Volunteering and Community Engagement Officer

The Methodist Church in Britain; Hampstead; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension (28.97%)

25 days holiday + bank holidays

STaR benefits scheme

Free parking on site

Free entry to National Arboretums

Job summary

Forestry England in the West district is seeking a permanent Community Engagement & Volunteer Support role to foster local access to woods and coordinate volunteers across forest beats and recreation sites.

You will reach out to community groups, organise visits, and provide specialist support to groups running volunteering activities. The role requires travel across the West district and a 37-hour week in a supportive team environment.

Qualifications

• Experience statement: 200-word statement required.
• Personal statement: up to 500 words required.
• Technical profile includes a presentation prepared in advance.

Responsibilities

• Make forest beats welcoming and safe for local communities to use and enjoy.
• Reach out to community groups to facilitate visits and build understanding and support for the work.
• Provide specialist support to those offering volunteering at forest beats and main recreation sites.
• Ensure volunteering opportunities follow best practice.
• Increase the number and quality of volunteering opportunities in line with Growing the Future to 2031.
• Travel across the West district as the role requires.

Skills

Change & improvement

Communication & influence

Teamwork

Quality service management

Technical success profile

Job description

This permanent post sits in the West district of Forestry England and combines community engagement across the forests with specialist volunteering support. The work is to keep woods welcoming and safe for local groups, bring community organisations on visits, and advise those running volunteering at forest beats and main recreation sites. The role is split between these two areas and requires regular travel across the district, working 37 hours a week.

What the job involves

• Make forest beats welcoming and safe for local communities to use and enjoy
• Reach out to community groups to facilitate visits and build understanding and support for the work
• Provide specialist support to those offering volunteering at forest beats and main recreation sites
• Ensure volunteering opportunities follow best practice
• Increase the number and quality of volunteering opportunities in line with Growing the Future to 2031
• Travel across the West district as the role requires

What’s required

Experience

• Relevant experience and career history, set out in a 200-word statement
• Personal statement of no more than 500 words

Skills & knowledge

• Changing and improving, assessed at interview
• Communicating and influencing, assessed at interview
• Working together, assessed at interview
• Managing a quality service, assessed at interview
• Technical Success Profile, including a presentation prepared in advance

Checks & eligibility

• Criminal record check
• Baseline personnel security standard check
• Ability to hold accurate spoken English conversation (Immigration Act 2016, Part 7)

What’s offered

• Employer pension contribution averaging 28.97%, in the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme
• 25 days holiday rising to 30 after service, pro-rated for part time, plus bank holidays
• STaR employee benefits scheme with discounts on shopping, travel, insurance, holidays and wellbeing app
• Free parking at Forestry England sites
• Free entry to the National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury
• Career development, continual professional development and individual learning plans
• Sponsored membership of professional bodies