Conservation Assistant (Volunteer Lead)

Job Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to assist with the nature conservation and the associated
delivery of activities for volunteers across a number of Local Nature Reserves (LNR) and Sites
of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

These sites are managed by Barnes Common Limited (BCL), a charitable company, limited by
guarantee that undertakes 3rd sector management on behalf of and in partnership with the London
Borough of Richmond upon Thames (LBRuT) who own or manage the sites.

Locations cover some 200 acres including Barnes, Sheen and Palewell Commons along with the Leg
O’Mutton Reservoir. Habitats encompass acid and amenity grassland, broadleaf woodland, wetland
and riparian areas, all within a busy urban environment.

You will be joining BCL’s Conservation Team which works in unison with BCL’s other activities,
including education, wellbeing and community engagement along with various projects ranging
from flood resilience to food growing. You will work closely with BCL’s Volunteer Co-ordinator
who arranges the administrative organisation, recruitment and induction for BCL’s volunteers.

The role is full time and while the majority of work will be conservation based, it is expected
that half the time will be spent working with and leading BCL’s volunteers. This will vary
depending on work streams and season so one week may be predominantly leading volunteer
sessions while another week might be mainly practical conservation work. In addition to BCL’s
regular volunteers, there will be Duke of Edinburgh students, corporate volunteers, school
parties, litter picking groups, biodiversity surveyors and citizen science participants.
Volunteer sessions may also include general maintenance work, horticultural tasks, litter
picking, wildlife recording or helping at BCL’s events and fairs.

You will already have a good level of practical experience in conservation work and have
undertaken various habitat management and survey work. You will have tickets for power tools
such as brushcutter and chainsaw and be familiar with using a variety of hand tools. For the
right candidate there will be opportunities to receive further training in both habitat
surveying and in the use of power tools and other machinery.

Some experience of managing and leading volunteers is essential along with an awareness of the
associated health and safety and safeguarding issues.

BCL is an equal opportunities employer and committed to supporting personal development and
training. 

Job Duties:

• To help manage, conserve and enhance all the sites BCL looks after as local nature reserves
  and open spaces.
• You will assist with practical, hands on habitat management including conservation tree
  care, woodland thinning, vegetation succession management, mowing and hay baling, pond
  management and river restoration work.
• Managing volunteer tasks will include leading and / or assisting with BCL’s regular
  volunteers on Wednesdays and leading other volunteer tasks including sessions for two weekend
  days each month. These could be arranged as four half day sessions if necessary and will likely
  vary depending on tasks and season but work hours are flexible and can be discussed and agreed
  with the Conservation Manager accordingly.
• Assisting with maintenance tasks including tool and machinery care along with
  infrastructure such as fencing, post / barrier installation and footpaths.
• Assisting with ecological surveys including birds, bats, dragonflies, butterflies and
  invertebrates.
• To help ensure sites remain tidy and free from litter and graffiti.
• You may be required to provide assistance to BCL’s Outdoor Learning & Education
  Officer, Community Engagement & Development Manager and Community Growing Project
  Co-ordinator or with any other ad-hoc tasks that may arise.

Job requirements

• A keen interest and good understanding of UK wildlife conservation, ecology and practical
  habitat management work.
• An undergraduate degree in a related subject e.g. Conservation, Ecology, Biology, Geography
  would be useful but is not essential.
• Practical conservation experience – voluntary or paid is essential.
• Have the ability to enthusiastically and effectively communicate with people at all levels,
  including members of the public, volunteers, school children, students, council officers and
  contractors.
• Confidence in managing and leading volunteers, with an awareness of health and safety,
  confidentiality and safeguarding issues.
• A team worker with a good understanding of team dynamics but able to work autonomously with
  good organisational and forward planning skills.
• A good level of physical fitness is required and a willingness to work outdoors and in all
  weathers.
• Either living or be prepared to live within 30 minutes of Barnes, S.W. London and possess a
  clean driving license.
• Candidates should already have tickets for chainsaw (Maintenance, Cross Cutting, Felling
  & Processing trees up to 380mm NPTC 201/202 – formerly CS30/31) and brushcutter.
• Up to date first aid certificates would be useful but not essential – BCL will support
  training for this.
• Computer and social media literacy skills – Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• A satisfactory DBS check.
• Two references will be required.

Terms of Contract:

Contract: This is a fixed term contract and will be initially contracted to March 2026. It is
entirely possible that the contract may be extended further but will depend on both the
availability of funding and the employee’s performance.

Salary: £26,000 per annum

Hours: 37.5 hours per week – hours are generally 8.00am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday but there
will be a requirement for availability for two weekend days each month.

Reporting to: The Conservation Manager for BCL and the Conservation Officer in the absence of
the former.

Probationary Period: There will be a probationary period of four months. This will conclude
with a review by the Conservation Manager that probation has been successfully passed according
to any requirements detailed in the employment contract between the employer and employee.

Notice Period: Four weeks for both employer and employee.

Pension: A basic ‘defined contribution’ pension complying with the government ‘opt out’ pension
legislation. BCL operates a policy of postponement for the first three months.

Holiday: 28 days holiday per annum excluding Bank Holidays– entitlement will be pro-rated
according to start date.

Place of Work: The post will be based at the Vine Road Recreation Ground, Barnes, London
Borough of Richmond, SW13 0NE.

Training: BCL is committed to personal development and training.

Application:

CV’s and a short covering note should be sent to [email protected] as can any initial
queries about the position. Deadline for applications is 5.00pm Friday 9th August with first
interviews expected to commence from 14th August and second interviews following shortly
afterwards in anticipation of a likely start date around early September. Receipt of
applications will be acknowledged but only those who are called for interview will receive any
further communication from BCL.