As we grow we need people to help. Would you like to do one of the below small tasks?

We are looking for people to take on small, practical jobs — some taking only 10 or 15 minutes now and again. You could help with organisaing near your home, share posts on social media, take photos, check council rules, help with insurance notes, welcome new volunteers, or keep a simple list up to date. Small jobs, shared widely, will make the project much easier to run.

Suggested “organising roles”

1. Area co-ordinators for each shopping area (14 needed)
2. Planting advice helpers
3. Business contact helpers
4. Social media helpers
5. Council rules and permissions helper
6. Insurance / risk assessment helper
7. Records helper – where planters are and who looks after them
8. Website / newsletter helper (non-technical – only Facebook skills needed)
9. Organisations co-ordinator
10. Schools co-ordinator

Most of the above can be done from home and probably a couple of hours a week to get us started. Read below for details

1. Area co-ordinators

These are local point people for a street, shopping area, park edge or group of planters.

What they do:

• Keep an eye on planters in their area.
• Welcome nearby volunteers or businesses.
• Let the main group know if plants need watering, replacing or repairing.
• Help arrange small local planting or tidy-up sessions.
• Take before-and-after photos.

Good for: someone who lives nearby and can spare 10–15 minutes now and again.

2. Planting advice helpers

What they do:

• Suggest suitable plants for planters, baskets and dry areas.
• Keep plant lists simple and affordable.
• Check what works for pollinators.
• Help match plants to sun, shade, wind and watering needs.
• Liaise with people who have gardening knowledge.

Good for: gardeners, allotment holders or anyone keen to learn.

3. Business contact helpers

What they do:

• Visit or email local businesses.
• Ask if they would like a planter, hanging basket, window sticker or poster.
• Keep a note of who says yes, maybe later, or no.
• Check whether businesses can water nearby planters.
• Pass updates to the main spreadsheet.

Good for: friendly people who are comfortable popping into shops.

4. Social media helpers

This could be split into several tiny jobs.

Possible roles:

• Facebook poster — posts updates, photos and calls for help.
• Instagram helper — shares attractive before-and-after photos.
• Local group sharer — shares posts into local Facebook groups where allowed.
• Photo collector — asks volunteers and businesses for pictures.
• Comment responder — replies to basic questions and thanks people.

Typical posts:

• “This planter needs a volunteer.”
• “Thank you to this business.”
• “Can anyone water this once a week?”
• “Before and after.”
• “Planting day this Saturday.”

5. Council rules and permissions helper

What they do:

• Keep track of council rules on planters, pavements, parks, sponsorship signs and street furniture.
• Check whether a planter needs permission.
• Record who at the council has been contacted.
• Help avoid repeat emails by keeping a simple permissions log.
• Note issues such as pavement width, trip hazards, access, sightlines and maintenance.

Good for: someone who likes detail and doesn’t mind reading guidance.

6. Insurance checker

What they do:

• Keep a note of what insurance cover exists.
• Check what activities are covered, such as planting, watering and volunteer sessions.
• Ask businesses or organisations whether planters on their own land are covered by their own insurance.
• Keep copies of any relevant insurance documents.
• Flag anything unclear before work starts.

Good for: someone careful and practical. They do not need to be an insurance expert.

7. Records and spreadsheet helper

What they do:

• Keep the main list of businesses, planters, volunteers and organisations tidy.
• Update columns such as “interested”, “yes”, “installed”, “needs watering”, “sponsor”, “area”.
• Produce simple counts for updates and council reports.

Good for: someone who likes order.

8. Website update helper (non-technical -only Facebook skills needed)

What they do:

• Add short updates to the website.
• Keep the “available planters” page up to date.
• Add photos of adopted planters.
• Update forms, links and calls to action.
• Make sure contact details are clear.

Good for: someone comfortable with WordPress, or willing to learn simple edits.

9. Organisations co-ordinator

What they do:

• Make contact with local churches, community groups, charities, sports clubs, care homes, residents’ groups and voluntary organisations.
• Explain how organisations can take part in Corstorphine in Bloom.
• Match each organisation with a realistic role, such as adopting a planter, helping at a planting day, sharing publicity, offering meeting space, providing volunteers or sponsoring plants.
• Update a simple list of which organisations are interested and what they have offered.
• Help avoid duplication by making sure groups know what others are doing.
• Encourage joint working between organisations, businesses and volunteers.
• Gather updates, photos and success stories from partner organisations.

Good for: someone who knows local groups and enjoys connecting people.

10. Schools co-ordinator

What they do:

• Make friendly contact with local schools, nurseries and parent groups.
• Explain how children and families can take part in Corstorphine in Bloom.
• Help identify simple school-friendly activities, such as planting days, poster competitions, seed sowing, wildlife spotting or adopting a nearby planter.
• Link schools to safe, manageable opportunities rather than asking them to take on too much.
• Share updates from schools for the website, newsletter and social media.
• Encourage links with topics such as biodiversity, pollinators, local pride, climate, outdoor learning and community action.

Good for: someone who has links with local schools, parent councils, nurseries, youth groups or children’s activities.