Father Christmas - Christmas Helper

The Trust; Wallington; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

National Trust in Wallington is seeking a Father Christmas - Christmas Helper for a festive, family-focused experience. You will don the costume, greet visitors, and engage with groups during pre-booked sessions, stepping into walk-around moments for photos with guests and Magnificence the reindeer.

The role requires punctuality, adaptability, and sensitivity with children; training and DBS checks are provided as part of the induction process.

Qualifications

• Be helpful and friendly.
• Be a people person with a positive can-do attitude.
• Be enthusiastic and willing to learn.
• Be a team player who can also work on your own initiative.
• Be flexible and adaptable.

Responsibilities

• Work in costume, greeting families during the Christmas experience.
• Meet groups for a 1-hour pre-booked session with children and adults.
• Chat with visitors, answer questions, and build excitement.
• Take photos and interact during the walk-around with opportunities near the sleigh.
• Attend induction/training and complete online assessment.
• Be punctual and reliable as part of a scheduled programme.
• Provide inclusive experiences for children who may be overwhelmed.

Skills

Helpful and friendly

People person

Positive attitude

Team player

Flexible and adaptable

Job description

Father Christmas - Christmas Helper

Job Description Summary

At Wallington, we welcome many families during the festive period to enjoy a much-loved and traditional Christmas experience. We're looking for someone to take on the character of Father Christmas - Christmas Helper, and to support the team in bringing the magic alive.

Salary: £13.25 per hour

Contract Duration: Fixed term until 23rd December 2026

Working Pattern: This is a zero-hour contract, meaning we?can't?guarantee a set number of hours each week.?While we aim to provide a consistent work pattern, flexibility is needed as schedules may change based on business needs.?We'll?try to give as much notice as possible. You'll need to be available for at least one weekend day on each weekend in December, as well as at least one day from Tuesday 15th, Monday 21st, and Tuesday 22nd December. You'll also need to attend a short induction and training session before the events begin. For this role, you'll need to complete our online assessment instead of using a C.V. or online application form. This will help us understand more about your strengths and give you more information about the role.

This role is required to work with vulnerable groups including children, and any offer of employment or volunteering is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

What it's like to work here

Wallington sits in a rural corner of Northumberland approximately 20 miles northwest of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. The informal but magnificent house sits at the south end of the estate and is surrounded by parkland, gardens, and farmland. Wallington remains one of the great estates of the North and contains treasures collected by generations of Trevelyans and their predecessors.

Click here for more information about this location

What you'll be doing

You'll be working in costume, mainly in the House, greeting families on one of our Christmas experience visits. These consist of a pre-booked one-hour session for 25 children and their adults. You'll welcome the group and then meet each smaller group for a more in-depth chat, listening to and chatting with children, answering their questions with patience and helping to build their excitement.

When that finishes, you'll step into the informal walk-around programme, where you'll chat and have photos taken with our visitors on that day. Depending on how busy it is (and the weather), this might take place outside at the sleigh for the perfect photo opportunity with 'Magnificence' the reindeer.

Being punctual and reliable will be important, as you'll be part of a scheduled programme of experiences for our visitors.

We also offer two 'quiet' sessions as part of the pre-booked events, which are lower key and aimed at children who may be overwhelmed in other settings. You'll be giving everyone the warmest of welcomes and delivering an inclusive experience, using your judgement and adapting how you communicate and interact with each visitor, including responding positively to unexpected or tricky questions from our younger visitors. This will help everyone experience the magic of Christmas and have a festive visit to remember.

Training and support will be on hand throughout your time with us.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all of the knowledge, skills, and experience listed in the role profile; (or the suit - we'll provide it) this is just to provide a full picture of what's possible in this role.

Who we're looking for

We'd love to hear from you if you're:

• helpful and friendly
• a people person, with a positive 'can-do' attitude
• enthusiastic, and willing to learn
• a team player, who can also work on your own initiative
• flexible and adaptable

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)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• 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.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.