2 x Head Gardener positions (Stanmore & Stoke Mandeville)

2 Head Gardener positions at Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville and Horatio’s Garden Stanmore

 

 

Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville

The National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury

Salary: £36,000 FTE

Location: The National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury

 

 

Horatio’s Garden Stanmore

 

London Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore

 

Salary: £40,000 FTE (including London weighting)

Location: London Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore

 

 

For both roles:

Contract type/ hours: Full time, permanent. 37.5 hours a week

Closing date: 30 January 2025

Interviews dates: 3/4 February 2025, and 7 February 2025

Start date: March 2025

 

We are seeking two enthusiastic and experienced Head Gardeners for prestigious roles in our hospital gardens at the London Spinal Injuries Centre in Stanmore and the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville. 

 

The Stanmore garden was opened in 2020 and is a contemporary high profile garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith. The Stoke Mandeville garden was opened in 2018 and was designed by Joe Swift.

 

Horatio’s Garden is a nationwide charity creating and nurturing beautifully designed gardens in NHS’s spinal injury centres. The Head Gardener will be responsible for managing and caring for the garden and supporting the patients who use it. You will run a thriving, vibrant sanctuary which meets the needs of the charity’s beneficiaries. 

 

Both gardens are fully accessible and have been beautifully designed with water features, several garden pods (in Stanmore) and a large garden room to give patients a warm sheltered place to enjoy the garden in all weather. Both gardens have glasshouse facilities, and an area of raised beds for patients where you will lead garden therapy sessions and a dedicated office space, looking out over the garden. 

 

The two new Head Gardeners will join a team of six other dedicated Head Gardeners across the charity’s existing projects. You will work with a part-time Garden Administrator and a team of volunteers to nurture the beautiful space for patients and their visitors.

 

You will be responsible for delivering a therapeutic gardening programme as well as arts activities for patients in the garden, supported by the charity’s Arts Co-ordinator. With the Garden Administrator you will also arrange social events for patients and their families in collaboration with the rehabilitation centre’s team. 

 

These roles are a fantastic opportunity for two confident, experienced gardeners with an interest in gardens and wellbeing, and a passion for people as well as plants.

 

 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

 

Essential 

• Practical experience as a gardener, including experience of garden management 
• RHS Level 3 or equivalent Diploma in Principles and Practices of Horticulture 
• Experience of leading and managing teams 
• Experience of working with volunteers 
• Good IT skills, specifically proficient with Microsoft Office 365: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint 
• Excellent communication skills
• Confident public speaker
• Experience in managing budgets and petty cash
• Interest in wellbeing benefits of gardens 

 

 

Desirable 

• Post Graduate Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture 
• Experience of therapeutic activities
• Working in the voluntary sector
• NHS experience or work in a health care setting 
• Digital photography 
• Supplier management and ordering 

 

 

Qualities 

• Professional and confident 
• Empathetic and kind
• Calm under pressure  
• Able to meet the physical demands of the job 
• Ability to prioritise and adapt to changing needs of each working day 
• Self-motivated and capable of working with the minimum of direction but understanding the limits of your knowledge and able to seek advice when required 

 

 

As a Charity we are committed to creating and promoting a culture that protects and preserves the welfare of the vulnerable people in our care. Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining and evaluating information from and about candidates including criminal record checks, to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work for our Charity. 

 

APPLICATION 

 

Please write a one page covering letter, explaining why you would be suited to this role and send this along with your CV to kath.moss@horatiosgarden.org.uk 

Please indicate which role you are interested in.

 

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all sectors of society. 

 

NOTE: DBS, medical and reference checks will be conducted as part of the recruitment process.