Conservation Volunteer (Ripon Canal Team)

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

Job summary

Canal & River Trust seeks passionate individuals to volunteer as Conservator Volunteers, contributing to the maintenance of local waterways. Tasks include maintenance, heritage restoration, and environmental enhancement. Ideal candidates should possess a willingness to learn, good physical fitness, and the ability to engage with the community, making a positive impact outdoors.

Benefits

Spending time outdoors

Learning new skills (some with external accreditation)

Keeping fit

Meeting new and friendly people

Being part of a supportive team

Improvements to wellbeing

Qualifications

• Interest in waterways and physical fitness.
• Ability to interact and help others.
• Flexibility to work independently or in teams.

Responsibilities

• Conduct day-to-day maintenance of the canal.
• Participate in heritage restoration and environmental enhancements.
• Assist with customer greetings and peer support.

Skills

Willingness to learn new skills

Ability to travel to remote locations

Job description

We are looking for new volunteers to join our team on the Ripon canal and the nearby river navigations. Under the guidance of Julie, our local operative, you will help with a wide range of tasks, from managing vegetation to greeting customers on the towpath. No two days will be the same!

Whether it’s helping a boat through the lock, talking to customers, litter picking, or undertaking vegetation works, you can make a real difference to the local waterways.

To carry out this role, you’ll ideally have an interest in the waterway and a good level of physical fitness. The most important attributes are an ability to interact with and help others and flexibility to work on your own or with others. We are looking for people to volunteer Monday - Thursday, ideally one day a week.

Why we want you

Our Conservator volunteers help to maintain our network, carrying out important heritage and nature conservation activities as well as everyday tasks to improve the local environment such as painting or litter picking.

Our Conservator Volunteers help to tackle some of our toughest issues on the waterways, ensuring as much of the canal is accessible and well maintained as possible. Each year we face new challenges in managing our increasingly popular space, and your support as a Conservator Volunteer will help to achieve our goals in keeping canals alive.

While we have regular teams carrying out important tasks, some projects are more focused, such as rebuilding a section of stone wall or carrying out mass planting, allowing different people to give their time in various ways.

What you will be doing

• Day-to-day maintenance
• Heritage restoration
• Graffiti removal
• Environmental enhancements such as hedgelaying
• Creating new access points by building or improving steps or ramps
• When you register as a volunteer, we will ask you about any unspent convictions, which you need to declare and risk assess 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 and friendly people
• Being part of a supportive team of colleagues and volunteers
• Seeing improvements to your wellbeing