Community Engagement Manager

About GROW

GROW works with schools and communities delivering bespoke programmes in sustainable food growing and outdoor learning. 

Our agroecological farm and outdoor learning hub at The Totteridge Academy, North London, is at the heart of every one of our activities, providing a practical and inspiring resource for everyone who visits. We grow vegetables, fruits and flowers for our partner school and local community.

We work predominantly with local children and young people who experience poverty, personal, or social barriers to learning, healthy living, and employment. We offer our participants the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make positive choices and changes in their lives and in the world around them.

Through our partnership with TTA, we are creating a model for how schools and farms can work together to enhance learning and well-being, reach sustainability goals, and strengthen community.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a highly organised, proactive and friendly individual to join our small and caring team. The purpose of this role is to manage our community volunteering programme and to support outreach for our community activities and opportunities including our events and veg box scheme. 

Volunteering

Volunteers are a vital part of our organisation and help us to run the farm and grow healthy food to feed our community and create and maintain a beautiful space to host our educational sessions. 

We host weekly adult (16+) adult volunteering on our farm three days a week and host regular corporate volunteering opportunities for businesses. We are looking for someone to help us to manage and develop this programme and address some barriers that we have discovered. We would like this role to focus on: 

• Making our volunteering programme more accessible to underrepresented groups. 
• Promoting and developing our programme to younger people, particularly 16-25. 
• Events and Outreach

We offer a range of community events, from open days, to Pick Your Own Flowers to fundraising events. The ideal candidate will support both the Co-directors of the charity and the Fundraising Manager to plan and execute these events. 

Box scheme and produce sales

From June to December, we run a box scheme and sell wholesale to restaurants and florists. This role would support administrative duties during the growing season, replying to emails, supporting the farm team to promote our produce and helping us in our aim to make nature friendly food accessible for people on low incomes or who face barriers. 

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Manage and develop all aspects of our Community Volunteering programme.
• Manage our hello@email address and respond in a timely manner to all enquiries. 
• Running and developing our volunteer booking system and ensuring that all safeguarding and data monitoring is complete and in line with the charity’s and our partner school’s safeguarding policy. 
• Create a welcoming, positive, and inclusive environment where people from different backgrounds feel valued and supported.
• Manage the volunteering budget ensuring we are on target and that all expenditure is accounted for.
• Ensure the volunteers have the tools, equipment and workwear that they need to work safely and comfortably.
• Develop and implement effective volunteer recruitment strategies.
• Provide solutions or adaptability to make our volunteering opportunities more accessible, actively addressing any identified barriers that may prevent underrepresented groups from participating, such as transportation, disabilities, language barriers, childcare, or cultural norms.
• Identify pathways for volunteers to take on leadership roles on our farm, such as Lead Volunteer roles, or leadership around certain jobs and tasks.
• Identify opportunities to celebrate and reward volunteers.
• Develop appropriate community partnerships to support recruitment for our volunteering.
• Conduct check-ins with our regular volunteers to ensure they feel supported and facilitate a space for feed-back and celebration.
• Coordinate volunteer celebration events.
• Liaise with all volunteer correspondence and manage the booking in schedule, ensuring the farm team is kept up to date via the calendar.
• Conduct inductions for all new volunteers and develop our induction process to ensure it is welcoming, inclusive and efficient.
• Support the Head of Fundraising with corporate volunteering days including managing the booking administration and supporting them to secure more corporate groups. 
• Maintain a volunteer community noticeboard with key updates, events, local opportunities and celebrations.
• Ensure our volunteer equipment and clothing is kept tidy and clean.
• Oversee monitoring and evaluation of our volunteering programme and create a 6 month and end of year report for our funders.
• Document our volunteering programme and storing appropriately in line with GDPR regulations.
• Continuously review our volunteer sign up and welcome process and systems, ensuring all information is up to date and accurate and that our systems are as efficient as can be.
• Develop outreach materials, advertisements, and messages that resonate with diverse cultural backgrounds. Use appropriate languages, visuals, and narratives to effectively communicate the benefits of volunteering on urban farms and the positive impact it can have on the community.
• Maintain stock levels of volunteering administration, stationery, and equipment such as labels, pens, sign-in sheets and sun-cream.
• Ensure that volunteers are informed about and adhere to safety guidelines.
• Keep records of volunteer hours and activities for compliance and reporting purposes.
• Promote and enforce health and safety standards on the farm.
• Collaborate with the Co-Directors to promote volunteer opportunities on our social media channels.
• Coordinate and be present for any weekend volunteering days that are scheduled in.
• Ensure the volunteering information on our website is up to date.
• Recruit volunteers for our seasonal events.
• Signpost our volunteers to other GROW programmes, opportunities and events.
• Support the outreach and marketing of our event and box scheme opportunities in the spring.
• Attend relevant CPD training when required.
• Be mindful of safeguarding at all times. Keeping up-to-date with relevant training and understanding GROW and TTA’s safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Be a proactive member of the team, leading on improvements and suggestions to your areas of work. 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential:

• Proven experience in volunteer management or coordination, preferably in a community or agricultural setting.
• Experience contributing to or leading accessible and inclusive volunteer recruitment processes.
• At least 3 years experience in a role that required coordination and administration.
• Experience leading a project and managing a budget.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Well versed in safeguarding best practices.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Pro-active with a can-do attitude.
• An ability to be calm and caring even under pressure.
• Passion for community engagement and sustainable agriculture.
• Patient and empathetic.
• Flexible and adaptable, able to handle changing priorities.
• Commitment to the mission and values of GROW.

Desirable

• Familiarity with sustainable farming practices or experience working on a farm.
• Experience of working with vulnerable adults.
• We have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. Successful candidates will be asked to provide proof of identity and will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

At GROW we’re committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We believe that uniqueness is powerful and that diversity drives innovation. 

All qualified and eligible applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, gender identity or expression, race, national origin, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or pregnancy and maternity.

We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities; in particular those who are currently under-represented in the charity sector including those from ethnic minorities and neurodivergent candidates. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences, and abilities.