Programmes and Communications Coordinator

Background

Wayward Plants, an initiative by the design practice Wayward, is a pioneering reuse and circular economy initiative that tackles two linked challenges: the growing volume of landscape waste in construction and horticulture, and the nature gap – the unequal access to green space experienced by underserved communities across London. We address both through the redistribution of plants, trees and landscape materials to a network of nearly 2,000 community and school gardens across the city.

For the past decade we have been the Official Reuse Partner of the RHS, running the reuse schemes at shows including RHS Chelsea Flower Show and RHS Hampton Court Palace. We are now scaling up, establishing our first Wayward Plants Reuse Centre at Cultivate Colindale and transitioning Wayward Plants into a dedicated charity.

About the role

This role combines communications, programming, community engagement and storytelling. You will help shape how Wayward Plants communicates its mission, activities and partnerships, and how this work is experienced by the public.

You will document the daily life of the Reuse Centre, our volunteer network and the community gardens we support. You will also help deliver public-facing events and exhibitions, including Wayward Plant Adoption Events and anniversary programming.

Key responsibilities

• Programming, coordinating and hosting public engagement events centred on Wayward Plant Adoptions and creative exchanges between people, plants and stories
• Managing social media and website content for the Wayward Plants Reuse Initiative, including planning, posting and responding
• Documenting plant donations to community gardens and schools, as well as volunteer activity, through photography, video and short written pieces
• Creating newsletters and updates for partners and supporters
• Gathering impact data, stories and images to support monitoring, evaluation and funder reporting
• Developing, curating and delivering content and programming for the 2026 anniversary exhibitions and tours, including archive organisation, visual documentation and narrative material
• Working closely with Wayward leadership, the Reuse Coordinator and the Head Gardener to share the wider work of the Reuse Centre

About you

We are looking for someone who is:

• Highly collaborative and comfortable working as part of a small team
• A strong, confident communicator who can represent Wayward Plants at in-person events
• A clear, engaging writer with a warm and accessible voice
• Confident managing social media and capturing strong visual content
• Comfortable documenting people, plants and places sensitively and creatively
• Creatively enthusiastic about storytelling, community engagement and ecological change
• Organised, reliable and able to manage multiple tasks
• Comfortable working with children, families, community groups and volunteers
• Knowledgeable about plants and gardening
• Passionate about equitable access to nature and the circular economy
• Graphic design, photography or film skills are a bonus, as are gardening skills and green fingers

Working arrangements

• Part-time (2–3 days per week), with the potential to become full-time
• Based at Cultivate Colindale, with travel across London as required
• Some evening or weekend work for events
• May–July is a seasonal peak period and availability will be required. This may involve short periods of increased or fuller-time hours, agreed in advance and compensated through additional pay or time off in lieu

The deadline for applications is Friday 6 February. We may close applications early if we receive a strong response, so early applications are encouraged.

Wayward Plants is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible working environment.