We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Volunteer programme Coordinator to join our Parks team at Enable!
About Us:
Enable is a charity dedicated to improving people's wellbeing and strengthening local communities. We work with councils, charities and other local organisations to deliver health, leisure, community services and events that enrich people’s lives and strengthen our local community.
At Enable, we value our employees and our culture, focusing on embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive, flexible and fun environment for employees to perform at their best. On top of a competitive salary and flexible working environment, employees will also receive:
Benefits:
- 30 days of annual leave (plus 8 bank holidays), 3 additional free days off at Christmas
- Life Insurance
- Reward Schemes (RewardHub Membership, wellbeing budgets and cycle to work)
- A variety of social and wellbeing activities each month
- Mental Health & Wellbeing Perks (Monthly talks, Wellbeing Hour, etc)
- Free Gym Membership
- Free breakfasts/snacks
Reports to: Parks Delivery Manager
Based: Wandsworth Common
Salary: £31,573.00
Contract: Permanent, Full Time
Work Arrangement: 40 hours per week
DBS: Standard
Role Overview:
The Parks Team are a passionate group of professionals, who work together to maintain and improve Wandsworth Council’s parks, commons, playgrounds, allotments and other greenspaces. We are keen to recognise, value, manage and enhance the biodiversity and plant heritage of our landscapes and contribute to a healthy planet and the wellbeing of our communities.
The borough of Wandsworth has one of the richest varieties of open spaces in central London. Enable Leisure and Culture is a non-for profit charitable organisation and the lead contractor employed by Wandsworth Borough Council to provide management and maintenance of the boroughs 32 greenspaces. This role is part of the Enable Parks team, a passionate group of people, who work together to maintain and improve Wandsworth Council’s parks, commons, allotments and other greenspaces. We are keen to recognise, value, manage and enhance the natural and heritage landscapes that we manage - contributing to a healthy planet and the wellbeing of our communities.
The role of Parks Volunteer Programme coordinator in the Enable Parks team will allow you to demonstrate your skills working with stakeholders and local communities to deliver park improvements, habitat management tasks and one-off volunteering opportunities. You will assist with developing working relations with existing corporate partners and increasing our reach by creating new partnerships in the local area and beyond.
Your responsibility will be to manage and deliver volunteering sessions throughout the entire portfolio of parks and greenspaces. You will develop a volunteering program which is established but in its infancy, working with key managers and the team around you to create a purposeful and output focussed programme of opportunities for local groups and corporate partners. The potential to develop volunteering is significant, and therefore the most suitable candidates will have an entrepreneurial spirit and drive to ‘make things happens’.
You will be responsible for creating each volunteer session as it addresses improvements or enhancements, and manage the needs of all volunteers throughout their experience. You will have responsibility for Health and Safety, external and internal contacts and be the lead person co-ordinating all associated admin tasks to create enjoyable and productive volunteer sessions in Wandsworth.
Another key aspect of the role will be strengthening links with businesses and organisations in the local area and beyond to develop a consistent pipeline of volunteer sessions that help improve Wandsworth parks and provide opportunities for people to give back.
You will need to gain a good understanding of all the work we do including our plans for future improvements. You will do this with the help of the Parks team and other collaborative service areas in Enable allowing you to design exciting output focussed activities and sessions.
We are looking for an energetic individual who thrives on juggling multiple tasks and who can work collaboratively with a likeminded team. You will need to have a keen eye for detail, be friendly, open, enjoy spending time outdoors (in all weather) and have experience working with and managing volunteers, in a hands-on conservation or park setting.
As an organisation, Enable have local communities and users at the heart of all decisions we make. Due to this there is a requirement for this role to have close ties with the Enable Community Development Team who are driving our networks and work in the wider community. Our future aspirations include developing an exciting, engaging and purposeful volunteer programme across all our services which include outdoor Events and Filming, Leisure, Bereavement, Putney School of Art and Design and Health and Wellbeing. The role of Parks Volunteer coordinator will over time have the opportunity to work in partnership with a number of exciting projects in these areas.
Main Duties/Responsibilities:
- Responsible to the Parks Delivery Manager for all aspects of parks volunteering development and delivery across open spaces in Wandsworth. Including Health and Safety, budget management, relationship management, business development
- To develop a relevant and interesting programme of ‘volunteer sessions’ or ‘volunteer days’ that can be delivered alongside standard maintenance programmes, and provide added value to the work that Enable carry out on behalf of Wandsworth Council.
- Responsible for the efficient on site delivery of volunteer sessions for Enable.
- Proactively develop existing relationships with local businesses and communities to attract a regular pipeline of groups that can access volunteering opportunities with Enable.
- Work with colleagues in the Parks team and all other internal departments to design activities that fulfil the ambitions of Wandsworth Borough Council and wider Enable company strategic objectives.
- Support colleagues in the Parks team with daily operational and project works where relevant, as directed by the Parks Delivery Manager.
Skills and Experience:
- Educated to degree level (or equivalent qualification) or appropriate experience in a directly related post.
- Experience of working in a volunteer management, coordination or programming role, or similar work delivering practical biodiversity, habitat or landscape management.
- Proven ability to organise, plan, and manage projects effectively (including budget management, Health and Safety oversight, and environmental monitoring data).
- Experience of managing / supporting volunteers (delivering soft/hard landscaping improvements with volunteers is desirable.)
- Experience of developing annual outdoor educational/volunteering programmes for a wide range of participants.
- Entrepreneurial and customer service focussed, to allow the volunteer programme to develop into a sustainable, profitable and scalable service area.
- The ability to work independently using your own initiative and prioritise effectively whilst at the same time working collaboratively as part of a team on common goals and shared projects to ensure the work programme is delivered effectively.
This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a company that positively impacts the community around them! If you are someone that is motivated by a desire to enrich the lives of others and make a genuine difference, then please Apply Now and follow the prompts.
If this role not quite right, however you are still interested in working at Enable then we encourage you to get in touch today on hr@enablelc.org
Enable is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. To find out more on our approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, please visit our website.