Community, Participation & Volunteering Co-ordinator

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Banbury; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Substantial pension scheme up to 10%

Free entry to National Trust places

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Job summary

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty in Banbury is seeking a Community, Participation & Volunteering Co-ordinator to lead the development of engaging volunteer experiences across Upton House, Canons Ashby and Farnborough Hall. You’ll support Volunteer Managers and nurture strong community partnerships to widen participation.

The role is based on annualised hours with flexible patterns and requires collaborative leadership, coaching capabilities, and a commitment to

Qualifications

• Experience in community engagement and volunteer-related projects.
• Ability to coach and develop volunteers and staff.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead community engagement and volunteering efforts across Upton House, Canons Ashby and Farnborough Hall.
• Coach and support Volunteer Managers; ensure learning requirements are met.
• Build and maintain relationships with local communities and partners.
• Work as duty manager on open days and events.
• Support offsite community involvement at events, meetings and shows.

Skills

Community engagement

Participatory practice

Volunteer innovation

Team management

Communication

Relationship building

Coaching

Data & insight

Safeguarding

GDPR

Equality

Job description

We're looking for a Community, Participation & Volunteering Co-ordinator to lead for high-quality volunteer experiences across Upton House, Canons Ashby and Farnborough Hall. You'll lead for some elements of this and support Volunteer Managers in delivering others.

We have volunteers across all parts of business and places, with around 500 volunteers in total. You'll lead for community involvement too, maintaining existing relationships and building new ones identified through our People & Place Plans.

This role is based on annualised hours, where the amount of hours you work each month may vary, however your salary will be paid in 12 equal instalments over the year. You'll work 1950 hours per year, and on average, you'll work 37.5 hours per week but again, this will be flexible depending on operational demand. You'll be part of the Duty Management rota and will be required to work one in four weekends.

Provisional Interview Date: 17 or 18 November 2026

What it's like to work here

Based at Upton House, you'll also work at Canons Ashby once a fortnight or as required. You'll be fully integrated into all the different property teams and departments, working with a warm, friendly and engaging staff team.

You’ll continue to develop and deliver the plan for how we can be more involved in our local communities.

What you’ll be doing

Supporting our community engagement and volunteering work, you'll be putting people at the centre of our plans. You'll champion the volunteer voice and the voices of our local communities, to ensure that they are included in all of our future planning. You'll also support Volunteer Voice and Forum groups at the properties, leading the one at Upton.

Building confidence and capabilities in Volunteer Managers, you'll be coaching and training, from how to resolve issues, to using the systems. You'll work with Volunteer Managers on ensuring their teams completed required learning.

You may be required to work offsite supporting community involvement at events, meetings and shows.

As duty manager, you'll be responsible on the day for the smooth running of the property during opening hours, acting as the main contact point for staff, volunteers, and customers in case of emergency, enquiry or complaint.

Who we’re looking for

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• a strong understanding of community engagement, participatory practice, and volunteer innovation
• experience in increasing community participation and developing inclusive opportunities
• experience managing and supporting a team of people
• communication and relationship-building skills
• the ability to coach and support others, and to work collaboratively across teams
• confidence in using data and insight to guide decisions
• knowledge of relevant legislation including safeguarding, GDPR, and equality
• a proactive, empathetic, and inclusive approach

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

National Trust place

Upton House, Edge Hill, Banbury, OX15 6HT

Documents

Community, Participation & Volunteering Co-ordinator - B.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Additional information

Closing Date: 8th November 2026

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here .

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.