Experienced gardener jobs

Grow is a youth development charity working with 16-24 year olds facing significant challenges in Sheffield. Many young people we work with experience mental health difficulties that have resulted in social isolation and a lack of engagement in work or training prospects. Our programmes combine coaching with gardening and nature-based activities to help our trainees combat social isolation, boost their wellbeing and develop employability skills.

For our full candidate pack which introduces you to Grow, our strategy and how we work, as well as a full role description please visit our website.

Role Description

As our Programme Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator, you will be the driving force behind Grow’s Training and Employability Programmes. You will guide trainees from their first referral through to their next steps beyond Grow whilst also developing a strong, purposeful volunteering programme to support the work that we do. If you are passionate about working with young people and are interested in supporting volunteers in their role, then please read on.

Programme Design & Delivery

Manage the referral pathway, acting as the primary point of contact for Sheffield-based partners and arranging pre-visits for prospective trainees.

Lead the welcoming process, introducing young people to Grow’s nature-based programmes, coaching culture and mission.

Handle all enrolment paperwork, trainee assessments, and the establishment of coaching contracts.

Programme Delivery & Support

Provide coaching and practical support during training sessions, ensuring young people are engaged and safely transported onto our green space.

Assist Training Managers in delivering core coaching modules and contribute to the evolution of programme resources.

Lead 'Next Steps' support, providing external signposting and organising events for our alumni community.

Volunteer Management

Develop and execute a volunteering strategy that aligns with Grow’s goals.

Coordinate the recruitment, induction, and scheduling of volunteers. You will oversee the quality of their 1-to-1 coaching by reviewing logs and providing constructive feedback.

Ensure all volunteers are fully briefed on safeguarding and health and safety policies and have completed all core training.

Oversee the DBS administration process, ensuring timely checks and accurate record‐keeping

Operations & Impact

Track impact data and trainee progress to support the Head of Programmes & Impact in assessing overall success.

Maintain rigorous health and safety standards by completing and updating risk assessments.

Participate in trainee interviews and assist with disciplinary procedures when necessary. 

Role: Head of Charitable Services

Reporting to: CEO

Salary: £40,000 (pro-rata)

Terms: Permanent, 3 days a week with option to extend to 4 days a week within 6 months (FTE 37.5 hrs a         week)

Background

Buckinghamshire has a fast-growing older population who are the heart and soul of our communities – for example as employers, workers, volunteers, mentors, carers and child-minders. They help make our worlds go round. But when the challenges of older age feel overwhelming, and someone’s own world shrinks, Age UK Bucks is there to support them. Based in Aylesbury and working across the county, our services support older residents to maintain their independence and well-being, especially when times are difficult, helping local older people age batter and access support they deserve.

We have grown as an organisation recently, expanding our services and increasing staff numbers and income as we endeavour to meet the needs of older people in the county, who are struggling to cope with the cost-of-living crisis, after the lasting impact of the pandemic.
 

The Head of Charitable Services is a new role and will play a pivotal part in leading this growth and supporting and developing the teams and culture that deliver them. Alongside this, a key priority is person-centred support and empowerment, and a focus on staff, volunteer and client safety and safeguarding, and skills development. We’ll also be looking to engage service users more dynamically to measure impact and co-produce new services they need and want. 

With growing demand for our services and ambition to be an even more effective voice and empowering champion of older Bucks residents across our communities, there has never been a more exciting time to join Age UK Bucks.

Job purpose
Lead services and teams that support, champion and empower older Bucks residents to meet the many challenges and opportunities of ageing, through charitable services that have high impact and that are sustainably funded, working with all communities in Bucks and through partner collaboration.

The role

Will oversee the development and delivery of high quality, person-centred, compassionate and effective support and services for older people across Bucks that has demonstrable impact and quality - building community connection and championing older people’s needs and opportunities. You will help shape the charity’s charitable approach, work on developing new services, funded from grant applications and community collaboration, and build cases for support and demonstrable impact case studies. Reporting to the CEO, you will work closely with the Head of Commercial Services and Development, dovetailing referral pathways and aligning practice and processes.
 

Key tasks and responsibilities

• Meet the needs of older Bucks residents through effective, high quality, safe and compassionate support and services that can demonstrate impact and are sustainable financially, meeting appropriate quality standards where required
• Develop our people and volunteers, including supporting our safeguarding lead on best practice supervision, risk assessment and mitigation, case work guidance, safeguarding, line management and people development
• Work with SLT to support our Trustee Board, Board Officers and Sub-Committees to enable them to guide and steward the charity appropriately, including developing reports and information/KPIs
• Develop and deliver financially sustainable services, planning and managing income and costs in line with strategy and budgets, working with the Finance leadership and SLT
• Help develop and transform our data collection and story-telling, enabling the organisation to create and share compelling and inspiring impact and outcome reports for stakeholders 
• Support the maintenance and development of our website and social media strategy and assets to support our work and programmes
• Optimise and raise awareness of our services and impact, through developing effective outreach and presentations to key stakeholders, groups, communities and funders
• Act as a champion of older people and an Age Friendly Bucks, representing the charity at key forums, Boards and activities in order to achieve our mission and strategic goals, bringing the voice and needs of older people to the fore.

 Essential qualities:

• Strong and demonstrable people leadership and management skills
• Strong operational delivery experience and skills
• Empathetic to the needs of older people and their families
• Significant Adult social and/or health care experience and knowledge, including safeguarding
• Budget planning and delivery
• Significant impact and outcomes reporting and data collection experience
• Service creation and mobilisation experience
• Experience managing and liaising with commissioners/funders/partners
• UK driving licence

Equal Opportunities

Age UK Buckinghamshire strives to meet the needs of all older people in Bucks but is also aware that some communities could be better served by us. We therefore want to become more representative of the community we serve. We encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and encourage applications from our wonderful rainbow of talent in Bucks and people of all ages.

Application Process: 

• Submit your CV and cover letter via CharityJob
• Your cover letter should be no more than 1-2 pages and must explain how you meet the criteria specified in the job description with examples.
• Closing Date: 5th June 2026