Countryside Ranger - Education - Weekends

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Countryside Ranger - Education

Permanent, Full-time (3-5-7 rota, 1 weekend in 3)

£11,217.20

Bedfont Lakes

About Lampton Group

Lampton Group was established by the London Borough of Hounslow in 2012 with the objective of trading local authority functions in order to generate financial surpluses and return those to the council. Our companies represent a bold, new and ambitious approach by a London Borough. It is made up of five distinct service business areas:

Services - delivers first class repairs, maintenance, and facilities management.

Recycle - delivers refuse, recycling, and commercial waste.

Greenspace - delivers horticulture, conservation, and parks maintenance.

Leisure – delivering 6 leisure and sports centres, with facilities offering everything from state-of-the-art gyms, swimming pools, tennis courts, soft play, a running track and more.
Homes – delivering up to 1500 new build homes over the next 5 by re-developing local authority land into residential and mixed-use projects.

Underpinning everything, we do are our values – Customer First – One Team – Respectful – Energised. Everything we do aims to align to our values and strategic ambitions.

About Lampton GreenSpace

Lampton Greenspace’s main objective is to provide the London Borough of Hounslow with a cost-effective and efficient parks and open space maintenance service. GreenSpace is responsible for the management of all of Hounslow’s parks and open spaces, and the Countryside team specifically look after the Borough’s local wildlife sites, nature reserves and sites of metropolitan importance

About the Role

The countryside education team run several environmental education programmes. During term-time these activities include nature-based activities and seasonal events such as a Christmas grotto and Halloween walk and during term time, we run sessions of parent and toddler mornings and outdoor sessions for home-schooled children; as well as weekend birthday parties.

As a Countryside Ranger you will assist the Countryside Team with the delivery of our programmes across a number of countryside sites within the borough, with a particular focus on our education programme, based primarily at Bedfont Lakes Country Park.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

• Running our birthday parties which include a number of activities such as bug hunting, shelter building, scarecrow making and animal handling.
• Help to look after our small rescue animal centre, assisting with feed up of the animals, cleaning out enclosures, and supervising our young volunteers.
• Occasionally you may be required to travel to other sites in the borough for events where our animals are booked as part of a roadshow. This may also include school fairs, Hounslow council events, and birthday parties at external venues where we are booked for an animal mobile visit.
• Help to manage and supervise our weekend volunteers, young people aged 13 and above, who come in to help out in our animal centre at weekends.
• Ensuring the customer comes first by interacting with members of public and our park users, to create positive relationships and enhance their visitor experience,
• Patrolling the countryside sites to encourage responsible enjoyment of the nature reserves to comply with the park bye laws.
• During the winter months you may assist with the winter works programme (wwp) to deliver major clearance and tree felling in line with the management plans for each site.
• The countryside team are responsible for the daily welfare checks of the grazing herd run with the natural England stewardship scheme,

About you

We are looking for someone flexible and motivational who puts the customer at the forefront of everything they do. Ideally someone who has the passion and knowledge relating to wildlife and conservation, and experience working with and educating young people. You will encourage your peers and work collaborating as a team, as you strive to create an enhanced conservation visitor attraction within the borough.

Education & Qualifications Required:

• Early years qualification or teaching qualification, Forest School training and/or Animal management is ideal but not required.
• A good understanding of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is desirable for the role, as the education team are the first port of call for our grazing livestock.
• A practical knowledge of animal husbandry will be required to be kept up to date to comply with current legislation, and you will be required to assist with moving these livestock across the sites.

In return Lampton Services will offer you

Holiday Allowance – Relax away from work with a generous annual leave entitlement.

Enhanced maternity leave – However you become a new mum, we offer up to 52 weeks’ leave after the birth or adoption of your child, and the option of a phased return over 3 months.
Paternity Leave – We offer new dads 2 weeks leave after the birth or adoption of your child.
Pension Scheme - Save for your retirement by joining our optional company pension scheme which consists of equal 4% Employer / 4% Employee contributions.
Refer a Friend – If you have a friend who is looking for a new opportunity you could earn up to £250 for each new employee referred (T&C’s apply)
Staff wellbeing services- We want to keep you happy and healthy at work. Our wellbeing services include access to Occupational Health, online GP and the Employee Assistance Programme.
Flu Jabs – All Employees are eligible for a flu jab voucher.
Eye care vouchers and support towards glasses – All Employees are also eligible for eye care vouchers and financial support toward buying a new pair of glasses.
Employee benefits portal – Each month you’ll be able to shop, eat or go out for less. Our benefits portal offers various discounts and benefits across a range of companies
Gym Membership – Keeping fit has never been easier for Lampton Employees. We offer our top level gold membership to our Lampton Leisure sites, available to every employee of the Group.
Cycle to work scheme – Live nearby and want to cycle to work? Once you’ve passed probation you can save money on a new bike with our cycle to work scheme.
Electric Car salary sacrifice scheme – If you’re looking for a brand new EV that comes with financial incentives like 2% BiK and 100% ULEZ and Congestion Charge discounts(in 2023/24), look no further. Our company Electric Car salary sacrifice scheme is available to employees after passing probation.

Due to the needs of the business and the department, we may interview suitable candidates before the closing date. This job may also close early if a large number of applications are received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid missing your chance to apply.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of what we value as an organisation. Lampton Group is an equal opportunities employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other status protected by law. Our recruitment team are happy to support with any reasonable adjustments that are needed within the recruitment process.