Make meaningful impact in a game changing project.
Jobs
Northern Roots is a small, friendly and inclusive team that prioritizes connection to nature and each other. As the project grows, so will our team.
The best way to hear about new opportunities is through our newsletter, where we share jobs, volunteering, family-friendly events, creative workshops and more. Sign up here.
Northern Roots Young Creatives Programme
Are you a young person in Oldham between 18 – 24 years old? Do you have an interest in the arts, the outdoors, sport, your community? Are you looking for an opportunity to share your creativity and voice, gain paid employment and develop your career?
We have three, paid Young Creatives roles available to young people (18-24) who live, work or study in Oldham.
The role requires a commitment of one day a week (7.5 hours per day) for eight weeks (from 7th July to 31st August 2025) and is paid at a rate of £12 per hour.
During the Young Creatives programme, you will work with our friendly Creative Producer and wider Northern Roots team to explore what kinds of events your network of friends and peers would enjoy. With our support, you will produce and market an event for young people onsite at Northern Roots this summer.
You will develop skills and experience in audience engagement, creative ideation, producing and marketing, and you will receive mentoring from our team and signposting to your next opportunity.
Please read the Young Creatives Hiring Pack carefully before applying.
Application deadline: 12 midnight on Sunday 22nd June 2025
To apply: download and complete the Expression of Interest form and return to info@northern-roots.uk by the deadline.
If you would like to discuss other ways of applying for this role, please get in touch with us at info@northern-roots.uk
The Northern Roots Young Creatives programme is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Northern Roots Takeover micro-commissions
Northern Roots has two £500 Takeovers up for grabs this summer!
Are you a local group or artist with a community network? Do you have an idea for an event, workshop, experience, exhibition, guided walk or something else that could work at Northern Roots? Is there a particular audience you’d like to create something special for or with? If Northern Roots was yours for a couple of hours, what would you do with it?
Your Takeover idea can be small or large scale (but do keep the budget in mind!). It could be for a specific group of people e.g. mothers and babies, older men, teenagers, or it could be open and accessible to all. It could be an intimate event in our small Community Garden, an event that takes place across the wider 160-acre Northern Roots site, or a much bigger event on the playing fields adjacent to the Urban Farm.
We want to support ideas in our communities that bring people together to have fun, learn, engage with nature and connect with each other.
What will be available to you:
- £500 budget (to include VAT)
- 2 hours of free event space at Northern Roots
- Spaces include our Community Garden, playing fields, and the wider 160-acre Northern Roots site
- Support from our Creative Producer
- Comms and marketing support from our communications team
You will need to:
- Be available to deliver your event between July and October 2025
- Have availability to work with our Creative Producer and the wider Northern Roots team
- Live, work or study in Oldham
- Be 18+
To apply: Please complete the Northern Roots Takeover Expression of Interest Form by midnight, Sunday 6th July and send to info@northern-roots.uk
If you have any questions about the Northern Roots Takeover opportunity, please get in touch with us at info@northern-roots.uk
This project is made possible by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Volunteering
Volunteers make a valuable contribution to the development of Northern Roots, and we are grateful for the hard work, enthusiasm and support of everyone who volunteers with us. We offer a variety of volunteering opportunities from short Community Litter Picks to our Urban Farm and Environmental volunteering programme.
Our team of Northern Roots staff and existing volunteers are a friendly and inclusive group, so if you join our volunteering programme, you’ll get a warm welcome.
Northern Roots Urban Farm and Environmental volunteers can get involved in sowing, harvesting, composting, weeding, mulching and creating no dig beds in our Phase 1 Urban Farm. You can support the conservation of 160-acres of woodland, meadows and ponds through path maintenance and habitat creation, or learn new skills such as woodworking and landscaping with our experienced Land Team. No previous experience required, simply a passion for nature and learning.
Applications for the Northern Roots Urban Farm and Environmental Volunteering spring 2025 intake are now closed. We will be re-opening applications in autumn 2025. We may offer shorter volunteering opportunities in the meantime, so make sure to follow our social media or sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date.
In future we’ll expand our volunteering offer to include opportunities to support Northern Roots events, tours and our schools programme.
What our volunteers say…
“l’ve learned how to plant garlic, which has reignited by passion for growing food. I don’t usually grow anything over the winter, but this has made me think actually, I could grow stuff in winter as well. Volunteering is also a bit of respite because I’m a carer for one of my kids. This helps give me a good break.” Flora, Urban Farm and Environmental Volunteer
“I wanted to join this year and it’s been great. I’ve enjoyed it. The people have been brilliant, staff are nice, everything’s brilliant.” John, Urban Farm and Environmental Volunteer
“I’ve learned teamwork, planting, mulching, weeding, planting hedges, and I’m hoping to learn woodwork.” Gill, Urban Farm and Environmental Volunteer
“I’ve recommended volunteering at Northern Roots it to many people. I keep badgering them to come. The first thing I talk about is the size of the project, how big it is, the plans and the vision. It’s absolutely amazing for an industrial town like Oldham to have a project like this right in the middle of it. So I tell people about how it’s world leading, the first of its kind in the UK.” Simon, Urban Farm and Environmental Volunteer turned Northern Roots Community Grower and Ranger
If you are interested in corporate volunteering or a Corporate Away Day, please email info@northern-roots.uk for more information.