Volunteering Leader

About the Trust

We’re one of the UK’s biggest charities and we care for 2,000 miles of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs because we believe life is better by water. We’re looking for people who support our cause and want to make a difference for future generations. Could this be you?

Along with our waterways we also manage museums, archives and the country’s third largest collection of historic buildings, as well as the nature and wildlife that calls our canals home. All of this enables us to provide wellbeing opportunities for millions of people each year.

Working Hours: 1931.4 annualised hours Monday – Sunday.

Location: Calveley, Tarporley Hub. Working along the Middlewich Branch, Llangollen and Shropshire Union Canals

We currently have an opportunity for a Volunteer Leader, working Hours are 1931.4 annualised hours Monday – Sunday. We are looking for an organised, proactive, engaging volunteering leader to support the Area Operations Manager. You will provide guidance to a growing number of active volunteers and our in-house team that helps maintain, conserve and improve the environment and heritage of the waterway network for local communities and visitors to enjoy.

The regularity & flexibility of travel will be discussed further at interview stage.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity, which offers a great variety of activities and tasks from day to day. You will be the public face of the Trust, working extremely closely with volunteers and with members of the public who visit and use our waterways. Your work will be a combination of day-to-day routine tasks and more exciting and involved project work. You will lead volunteers and the team to enable them to work safely and efficiently and help to foster a safe, secure and vibrant waterway network, where visitors are delighted with their experience. The role includes leading and attending events to publicise the work of the trust, promote our activities and recruit new volunteers.

The post holder will also be required to work an annualised hours system which includes working any 5 days out of 7 including statutory holidays. They will also be part of a 24-hour operational standby team responsible for providing emergency cover for the waterway.

• Working outside, undertake on-the-job organisation, control and leadership of volunteer groups, volunteer task days, volunteer lock keepers and our in-house team.
• Leading and attending events to publicise the work of the trust, promote our activities and recruit new volunteers.
• Provide relief River locks keeper duties
• Develop volunteering opportunities on River locks.
• Deliver training to volunteers in accordance with set standards
• Identify opportunities for volunteers and update records of work and time delivered
• Ensure all equipment (PPE, plant, materials etc.) are appropriate for the task, in good condition and are used correctly.
• Prepare appropriate safe systems of work, induct volunteers onsite and manage safe delivery.
• Support communication within the team including sharing relevant corporate messages and provide feedback from the volunteers to the Area Operations Manager in order to enhance the planning of works.
• Active involvement in the day-to-day tasks of the team and volunteers e.g. lock keeping, water control, vegetation management, small projects, planned maintenance and also actively assist the Area Operations Manager in the planning of tasks. Ensure that environmental and heritage issues are taken into consideration in all work that is undertaken.
• Delivering pre planned maintenance of structures and undertaking minor repairs as part of a small team.

About you

• Experience of working within relevant environment e.g. volunteering, environmental works, customer service operations or maintenance.
• Experience of leading a small team
• Great organisation and prioritising skills
• Effective and engaging communication skills
• Computer literate – with good knowledge of Microsoft Office package
• UK Driving licence essential
• 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.

If you have any questions about the role please contact [email protected]

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

What we offer:

In addition to your annual salary of £28,470, we also offer a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits, all of which can be found all of which can be found here: canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits.

Internal applicants will be offered the position in line with our secondment policy. Further information can be found by contacting the recruitment team.

Other benefits include:

• 25 days paid holiday, plus paid Bank Holidays, increasing to 27 days plus Bank Holidays after 3 years.
• Competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, where we will double your contribution to a maximum of 10%.
• Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues – health; financial; lifestyle; well-being; domestic & neighbourly matters.
• Access to a range of employee benefits including – store discounts; boating holiday discounts; holiday purchase scheme.
• Expansive maternity/paternity provisions.
• Progressive access to learning tools and CPD.
• 2 days paid volunteering leave, volunteering for local community project work.

We care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings with it a diversity of ideas, thinking and ways of working which enhances what we do as a Trust. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. All roles are considered on a flexible working arrangement basis, and we welcome requests for reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and employment. If you require any adjustments or have specific needs, please let us know — we’re here to support you.

All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills and abilities and solely by being assessed against the requirements for the job.

At the Trust, we empower our people to flow and thrive both on and off the water. Our colleagues enjoy a variety of benefits that enhance their lives while working in a place that positively impacts others. We take pride in our people, protecting heritage and preserving wildlife, and we’re all about the future of our colleagues and the future generations who love and use our network. Inspired by people, we harness the different ways of working and thinking, ensuring our teams grow and reach their full potential.

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