Head of Gardens

Organisational Context

Founded in 2004, we grow food, people and community for a fair and just world. Global Generation aims to create a welcoming, caring and learning culture in which we recognise
and promote the diversity of people and nature. We aim to break down barriers to engagement to help
build resilient communities and environments, working together towards a more inclusive,
equitable and just world. Our work connects people of all ages to nature in the middle of the
city and particularly focuses on empowering children and young people to create social and
environmental change.

We operate in the boroughs of Camden, Islington and Southwark. Working from educational and
bio-diverse garden spaces such as the Story Garden and Floating Garden in King’s Cross and the
Paper Garden in Canada Water we combine activities such as urban food growing, supporting bees,
carpentry, cooking, and healthy eating with dialogue, storytelling, creative writing,
performance and art, silence and stillness. These practices help us to create the conditions
for people to come together in a fuller and more connected sense of who they are and what they
are a part of and, from that space, to practically and creatively contribute to ecological and
social change.

Benefits to working with Global Generation

We are pioneering a way-finding, action research approach to our development, championing
collaborative ways of working within the team. We aim to create a supportive, creative and
rewarding environment for you to work in. We ensure all members of staff are part of developing
how we work as an organisation through:

• Staff lunches
• Weekly team meetings
• Monthly reflective spaces to learn together
• Quarterly away days and residentials
• Job related training and coaching as part of your own personal development
• The opportunity to slow down, plan and reflect during the winter
•  Additional support if the need arises through our partnership with the Camden
  Psychotherapy Unit.

Job Purpose

In spring 2025 our main base, the Story Garden, will relocate to a permanent new home,
currently called the Triangle. This is an exciting new phase for Global Generation as
historically we have always occupied temporary spaces, but with this new garden we’ll have the
opportunity to grow in the ground and develop a thousand year vision for this green,
biodiverse, educational garden and habitat haven.

We are looking for a passionate and experienced person with solid urban organic gardening,
landscaping, people and project management experience to take this vision forward. We will get
site access to start to develop this new garden in spring 2024, and will have one year to get
it ready for the big move. Exciting plans for the garden include: a productive forest garden
area, native woodland hedgerows, wildlife space and a food production area showcasing different
organic sustainable approaches.

Alongside this, next year will also see the slow move out of the Story Garden into the
surrounding Somers Town area, and working with Camden Council and other local partners this
role will oversee and support the team on the ground to rehome the elements of the Story Garden
to benefit local green spaces and develop urban greening projects in local estates and
community spaces.

As well as overseeing the development of this new garden and move, the Head of Garden’s role is
a key part of the senior management team, there to give expert support to the rest of the
gardening team, to generate income through our garden services and fundraising and to work with
the rest of the Global Generation teams to ensure that growing is an integral part of children,
young people’s and the local communities’ experiences. Although the main focus next year will
be the development of the Triangle and move from the Story Garden, this is a cross-site role
and will also support teams at both the Floating Garden, a canal boat in Kings Cross, and the
Paper Garden in Canada Water.

Main duties and responsibilities

Overseeing our ‘home gardens’

Oversee the design and development of our existing and upcoming educational garden sites at
Senior Management level, which include:

• Permanent Garden (Triangle) on the King’s Cross development site as our main
  ‘headquarters’ in King’s Cross. Starting on site early 2024
• Floating Garden – an educational garden barge on the canal in Granary Square. ongoing
• The Story Garden – long term, permanent, legacy of the current Story Garden in King’s
  Cross, as part of the final development of the area. – Moving 2025
• The Paper Garden in Canada Water – ongoing

Through this you will:

• Ensure our home gardens are inspiring, demonstrate a variety of sustainable and organic
  practices around food growing and offer a mix of community and educational opportunities
• Ensure our home gardens work as a showcase for urban greening, demonstrating the
  possibilities of creating bio-diverse, productive, community and habitat spaces in the city
• Ensure that educational and engagement opportunities are at the forefront of garden
  development
• Where appropriate get involved in on the ground projects to ensure you are creatively and
  collaboratively connected to what colleagues are doing and the work of the organisation ..

Garden services, landscape design and consultancy

We have changed how our garden services work from being purely commercial towards garden
installations being a platform to provide learning, work experience and paid opportunities for
local young people and adults. We are developing this area of work so that the horticulture
training we offer and plant nursery are integrated within it. This is currently not a large
part of the role, but has potential to be developed.

• Lead on large-scale garden services projects, from liaising with the client, designing
  the garden, managing the build and contractors, purchasing plants and materials, developing and
  following the budget, following up with invoicing and maintenance
• Support the garden delivery team with smaller projects where needed
• Lead on public realm projects at Canada Water and developments in King’s Cross
• Work alongside the Directors and Head of Fundraising to develop our training and
  consultancy offers Senior management and line management of staff
• Support the work of your team through regular individual supervision and team meetings
  and monitor and review performance to ensure priorities and work plans are achieved, as well as
  identify staff training and development needs. Staff you will line manage currently include:
  • Story Garden Manager (King’s Cross)
  • Community Gardener (King’s Cross)
  • Community Engagement
    Manager (King’s Cross)
• Oversee garden teams across sites and hold regular Garden Team meetings (for each site
  and whole team) and outings which inspire the teams to develop our home gardens and support
  cross site collaboration and learning
• Responsible for recruitment of garden staff
• Work with our Head of Fundraising to secure funding to support the physical development
  of different operational sites
• Work as part of the Senior Management team to review and develop policies and ensure
  inclusive practices. Ensure that the working environment is of high standard for staff and
  volunteers and deal with issues that arise
• Work as part of Senior Management team to develop the long term vision of the
  organisation, especially around approaches to garden development, environmental education,
  sustainable income generation, outreach and local greening/public realm projects Administration
• Report writing for funders and comms
• Oversee and manage the core garden budget, ensure we keep to our target and spend
• Through holding this overview of the wider garden incoming and outgoings feed into
  organisational budgets and forecasts as and when required
• Leading project management meetings and keeping projects on track and project plans
  updated
• Supporting the on the ground teams with data collection for reporting and comms
• Act as a spokesperson for Global Generation’s gardens and ethos and input into writing
  blogs and speak to press

Values we’re looking for

• Empathy with Global Generation’s ethos and interest in values based learning
• Commitment to equity, diversity and sustainability in all aspects of your approach
• Appreciation of action research and qualitative approaches to evaluating and reporting on
  projects
• Passion for creating environments that support children and young people’s development
• Passionate about working with people to engage them in ways to learn new skills, build
  connections and fulfil their potential
•  Ready to take initiative, a can-do and flexible attitude and able to deal with change
• A love of working outdoors, the natural environment and urban greening
•  Appreciation of working across sectors, disciplines and worldviews

See full job description on our website for table of necessary/desirable skills and experience.