[eeyore]

speaking as a manager - i would totally endorse what apc says - cross ref every point on the person spec in your application - and also make sure your form/cv is legible , well laid out and doesnt contain any silly mistakes.

the easier you make it for the manager reviewing your application the more likely you are to get shortlisted above other equally qualified candidates - and contrary wise the harder you make his or her life the less likely they are to give you the benefit of the doubt on any gaps in your experience.

also if you dont have all or nearly all of the essential criteria it isnt worth applying - especially if its black and white like "must have a full uk driving licence"

in this case there is no point at all in writing a paragraph explaining why you dont need at driving licence to do the job " well you see i'm a keen cyclist and able to get anywhere in the county easily..." - sorry but generally such things are essential for a reason (in this case - how precicesly are you going to transport two power scythes, 3 strimmers, a chainsaw and two volunteers on your bike ??? )

ditto with supervising volunteers - if its an essential criteria , being a leader in a nother area of your life isnt going to cut it - of course if its a desirable criteria then by all means make a case for why your exp is relevant - but wishful thinking on the essential criteria just wastes the potentil employers time and yours.