Canalside Projects Co-ordinator

Job Purpose
Fixed term until March 2025
Part time 3 days per week
Advertised salary: £31,270 (including inner London allowance - full time equivalent)
Canal & River Trust is one of the UK's largest charities. We look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of canals, rivers and reservoirs across England and Wales, because we believe that life is better by water. Our work involves not only looking after our waterways but also promoting them widely to the 8 million plus people who have canals on their doorstep, so that many more people benefit from our free, accessible and local source of wellbeing.
Funded by the OPDC, we have an opportunity for the right individual to deliver a dedicated volunteering initiative to help improve the environmental conditions of the canal. This will be achieved by engaging with and partnering with canalside businesses and the community to create a sense of local ownership of the canal and create a lasting legacy of volunteering.
We are looking for an experienced Projects Coordinator to deliver public realm improvement projects in the Old Oak and Park Royal area of the Grand Union Paddington Arm, from Spring 2024 through to 31st March 2025, with potential to extend further. This role will coordinate and develop the volunteer programme; engage with local community groups, businesses and residents; coordinate biodiversity and habitat enhancements in the area and liaise with the project funder.
A key focus for this role is to engage waterside businesses and community groups in the area, establishing and developing an ongoing and sustainable stewardship programme.
The role-holder will be required to work from home and will have access to the Trust's yard in Southall as well as the office hub in Paddington.
Click on the link to find out more about out London & South East Team & Work
How we make a difference
Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience
Skills, knowledge & experience:
Your role will be to deliver a range of community engagement activities, and will relate to the themes of volunteering, and events and activities.
The core aspect of the role will be to develop local relationships to increase engagement activity, deliver volunteer activities and establish an ongoing stewardship approach for the urban canal environment beyond the funded programme.
This is an exciting opportunity that will build on the success of the first three years of this programme. The project is funded externally and is offered on a fixed term through to 31st March 2025, with the potential to extend further.
Key accountabilities:
Develop and deliver an engagement plan that incorporates the canalside businesses in Old Oak and Park Royal in a range of activities that will engrain the canal network into local culture and will continue after the end of this funded programme.
Coordinate the programme of canalside biodiversity improvements through volunteering and community activity developing adoption groups to continue with local action.
Engage with local businesses, community groups and residents to promote and recruit volunteer support for the project.
Manage volunteers and lead volunteer groups in the delivery of works to ensure they are completed safely and to the correct quality, whilst maintaining volunteer satisfaction.
Co-ordinate colleagues, vehicles and equipment for the efficient delivery of volunteer activities.
Working closely with OPDC to support local Community Champions in the area; offering stewardship for local businesses and community groups looking to install new planters/seating/bird boxes etc; support volunteers engaging in clean up or greening activity; and to promote, assist, advise and encourage community ownership.
Initiate, develop and maintain positive and strong relations with key stakeholders, partners and communities.
Liaise and coordinate with the Trust's Business and Corporate Engagement Partner throughout and share key business contacts for longer-term stewardship.
Work with external partners and internal colleagues to develop and deliver against the programme targets.
Ensure that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life and promote inclusion by challenging behaviour, practices, actions, or decisions that are counter to the objectives of the Trust's policies and value.
Promote and recognise the community contribution through press, media and appropriate communication channels.
Keep good records of project progress and expenses for monthly reporting and claim submissions, prepare a project completion report, to allow for efficient and effective monitoring and evaluation of the project, liaising and coordinating with the Enterprise Manager and funder.
About you
There is a lot to achieve in this timeline, however you will be working on a project that offers local community members the opportunity to make a difference to their environment, understand their environment and the green space around them, and be part of ensuring that they make it their space.
The successful candidate will require:
experience of developing a volunteer programme, and engaging businesses, community groups, and residents in the activity.
experience in the engagement field, especially with diverse & disadvantaged communities.
experience of leading volunteers and managing practical outdoor focussed volunteer activities - with awareness of management of risk.
proven experience of successfully delivering environmental projects - experience of coordinating biodiversity and habitat enhancements would be beneficial.
strong interpersonal skills - to engage successfully with volunteers and towpath visitors & customers who you will meet day to day.
Confident self-starter, self-motivated with ability to work under pressure, to meet targets.
Excellent time management, prioritisation and organisational skills.
Team player, open, participative.
DBS
As this role is on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 Exception Order applicants must state the details of any cautions or convictions whether spent or unspent on the self-disclosure section of the application form.
This job involves regulated activity with children and adults at risk as defined by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Therefore, a Criminal Record check will be undertaken by the successful candidate prior to employment.
A criminal record is not necessarily a bar to employment with us. HR will advise and decisions made on a case by case basis.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Please contact ##### with any questions related to this opportunity.
What We Offer
In addition to your salary, we offer access to a generous contributory DC Pension Plan, and excellent annual holiday entitlement. More information on our benefits can be found here .
We aim to represent the diverse communities we are part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings with it a diversity of ideas, thinking and ways of working which enhances what we do. All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills, and abilities and solely by being assessed against the requirements for the job. Many of our vacancies can be considered for people who wish to work flexibly, job share or part time.
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