We’re hiring!

Would you like to work for us as a Project Co-ordinator on our ‘Grow with Us’ project?

52 days – self-employed freelance post (£5200 plus £700 travel)

The Fearn Free Food Garden (FFFG) is a small community garden in Fearn, Easter Ross. Throughout the growing season the garden produces a range of vegetables and fruit, which are shared with the community at the Share Stall situated at the garden. It provides a focal point for surplus food in the area, as well as a social space and learning environment. It also shares plants and seeds, and operates on a ‘pay what you can’ basis (where ‘free’ is absolutely fine). The garden works to encourage food growing, waste awareness and sustainability, as well as skill building and sharing.

This project is funded via the Third Sector Initiative Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing. “Grow With Us” is a collaborative ‘grow your own’ project aimed to reduce social and rural isolation through growing your own vegetables. It is aimed particularly at those in our community who suffer from isolation, health issues and poverty, and provides workshops, get-togethers and equipment to help people grow their own food.

Dr Mairi MacPherson and Vicky Piper, the Co-Chairs of FFFG, will provide oversight, support and guidance. The co-ordinator will be expected to report regularly to the FFFG committee.

Role Responsibilties

  • Organise and lead weekly community growing sessions at the FFFG from March to September 2023 and develop a seasonal growing plan and handbook
  • Organise 6 ‘Skills Development’ workshops at the FFFG from March to August 2023. 
  • Organise social ‘grow your own’ drop-in sessions at a local cafe in Tain 
  • Organise 10 Pop-up veg gardens in people’s own spaces 
  • Contribute to the development of future projects and funding application

Ways of Working

The post consists of 52 days over the course of a year. The post holder will work primarily at home, but are expected to be present at the FFFG for the weekly growing sessions and monthly workshops, as well as at the local cafe in Tain for the drop-in sessions. In addition, the project has funding to hire workshop leaders for the Skills Development workshops and Grow Your Own drop-in sessions. The post holder can also choose to lead some of these workshops and sessions themselves. The project also has funding for someone to install the pop-up gardens, which could be the postholder or an external contributor.

The postholder is expected to advertise and promote all events they organise using existing and/or new social media channels and other routes, and ensure effective outreach to meet the key target groups of the project (People with a long-term health and condition or disability; People facing socio-economic disadvantage; People disadvantaged by geographical location (particularly remote and rural areas)), as well as local priorities (Social Isolation; Rurally distanced; Poverty).

Person Specification 

Essential

  • Enthusiastic and organised individual with experience of community development
  • Ability to work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds and experience levels 
  • Ability to work independently
  • Experience in event organising, workshop planning, and participatory processes to engage audiences 
  • Experience working with a wide range of people, from different backgrounds and with different level of experience 
  • Experience in a diverse range of engagement process, such as online meetings and event planning; face-to-face interaction; social media and advertising; collaborative working. 
  • Confident in using technology: Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram are essential for how the FFFG operates
  • Ability to generate publicity materials appropriate for different formats and target groups, using software such as Canva
  • Ability to recruit workshop and session leaders

Desirable

  • Knowledge and understanding of growing vegetables in the Highlands
  • Familiarity with relevant Highland community growing groups and projects
  • Willingness to engage with development and funding processes

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter that sets out how you meet the Person Specification outlined above to fearnfreefoodgarden@gmail.com. Interviews will be held by Zoom on Thursday 9th March and will consist of a short presentation and a conversation.