Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

1. About the Role

We are looking for an Assistant Community Gardener to manage the site and support and guide our garden volunteers on Saturdays (and occasional additional cover days by mutual agreement). You will report to and liaise closely with our Community Garden Manager to help plan and agree a range of gardening activities for our volunteers. You will be responsible for supporting our volunteers to carry out these tasks on site, providing advice and guidance as required.

2. About You

You are a passionate and knowledgeable gardener with experience in sustainable growing practices, and a genuine enthusiasm for sharing that knowledge with others. You are comfortable leading and supporting groups of volunteers with varying levels of experience, adapting your communication style to suit different people and making everyone feel welcome and valued. You are organised and practical, able to plan and prioritise tasks effectively while remaining flexible when things don't go to plan. You take pride in maintaining a safe, inclusive, and productive environment on site. A love of nature goes without saying, as well as experience of working in a community or educational setting.

3. Responsibilities and Duties

Site Management & Volunteer Supervision

• To have overall responsibility for supervising garden volunteers and maintaining a welcoming, productive environment on site
• To be the main point of contact and public face of BPCG during your shift
• To liaise directly with the Garden Manager and Operations Manager as necessary
• To plan and lead a range of gardening activities for volunteers, including propagation, harvesting, pruning and general garden maintenance
• To manage the site confidently and effectively as the sole member of staff on shift

Health, Safety & Security

• To be responsible for the health, safety and wellbeing of all visitors and volunteers while managing the site
• To support and uphold BPCG's Health and Safety and Safeguarding policies at all times
• To uphold all security protocols, including the incident report procedure
• To direct the Evacuation Procedure in the event of an emergency
• To be responsible for locking up and securing the site at the end of each shift, including operation of the Intruder Alarm System

General

• Any other duties reasonably requested by the Garden Manager

4. Person Specification

Essential 

• Strong horticultural skills and knowledge, with particular experience in food growing and sustainable horticulture
• Ability to guide and supervise volunteers across a wide range of gardening tasks
• Experience of working as a community gardener with volunteers, ideally in a public-facing setting
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage people of all backgrounds and experience levels
• A practical understanding of health and safety in an outdoor or public environment
• Comfortable managing a site independently as the sole member of staff on shift

Desirable 

• RHS Level 2 qualification or equivalent
• Experience of managing or maintaining a public green space
• First Aid certificate (or willingness to undertake training)
• Commitment to sustainable horticulture

5. Additional Details

• Pay: £20/hour. You will be expected to invoice for your hours and to be registered as self-employed (be able to provide a Unique Tax Reference)
• Contract: Freelance, 12-month, fixed term, with the potential for renewal
• Working Location: Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, Brockwell Park, London, SE24 9BN
• Reporting to: Community Garden Manager
• Reports: BPCG volunteers
• Hours: 9am-5pm weekly on Saturdays, with some seasonal variation and occasional additional cover days/hours by mutual agreement

Application information

Email a one page cover letter, CV and a completed equality and diversity monitoring form to rebecca@brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk by 5pm on Friday 20th March 2026. 

You are welcome to get in touch before applying if you have any questions. 

Shortlisted candidates will be offered an interview to take place during the week commencing 13th April 2026. We are looking for someone to start as soon as possible.

BPCG is committed to celebrating and promoting diversity. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every requirement. Please let us know if you need any accommodations to support your application process. 

BPCG is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs