Renfrewshire Environmental Trust's Blog

Salary/Hours: £16 per hour for 7 hours per week (£5,824 annually) from 1^st October 2025 to 31^st July 2027. There are 25 days annual leave plus 12 public holidays on a pro rata basis. The postholder may be automatically enrolled into the Employer Pension Scheme depending on your level of earnings, however they may also choose to opt out of this.

Responsible to: Renfrewshire Environmental Trust Board of Directors

Job Purpose:

Renfrewshire Environmental Trust promotes community involvement and offers support for initiatives or projects to enhance the local environment or public amenities including greenspace, public parks, wildlife habitats, and historic buildings in the Renfrewshire area. Currently, we support food growing and community gardening activity within Paisley area. We work in partnership with local primary schools and nurseries, local churches, local GPs, housing associations, and community groups.

The Community Gardener will be responsible for planning and delivery of gardening sessions for the Spuds for Buddies Project within the Paisley. They will work with nurseries, primary schools, and community groups within their food growing spaces to assist them in growing potatoes.

A wider aspect of the project activity is supporting the people on unpaid work orders benefit from meaningful work to help build the wooden planters for food growing. They will help to make the Paisley area more attractive and promote maintenance of local greenspaces for use by all ages.

Job Description

The main duties are

1. To plan and co-ordinate 50 x 2 hour workshops with practical gardening tasks using potato growing in nursery, school or community venues. This will share understanding of where food comes from and how to care for their local environment.
2. Using appropriate methods, encourage the ownership and participation of local residents and children in developing their skills and experience relating to organic growing in wooden planters.
3. Keep planters clean and presentable, taking responsibility for the security and equipment whilst delivering activities at the planters alongside teachers and relevant staff in nursery, school or community venues.
4. To be responsible for safety as and when required / during sessions you deliver.
5. To promote the growing of potatoes in planters through communicate and engagement with local schools, nurseries and community organisations, housing groups and work in partnership to deliver on outcomes.

2. Education and Training

• Respond to the individual support and training needs of gardening volunteers from diverse backgrounds and with different support needs who are involved in Spuds for Buddies.
• As required, oversee volunteers to deliver activities and workshops.
• Produce educational resources, promotional materials and garden workshop plans/ ideas within budget
• To share knowledge of the environment, wildlife, the food cycle, food production, healthy eating and living.

3. Administrative responsibilities:

• To manage budget, keep receipts for all expenditure and submit them according to RET financial procedures.
• To undertake risk assessments of all activities and to be responsible for the safety and wellbeing of participants. Respond to and manage problems and incidents as and when they arise.
• To undertake monitoring and evaluation for the project for RET and funders. To provide Board of Directors with progress reports on Outcomes and Outputs as required.

Person specification: Community Gardener

Essential Criteria

• Understanding and commitment to the values and aims of RET.

Technical requirements

• Agricultural / Horticultural HND or related qualification
• A minimum of three years’ proficient horticultural activity, whether through volunteering, training or through personal initiative.
• At least 1 years’ experience of working directly supporting volunteers.
• Ability to generate ideas and use initiative in relation to developing a gardening project.
• Experience and ability to plan, design and deliver gardening sessions and workshops with children and local resident leadership and participation.

Communication/other

• Excellent communication and listening skills, ability to create and maintain positive working relationships including supporting children and volunteers. Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of people.
• Self-motivated, very well organised and excellent time management skills  
• Competence in monitoring work to ensure outcomes and targets are achieved. Able to produce good quality reports for line manager. Evaluation experience. Able to do own administration.
• Proficient IT skills including MS office.
• Experience of using and working within appropriate protocols and procedures eg. health and safety, risk assessments.
• Understanding of child protection and vulnerable adults and PVG checks. Ability to work with vulnerable children and young people.
• Commitment to comply with the RET Handbook and policies. Able to attend training and development opportunities in line with the overall needs of the organisation and individual, in particular to meet changing needs, new technology developments, and service requirements.
• Commitment to keep up to date with good practice and legislation relevant to the role and service, including Safeguarding Children, Adult Protection, Data Protection, Confidentiality, Equalities and Health & Safety.

Other:

• Ability to promote RET’s activities in the local community and to work in partnerships with schools and community organisations
• Willingness to undergo a PVG / disclosure check
• An understanding and commitment to equal opportunities
• Able to work flexible hours

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of networking around local food / food justice / food security at a local / Paisley level
• Experience / understanding of child development, youth work, community development, and community health issues.
• Good understanding of climate change and how to influence local residents’ behaviour within a food growing context.
• First Aid Certificate, health & safety training
• Accessto a car

How to apply for this job vacancy:

Close Date: Friday 19^th September 2025 at 12 noon

Interviews: Thursday 25^th September 2025

To apply please send us your CV and a covering letter by email to: retpaisley@yahoo.com

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