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Community Engagement Officer (Shropshire)

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Post: Garden Organic Community Engagement OfficerLocation: Remote (Shropshire)Reporting to: Head of Knowledge Transfer Hours: Part time - Annualised hours equivalent to 7 hours per week.Duration: Fixed Term until 31st March 2027 in line with current delivery contract.Salary: £25,133 full time equivalent (£5027 per annum pro rata)Role subject to DBS Check: No

About us:

At Garden Organic we care about organic growing, composting, seed conservation, research and citizen science. Our small but hugely knowledgeable and committed team is backed by a family of members and volunteers, all dedicated to growing food and flowers in harmony with nature. We are an established, experienced and innovative membership charity, working in communities around the UK and campaigning for organic practice which protects and promotes life above and below the soil. Now in our seventh decade, we are also home to the vitally important Heritage Seed Library a living collection of 800 rare vegetable varieties that otherwise would have died out.

Our mission is to show people how to be organic growers and in doing so, we strive to be a great place to work, volunteer or partner with. We care about what we do, how we do it, and the impact we make. We believe that our time is now – when people are

actively seeking positive contributions that they can make in the face of biodiversity loss and climate change.

About the role:

You will be reporting to our ‘Senior Project Coordinator’ in Shropshire and your core responsibilities and main duties are as follows:

Work effectively with project colleagues to identify opportunities to reach audiences in their local communities.
Deliver sessions on home composting for a range of audiences. You may also be required to design and deliver new sessions as opportunities occur.
Support volunteers; this could be mentoring, attending events, sharing resources or responding to individual’s needs as they arise.
Liaise professionally with event organisers.
Design, develop and deliver sessions for a range of audiences with the principle aims of raising awareness for waste reduction and promoting the principles of organic growing.
Collect and collate evidence/data from volunteers and project delivery to inform project reports.
Provide written feedback on progress and track delivery against project targets, with submission of reports as required.
Help promote the project via social media and create online content.
It is the nature of the work of Garden Organic that tasks and responsibilities are, in some circumstances, unpredictable and varied. All employees are expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises where tasks are not specifically covered in the Job Description and have to be undertaken.
Evenings, weekends and occasional bank holiday working will be required.
Occasional travel to Garden Organic’s head office near Coventry as required.

Responsibilities & Main Duties:

Work effectively with project colleagues to identify opportunities to reach audiences in their local communities.
Deliver sessions on home composting and engagement for a range of audiences. You may also be required to design and deliver new sessions as opportunities occur.
Support volunteers; this could be mentoring, attending events, sharing resources or responding to an individual’s needs as they arise
Liaise, professionally, with event organisers.
Design, develop and deliver sessions for a range of audiences with the principal aims of raising awareness for waste reduction.
Provide written feedback on progress and track delivery against project targets, with submission of reports as required.
To maximise dissemination and PR associated with projects by liaising with the Project Coordinator and being alert to any potential opportunities for positive publicity. (All publicity relating to your work will be managed and approved by HQ)
It is the nature of the work of Garden Organic that tasks and responsibilities are, in some circumstances, unpredictable and varied. All employees are expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises where tasks are not specifically covered in the Job Description and have to be undertaken.
It is likely that some evening, weekend and bank holiday working will be required.
A valid UK driving license would be useful.

What we are looking for:

Our ideal candidate will be engaging, with lots of positive energy and enthusiasm to inspire audiences in Shropshire. You will be willing to learn and gain a good understanding of the principles and goals of this important project. Any prior experience of working within the field of waste reduction or towards positive environmental action would be welcomed.
You will be naturally curious, looking for opportunities to engage with the community and drive the home composting initiative forward and you will have a proven ability to influence and motivate.
Your role will be fast paced, and you will need to be able to adapt sessional delivery to the needs of partners and audiences. You will be working alongside local project partners and an established network of Master Composter volunteers. With annualized hours we will look to you to manage your time effectively and in line with the demands of the project.

What we can offer:

Salary: £5027 pro-rata, £25,133 Full-time equivalent
Pro rata equivalent of 25 days Holiday plus bank holidays and additional leave at Christmas
Additional long service holiday
Group Pension Scheme with 8% employer contribution
Employee Assistance Programme
Salary Extras benefits platform (Instant discount scheme and health, wellbeing and financial support)
We Care benefits platform (With access to virtual GP consultations, nutritionist support, get fit programmes, smoking cessation and further health and wellbeing support)
TOIL for additional hours worked
Life Assurance
Garden Organic membership

Person Specification:

Experience of working with volunteers

Experience of connecting with and building trust within local communities, identifying need, and partners.

Experience of facilitating and attending high quality community-based activities and events.

Experience of designing, developing and delivering training, talks and workshops for a range of audiences.

Home based/lone working

Good communicator – strong written and verbal communication

Managing relationships

Event management

Good IT Skills (Microsoft Office).

Waste reduction methods

Knowledge and understanding of relevant Health and Safety and safeguarding procedures, including identifying and assessing risks and taking appropriate action.

Knowledge of organic growing,

Highly organized with excellent time management

Creative and engaging approach

A high level of professionalism, engaging with others respectfully and with appropriate professional courtesy

Self starter with drive to deliver outcomes

A collaborative, empathetic approach – able to adapt your plans and style to meet the needs of partners, team members and audiences.

A commitment and enthusiasm for the principles of organic gardening including composting, waste reduction and general environmental sustainability.

To apply:

For the full job description and person specification please email us.

All applicants must complete a Garden Organic Application Form which can be downloaded here. Please complete and return to us along with a covering letter explaining why you are interested in working for us and why you feel you would be a good fit for the role. We pay close attention to covering letters so please do send us one.

We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Garden Organic reserve the right to close the advert early depending on response levels.

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion applications will be anonymised before being submitted to our recruitment panel.

Recruitment Timetable:Application Deadline: Monday 4th May 2026Interview Dates: Thursday 7th May 2026Interview Location: Online via teams

Equal Opportunities:

At Garden Organic we embrace diversity and recognise the value it brings to our organisation. As such, we match charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates and welcome candidates from various backgrounds irrespective of age, disability, gender, gender identity or reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief or sexual orientation. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and take pride in ensuring that everyone feels welcome, respected and empowered.
Garden Organic is also a Disability Confident Employer and aims to create opportunities wherever possible. It should be noted that some of our roles require travel and attendance at events where accessibility arrangements will vary.

Safer Recruitment:

Garden Organic is also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects employees, associates and volunteers to share this commitment. We may require some candidates to undertake a DBS check relevant to the requirements of the role.Please note that we only accept applications from individuals with the right to work in the UK. We are unable to sponsor working visa applications.

THE HENRY DOUBLEDAY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

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