Community and Gardening Course - Youth Support

We are looking for a volunteer who has a passion for people, passionate about gardening and excited to share their knowledge and expertise with our young people! (gardening knowledge is not a requirement). We run a 8-week educational community & gardening course for a group of 5 young people with intellectual disabilities. This group is led by a Recreate NZ facilitator who supports the young people as they learn valuable life skills and gain work experience in the garden. We focus on learning about our community and aim to connect our young people with their wider community. The group learn practical skills such as weeding, planting, how to use lawnmowers and other garden equipment, while also gaining horticultural knowledge about topics such as seed saving and soil. We also do beach clean-ups and learn about sustainable topics like re-using and recycling. We aim to grow an abundance of produce at Richmond Community Gardens which is turned into preserves by another Recreate NZ cooking group and then sold at markets! Your role is to encourage participation, provide support, and be a positive role model for our young people as they develop skills throughout the course. This volunteer role supports healthy wellbeing, quality education and inclusion (United Nations SDGs 3 & 4)