Melbourne University Community Garden Co-ordinator Position Description (voluntary)

Melbourne University Community Garden is located on Monash Road at Parkville campus, and is a space for growing healthy food, learning gardening skills and meeting like-minded people.

The garden wouldn’t run without our volunteers! We are currently looking to appoint three volunteer garden coordinators to manage and run the garden, and ensure that all participants get as much out of the space as possible.

The team of coordinators are involved in:

  • Attending meetings to plan planting and activities for each season
  • Assisting with the planning and execution of working bees, workshops and events
  • Advertising garden activities
  • Updating the MUC Garden Facebook page and website
  • contributing to record keeping, especially budgetry records
  • Communicating with the garden facilitators about the materials required for upcoming working bees
  • Welcoming new volunteers to the garden and assisting them to learn and understand how the garden operates.

There are no minimum hours for this position, however it is expected that coordinators will attend at least four events during semester, and be in regular communication with other garden members.

The coordinators work in conjunction with the garden facilitators. The garden facilitators volunteer as coordinators, are responsible for facilitating democratic decisions within the group, ensure that the garden (including the compost) is properly maintained and looks presentable (especially during university holidays), communicate with university grounds staff, make sure that the budget is correctly managed, and prepare materials required for working bees and events. Essentially, the garden is there for and run by the volunteers, and the facilitators are there to make sure things go smoothly behind the scenes!

Being a garden coordinator has lots of benefits, including:

  • Influencing the future of a garden that successfully demonstrates the benefits of communal urban gardening
  • Gaining experience in organic gardening
  • Networking with other passionate people
  • Gaining valuable resumé building skills in volunteer management, organising and running meetings, managing a budget, running events, liaising with different stakeholders, and managing social media channels
  • Getting a reference to put on your CV
  • Harvesting delicious produce from the garden to take home
  • The potential to apply for a paid facilitator position at the garden in future

To apply for the position, please email us at mucgarden@gmail.com with answers to the following questions so we can get to know a bit about you:

Please tell us a bit about yourself (e.g. hobbies, interests, your field of work or what you’re studying).

  • Have you been to any events or working bees at the Garden?
  • Why would you like to be a garden coordinator?
  • Do you have any gardening experience (it’s completely fine if you don’t!)?
  • Do you have a particular area of interest (e.g. garden maintenance, running workshops, advertising)?
  • Are you willing to attend regular (e.g. once per month) meetings with other coordinators?
  • What skills, knowledge or other benefits would you like to gain from this position?
  • How did you hear about this position?
  • Any questions or anything else you would like to add?
  • What is the best way to contact you?

If you have any questions, please contact us at mucgarden@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Closes 13th Jan 2017!