The Organisation:
Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust is a Company Limited by Guarantee with charitable aims and is a member of the
Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS). The Trust has a vision to see Lochwinnoch develop and thrive,
and is managed by a Board of voluntary Directors. Our purpose is the advancement of community development
and
regeneration, principally within the Lochwinnoch area. We currently employ one part-time member of staff as a
Development Officer who works across multiple projects.
lochwinnochtrust.org
The Project:
Lochhead Social Garden Project is an exciting and bold plan to pursue further development of a one acre site, in the
heart of the village. We are currently managing the site which hosts existing activity including a Community
Larder operating under a local charity LEAP, and an outdoor holiday club for Primary and Nursery aged children
called Wildcare.
We are now working towards a Community Asset Transfer for a 10 year lease via a live application. There is a steering
group which supports the project made up of various stakeholders and Board members. The full Project Plan can be
viewed here: docs.google.com/document/d/1qPBbAIeCkJoYuQHORcVjMtnxJ36ai6nuPy-LamrLeLw/e
dit?usp=sharing
The next steps for the project are to bring our professional garden design plan to life and begin income generating
projects that will help to sustain it longer term.
The Role:
We are seeking a Project Officer to lead on this initiative. It is an exciting opportunity for someone to work
part-time on a flexible basis as part of a community-led organisation. Hours will be 21 per week, with
occasional evening or weekend working as required. The salary will be £29K FTE pro-rata and the contract will
last for three years initially with an annual salary review. This role will report to a steering group via a
nominated Line Manager.
It is expected that across 2024 the role will be mainly focussed on development of the garden design plan and
preparation for successive years moving on to include development of income generating projects which would
sustain the site financially.
Duties will include:
- Taking a broad overview of the project to plan and forecast workflows to ensure smooth delivery.
- Recruit
and manage volunteers in undertaking work upon the site.
- Regular liaison with The Board, the Trust’s
Development Officer, and all other stakeholders including Site Users and Community Partners; Developing
relationships and carrying out consultations.
- Update risk assessments and ensure governance is adhered
to, including procurement of relevant insurances and application of licenses (market operators license, event
licenses etc.)
- Working closely with the Garden Designer, liaising with contractors and tradespeople to
arrange works to be carried out inline with the Garden Design Plan: This might include connecting the site to
mains water; landscaping and groundworks; building structures and workshops etc.
- Responsibility for
overall management of site, assets and equipment.
- Responsible for communications; Contribute to
newsletters and flyers; Update social media and website.
- Identify funding needs and create funding plans
using MS Excel/Google sheets.
- Identify suitable funding streams, liaise with funders and submit
applications; manage budgets and produce funding reports.
- Set up income generating projects and work
required for letting the garden for private hires and running markets. This work will likely commence after the
main development has taken place. It might involve facilitating market days, managing event staff and taking
bookings for hire.
- Update the Business Plan and help with preparatory work for extension of lease
agreement, and Community Asset Transfer process.
Requirements:
Applicants should have the following.
- Previous experience of a similar role, with experience of working autonomously and staying motivated.
- Experience of managing large budgets
- Demonstrated experience of project delivery.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships internally and externally.
- Excellent administration skills and IT skills, with ability to create and maintain spreadsheets and work with numerical/financial data.
- Excellent references.