Gardening and Soft Skills Co-ordinator
Job Description: This post will actively promote local food growing, addressing food waste and developing the softer skills of cooking, sewing and knitting. The post will encourage the acquisition of skills which will increase self sufficiency and self reliance. The successful applicant will be expected to organise and recruit skilled people to run the workshops as well as advertising widely to ensure good participation from the colleges, universities and the wider community.. A good working knowledge and practical skills of gardening, in particular, will be expected. An allotment has already been identified and connections made which will need to be followed up to ensure quick progress is achieved in the reduced lifetime of the project.
£19,972 per annum, 23 month contract, 35 hours a week, 28 days leave pro rata The position to be based in Dundee. Start Date 29th April 2013 (dependant on availability) How to Apply The deadline for applications is 17.00 on Monday 22nd March 2013. To apply please send a CV and covering letter to skillsharedundee@gmail.com. The covering letter should explain how you meet the essential and desirable qualities laid out in this document. Interviews will be held in Dundee for successful candidates between the 3rd and 4th April 2013, if you are unavailable on these dates then please let us know to arrange a possible alternative date. On completion of interviews, successful candidates will be invited to attend a workshop day where their suitability for employment will be evaluated. Those applicants that reach the final part of the Interview process will also undergo two workshop sessions to see how they work within our organisation with our current staff and participants. About Dundee’s population is around 144,000,1 with pockets of high deprivation18, an unemployment rate above the national average1, and earnings below the Scottish median.1 There is also a large student population compared to Scotland as a whole.1 Skill Share Dundee (SSD) will engage the local population in order to create significant reductions in CO2e, alongside a range of social benefits including active lifestyles, saving money and bringing generations together through the sharing of skills. SSD will be run from a shop front in West Dundee and through road shows into the specific communities. Working in partnership with People & Planet Dundee, Allotment Lot, Greening Dundee(previously known as Dundee Transition Towns), Dundee University Students Association, Knit and Natter, Lush, TFCR, and Tin Roof. There will be a variety of projects running, which will address the following themes: Food: Grow Your Own & Composting: Participants will be engaged through a range of basic edible growing workshops, including composting. They will receive continued support and access to land through a garden share scheme where they are linked up to people who can't look after their gardens, the Allotment Lot, and the Greening Dundee food group. As part of the activity participants will receive a set of basic gardening tools that have been diverted from landfill. Students moving into new homes will be targeted to set-up composting in their gardens. Transport: Cycling: Commuters travelling to work in the city centre or the university by car will be targeted. Participants will be engaged through workshops in bicycle repair and maintenance. They will be offered the opportunity to repair a bike diverted from landfill as part of the training. Participants will continue to be supported through access to the bike workshop facilities and tools, staff guidance, signposting cycle to work schemes, and cycling socials. Waste: Reuse & Reduce: Participants will be engaged through workshops in which they will be taught how to repair clothes and shoes, appliances, electronics, and furniture. They will continue to be supported through home visits, access to facilities and staff, scavenger events, and a clothes making club. Waste: Tools Exchange: A website will be developed that will allow tools to be shared by members. The site will be seeded initially with tools from SSD and some of its partners. Participants from other activities will be encouraged to register on the site, tools will be diverted from landfill and added, and DIY enthusiasts will be targeted. The project will also continue to have a strong self-organising element alongside the more focused activities that funding will be used for, as it will still be a platform for all members of the community to share any practical sustainability skills. Key Responsibilities Running classes teaching participants how to grow their own food Organising/running Craft Sessions Managing the allotment and related garden spaces Developing and managing a Land Share Scheme Coordinate community activities such as the composting campaign, tree planting and help a neighbour to dig their garden Assisting individuals to reduce their co2e carbon footprint in all aspects of their lives Keeping partner organisations and sponsors up to date with the latest developments in the project Specific tasks Managing Helm allotment Educating the public about wild resources/edibles Foraging events Sourcing growing locations Managing land and participants who are taking part in the Land Share Scheme Deliver the compost on tour events, making sure that participants have the support needed to compost in their gardens. Developing food growing log books Running seed share events Assisting participants to help them grow food in their gardens Collate information to assist with the monthly report Helping to deliver Go Green Weeks. Producing and distributing press releases. Uploading content on the blog and website Running craft stalls Utilising reused materials for crafting sessions where possible Assisting with the promotion of events and workshops Assisting other members of staff to facilitate workshop sessions Ensuring the smooth running of the SSD workshop Checking all relevant health and safety procedures are followed Organising scavenging events Development of recycling information media Essential qualities Gardening experience/qualifications Experience of providing classes/workshops Ability to engage with individuals from a multitude of backgrounds who may not be ecologically-minded in an effective and approachable manner Ability to participate in manual labour Ability to be innovative, Imaginative and creative Willingness to provide assistance in other workshop activities Ability to work alone and as part of a team Good organisational skills Willing to learn Keen interest in self-reliance/self sufficiency Keen interest in the Make-Do and Mend culture Flexibility in working times Desirable qualities Knowledge of permaculture and organic growing. Qualified in outdoor/natural education Experience of foraging wild foods Wild plant identification Experience of crafts such as sewing and knitting DIY Experience First aid qualification/experience Ability to ride a bicycle Ability to drive a van Design/advertising experience Good Networking skills
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