Contract Opportunity – Freelance Development Officer, Braehead Community Garden
BBDCDT are looking to contract on a freelance basis an individual to undertake the following contract:
Contract Length: rolling twelve months from start date. P/T 15 hours per week Apr-Oct and March, 10 hours per week Nov-Feb
Location: Braehead Community Garden (a laptop and mobile phone will be provided to facilitate home working where necessary)
Contract Value: 670 hours @ £17 per hour = £11,390
Braehead Community Garden is an 11,000 square metre facility in Stirling with raised beds, polytunnels, a clubhouse, picnic area, apiary, orchard, toolshed, workshop and more. The garden is a lottery funded project run by Braehead, Broombridge and District Community Development Trust (www.braehead.org). The garden is the Trust’s key project and exists to help create a vibrant, connected community which flourishes as a key part of 21st Century Stirling with healthy, happy residents.
The contracted person’s tasks will be as follows:
1. Be the first point of contact within the community for those wishing to access the garden
2. Undertake outreach work within the community to promote the garden and encourage people into it
3. Form relationships with other community and third sector partners to maximise use and occupancy of the garden and administer bookings
4. Develop volunteer opportunities and support and encourage volunteers in a variety of garden activities and projects, anchored in food growing, food distribution, and mental health (predominantly May-September)
5. Assist and support community and fund-raising events within the garden, including the annual plant sale, flower show and pumpkin festival
6. Assist in the development of new projects and activities
7. Assist in developing a business plan for a social enterprise based on polytunnel food growing (see note below)
8. Identify future funding sources to continue and expand the role beyond the one year contract
9. To assist the Trust with general garden matters necessary to the success of the contract
It is expected that you will work 15 hours each week during the gardening season (Mar-Oct) and 10 hours per week (non-gardening season Nov-Feb). In the gardening season we expect Sat 1000-1400rs to be included, but other hours are as required. There may be some lone working.
You will ultimately report to the Board of Trustees with day-to-day management of the contract the responsibility of the Trust Chair and one named Trustee.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
· Good verbal and written communication skills
· Experience of working with volunteers
· Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills
· Confident social media and IT user
· Able to work to a high degree of independence (some lone working will be required)
· Commitment to the success and sustainability of the project
· Knowledge and understanding of health and safety issues.
Desirable skills
· Food hygiene certificate
· First Aid certificate
· Experience and/or keen interest in gardening and/or cooking
· Experience and/or keen interest in environmental sustainability and food security
· Knowledge and experience of local food issues
· UK Driving Licence
The job may involve working with children and vulnerable groups therefore the successful candidate would be expected to secure a Disclosure check.
Social Enterprise Note:
Two of our four polytunnels, and a minimum of 12 of our external raised beds are dedicated to a ‘market garden’ project. This involves a small team of volunteers propagating, cultivating and harvesting a variety of fruit and vegetables. The produce is sold to local people and distributed to local groups to help with food security. The success of this project has exceeded all expectation and the Trust would like to formalise the project and develop a social enterprise where we propagate plants for sale in the spring, cultivate crops for harvest and sale in the summer/early Autumn, and then create food products (preserves, jams, chutneys, chilli infused oils, dried fruits, honey from our apiary, eggs from our flock of hens, etc) in late Autumn/winter.
Next Steps
If you would like to discuss or apply for this contract, please send a proposal to Trust Chair Aileen Hall no later than Sunday 20 March 2023 at trust@braehead.org