Gardening Services Manager

**Gardening Services Manager based at Hall Grange, Croydon** **Available Hours**: **Permanent - Full Time - 37 hours per week.** **Locations: The Wilderness, Hall Grange, Shirley, and Croydon.** **About the role** The role is a key part of MHA Communities - South London, and is based in The Wilderness, our heritage garden at MHA Hall Grange in Shirley, Croydon. You will play a key role in maintaining and developing the garden to facilitate heritage learning, communityparticipation (including for and with our residents living at Hall Grange), and events. You will also deliver a programme of Social Therapeutic Horticulture for various service user groups. The Gardening Services Manager will spend 80% of their time managing the on-going upkeep and evolution of The Wilderness and 20% of their time providing garden consultation, support and advice to colleagues in our Estates team as well as our homes and schemesacross Britain. Could you be the person to take on this exciting and unique role to support the ongoing development of The Wilderness and our outdoor spaces? **About you** It's essential that you have experience of horticulture, and a love of the outdoors. You will hold a minimum of Level 3 (RHS/BTEC/NVQ or equivalent) horticultural qualification, and will have a proven track record in maintaining gardens to a high standard.You will also have experience of social and therapeutic horticulture, for which you may hold a recognised STH qualification, and running gardening groups and demonstrations. You're a confident communicator, and have the ability to effectively lead a team ofvolunteers, and work with colleagues of all levels across MHA. You are IT literate and proficient in using MS Office for record keeping and communications. As a charity that cares for older people, you should be passionate about reducing loneliness and isolation and determined to make a difference for the 17,000 individuals we support across the country **Why join MHA?** These are just some of the reasons we think MHA is a great place to work: - We have a supportive culture, the people at MHA are genuinely warm, friendly and a pleasure to work with. - High colleague employee engagement scores. - Highly supportive leadership team. - Genuine career progression and development. - Highly competitive pay and benefits. - A range of flexible benefits including an option to buy or sell additional annual leave. - Pension scheme. - Hardship/welfare fund. - Critical illness cover. - Colleagues have access to Chaplaincy and Pastoral support. - Employee Assistance Programme. - Independent free counselling and legal advice. - 33 days holiday (inc. bank holidays) **About us** Methodist Homes (MHA) is the largest charity care provider in the U.K. We have more than 75 years' experience of delivering care and support to over 18,500 older people. We understand what it takes to help people live later life well through our Care homes,Retirement schemes and MHA Communities. MHA The Wilderness is a unique and reformed garden which was first discovered over a 100 years ago. The reclaimed wilderness offers access to a hidden heritage garden in South London with an accessible, engaging and nature conservation programme of activities.The Wilderness garden was first created by Rev William Wilks, Vicar of Shirley and former secretary of the Royal Horticulture Society, between 1904 and 1923: a wild garden that lived up to the house's name. Over a 100 years later it has been restored by MHAto its former glory and both our residents and visitors couldn't be happier with the beautiful garden. At MHA we place great importance on nurturing the mind, body and spirit of those we care for, their families, along with commitment and dedication from our 7,500 employees and 4,000 volunteers regardless of faith, background or belief. As the largest charity care provider in the UK, we offer some of the highest quality care, accommodation and support services for older people throughout Britain. Our mission is to inspire the best care and wellbeing at every stage of later life. "Agencies: Please note, MHA do not accept unsolicited CV's from any agencies, regardless of whether they are on our Preferred Supplier List (PSL) or not. We only accept CV's from agencies that have been appointed and briefed by MHA's central Talent AcquisitionTeam."