Thanks to the generous donation from HIWCF we were able to employ three staff for the year, and given what a challenging year it turned out to be we were very grateful for this.
The job descriptions and roles changed slightly from that we had planned due to the strengths and talents of the employees. The volunteer coordinator job merged with the market coordinator as these roles were front facing and the Larder was a source of public engagement, building relationships that turned into active volunteering. It made sense for these relationships to grow in depth. The large amount of administration needed to support both Larder and volunteers then became the responsibility of the Volunteer administrator... in the end this was a creative working partnership.
The team
Our Farmer
Our longest standing employee is our 'Farmer'. It is hoped that within our growing model each community farm would have a Farmer role and this person would have responsibility for the animals. It is their job to tell everyone what needs to be done to keep the animals healthy and happy and they plan the animal husbandry and are first on call in emergencies.
Alahna is our Brading Farmer and the pictures tell the story of her invovement from head to toe. She visits the animals every day, tends their wounds and ensures that the volunteers are caring for them properly. She works alongside the volunteers and encourages and helps them grow in a way that has hugely influenced the whole feel of the farm and the young people love her. Her skills, learnt through many years of Young Farmers, have been put to good use and she continues to learn. as we all do, and hone the craft of farming. Alahna's practical skills, work ethic and willingness to try new things and grow have benefitted the farm from the very beginning and she continues to give her time freely now the grant funding for the paid employment has finished.
Our volunteer co ordinator
Aleks had been working tirelessly for St Marys Market from its beginnings in the COVID lockdown and on through years, building it up to the community resource that was much loved in the town. Her kindness and attention to detail both with the market and in her relationships with people built an atmosphere of trust and support. With the support of the grant she took on the role of developing the volunteering base in Level Land she built relationships carefully, getting to know people and giving them a warm welcome that was consistent and authentic. This built in commitment and ensured that Level Land was a place where people were closely attended to and respected. She took on the thankless role of social media coordinator and she ensures that there is good communication within the organization through the newsletter, website and social media platforms. Over the years it has become clear that she is the 'go to' person for many of the volunteers and she continues in a voluntary capacity to support the volunteering in Level Land whenever she can.
Our Administrator
From her first day in the role Rose took charge of the website and spent many voluntary, as well as paid, hours designing it and getting the online shop up and running. She then reviewed and updated all the forms and risk assessments etc and helped with the accounting. Added to this she spent many hours helping out with the market and being a delightful member of the team. Her graphic design skills augmented the talents of Alahna, in the drawing of our logos, producing business cards and leaflets with a distinctive and appealing look. From phone calls with paypal to carrying around heavy stock Rose always goes the extra mile and since leaving Level Land she is using the skills she honed with us to find new employment in the administrative field.
