Community Gardener

Royal-Borough-of-Kensington-and-Chelsea; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced DBS check

Job summary

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea seeks a Community Gardener to look after 55 community kitchen gardens, helping neighbours grow food and build local connections. The role is part-time (2 days a week) on a fixed-term contract until March 2028, with hybrid working between Holland Park office and 55 garden sites across the borough.

You will balance office administration with hands-on outdoor work, host workshops, co‑ordinate with contractors, and support residents and volunteers in creating

Qualifications

• Level 2 RHS qualification or equivalent is required.
• Full UK driving licence is required.
• Strong communication and listening skills are essential.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office is expected.
• Experience running events or supporting volunteers is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 55 community kitchen gardens across Kensington and Chelsea.
• Split time between office administration and outdoor site visits.
• Host gardening workshops and community events for residents.

Skills

RHS Level 2 qualification

Driving licence

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Volunteer coordination

Education

RHS Level 2 qualification (or equivalent)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Bring local green spaces to life and empower residents to grow, connect and thrive together. This is a part-time role of 2 days a week on a fixed term contract until March 2028.

As a Community Gardener within the Ecology Service, you’ll look after our community kitchen gardens, helping neighbours grow their own food, build strong connections and care for green spaces across the borough. It’s a chance to turn outdoor spaces into vibrant community hubs while making a tangible, lasting difference to residents' everyday lives.

Working Style

In this fixed-term role until end of March 2028, you’ll be based in the borough for two days a week as part of a job-share arrangement, playing a key role in serving the local community. Splitting your time between our Holland Park office and 55 community garden sites, you’ll balance hands‑on outdoor work with essential office administration.

What you’ll be doing

As part of the Community Gardener team, your focus will be managing our portfolio of 55 community kitchen gardens containing over 600 raised plots across Kensington and Chelsea. You’ll split your time evenly between office administration and outdoor site visits – whatever the weather – ensuring our growing spaces remain safe, welcoming and well‑maintained.

Building strong relationships with local residents is at the heart of everything you do. You’ll host hands‑on gardening workshops, organise community events and volunteer opportunities, and welcome new plot holders to the gardens. Alongside working directly with residents, you’ll co‑ordinate with contractors on repairs and handle behind‑the‑scenes administration, including plot reallocations, database updates, risk assessments, and evaluation reports.

You’ll also work closely with colleagues across public health and housing services, helping co‑ordinate our entries for London in Bloom and ensuring our community growing spaces continue to flourish.

For further details, please review the Job Description and Person Specification.

What you’ll bring

You’ll bring a Level 2 RHS qualification (or equivalent in horticulture or environmental studies) along with practical experience working in a parks or horticultural environment. You hold a full, valid UK driving licence and feel comfortable driving pool vehicles to transport tools and materials around our compact borough. You’re also physically fit and happy undertaking outdoor manual labour in all weather conditions.

Because this role relies heavily on communication, you’ll bring exceptional listening skills, empathy and practical problem‑solving, and the ability to adapt to working with diverse groups of people, including some who are vulnerable or recovering from mental health issues. You have the confidence to help to solve problems, resolve conflict and facilitate change with patience and tact.

You’re organised, proactive and proficient with Microsoft Office, with experience running events or supporting volunteers. Most importantly, you’re someone who brings a real passion for food growing, a practical approach to health and safety and genuinely enjoys engaging with diverse residents and community groups.

Why join us

At RBKC, we’re all in – investing in our people, our communities and our future.

You’ll join a supportive, collaborative team based in the picturesque surroundings of Holland Park within London's smallest borough, making it easy to travel between sites and build genuine local connections. We’re committed to helping you develop your skills, offering tailored training opportunities in areas like therapeutic horticulture.

Our Community Gardening Programme is a recognised leader in urban food growing, regularly recognised with national RHS and London in Bloom awards. You’ll enjoy flexible working within your job‑share, a positive team culture and the daily reward of watching local food growing spaces flourish.

About us

Kensington and Chelsea is home to diverse communities, thriving businesses and unique local places. Everything we do is focused on supporting our residents, strengthening our approach and creating a fairer borough.

As a competent and caring Council, we take pride in our work every day, ensuring our services are delivered with care and competence. We listen to our residents, act with integrity and work together to build a borough that is greener, safer and fairer for all.

In this role, you’ll bring energy, care and practical dedication to our green spaces. From shifting seasonal weather to local budget considerations and resident plot disputes, it isn't always smooth sailing, but every bit of effort pays off. By bringing a positive, proactive mindset, you'll help turn everyday challenges into opportunities to build greener, more resilient communities.

Role Requirements and Interview Details

This position requires an Enhanced DBS check, which will be carried out as part of the pre‑employment screening process.

This is a part‑time role (14.4 hours per week) on a fixed‑term contract until 31 March 2028. The salary is based on a full‑time rate of £41,739 a year, which equates to £16,695.60 p/a pro rata, with your actual total earnings calculated based on your start date. This does not include any additional allowances, enhancements, or overtime.

Interviews for this post will be held in person at the Stable Yard of the Holland Park Ecology Centre during week commencing 12th October.

Ready to join us?

We’re all in – are you? If you share our values and have the skills to contribute, we’d love to hear from you.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.

We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.

We are committed to fair, transparent, and consistent pay practices. New hires will start at the minimum of the advertised salary range.

Employees receive annual salary increases until they reach the top of the pay scale. In addition, employees will receive any agreed cost‑of‑living pay rises.