Role:

Volunteering for #TeamNP 

Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in.  

As one of the top 50 UK inclusive employers and a disability confident employer, we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued.  

Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.  

Learn about our full benefits package 

The Role

Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Estates Department as a Memorial Garden Maintenance Volunteer. 

The role of Memorial Garden Maintenance volunteer is to provide garden maintenance to the police memorial garden at Middle Engine Lane police station. This is a vital voluntary role to ensure the garden is cared for properly, and always looks its best, whether this is for events in force, or for daily use by those in force.

 Gardening equipment will be provided.

What you’ll do

• Attend the Memorial Garden ideally once per fortnight, in daylight hours and safe weather conditions only.


• Weed, water, and tend plants, clear dead leaves, remove debris/litter, and tidy the plant and path areas.


• Ensure memorial panels and benches are clean.


• Interact politely with visitors, being mindful that some may be friends/relatives of the deceased.


• Report any issues (vandalism/dead plants) to the Police Support Volunteer (PSV) Lead.


• Keep families updated with photos of the garden by liaising with our Executive Team.

What you’ll bring

• A passion for gardening, and knowledge and/or experience of basic plant care.


• Good time management and organisation skills to ensure that volunteering commitments fit around your work and personal life.


• Ability to build strong working relationships.


• Ability to communicate information clearly and succinctly.

We know it’s important for you to feel that you’re not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.  

Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone. 

Interested to learn more?

For further information about the role please contact John Leslie by email at John.Leslie@northumbria.police.uk

If you require any help with your application, please contact: careers@northumbria.police.uk

Further Information:

We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, with whom we collaborate with to improve the lives of disabled employees. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, therefore if you demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as stated in the advert, we will progress your application and offer you an interview.

If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter). You can get in touch with us via careers@northumbria.police.uk for any support regarding the application process. Please provide us with plenty of notice so we can ensure your visit goes smoothly. 

Terms of appointment

If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a vetting form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed.  A conditional offer will be dependent upon vetting and medical clearance.

What we offer

• Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets


• Trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support.


• Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers


• Access to gyms in some stations


• Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Northumbria Police fully supports a policy of equal opportunities, and we welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.