HAWKHURST SHEDDERS PROJECT LEAD – PART TIME, circa £12.50ph

LOCATION: Hope Farm Community Garden, Moor Hill, Hawkhurst, TN18 4QB
HOURS: Part-time 8 hours per week
REPORTING TO: Hands of Hope Board of Trustees
RESPONSIBLE FOR: Leading on and delivering Men’s Shed/Crafty Shedders Project(s)

BACKGROUND

Hands of Hope is restoring & developing a neglected walled kitchen garden and 18 acres of AONB land in Hawkhurst, located on the Kent and East Sussex Border – “Hope Farm Community Garden” – whilst conserving the site’s natural heritage.

Since securing planning in January 2019, we have been delivering programmes aimed at tackling food poverty, rural isolation and loneliness as well as improving mental & physical health for communities throughout Rother, Hastings, & West Kent. Projects include Get Growing, Bee in Company, Helping Hands Lunch Clubs, Men in Sheds and Holiday Hunger; additionally, we offer, free, rural crafts training & Volunteering sessions. We have a productive, organic, market garden with Soil Association Accreditation & in July 2021 launched our box scheme, Hope Farm Organics.

Our current plans see us developing facilities on site that will support a thriving and inclusive community made up of Service Users, Volunteers, Service Providers, Corporate users, and commercial customers as well as continuing to expand the delivery of our outreach activities throughout Rother, Hastings, and West Kent.

We are relaunching Hawkhurst Shedders and are seeking a new project lead who will be involved from the outset, working with the Trustees and staff to ensure that the Shed becomes an integral part of Hope Farm Community Garden. This role would be ideal for someone who is recently retired and enjoys woodworking and wants to share their passion with others.

JOB PURPOSE

We are relaunching Hawkhurst Shedders and are seeking a new project lead who will be involved from the outset, working with the Trustees and staff to ensure that the Shed becomes an integral part of Hope Farm Community Garden. This role would be ideal for someone who is recently retired and enjoys woodworking and wants to share their passion with others.

MAIN DUTIES:

• To work with the Trustees and HoH staff in relaunching Hawkhurst Shedders.
• To actively promote the project and encourage older men & and women to participate in the project.
• Working with HoH team, to use such methods as giving/arranging talks; social media; organising one-off promotional events; arranging “taster” sessions; contacting the local media (via the Marketing Trustee).
• To recruit, train and support volunteers to help in the delivery of the project.
• To co-ordinate a team of volunteers to continually develop the project as a place of recreation and social interaction.
• To be responsible for Health & Safety for the project; undertaking risk assessments, etc; ensuring these activities are completed adequately, adhering to Health and Safety legislation.
• To be responsible for the security of the building including opening the Shed, locking up at the end of the day and holding the keys.
• To provide a comprehensive induction process for each new attendee, including a health and safety assessment for the use of any equipment.
• To ensure that all volunteers, staff, and participants in the project adhere to all approved safety procedures.
• To monitor all equipment on an on-going basis to ensure that sufficient equipment is available and is fit for purpose.
• To develop short courses and learning activities for volunteers and participants in the project aligned to Hands of Hope’s wider delivery of nature-based activities including rural crafts e.g. green woodworking, Sussex Trug Making etc.
• To develop a programme of activities for Members and encourage and facilitate them partaking in an activity of their choice. This includes daily management of the activities taking place in the sheds and of the conduct of all participants ensuring that a positive example is set by the coordinator.
• To identify and network with local organisations, businesses, and other charities to ensure good links and relationships which support the project and Hands of Hope.
• To act as a conduit of communication and information between Members attending the Shed and Hands of Hope, ensuring that a positive awareness of all services is maintained for the benefit of participants.
• To ensure that up to date and accurate financial records are maintained including charging records, petty cash, and income generation receipts.
• To undertake all other administrative tasks for the project as required.
• Working with the Volunteer & Members Co-ordinator make sure all records about the work of the project are up to date, providing reports and statistics on a regular basis for evaluation anD monitoring purposes.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

This role would be ideal for someone who:

• Enjoys woodworking and wants to share their passion with others
• Is outgoing and enjoys meeting and working with people
• Wants to take on group projects which benefit the local community
• Has strong organisational and leadership skills

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this freelance work supporting Hands of Hope, please send your CV and an outline of your experience to Mandy Doran, Trustee: contact@hohcharity.co.uk