TNR Access and Community Officer

Building on the success of TNR’s Green Lung project, our ‘Enriching Lives through Access to
Nature’ project will further develop the use of the reserve to support community cohesion. The
aim is to provide an environment where people from diverse demographic communities and those
identifying as disabled, feel safe, involved and welcomed.

This new post, which originally commenced in October 2023, will act as our ambassador in the
local community, build on the profile of the Reserve, local relationships and activity, and
identify any barriers that prevent people from using the reserve.

Being led by community consultations, the post holder will work closely with TNR’s Learning
Officers, particularly the Learning and Well-being Officer, to develop and deliver activities
that provide creative, emotional and physical fulfilment to a wide range of local people.

The activities will be focused on outdoor pursuits that link learning and a relationship with
nature and health via the reserve. This includes activities for children and families and adult
wildlife walks. Working with others, the post holder will devise a programme of workshops that
connect with the reserve and nature, as well as helping to nurture the development of a
community garden. They will develop visit opportunities for older people and those who are less
mobile.

The post holder will provide regular reports of conversations, activities and ideas to the TNR
Management Team (including the Reserve Manager and Volunteer Coordinator) and TNR Board of
Trustees and use TNR’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy to regularly monitor progress
against our access aims.

About TNR: Within Tewkesbury, Tewkesbury Nature Reserve (TNR), an independent
environmental charity, combines concern for nature and community interests, with potential to
be a living laboratory (44 ha) for outdoor learning and enhancement of physical and mental
health and well-being. Urban floodplain nature reserves bring particular challenges with
competing interests (nature, farming, recreation, infrastructure, floods), and diverse
communities with different drivers, knowledge, skills and values. Acting as unique ‘green
lungs’, they have potential to intertwine recovery for nature and humans. This project aims to
step-change development and delivery of TNR’s Learning and Outreach Strategy.

TNR’s objectives are set out in our new Strategic Plan 2023-2028. This post primarily focuses
on leading:-

Objective 2: Make the reserve accessible to all as a place where people can connect
with wildlife, to benefit learning for sustainability, and physical and mental health and
wellbeing, but will also contribute to:-

Objective 4: Develop the reserve
as a learning environment, offering a range of learning opportunities tailored to different
ages, interests and needs, especially children, youth and older people.

TNR has moved from a major focus on implementing infrastructural changes for wildlife
enhancement to engaging communities in using the reserve as a resource for varied learning
activities linked to environmental awareness and knowledge, health and wellbeing and wider
resilience building.

Job purpose: This post will drive forward the use of the reserve to support
community cohesion by providing an environment where people from diverse demographic
communities, and those identifying as disabled feel safe, involved and welcomed. The postholder
will also contribute to the delivery of our core learning and outreach programme.

The role will suit an enthusiastic advocate of the benefits of connecting with natural spaces,
who is a good communicator with a passion for working with different communities and making a
real difference to and through the environment. Ability to engage and communicate effectively
with diverse communities is essential.

Initially offered as a 12-month fixed term 0.6 FTE contract, it is hoped that the position will
be able to be extended in some form if further funding is secured. 

Application Process

Please email a CV (two pages max.) and a covering letter (two pages max.) focussing on why we
should employ you, including your relevant experience, how you meet the person specification
and what you will bring to the post to [email protected]. 

Closing
date: Monday 7th October 2024 (midnight). Interview date is likely to be Friday 18th October.
(Please be available for interview on this date).