Volunteer Support Lead

Area of interest: Outdoors or Active Roles, Heritage, Culture, and Arts Based Roles, Supporting Adults

Number of Volunteers required: 1

Gardening Team Leader - Bloomin' Longton

Help keep Longton blooming while supporting a friendly community gardening team. Bloomin' Longton, a sub-group of Longton Community Partnership, is looking for a confident amateur gardener to support our volunteers in caring for the town's colourful community planters. You might be a keen home gardener with the enthusiasm and people skills to help others feel welcome and involved. Based in the heart of Longton Town Centre, you'll be helping a volunteer team maintain up to 18 large council-owned planters located around The Strand, Commerce Street, and Market Street. The planting schemes are designed by a horticulturist to provide colour and interest throughout the year.

What You'll Be Doing

Supporting and encouraging volunteers during weekly gardening sessions. Helping maintain community planters through:

• Weeding
• Deadheading
• Replanting
• Watering

Assisting volunteers to work together as a positive and supportive team. Supporting activities at our Greenhouse growing base in Longton town centre. Helping create a welcoming and enjoyable volunteering environment.

About the Team

Volunteer groups usually consist of 4-8 people. Volunteers are adults of all ages. Occasional visiting children may attend with a parent or grandparent. Sessions currently take place on Fridays from 10am-12pm. We hope to expand to two sessions per week in the future.

A typical session involves around 1-1.5 hours of gardening, followed by refreshments at our Greenhouse Centre in the Longton Exchange Shopping Centre (ST3 2JA). We pride ourselves on being a friendly, welcoming group. We regularly receive positive comments from local residents and visitors about the work we do, making the effort especially rewarding.

Looking Ahead

• Organise visits to local allotments and gardens
• Develop gardening knowledge and skills as a group
• Prepare for Longton's Flower Festival in 2028, which will celebrate the town's Town of Culture bid, regardless of the outcome

Who We're Looking For

• A confident amateur or home gardener
• Someone who enjoys working with people and helping others feel at ease
• Friendly, patient, and encouraging
• Happy working outdoors as part of a community team
• Enthusiastic about gardening and community improvement

About Bloomin' Longton

Bloomin' Longton is part of the Longton Community Partnership and is supported through community funding and fundraising activities throughout the year. Together, we are helping contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Longton Town Centre and creating attractive spaces for residents, businesses, and visitors to enjoy.