Allotment Volunteer

The Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance (DF4TA) was formed to help eliminate food poverty using a coordinated approach, with voluntary and community organisations supported by Derby City Council and the statutory & business sectors working together to form an effective partnership in the city.

The DF4TA is about getting to the root causes of people’s needs and recognises that the solution is about more than just food - people don’t have money to buy food because of a range of wider issues, including debt, homelessness and health issues. The DF4TA aims to offer a holistic approach and help to people break out of the cycle of food poverty by offering information, advice and guidance, as well as food.

The Role

We need volunteers to support our allotment work and grow food for our food banks.

Get involved in the planning of the allotment, get hands on to help plan the layout and build raised beds.
Activities include digging and clearing beds, sowing seeds, weeding and harvesting vegetables.
Working with partners who are supporting the allotments - for example local schools and private organisations.
You will assist in the training of new volunteers by allowing them to buddy up with you and offer guidance within the role.
Feed-in to Food 4 Thought decisions and keep up to date with developments by attending regular team meetings and engaging in training.

Time Commitment

There is no set time commitment for this role, as we are happy to fit around volunteers, but we would need volunteers during the school holidays as the school partners are not able to support during this time.
This volunteering opportunity is ongoing and not time limited.
We will arrange a suitable time for you to come in, so we can check that staff are around to support you.

Skills and Experience Required

Volunteers must have a reasonable level of fitness to be able to manage tasks like weeding and collecting crops.
Experience in gardening and/or running or starting an allotment would be preferable.
Positive, friendly and personable, interacting well with different people.
Able to perform physical tasks including lifting, digging, bending.
Friendly and approachable personality.
You will be meeting a wide range of people from different backgrounds. To ensure that they all receive the same level of service, we ask that you comply with our Equal Opportunities Policy.
This role is suitable for people aged 18+.
Experience of working with people from diverse backgrounds would be useful but not essential.

Getting Support

You will receive a full induction and training to give you the skills to do this role. You will then get a buddy from our team of experienced volunteers to support you in the role and offer guidance.
There will be a member of staff available to provide you with ongoing support whilst you are in the role. You will also be given regular opportunities to give and receive feedback on a more formal basis. At no point will you be expected to provide a service without the support of a trained member of staff.

We Will Provide

Any equipment needed for the role.
Out of pocket expenses for travel, to be paid on a reimbursement basis. If this causes difficulties we will make alternative arrangements.

Getting It Right

We hope volunteering is a positive experience for you. We’ll review this role description with you after a three-month trial period. There may be some changes we can make together to make the role more suitable. If we can’t do this, or if we think you’re not suited to the role, we’ll discuss this with you and offer other opportunities either within the Food 4 Thought Alliance, or signpost you to the Volunteer Centre at Community Action Derby to look for alternative roles with other organisations.

Download the role description (36.69 KB)