Find your place in the field of good food

Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Job description

We are looking for someone to join our team to work on our Nature Club programme. This is an assistant facilitation role and you will be working with the Lead Facilitator to design and deliver the sessions for an existing group of people. The role includes mentoring, support and training/’on the job’ learning. Dependent on progress, there is potential for the successful candidate to move into a lead facilitation role in the future.

See full job description and how to apply on our website here: https://www.hackneyherbal.com/jobs

JOB DETAILS

Hours: 7 hours a week to include in-person session delivery on Wednesdays 10am-3pm. April 2025 - February 2026. Opportunity to extend dependent on future funding.

Pay: £16/ hour (Freelance contract)

Location: Trowbridge Gardens (Hackney Wick, E9 5LD) and Hackney Herbal studio (Well Street, E9 7PX). Sessions take place around Hackney and Hackney Wick with occasional trips within London

Start Date: Week beginning 28th April 2025

Deadline to apply: 10am on Monday 7th April 2025

Interviews: Week of 14th April 2025

ABOUT HACKNEY HERBAL

Hackney Herbal is a social enterprise that promotes wellbeing through herbs. We are passionate about connecting people with nature in a way that helps people develop strong values for looking after the land around them.

Our work is designed around the themes of herbal remedies, self care, urban gardening, biodiversity and nature connection. We run a mixture of community projects including garden volunteering, courses and weekly activities at Trowbridge Gardens in Hackney Wick as well as working in partnership with local mental health charities. A core focus of our work since the beginning has been ensuring our work is accessible and freely available to people in our local community. 

As a social enterprise we use all the profits generated from ticketed workshops, privately booked herbal events and herbal tea sales to fund free nature based activities connecting people and herbs in Hackney. This year we are celebrating 10 years!

See what we’ve been up to recently here: Instagram

Nature Club started back in 2021 and is a weekly session bringing people and the natural world together in a welcoming, supportive and social place. The sessions focus on spending time with others in green spaces and take place at our garden in Hackney Wick as well other parks and gardens in and around Hackney Marshes With occasional trips further afield. 

The club is for adults (18+) living or working in Hackney who are looking to:

• Spend time in nature with other people and build confidence
• Boost their mood and support their mental health and wellbeing 
• Connect with other local people and be part of a supportive community group 

Most members are people who have already attended one of our community courses and/or have been referred through mental health services. As well as a core group of existing participants, Nature Club is also open to new people joining at certain points in the year. 

Activities include: 

• Plant, tree and herb identification 
• Foraging and wild cooking 
• Nature meditation and tea tasting
• Natural crafts and land art
• Campfires and storytelling 

Nature Club currently relies on funding which is why the initial contract runs until February 2026 but it is an ongoing project.

‘When I’m here learning, it’s not just me you’re teaching, it’s my grandchildren too. I pass this knowledge on to them. All of us are learning and passing it on, we all get to enjoy and learn from it.’ 

‘Coming to Nature club reduces my stress levels and depression. It gives me routine and a reason to get out of the house. I love the support and welcome I get from others here.’

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working alongside Lead Facilitator to deliver the weekly session:

  • Assisting Lead Facilitator with session development and delivery 

  • Contributing to group check-ins, holding space for group members, leading on some session activities

• Helping to create and maintain a welcoming and supportive environment

  • Welcoming group members as they arrive

  • Being observant and offering extra support and help where needed

  • Ensuring group members are comfortable in the session

  • Offering help & support, answering questions, etc, before sessions and during breaks

• Assisting with the prep and pack-up for each session

  • Helping to get set-up for the session eg. making tea, setting up materials before group members arrive

  • Helping to pack up at the end of the session

  • Checking in and out with Lead Facilitator

• Assisting with the project admin

  • Responsible for sending out the weekly session reminder

  • Recording attendance of group members

  • Helping organise trips or visits to other gardens/projects

  • Contributing to weekly planning meeting with Lead Facilitator

• Helping to design, monitor and evaluate the project

  • Contributing to project debriefs and sharing observations and reflections 

  • Helping to evaluate the impact of the project

  • Contributing to the ongoing development of the project

• Working in line with Hackney Herbal policies eg. Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Equality & Diversity etc.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

• Existing interest, knowledge and skills relating to nature-based activities eg. gardening, growing, herbalism, foraging, natural crafts, wildlife, biodiversity
• A passion for the natural world and supporting others to connect with nature
• Basic digital skills such as using email, online calendars and producing documents using Word/Excel/Google Doc/Google Sheet
• Reliable with excellent time management
• Ability to work in a small team as well as working on tasks independently
• Patient, compassionate and empathetic, with great listening, observation and communication skills
• Be willing and able to work outdoors in all kinds of weather
• Friendly and approachable, enjoying the company of others and making people feel at ease
• Some experience with projects that support people’s health and wellbeing
• Ability to establish and maintain healthy working boundaries within a community setting
• Eagerness to learn and develop their skills and experience as part of this role
• A commitment to challenge all forms of prejudice and discrimination and a willingness to contribute to a culture of humanity, dignity & respect

DESIRABLE

• Previous experience or involvement with a community project and/or supporting people with different needs
• Understanding of how people work in a group and experience in managing group dynamics
• Involvement in projects supporting people’s health and wellbeing and an understanding of trauma-informed practice
• Experience in leading or assisting with the delivery of any educational and/or social activities 
• Involvement in social and/or environmental justice work
• Based in Hackney or close by

REQUIRED AVAILABILITY

• Available to start week of 28th April 2025
• Available weekly on Wednesdays between 10am - 3pm
• Able to commit to 7 hours per week. These hours include:
  • Being available for the in-person session every Wednesday between 10am - 3pm
  • 1-2 hours per week for planning, session admin and check-in meeting with Nature Club Lead Facilitator

BENEFITS OF THE ROLE

• Experience of working in and being part of a fun, creative and impact-driven social enterprise
• Opportunity to develop new skills and experience relating to nature-based practices and community wellbeing work
• Ongoing mentoring and support from the Hackney Herbal team
• Opportunity to be part of the wonderful Nature Club community that benefits both facilitators and group members alike and makes a real difference to the people who attend
• Free access to some of our paid/ticketed workshops and other free training/opportunities that our organisation has access to
• Potential to move into a Lead facilitator role and take on more paid work within the organisation in the future

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Please note that any offer of employment will be made subject to references from previous employment and confirmation of the right to work in the UK. You will be required to provide the appropriate paperwork to confirm this. 

The role is subject to a 6-week probation period and reference checks.

Application information

Please see details on our website: https://www.hackneyherbal.com/jobs

To apply please send a copy of your CV and a 1-sided A4 Cover Letter (maximum of 450 words) explaining how you meet the requirements (essential and desirable) mentioned above. Please make sure to explain the following:

• Why you are applying for the role
• What experience you have which makes you suitable for the role
• What you are hoping to get out of the role
• Please also confirm that you are available for the session times and other dates listed in the job description

If you have any problems with applying or need any further assistance just ask us. Send an email to Nat on hello@hackneyherbal.com. We are happy to help you!

If you are unable to submit a written/typed application please get in touch to discuss a more accessible way for you to apply. Please send your application to Nat on hello@hackneyherbal.com by 10am on Monday 7th April 2025. Please write your name in the subject line like this: 'Your Name - NC Project Assistant Application'.

We actively encourage applications from people with all sorts of backgrounds and recognise that skills, knowledge and experience come in many different forms. If you feel passionate about this job we encourage you to apply even if you feel you don’t meet all the requirements. We also encourage applications from people who feel underrepresented within this type of work. This is part of our commitment of working towards a more equitable and representative industry that genuinely provides opportunities for everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, class, gender, background, age, education and experience.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview on the week beginning 14th April 2025.

Please mention Roots to Work when applying for these jobs