Volunteering & Community Officer

Are you passionate and enthusiastic about the benefits of great volunteer and community involvement? Do you want to support volunteering teams to have a great experience?

As part of the Cotehele and Antony portfolio, you’ll be working with an enthusiastic team, supporting them as they manage more than 250 volunteers working in all areas of our work from gardening to house conservation across the two properties.

Due to the remote locations of Cotehele and Antony, please check how you would commute to both places before applying.

This role is based on annualised hours, where the amount of hours you work each month may vary, however your salary will be paid in 12 equal instalments over the year.

For any queries or for more information please contact rebekah.mason@nationaltrust.org.uk (Senior Programming & Partnerships Officer)

What it's like to work here

Cotehele is a beautiful Tudor mansion situated high above the River Tamar, with Dartmoor National Park and many unspoilt beaches nearby. The property has a glorious garden with valley views, a working mill on an historic quay and expansive estate.

The team pride themselves on providing superb customer service, and the family atmosphere amongst the 65-member team makes Cotehele a very special place to work.

For more information about Cotehele please visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele

Antony is an 18th-Century house set within a magnificent landscape garden, full of personal treasures, which is still lived in today by the Carew Pole family. Playful topiary, a cone-shaped fountain, and intriguing sculptures accompany sweeping views in the garden.

For more information about Antony please visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/antony

What you'll be doing

This is an exciting opportunity to work across the Cotehele and Antony portfolio, dividing your time between two amazing properties in East Cornwall. With more than 250 volunteers across the two properties, our volunteer teams help us look after and share our places. As the Volunteering and Community officer, you’ll be working across teams (house, countryside, gardens) and places to provide administrative support, ensuring the portfolio is a fantastic place to volunteer or be involved with. 

You’ll bring a sound working knowledge and enthusiasm for good volunteering principles and practice to the role, plus an understanding of good practice in community engagement. You will be able to demonstrate the ability to adapt your style and tone to meet the changing needs of different teams and people. 

You’ll be involved in every stage of the volunteer journey, from recruitment and induction, through to reward and recognition, maintaining clear communication with volunteer managers along the way. 

You’ll also become an expert user of our volunteering IT systems, ensuring our staff feel confident and capable to use our processes. This position requires some weekend working, as well as providing support to cover Duty Management across the two properties as required.

Who we're looking for

We'd love to hear from you if you’re:

• enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the benefits of volunteering
• someone who loves working with volunteers, and who understands the legal differences between staff and volunteers
• good at talking to, and getting on with, all kinds of people from all backgrounds, and you understand why great customer service matters
• flexible and collaborative, a team player who’s happy to lead on and work with other people’s agendas towards a shared goal
• well-organised, with good attention to detail
• experienced in volunteering principles and practice
• comfortable with IT skills (Microsoft Office), and managing budgets

The package

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)
• Tax free childcare scheme
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Perks at work discounts i.e. 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 locations
• Independent financial advice