Volunteering Leader

Colonial Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Increased holiday entitlement

Employee benefits

Job summary

Canal & River Trust is seeking a Volunteer Leader to support our Operations team in Central London. You will guide and coordinate volunteers in practical maintenance and improvements along the canal network, promoting safety and positive community impact.

The role involves outdoor work, on-call rotations, and travel between sites. You will lead groups, train volunteers and ensure work is executed effectively while fostering a rewarding volunteer experience.

Qualifications

• Experience in volunteering, environmental works or similar settings.
• Experience leading a small team.
• Strong organisation and prioritisation abilities.
• Effective and engaging communication skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite.
• Full UK manual driving licence is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate volunteer groups across the canal network.
• Ensure safety and compliance during maintenance activities.
• Plan, organise and oversee practical projects with volunteers.
• Recruit, train and support volunteers; monitor progress and outcomes.
• Collaborate with Operations to identify priorities and resources.

Skills

Volunteer leadership

Team leadership

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Driving licence

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Join Our Team: Volunteering Leader

We're looking for a Volunteer Leader to join our Operations team in Central London. Help shape the future of our waterways by supporting volunteers to keep our canals open, safe and thriving. If you enjoy working outdoors, leading people and making a visible difference in your local community, this could be a rewarding opportunity.

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

Working Hours & Location

Our teams work an annualised hours pattern, averaging 37 hours per week across a seven‑day rota, including weekends and public holidays. You'll also take part in our essential 24‑hour operational standby rota, helping provide emergency response cover across our network.

Your base location will be Docklands, London E14 9ST, although the role involves regular travel between sites using a range of transport, including public transport where required.

On-Call Responsibility

Volunteer Leaders take part in an on-call rota alongside other Canal & River Trust colleagues:

• Approximately 1 week in every 5
• Availability from 4:00pm to 8:00am on weekdays, plus the full weekend
• A Trust vehicle will be taken home during on-call periods to respond to callouts

Role Overview

As a Volunteer Leader, you'll play a key role in supporting our Operations team to maintain and improve Central London's waterways and towpaths. This is a hands‑on operational role where you'll lead and support groups of volunteers carrying out practical maintenance and improvement work across the canal network. Working closely with our Operations colleagues, you'll help identify priorities, organise volunteer activities and ensure work is completed safely and effectively. Every day is different, offering the opportunity to develop people, solve practical problems and make a lasting impact on the waterways that thousands of people enjoy.

Key Accountabilities

As a Volunteer Leader, you will:

• Work alongside the Operations team to identify where volunteer support can make the greatest impact
• Recruit, train and support volunteers to deliver practical maintenance activities
• Ensure volunteers are equipped, trained and able to work safely
• Plan, organise and lead volunteer groups across the network
• Deliver projects that support our purpose of keeping our waterways and towpaths open, safe & clean.

Typical Activities

• Painting and site improvements
• Fly‑tipping and litter removal
• Vegetation clearance
• Planned preventative Lock maintenance
• Minor repairs and surface repairs
• Water control tasks

Please note: This is a practical operational maintenance role. While you'll spend most of your time working outdoors, the role focuses on maintaining the canal network rather than ecological or conservation work alone.

About You

We're looking for an organised, proactive and engaging individual who enjoys working with people and is passionate about making a difference. Working closely with the Area Operations Manager and the wider Operations team, you'll support a growing community of volunteers who help protect, maintain and enhance our waterways for everyone to enjoy. You'll be confident leading volunteer groups, organising activities and handling day-to-day administration. Above all, you'll have a strong commitment to safety and creating a positive volunteer experience.

It would be beneficial if you have experience in:

• Health & Safety processes, including risk assessments and method statements
• Safeguarding
• Practical or maintenance work
• Volunteer coordination or team leadership

Skills & Qualifications

• Experience of working within relevant environment e.g. volunteering, environmental works, customer service operations or maintenance.
• Experience of leading a small team
• Great organisation andprioritising skills
• Effective and engaging communication skills
• Computer literate – with good knowledge of Microsoft Office package
• You will need to be self‑motivated, able to work flexible hours to meet volunteering and business needs and communicate well with customers, volunteers and staff at all levels.
• Full UK Manual Driving License - Essential

What We Offer

We offer an annual salary of £29,670 + £4,000 per annum Inner London Allowance. Enjoy a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here: EVP - 1.

Learn more: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits