We are looking for a volunteer who will act as a gardening adviser on a one-off project where a group of volunteers will regenerate a sensory garden at the home of 6 people we support.
The project is on 27 April and is in Finchampstead, Berkshire.
The volunteer adviser will not be required to lead the session, their role will be to provide advice and guidance throughout the day. The volunteer will not be required to partake in the gardening work, but they will be welcome to if they choose to.
The project’s regeneration tasks include: clearing overgrown flowerbeds, de-weeding and de-stoning flowerbeds and paving, preparing soil for new plants and flowers, planting new plants and flowers, cleaning and treating/painting tired garden furniture and fence.
As well as the day-long project, we would like the volunteer to visit the garden beforehand to help us put together the schedule for the day. We have a budget to spend on plants and flowers – we would also like the volunteer’s informed opinion on which are best to buy.
This position is a one-off role, although volunteers will be welcome to continue volunteering with us in a gardening role once the project is complete.
Your duties will include:
- Assisting the session leader in creating a schedule for the day-long project
- Providing your informed opinion on the best choice of plants, flowers and materials for the day
- Sharing and demonstrating the most effective way of performing certain tasks (e.g. turning over soil, planting a bulb etc.)
- Providing general practical guidance and assistance to other volunteers on the project
About you
Required qualities:
- A keen interest and practical experience of gardening
- A broad knowledge of gardening techniques and garden plants
- The ability to communicate clearly and a willingness to share their ideas
- The ability to work well in a position of specific responsibility within a team
- Availability between 10am-4pm on Wednesday 27 April and for a meeting prior to this date
Please note, the garden is located in an area with poor public transport connections, so a volunteer should be able to travel to and from the address independently.
Applicants will be invited for a short interview at the location of the project.
Please note that we will need to obtain 2 character references for you before you can begin volunteering – we do not accept references from family members.
What you can expect from Dimensions
We appreciate the generosity of volunteers and wish to support them while they are volunteering:
- An organisation that values volunteers’ individual differences, interests and strengths, and encourages them to express these.
- A welcoming, supportive and positive volunteering atmosphere.
- Support from professional, friendly and trained Dimensions staff.
- Agreed travel expenses reimbursed.
Want to apply for this role?
If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch via the provided contact details if you’d like to know more.