Job title: Garden Community Development Officer
Contract type: temporary (six months from the starting date, ideally May-October), part-time (c. 12h/week, to be agreed)
Job context: OxGrow is a community garden and a Community Action Group set up in January 2011 in Hogacre Eco-Park. Hogacre Eco Park was formerly Corpus Christi Sports Ground and is located in Hinksey Meadows. It comprises a large grass flood plain meadow, a community orchard of local Oxfordshire trees, bee hives, a lot of new tree planting and a Forest School; also the former pavilion open for hire for social events with a café open on Sundays in summer.
OxGrow Community Garden is located beside the Pavilion inside what was former grass tennis courts, conveniently protected from hungry animals like deer. The gardens were started up in 2011 and initially a series of carefully laid out beds were dug out and cultivation started on organic principles, with the objectives of educating, demonstrating, experimenting, building a diverse community and promoting sustainability. See our aims and constitution here.
OxGrow has grown in strength year by year and now incorporates fourteen raised beds, two poly-tunnels and each year a wide range of vegetables, soft fruits, herbs, flowers and green manures. All sorts of plants have been represented over time, including heritage species and specialist grains. And of course there is the composting and the wormery to attend to.
OxGrow recruits its volunteers from throughout the community and of all ages, accompanied children upwards. It attracts young people from all over the world working and studying in Oxford and interested in gardening and sustainability. There is no commitment to come every week but volunteers can meet every Sunday throughout the year between 1pm and 5pm, and late afternoons onwards on Wednesdays in summer (which can be coolly idyllic after a hot day). OxGrow is not just there for people to attend the recognised sessions, volunteers are also welcome to come any time and develop any particular interests they may have in the garden.
A big feature of the garden is the Harvest Bed. On this are grown all the vegetables to be eaten at Hogacre Harvest Festival, a popular annual community event. Other events connected with the garden are Pumpkin Day, cooking events and the Big Dig (a national gardening competition).
Purpose and scope:
OxGrow was founded by university students and is still very popular with those studying and researching in Oxford. However it has always be committed to encouraging a wide and diverse membership with strong links to the local community. OxGrow aims to be a place where the university and town populations meet and interact, and encouraging both groups to come to the garden is one of our main objectives.
To run garden effectively, all the year round support is required. There is much work still to be done to make the garden community even stronger and ensure there are enough committed volunteers to guarantee satisfactory long-term governance.
The Officer’s main task, therefore, will be to work on, and agree with the existing volunteers, a strategy to achieve these two aims. The post will very much involve getting out and meeting and encouraging a wide range of volunteers to come to the garden, as well as supporting them during the sessions in the garden. This will of course need to be carried out as part of an ongoing dialogue with those working out the current cultivation and gardening practices about how a dynamic between volunteers’ hopes, skills and initiatives can be effectively realised.
Reports to: OxGrow Chair and Secretary
Works closely with: garden volunteers and committee officers
Major responsibilities:
- Agreeing and implementing a strategy to widen and increase the volunteers base.
- Establishing links with local organisations and groups
- Organising and publicising OxGrow events and activities
- Supporting Sunday gardening sessions and any other special sessions
- Training and supporting volunteers with direction and assistance from experienced members
- Contributing to the running of the garden as required
- Representing OxGrow at networking and planning meetings as required
Remuneration: a fee of GBP 500 / month
Please note that this role would require you to register as self-employed as OxGrow is unable to provide a full employment package at this stage.
Person specifications
Required
– excellent written and oral communication skills
– ability to communicate with a wide range of people
– knowledge of community and voluntary sector, particularly food-related initiatives
– experience in working with and motivating volunteers
– ability to establish and achieve objectives with minimal supervision
– planning and organisational skills
– experience in events organising and publicity
– ability to work most Sundays
– a strong commitment to the aspirations of Hogacre Eco park and the objectives of OxGrow Community Garden
Desirable
– knowledge of growing food/gardening/sustainability and food justice issues
– previous experience in a similar role
– able to start by 1 May (negotiable)
To apply
Please submit a CV and a cover letter outlining how you meet the person specifications by email to mail@oxgrow.org. Only applications submitted by Wednesday 20 April will be considered. Interviews are expected to be held on Sunday 24 April.
For informal enquiries about the position, please contact us at mail@oxgrow.org.
OxGrow 