Find your place in the field of good food

Project Officer – Growing Community

Healthy Living Centre Dartford
Across the borough of Dartford

Posted: 22/03/2021

Deadline: 18/04/2021

Compensation: £16,800 per annum 0.6 FTE (FTE £28,000)

Paid Part-time Fixed term / contract

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Job description

Healthy Living Centre Dartford is seeking an experienced Project Officer with relevant experience to develop and manage an urban food-growing network across the borough of Dartford, Kent. This is a two-year contract, made possible through a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Growing Community is a project that places food at the very heart of everything we do. In this way, we will have a positive impact on health and wellbeing, economic and environmental development, education, culture - even creativity. We will achieve this by creating a network of food-growing spaces in the community across the borough.

The successful candidate will demonstrate experience of environmentally themed project work and knowledge of land use and small-scale food production: planning for planting, harvesting, and storage of produce and general land management. They will have a working knowledge of the food chain and of growing food locally.

They will also evidence experience of recruiting, inspiring and managing volunteers in community projects, as they will be responsible for building a viable and efficient team to sustain the programme. Ideally, they will have experience of generating income, including writing funding bids, and of managing budgets.

They must be a confident communicator, as the role will involve working with a wide range of partners including local authority officers and elected members, schools and academies and private landowners across the borough.  The post holder will be responsible for completing regular progress reports to the charity’s management board and funders.

This post requires an enhanced DBS check. 

Overall purpose of the post

• To develop and oversee a network of community growing spaces across the borough, securing and utilising appropriate public and private space for growing food.
• To recruit, inspire and manage volunteers. 
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive records and prepare reports for the project funders.
• Collect, collate, organise and input data for monitoring and evaluation of the project.
• Set up administrative systems and undertake administrative duties as required for the project, including organising meetings, collecting information, storing data.
• Input into printed and online materials, project website, newsletters, press releases, case studies and social media.
• Assist other project staff and volunteers with various tasks, including development  and sustainability of the network and fundraising.

Main responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day support and liaison for gardens, hubs, and networks.
• Identify  training requirements for volunteers
• To engage with members of the public and partners in a positive and constructive way
• Ensure all relevant health and safety standards are met in relation to personal safety, the safety of volunteers and other members of the public using the sites.
• Undertake any other tasks necessary for the success of the project  as may be reasonably requested

Application information

Please send a CV and covering letter (maximum two sides of A4) evidencing skills and experience relevant to this post to info@hlcdartford.org.uk.

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