Northern Roots is recruiting
Northern Roots is transforming 160 acres of urban greenspace in the heart of Oldham into a destination for learning, leisure, nature and growing. The site stretches from Alexandra Park in the north, past Park Bridge Heritage Centre, to Bankfield Clough in the south, looking out on to the foothills of the Peak District. It is bordered by Glodwick, Fitton Hill, Hathershaw and Alt.
The charity aims to benefit the environment, and to improve the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of local communities. Following four years of feasibility and development work the first phase of capital development is about to begin, and a wide range of communications, engagement and habitat enhancement activities have begun to bear fruit.
We are recruiting for a Project Manager, Finance and Admin Officer, Ranger, Social Prescribing Lead, and Communications and Engagement Officer, to help deliver the Beautiful Oldham Society – Why Not? project and support the wider Northern Roots project.
“The Beautiful Oldham Society should encourage the cultivation of shrubs, flowers in the spaces adjoining public buildings, schools, mills, houses, to cultivate the love of nature and gardening in school children, to utilise waste and open areas for tree planting, gardening, to encourage and provide facilities for the cultivation of plants and flowers in window pots and boxes, to provide groups of cottages with common gardens.” Mary Higgs, Beautiful Oldham Society, 1902
Northern Roots is delighted to receive a grant of £191,630 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver a year-long heritage and communities project entitled ‘Beautiful Oldham – Why Not?’ The project is inspired by Oldham’s Mary Higgs, who wrote to the Oldham Chronicle in 1901 asking: ‘Beautiful Oldham – why not?’
By the mid 19th century, Oldham was the epicentre of the global cotton spinning industry, its skyline dominated by the mills and chimneys of the Industrial Revolution. Mary Higgs, one of the first women to study Natural Sciences at Girton College, Cambridge, was a staunch advocate for women’s rights and social change in Oldham, and a pioneering conservationist. Mary founded the Beautiful Oldham Society in 1902 with a vision to create a greener, healthier Oldham, in which residents were empowered to make positive change.
Using the story of Mary Higgs and the Beautiful Oldham Society as an inspiration, the “Beautiful Oldham – Why Not?” project is designed to empower communities living around the Northern Roots site, to actively shape – and benefit from – the Northern Roots project.
Northern Roots has partnered with Hill Top Surgery in Fitton Hill (Oldham) to deliver an initial social prescribing pilot as part of the Beautiful Oldham – Why Not? project. The pilot will trial referral, support and evaluation mechanisms for up to 30 participants, with a focus on adults with depression, anxiety and diabetes, and healthy nutrition and lifestyle in children.
Over the course of the project, Northern Roots will recruit 15 paid Community Champions, working with them to reach into their communities, to help shape the next phase of Northern Roots’ activity planning and site development. Additional volunteering opportunities will also be available.
Jobs at Northern Roots – apply now
If you’re interested in applying for any of the roles below, we’d love to hear from you. To apply, you will need to send the following information to info@northern-roots.uk by the application deadline indicated for each role.
- Your CV, which should include the name and contact number of two referees.
- A covering letter outlining your experience and suitability for the role based on the Job Description and Person Specification (up to two sides of A4).
- A completed Equal Opportunities form.
Project Manager, Northern Roots
Could you lead and develop creative engagement projects that empower local communities? Proactively organise and evaluate a range of unique community activities?
Salary: £30,000 to £32,000 per annum, dependent on experience.
Contract: Fixed term, 1/6/2023 until 30/3/2024. 40 hours/week.
Application deadline: Monday 17th April, 10am.
Interview: Week beginning 24th April 23.
Project Manager Job Description (Northern Roots) March 23
Project Manager Person Specification (Northern Roots) March 23
Equal-Opportunities-Monitoring-Form-Northern-Roots
Social Prescribing Lead, Northern Roots
Have you got strong horticultural or landscape management skills, combined with expertise in delivering programmes of social and therapeutic horticulture, or providing person-centred care in a primary or social care setting? Could you work with a local GP surgery to develop, lead and evaluate placement opportunities for 30 individuals drawn from local communities?
Salary: £27,000 to £29,000 per annum, dependent on experience, pro rata for part time working.
Contract: Fixed term, 1/6/23 until 31/12/23. Four days (32 hours) per week.
Application deadline: Monday 17th April, 10am.
Interview: Week beginning 24th April 23.
Social Prescribing Lead Job Description (Northern Roots) March 23
Social Prescribing Lead Person Specification (Northern Roots) March 23
Equal-Opportunities-Monitoring-Form-Northern-Roots
Finance and Admin Officer, Northern Roots
Could you provide excellent financial and administrative support to an exciting new project designed to empower local residents and the young people of Oldham to shape the development of the Northern Roots charity?
Salary: £22,000 per annum, pro rata for part-time working.
Contract: Fixed term 10 month contract. 16 hours/week.
Application deadline: Monday 24th April, 10am.
Interview: Week beginning 1st May 23.
Finance and Admin Officer Job Description (Northern Roots) March 23
Finance and Admin Officer Person Specification (Northern Roots) March 23
Equal-Opportunities-Monitoring-Form-Northern-Roots
Ranger, Northern Roots
Experience in carrying out conservation and land management work such as tree maintenance, path maintenance and construction, wildlife recording? Could you work alongside our land-based team, including our Growers, Environment Engagement Officer and Social Prescribing staff?
Salary: £25,000 per annum, pro rata for part-time working.
Contract: Fixed term from 01.07.23 to 31.03.24. 24hr/week, 8am until 4pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Days can be discussed and hours adjusted slightly.
Application deadline: Monday 24th April, 10am.
Interview: Week beginning 1st May 23.
Ranger Job Description (Northern Roots) March 23
Ranger Person Specification(Northern Roots) March 23
Equal-Opportunities-Monitoring-Form-Northern-Roots
Communications and Engagement Officer, Northern Roots
Could you creatively support the development of Northern Roots communications, brand and engagement activity over the next twelve months, as the charity empowers diverse local communities to shape and co-design the direction of the project and moves into the first phase of construction? Got strong storytelling, content making and project management skills to offer?
Salary: £23-25K per annum, dependent on experience.
Contract: 12-month FTC, with potential for extension subject to funding.
Application deadline: Monday 24th April, 10am.
Interview: Week beginning 1st May 23.
PLEASE NOTE: You must include links to examples of your communications work in your cover letter and/or send us examples as attachments.
Communications and Engagement Officer Job Description (Northern Roots) March 23
Communications and Engagement Officer Person Specification (Northern Roots) March 23
Equal-Opportunities-Monitoring-Form-Northern-Roots
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK. Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund.
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