Trainee grower
Would you like to develop food-growing skills?
Are you interested in building a better and fairer food system?
We're recruiting this year's crop of four urban growing trainees. Learn all about growing vegetables – especially salad leaves – at our urban market gardens in Hackney and our small farm in Dagenham. The free training runs one day a week, plus six evening tutorials. From mid-March until mid-October.
We’re seeking enthusiastic people who are keen to learn how to grow food in a sustainable way, enjoy working outdoors and working with others.
This training is open to everyone, regardless of background. We acknowledge that the environmental sector is less accessible to people from minority backgrounds and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this. We especially want to hear from you if you feel that opportunities like this are less available to you, or you don’t see yourself represented very often in the environmental or sustainable food sectors.
Find out more about the training and the sort of people we're looking for in the trainee description.
How to apply
Complete all parts of the application form. Return the completed copy along with a completed copy of the monitoring form either by email to sophie.verhagen@growingcommunities.org or by post to the address at the bottom of this page.
Closing date for applications is 9am Monday 9 February
Shortlisted applicants will be informed by phone by end Thursday 12 February
Interviews will be held on Thursday 26 February
Traineeship begins week of Monday 16 March
Better Food Shed team member
GC's distribution hub is looking for someone to join our small distribution team, based in Bow.
The role consists of picking and packing vegetables and delivering them to our customers (predominantly organic veg box schemes, schools, shops and restaurants) who are located across Greater London. This role will require someone who is physically fit and comfortable with early morning starts.
Every week, the Better Food Shed distributes up to 20 tonnes of fresh organic produce, sourced directly from 23 small and medium organic UK farms.
We're committed to putting farmers and growers ahead of profit, to supporting small businesses run in an ecologically sound way, and to building a more sustainable food system. See more on our core values here.
Details
2 days per week (7.5 hour days. Starting at 6am on a Tuesday and Wednesday, plus occasional overtime)
£15.13 per hour. £29,504 p.a. (pro-rata to hours - £11,801.60).
Working from our warehouse: Better Food Shed, 30 Hancock Road, Bow, London, E3 3DA.
Download the full job description, person specification and application instructions.
This position has a rolling deadline; applications are reviewed as they are received. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.
Visit our Get involved page for other ways to work with us or volunteer on our Hackney market gardens.
And check out Roots to Work for a comprehensive list of sustainable food jobs across the UK.
Take a look at the Better Food Traders website for details of other veg schemes in our network that welcome volunteers.
Growing Communities, The Old Fire Station, 61 Leswin Road, London N16 7NX
Better Food Shed and Growing Communities South, 30 Hancock Road, London E3 3DA
Growing Communities Dagenham Farm, Luke Allsopp Square, by Central Park, off Rainham Road North, RM10 7EJ