Senior Volunteering & Community Officer

We're looking for a Senior Volunteering & Community Officer to join the team at Rainham Hall and Community Garden. If you have experience in volunteer and community management and are creative, sociable, interested in how a community, volunteers or partners can be involved in our work and you have great customer service skills, we would love to hear from you. 

This role is required to work with vulnerable groups including children and any offer of employment or volunteering is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Rainham Hall and Community Garden is situated on the fringes of east London right in the heart of the community in Rainham Village. A hidden gem of historic London, the Hall is a Georgian house on three floors with changing interactive and playful exhibitions. Set within three acres of garden, the outdoor spaces are mixed use with a tiny winding woodland, blossoming orchard, lawn spaces to run about or picnic in and lots of areas for food production all supported by our volunteer gardeners.  

Each day at Rainham Hall will bring a new and exciting challenge. We are a small property and staff team with a group of dedicated volunteers. You'll bring a sound working knowledge and experience of working with the local community and volunteering principles and practice to inspire and engage with people here.  

We are located right in the centre of Rainham Village supporting a local community who use the Hall and Gardens as well as directly using our facilities in the Hayloft for community events. Community relevance and co-creation is key to Rainham Hall and we prioritise this area of work. You'll bring experience of working with or within a community and a knowledge of techniques and approaches for this type of work to research, initiate and develop relationships with local groups. You'll also have the opportunity to create and deliver community events i.e. Apple and Harvest Day to encourage wider use of the spaces.  

You'll be able to demonstrate the ability to adapt your style and tone to meet the changing needs of people. You'll also be able to recognise the key differences between staff and volunteering roles, particularly the legal framework, the approach to reward and recognition, and dealing with challenging situations. 

You'll be managing the development and delivery of the National Trust's strategic plan for volunteering and communities alongside the wider team. This will encompass managing and embedding change whilst widening and deepening our relationships with existing and new visitors and volunteers.

You'll also increase the confidence and capability of others whilst creating a collective, flexible and inclusive environment for existing & future volunteers, communities and partners.

• Understanding and good practice of volunteer management.

• Understanding of good practice in community engagement and involvement, as well as broader participation and partnership working.

• Practical and successful experience of developing and implementing new products and approaches to volunteers.

• Excellent organisational and planning skills.

• Ability to coach and support those managing, supervising and working alongside volunteers and community partners.

• Strong communication skills.

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

•Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

•Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

•Rental deposit loan scheme

•Season ticket loan

•EV car lease scheme 

•Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

•Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

•Flexible working whenever possible

•Employee assistance programme

•Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.