Conservation Volunteer (Leicestershire MoJ project support)

Canal & River Trust; Leicester; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join the Canal & River Trust as a Lead Volunteer to assist with canal maintenance and community projects. You'll gain hands-on experience, learn new skills, and be part of a supportive team committed to improving the local environment. Enjoy outdoor activities while helping to preserve the canal network.

Benefits

Learning new skills, some with external accreditation

Spending time outdoors

Being part of a supportive team

Improving your wellbeing

Qualifications

• Enthusiastic individuals seeking hands-on experience with canal projects.
• This role requires participating in risk assessments and declaring unspent convictions.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily activities and ensure volunteer safety.
• Support the Task Manager in delivering the Ministry of Justice project.
• Engage in heritage restoration and environmental enhancements.

Skills

Willingness to learn new skills

Ability to travel to remote locations

Job description

The Canal & River Trust is excited to share this opportunity to join our team and work with volunteers.

We are seeking enthusiastic individuals to support the Task Manager in delivering the Ministry of Justice project in Leicester. Responsibilities include managing daily activities, ensuring safety, and fostering a positive environment to encourage volunteer retention. This role offers hands-on experience with our canal network, safe volunteer activity delivery, and the satisfaction of seeing projects come to life.

If interested in becoming a Lead Volunteer, please sign up below.

As part of our community engagement, the Trust offers opportunities for the Leicestershire Unpaid Work teams (MoJ) to assist with canal maintenance, litter picking, and occasional projects like pathway improvements. We seek a volunteer to support our task manager weekly, typically on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Training includes tools such as brush cutters, strimmers, and polesaws.

Why we want you

Our Conservator volunteers help maintain the network, undertake heritage and nature conservation, and improve the local environment through tasks like painting and litter picking.

They address challenges to keep the canals accessible and well-maintained, supporting the Trust’s goals of preserving this popular space. Projects may involve rebuilding stone walls or planting, allowing volunteers to contribute in various ways.

What you will be doing

1. Day-to-day maintenance
2. Heritage restoration
3. Graffiti removal
4. Environmental enhancements such as hedgelaying
5. Creating access points by building or improving steps and ramps
6. Declaring unspent convictions during registration and participating in risk assessments as needed

The skills you need

• Willingness to learn new skills
• Ability to travel to remote locations

What's in it for you

• Spending time outdoors
• Learning new skills, some with external accreditation
• Keeping fit
• Meeting new, friendly people
• Being part of a supportive team
• Improving your wellbeing