219 pro rata
Hours: 15 hours, working Monday and Tuesday

Groundwork London are seeking a passionate and experienced community gardener to work on an exciting project in Thamesmead. You will be working as part of the Clever Cities Team co-creating green space improvements in one of London’s most exciting neighbourhoods. You will support residents to develop and run their own gardening and food growing projects, run training and capacity building sessions and connect residents with each other and their communities.

The Groundwork London Community Team empowers residents, stakeholders and grassroot groups, including those who may be under-represented in mainstream consultation exercises, to build their confidence, skill and capabilities to become agents of change. We co-create exciting engagement strategies with communities, partners and clients to establish vibrant open spaces that meet the needs of communities.

Groundwork London’s diverse community gardening programme delivers practical horticultural and conservation workshops and training, ranging from food growing, garden maintenance, nature conservation, garden crafts, plot to plate cooking and therapeutic wellbeing sessions. Settings for the community gardening workshops range from social housing land, parks, nursery, primary and secondary schools, faith hubs, partner organisation venues or at one off events.

Led by the GLA and delivered in partnership with Peabody Trust and Social Finance, CLEVER Cities will demonstrate how Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), co-created with citizens, can support sustainable and socially inclusive urban regeneration across three European Cities: Milan, Hamburg and London. CLEVER Cities is one of the largest regeneration projects in Europe, and the London programme aims to achieve tangible social, environmental and economic improvements through the regeneration of 20 hectares of urban space in Thamesmead

As Community Gardener, you will be responsible for encouraging all sections of the local community to get involved, support residents to develop their own gardening projects and offer support to ensure residents can effectively help to look after open spaces in the longer term. You will relish the challenge of getting people of diverse backgrounds excited about gardening, food growing and getting their fingers dirty. You will run training, capacity and well-being sessions, working closely with another Community Gardener and the wider Clever Team.

Groundwork London works with communities across the capital to transform their lives and the places they live. We have been at the forefront of social and environmental regeneration in London for over 25 years, and today we have a simple mission: to create better places, improve people’s prospects, and promote greener living and working. We are passionate about creating a future where every neighbourhood is vibrant and green, every community is strong and able to shape its own destiny, and no-one is held back by their background or circumstances.

Please contact us if this sounds like you and you have:

• Excellent communication skills to inclusively engage individuals and groups of all ages, backgrounds and capabilities in gardening activities.
• Creative session design to support cohesion and integration in group settings and finding creative solutions to common barriers, such as, English as a second language.
• Use of horticulture expertise to support groups and individuals to build their own skills and confidence to grow their own and make healthy and sustainable choices.
• Support and encourage residents to develop and run their own gardening projects & apply for funding.
• Garden design skills and plant plans for small community build garden transformations.
• Ability to work to a project brief, timeline and budget, providing monthly timesheets and occasional reporting.

About Us

Groundwork London works with communities across the capital to transform their lives and the places where they live. We have been at the forefront of social and environmental regeneration in London for over 25 years, and today we have a simple mission: to create better places, improve people’s prospects, and promote greener living and working.

We are passionate about creating a future where every neighbourhood is vibrant and green, every community is strong and able to shape its own destiny, and no one is held back by their background or circumstances.

Please send your application form, quoting reference ‘913/CG’ to londonjobs@groundwork.org.uk

For further information and to discuss the role please contact Sandra at Sandra.hoisz@groundwork.org.uk

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 17th January, 2022

Interview date: 24th January 2022

Appointment to this role is subject to an enhanced records check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).