Selfsufficientish.com

At the end of this school year (Sept) my contract ends and there is no funding to renew it So I'm going to be job hunting again. I'd really like to look at the possibility of something along the green route - maybe recycling advice/education. The problem is I really don't know where to start and I don't have a "green" qualification, just a passion for it.

Here's one site I used to watch regularly

http://www.organicjobs.co.uk/

I'm sure there are lots more - the Soil Association often has jobs in their classified section, and your local authority will often have posts as well.

I don't know if anyone else can remember but there is (or was - it's a long time since I last looked) that used to to environmental jobs starting with entry level and through. The Guardian also has a big jobs section - I think it used to be on a tuesday (but don't hold me to that ).

I've applied for a couple from organicjobs.co.uk. Fingers crossed!

I wonder if Andy'd write me a reference...

the organic job link doesnt work

the.fee.fairy wrote:I've applied for a couple from organicjobs.co.uk. Fingers crossed!

I wonder if Andy'd write me a reference...

Yep of course! and same for you milims.

Having visited your area Milims I can think of a few things that you might be able to do. Firstly how about running a course in keeping chickens. You could invite people into the back garden and just teach them with your chickens. Perhaps offer a free class to friends and a couple of neighbours first just to get a little bit of confidence and ask them for feedback too. This really helped with our forages, luckily in Bristol it is a little different.

Also is there anything that you could offer to teach tourists? You get a lot up there. Maybe local churches or community centres might let you use their halls to have lessons in? Or as you are a good cook get your kitchen up to environmental health standards and make jams etc. Sell them in one of the eco shops in Alnwick. You could make the jam from foraged ingredients made with fair trade sugar, make some nice labels on the PC and you are away. Again make some smaller batches and test them on friends, family and neighbours. Perhaps the market is to B & B's around the area, they must get though a lot of jam for the tourists. You would have enough fruit around in september (haws, elderberry, rowan berry, blackberries) to make some ready to sell in the spring for tourist season next year. Freeze them and make a batch at a time until you have loads.

As for recycling advice/education the council sometimes employs people to go door to door they would be worth contacting. At the moment many councils are putting money into the environment so now is the time to approach them. You do have experience in being a mod on this site for whoever long it has been, you can mention that and like I said I would write you a glowing reference or would talk to a potential employer if you like.

It didn't work for me either although I copy and pasted it direct. Try this

http://organicjobs.co.uk/about_us.asp

Andy Hamilton wrote: Or as you are a good cook get your kitchen up to environmental health standards and make jams etc. Sell them in one of the eco shops in Alnwick. You could make the jam from foraged ingredients made with fair trade sugar, make some nice labels on the PC and you are away.

Aww shucks - thank you for the compliment Andy I have wondered about the jam thing - but there are so many people round here doing it. However I do have very good reports about my tomato ketchup and it's not something I've seen done - so maybe there's a possibility. And since I now have a sink in my kitchen it's possible that I could give my mates in EH a ring and find out what else I need to do to go into manufacturing on a smallish scale.

Milims wrote:

Andy Hamilton wrote: Or as you are a good cook get your kitchen up to environmental health standards and make jams etc. Sell them in one of the eco shops in Alnwick. You could make the jam from foraged ingredients made with fair trade sugar, make some nice labels on the PC and you are away.

Aww shucks - thank you for the compliment Andy I have wondered about the jam thing - but there are so many people round here doing it. However I do have very good reports about my tomato ketchup and it's not something I've seen done - so maybe there's a possibility. And since I now have a sink in my kitchen it's possible that I could give my mates in EH a ring and find out what else I need to do to go into manufacturing on a smallish scale.

When you do, could you let us know. When we get our new kitchen in, it would make perfect sense for us to do it to the right standards, but I can't figure out what they are. (sneaking suspicion no cats is a rule though... boo hiss)

OrganicJobs is a great site. My friend got her new job through it recently.

The problem is they all seem to be way too far away from here!

I can see how that would be a problem! Another good job site (though not necessarily green) is http://www.indeed.co.uk/?r=us. You can set it up to email with relevant stuff as its listed.