Interested in Volunteering?

As Core Arts expands so does our need for volunteers.

We currently have a highly successful volunteer program for those who share Core Arts mission and values. We welcome enthusiastic individuals who are eager to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for our members. 

  • Work directly with members, often working in a group setting or providing 1:1 support in creative activities and creative work planning
  • Motivate and assist members in their projects
  • Bring technical and practical assistance to the workshop sessions
  • Be punctual, committed and professional in all aspects of work
  • Maintain a positive and supportive work environment for both members and teachers

Our volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds, from the local community to overseas. Many are already part of the art community and some have experienced mental health issues first hand. Please note that background experience in art or a related field of interest is required.

Volunteering at Core Arts is an excellent opportunity for those who are interested in accessing our services but who may not meet our membership criteria.
Volunteers can gain work experience in a particular environment of interest, develop their own skills in tutoring, administration, teaching and reception
Volunteers may also get the chance to participate in external events, perform at gigs, exhibit artwork, and strengthen their own art skills.

Members NOTE: This option is for existing Core Arts members interested in volunteering.

Members who would like to develop existing skills and experience work like activity and training; including contributing to the running of Core Arts through the members Involvement Scheme and Core Council are encouraged to join.
Applicants interested in this option and who fit the criteria should contact:
Emily Cubitt, Enrolment Membership Manager – send Emily an email
Music (Instruments, Singing & Songwriting)
Front-of-House
Multimedia/ICT
Art (Drawing, Painting)
Ceramics
Printmaking
Textiles
Sports

See our timetable for list of courses

Current vacancies

Paid Paid positions

Core Arts are recruiting for a one day a week (Tuesday)
Core Landscapes Community Gardener

Time commitment: 1 day per week (Tuesdays) 12 months fixed term contract, self-employed.
Salary: £140 per day (£20ph)
Reporting to: Core Landscapes Project Director, Core Arts CEO + Deputy CEO
Deadline: Closing date for applications 10am Wednesday 30th April 2025

Are you an experienced all-round gardener and peoples’ person? Do you love promoting the positive mental health impact from gardening and engagement with the natural world? Can you attract equitable engagement to a new community garden?

Core Landscapes, part of leading mental-health charity Core Arts, are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic community gardener to work with us on Tuesdays, who passionately loves plants, gardens, and food growing and can share and pass their passion on to promote positive mental health, increase biodiversity and address climate change.

You will be happy working flexibly under your own initiative, within a project that is constantly adapting to local need and the changing environment. You will relish the physicality involved in this role, enjoy outdoor working in all weathers, with a wide range of volunteers. You will be supported by experienced colleagues to build on your skills and develop your career in the environmental sector.

Horticultural qualifications are noted but demonstrative knowledge by experience is equally relevant. 

Main purpose of the role

  • Plan and co-facilitate inclusive and engaging gardening sessions for Community Volunteers
  • Lead on food growing program across the sites
  • Maintain and develop the high quality of Core’s gardens and green spaces
  • Maintain volunteer register, collate feedback, monitor and report the impact of the work

Additional purpose of the role
(Shared with Project director)

  • Plan and implement community events, tours, trips, specialist training days +CSR days
  • Recruit and induct new community volunteers
  • Maintain and develop the high horticultural quality across Core’s green sites
  • Propagate, promote and sell plants to the general public
  • Post weekly instagram and monthly facebook posts
  • Promote Core Landscapes to the wider community

You will lead on the food-growing program within the new community garden and develop it for maximum engagement. You will have good knowledge of the plants grown across our green spaces and be able to assess plant maintenance requirements in the new community garden, roof garden, street work, Homerton Grove and the Core Arts’ members’ garden to run accessible organic gardening sessions – adapted to differing levels of mobility, plant knowledge and emotional needs.

Responsibilities by function 

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential:

  • RHS Level 2 in horticulture or demonstrable equivalent in experience

Experience

Essential:
With People

  • Experience of teaching practical and theoretical organic horticulture to adults
  • Experience of working with adults with a wide range of learning styles
  • Experience of running outdoor gardening sessions of up to 10 adults
  • Experience of adapting sessions to the individual E.g. mobility + literacy requirements
  • Experience of recruiting + coordinating volunteers from a range of backgrounds + cultures

Essential:
With Plants

  • Experience of growing a wide range of plants in different sites and conditions
  • Demonstrable commitment to organic growing + environmental sustainability
  • Active participation in a community garden, including planning and maintenance

Essential:
Office based

  • Experience of monitoring and reporting to funders
  • Experience of planning, promoting community events
  • Experience of writing educational and communication based material

Experience

Desirable:

  • Marketing and trading (ideally with plants or produce)
  • Project management
  • Promotion via social media

Knowledge

Essential:

  • Wide ranging horticultural knowledge of food growing and ornamentals
  • Understand the impact of gardening on mental health + wellbeing
  • Adult teaching skills to adapt to learning styles
  • Understand climate change and bio-diversity emergency mitigation techniques
  • IT literate: Ability to use Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel etc
  • An understanding of professional boundaries in community settings

Desirable:

  • Have additional knowledge to enhance participants experience: E.g. pomology, wild-plants, medicinal plants, permaculture, garden and planting design, tree identification, propagation, succulents, soil-life, natural crafts etc
  • Be familiar with, and connected to, the network of community gardens in London
  • Be familiar with a range of composting techniques
  • Be familiar with irrigation systems, solar energy and rain-harvesting techniques
  • Be comfortable with book-keeping, spreadsheets and databases
  • First aid trained and/or mental health first aid trained

Personal Skills + Characteristics

Essential:

  • Passion for gardens and green spaces to promote positive mental health for all
  • Enjoy taking initiative, have a flexible, ‘can do’ attitude and respond to change
  • Personable and connect with people easily
  • Resourceful, multi-tasking self-starter
  • Decisive, fast thinker and solution orientated
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Patient and empathetic, maintaining professional boundaries
  • Have an awareness of, promote and practice, self-care
  • Sense of fun and humour 🙂

Role Breakdown (approximate)

1 x 7hr days per week

The Community Volunteer sessions are largely co-facilitated with Core Landscapes Project Director (Nemone Mercer) with occasional solo sessions. The sessions involve working across our green corridor around the Core Arts centre.
Approx 6-14 volunteers attend per session.

Tuesdays

9.00am – 10.00am – Prep, plan and set up for 2 x 2hrs volunteer sessions
10.00am – 12.00pm morning community volunteers session

12.00 – 12.30pm lunch

12.30pm prep afternoon session
1pm – 3pm afternoon community volunteers session
3pm – 4.30pm
Pack away session
Plus selection of:

  • Catch up with project director
  • Additional gardening time
  • Comms, emails and prep time
  • Event planning
  • Contacting volunteers

(End of day 4.30pm)

NB
There are external trips or specialist workshops for all Core Landscapes gardeners approx once a term. This is an opportunity for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday students and volunteers to connect and for us all to get ideas and inspiration from other gardens and gardening tutors. These may occur on a Tuesday.

There may be occasional work assisting in planning for CSR days and the opportunity to run CSR days also.

How to Apply

Application is by CV (no more than 2 pages) and a cover letter (no more than 1 page) outlining the reasons for your interest in the role, why you would be suitable, and what you hope to gain from the role.
Applications should be sent to gmolinari@corearts.co.uk. Please include your full contact details: email and phone number

Please provide details of two referees.
Deadline: Closing date for applications 10am Wednesday 30th April 2025
Job to start asap after interview.

Interviews and shortlisting:

The interview process will include asking you to identify plants and maintenance tasks in one of our green spaces:

  • Core Arts new community garden behind St Barnabas Church E9 6DJ (open access 24/7)
  • Wildflower ‘meadow’ strip in Homerton Grove E9 (open access 24/7)
  • Tree pits along Wardle Street E9 (open access 24/7)
  • Core Arts members garden on St Barnabas Terrace E9 (open to the public Tues-Fridays)
  • Core Landscapes roof garden on Wardle Street E9 (open for viewing by arrangement)

Further info on all these sites can be found on our website www.core-landscapes.co.uk

We encourage viewing the sites prior to applying. There are also films on our website and social media of the sites. If you would like to view the restricted access sites on a Saturday morning prior to applying, or to discuss any details of the role please contact nmercer@corearts.co.uk

Not sure you meet 100% of our requirements?

This role revolves around people skills – if you are a peoples’ person who gardens we encourage you to apply. Horticultural qualifications are noted but demonstrative knowledge by experience is equally relevant.

We are dedicated to attracting a broad array of candidates across diverse work and life experiences, cultures, genders, ages, ethnicities and educational backgrounds.

Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interests and what you hope to bring to this role.

Volunteer positions

Cycling and Walking Volunteer

Thursdays:
11.15am  to 12.30pm – Beginners cycling assistant
40 minutes lunch break
1.30pm to 4.00pm – Walking group assistant

Key responsibilities

  • To participate, assist and reinforce teaching points of sport session/exercise class under the instruction of the lead tutor, creating a community atmosphere.
  • To respond flexibly to each member’s needs and help them achieve success towards their creative work plans and outlined goals, which they have set out on induction. This may be providing on-to-one support for those who have additional needs.
  • Learn how to facilitate and lead sections of a class to more able or less able attendees, ensuring we are always inclusive to members individual needs under guidance from the tutor.
  • To provide the lead tutor with feedback and offer insight to developing and improving services through own experience and ideas, as well as through interaction with members.
  • Be punctual, committed and professional in all aspects of work.

Skills and Ability

  • Some experience of riding a bicycle and an ambition to develop skills as a rider, instructor and role-model.
  • An ability to work creatively and flexibly with vulnerable people.

General Duties

  • To ensure basic health and safety practices are adhered to.
  • To be punctual, committed and professional in all aspects of the work.
  • To work within the Equal Opportunities Framework observed at Core Arts.
  • To follow Core Arts Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policies and Procedures.

Additional Benefits

  • £6 per session paid expenses (please provide receipts for travel and food).
  • Core Arts Members can be part of the Membership Exchange Programme.
  • Training and development opportunities are also available.
  • The chance to expand your cycling skills.

How to apply

Please download our application form and send it with your CV and cover letter to Giuliana Molinari at mail@corearts.co.uk expressing why you are interested in this role and what experience you have in relation to the abilities, responsibilities and skills required.
If you have any questions, please call 020 8510 9990.

Front of House Volunteer

Wednesday 12.30pm – 3.00pm
Thursday 10.00am – 12.30pm

Objective

To assist with the smooth running of the reception area at Core Arts. To make sure that members and visitors feel connected and welcome to the centre and direct enquiries to the relevant person or department. The role also involves keeping the front of house area tidy and ensuring people clean up after themselves. It may also entail some administrative duties from time to time.

Key responsibilities

  • Be a friendly and welcoming face to all visitors and make sure they are introduced to the relevant person.
  • Communicate effectively with the office – reporting anything FOH related to staff team.
  • Ensure members tick their name in the register and ask visitors to sign in the visitors’ book when they enter the building.
  • Promptly inform Membership team if there is an issue with signing in – if someone is not on the list.
  • Deal with telephone enquiries in a friendly and polite manner.
  • Sign for deliveries, informing the office when they arrive.
  • Assist with occasional administration tasks as required.
  • Ensure the Front of House area, including sink, coffee area, tables, reception desk and floor are kept clean and tidy by members.
  • Report any issues with the drinks machine in liaison with centre H&S officer.
  • Keep the notice boards up to date and free from clutter when asked by the membership and education coordinator.

Skills and Ability

  • To be a member of Core Arts.
  • To enjoy meeting people and have a friendly approachable manner with good communication skills.
  • Able to encourage people to take an interest in Core and be pro-active in making enquiries into their area of interest.
  • To have the confidence to remind members to sign the register and adhere to the Core Arts code of respect.
  • To communicate effectively with the staff team.

General Duties

  • To ensure basic health and safety practices are adhered to.
  • To be punctual, committed and professional in all aspects of the work.
  • To work within the Equal Opportunities Framework observed at Core Arts.
  • To follow Core Arts Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policies and Procedures.

Additional Benefits

  • £6 per session paid expenses (please provide receipts for travel and food).
  • Core Arts Members can be part of the Membership Exchange Programme.
  • Training and development opportunities are also available.
  • The chance to expand your cycling skills.

How to apply

Please download our application form and send it with your CV and cover letter to Giuliana Molinari at mail@corearts.co.uk expressing why you are interested in this role and what experience you have in relation to the abilities, responsibilities and skills required.
If you have any questions, please call 020 8510 9990.