Christmas Host - Hobbledown Epsom

Mary Rush Care Ltd; Epsom; On-site; GBP 9,000 - 15,000; Part time

Job summary

The Escapade Group operates a family of visitor attractions, including Hobbledown Epsom, and is seeking Christmas Hosts to bring Santa’s Secret Village to life. If you enjoy variety, people and Christmas, this role could be for you, with shifts across busy festive periods and weekends.

You’ll be welcoming families, guiding guests, helping in the toyshop and grotto, and keeping queues moving while staying cheerful and supportive throughout your shift.

Responsibilities

• Welcoming families and helping them find their way around
• Checking where guests need to be and keeping the experience flowing
• Managing queues without making it feel like “queue management”
• Helping distribute gifts and supporting the toyshop
• Assisting around the grotto and other festive areas
• Stepping into an elf or festive character when the moment calls for it
• Chatting with children and families and helping build the excitement
• Spotting guests who may need a little extra help
• Supporting families discreetly when things don’t quite go to plan
• Jumping into different areas throughout your shift
• Helping the wider team wherever things get particularly busy

Job description

Horton Lane, Epsom, KT19 8PT, UNITED KINGDOM

If you can smile through festive chaos, point a lost parent in the right direction, keep a queue moving and then immediately turn around and become an elf, we may have just the job for you.

We’re looking for brilliant Christmas Hosts to help bring Santa’s Secret Village to life.

This is not a “stand in one place and do the same thing all day” kind of role.

One minute you could be welcoming families, the next you’re helping in the toyshop, supporting the grotto, handing out gifts, managing a queue or adding a bit of extra Christmas magic for a very excited five-year-old.

Basically, if you like variety, people and Christmas, keep reading.

Key dates

You’ll need to be available for the following:

Recruitment Open Days
Tuesday 3 November, 5pm–8pm
Saturday 7 November, 10am–5pm

Training
Weekend of 14–15 November

PR Activity
Weekend of 21–22 November

Open to the Public
28–29 November onwards

You’ll also need good availability across weekends in the run-up to Christmas and throughout the Christmas holidays, including Christmas Eve.

Christmas is our busiest time, so this isn’t really the role for someone hoping to disappear every Saturday in December.

So, what will you actually be doing?

A little bit of everything.

Our Christmas Hosts help keep the whole experience running smoothly while making sure families feel welcomed, looked after and properly immersed in the magic.

You’ll be:

• Welcoming families and helping them find their way around
• Checking where guests need to be and keeping the experience flowing
• Managing queues without making it feel like “queue management”
• Helping distribute gifts and supporting the toyshop
• Assisting around the grotto and other festive areas
• Stepping into an elf or festive character when the moment calls for it
• Chatting with children and families and helping build the excitement
• Spotting guests who may need a little extra help
• Supporting families discreetly when things don’t quite go to plan
• Jumping into different areas throughout your shift
• Helping the wider team wherever things get particularly busy

You don’t need to be a professional elf

Or an actor.

Or an actor.

Or an actor.

And have spent the last ten years working at the North Pole.

What matters most is that you’re warm, friendly, confident and willing to get involved.

You’ll probably be someone who:

• Enjoys talking to people
• Is comfortable interacting with children and families
• Can stay cheerful and composed when things get busy
• Is happy switching between practical hosting duties and light character work
• Communicates clearly with guests and colleagues
• Notices when somebody needs help
• Is reliable and turns up ready to get stuck in
• Works well as part of a busy team
• Doesn’t mind spending much of the shift on their feet
• Can carry light items and move around the site comfortably

Experience is great, but attitude matters more

Previous experience in visitor attractions, hospitality, retail, events or customer service would definitely help.

But we’re not expecting a CV packed with Christmas experience.

We can teach you how the event works.

What we can’t teach quite as easily is being naturally friendly, enthusiastic and willing to throw yourself into the role.

This is Christmas at a visitor attraction...

So things can get busy.

Really busy.

Families arrive early.

Queues appear.

Somebody else desperately needs to know where the toilets are.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, we still need the whole experience to feel magical.

That’s where a brilliant Christmas Host makes all the difference.

You’ll need to be able to adapt quickly, help your teammates and keep the energy up even when there’s a lot going on.

What does a great shift look like?

Families know where they’re going.

Queues keep moving.

The gifts end up with the right children.

The elves stay cheerful.

Santa stays on schedule.

And our guests leave feeling like they’ve just had a proper Christmas experience rather than simply visited an attraction.

Behind the scenes, it might have taken a lot of teamwork.

But the families shouldn’t see that bit.

They should just see the magic.

About The Escapade Group

We’re The Escapade Group, a growing family of visitor attractions built around play, adventure, animals and brilliant family days out.

Our attractions include Hobbledown Epsom, Hobbledown Heath, Gripped London, Kidspace Croydon, Kidspace Romford, Watermouth Castle and Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm.

Across the group you’ll find everything from adventure play and animal encounters to high ropes, indoor play, birthday parties, seasonal events and plenty of organised chaos.

Different attractions. Different experiences. One thing in common: brilliant teams creating memorable days out for families.

And whether someone is serving lunch, caring for animals, running an attraction, welcoming guests through the gates or spending December dressed as an elf, every member of the team plays a part in making those experiences special.

Screening Questions

• Can you work weekends and the dates specified in the advert?
• Will your commute be 30 minutes or less?