QLPS Community Engagement and Volunteering Officer

QLPS Community Engagement and Volunteering Officer

The QLPS is based out of the Thomas Poole library in Nether Stowey, the QHNL office is
at Fyne Court in Bromfield.

The salary range for this role is £26,421 to £29,777 per annum.

The role is full time at 37 hours per week, but we’d be happy to consider 0.8fte (4
days/week) for the right candidate on request. Regular evening and weekend work will be
required for which time of in lieu will be given.

Fixed term contract until 31 March 2025

About the job

Some key information

• We have regular weekly office-based days but otherwise staff normally work from home when
  not delivering activities or working on site. Office space is always available if required.
• 28 days annual leave
• Be part of a team that’s gaining a national profile for it’s socially inclusive and
  innovative engagement work.
• Fixed term contract until 31 March 2025

What will I be doing?

You’ll be:

• Instrumental in helping to deliver our busy events and activities programme, both for the
  general public and targeted at specific audiences, throughout the final year of the QLPS. We’re
  getting some national profile for this socially inclusive and innovative engagement work.
• Helping to ensure that the core QHNL team can continue reaching out to wider audiences once
  the QLPS ends in March 2025.
• Working with a wide range of people and groups, currently including economically
  disadvantaged local families and young people, members of the local West African, Bulgarian,
  and Ukrainian communities, young LGBTQ+ people, and people recovering from mental health
  difficulties. Plus of course our amazing volunteers and loads of other people who just love the
  Quantocks!

You’ll be inheriting an established programme and community network but still have
opportunities to develop new work according to your own interests. You’ll also be involved in
delivering some of our more practical projects to conserve and enhance the heritage of the
area.

The QLPS is a Lottery funded project working across and around the Quantock Hills National
Landscape, part of the Quantock Hills NL team. Our work is important, but we all muck in and
have fun working together to deliver it. The QLPS has more than 20 areas of work, including
working with a wide range of disadvantaged individuals and communities and an extensive
engagement programme for the general public.

This new role is jointly funded by the Quantock Hills Landscape Partnership Scheme (QLPS) and
its host organisation, the Quantock Hills National Landscape (QHNL – formerly known as the
Quantock Hills AONB). It will both backfill for the existing QLPS Community Engagement staff
member, to free up his time for legacy development, and help to embed inclusivity into the core
programme of the wider QHNL team. The postholder will work around three days per week on QLPS
projects and two with the QHNL team, giving them experience of both organisations.
Organisationally, you’d be part of the six person LPS team.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But
it will really help if you have :

• 5 GCSE’s or equivalent including maths and English
• Degree in a related subject AND / OR equivalent experience
• Good ICT skills, particularly in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook etc.)
• An understanding of data protection

We’re looking for someone with at least two years’ experience working in a relevant role,
working with non-traditional countryside audiences.

You should also have experience of working with volunteers, delivering community engagement
projects, and a creative approach to events and activities (we do a lot of hands-on crafting).

You’ll need good oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An
important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and
communities we serve.

What’s in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a
team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as
this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever
  possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee
  wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through
  our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health
  screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets,
  insurance benefits and more

Anything else I should know?

The role is full time at 37 hours per week, but we’d be happy to consider 0.8fte (4 days/week)
for the right candidate on request. Regular evening and weekend work will be required for which
time of in lieu will be given.

You will work around three days per week on QLPS projects and two with the QHNL team, although
there is considerable operational flexibility within that division of time.

The QLPS is based out of the Thomas Poole library in Nether Stowey, the QHNL office is at Fyne
Court in Bromfield.

Make sure you check out the job description at Jobs and careers (somerset.gov.uk) and you can
find out more about the QLPS at qlps.org

The salary range for this role is £26,421 to £29,777 per annum.

For further information about this role, please contact: Bill Jenman, Landscape
Partnership Scheme Manager; [email protected]
07811308846

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that
any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

Closing date: 19 February 2024

Interviews are scheduled for 28th February 2024

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button – we can’t wait to
hear from you.