Job Title Community Roots Engagement Coordinator - #1118832

Job Purpose

Job Title: Community Roots Engagement Coordinator

Advertised Salary: Circa £30,000 + benefits

Working Hours: 37 Hours, Monday - Friday, some evenings and weekends are required for this role.

Location: Yorkshire & North East, (Bradford / Huddersfield / Dewsbury).

We're the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways across Wales and England, because we believe that life is better by water. Every role across the Trust plays its part in transforming our canals and rivers into spaces where local people want to spend time and feel better, bringing wellbeing benefits to millions. Our canals and rivers are the perfect places to boost your mood and improve your physical and mental health. Even in busy towns and cities, they provide special spaces where you can relax, recharge, and connect with others.

About the role 

We are recruiting for a Community Roots Engagement Coordinator, to lead on the delivery of community engagement in our Yorkshire & Northeast region, in the Huddersfield / Dewsbury / Bradford area. The programmes aim to engage and connect with communities living alongside our waterways and support the delivery of our national participatory campaign ‘Let’s’ (Let’s Walk, Let’s Paddle, Let’s Cycle, Let’s be Mindful, Let’s Plant etc.); providing physical activity, health and wellbeing activities which are FREE and Local.

The purpose of the Community Roots Engagement Coordinator role is to engage and connect with communities alongside the canals in these areas, by adopting a place-based approach and working in partnership with others, you will achieve a transformation that will materially change patterns of use and perceptions of communities living near these canals to make the local waterway relevant to them and build community ownership so that the momentum is sustained and wellbeing benefits are realised.

Location and coverage

The role will be based working from home with regular travel in the Yorkshire & North East Region, with the Leeds Hub for collaborative team working.

There will be an expectation that the successful candidate will be able travel across the region in order to meet with the colleagues and managers.

See our network here (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work). 

Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience

Working within the Community Development team and reporting to the Community Development Manager, this project will overlap with other strategic engagement programmes for the Trust unlocking locally beneficial partnerships and benefits to local communities.

The role has two main aims:

• To coordinate focused community activity, participation, and volunteering opportunities to increase local community engagement around the canals in the Bradford / Huddersfield / Dewsbury area demonstrating & maximising the benefit it brings.


• Transforming places, generating greater community engagement and cohesion and building stronger local networks.

Key responsibilities of the role are:

• Provide a concentrated effort in key strategic areas to increase local engagement and embed the canal network into local communities maximising the benefit it brings. Transform places, generate greater community engagement and cohesion and build stronger local networks


• Initiate, develop and maintain positive and strong relations with key stakeholders, partners and communities.


• Work with internal teams, external partners and local communities to establish and implement a local project plan and ensure the successful delivery of the planned project outputs.


• Create a programme of volunteering, community activity and participation to improve health, wellbeing and engagement along the canal. 


• Ensure that inclusion & diversity are integrated into all aspects of the project.


• Promote and recognise the community contribution through variety of relevant & influential media channels and attract external recognition.

Knowledge, Experience & Skills:

We are looking for an engaging individual to join our team.  You will be confident and able to demonstrate your experience working with different stakeholders/audiences to deliver successful projects through partnerships. Experience of working with communities in the Bradford / Huddersfield / Dewsbury area is desirable.

Qualifications/Attainments 

• First Aid qualification (desirable).


• Paddlesport Instructor/Leader qualification (or equivalent) (willingness to complete / desirable).


• Ride Leader training ((willingness to complete / desirable).


• Walk Leader training (willingness to complete / desirable).


• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (essential).

Technical

• Experience of delivering community and volunteering projects with a heritage, environment, health & wellbeing and/or arts focus.


• Proven ability to be able to build strong relationships and collaborate with partner organisations, communities and key stakeholders to deliver mutual benefits and co-designed projects and programmes.


• Experience in youth engagement.


• Experience of planning and delivering inclusive, physical activity, health and wellbeing activities in an outdoor setting (desirable)


• Experience of managing volunteers and planning and managing volunteer activities


• Ability to work with a diverse group of people, including minority or marginalised communities


• Ability to communicate effectively both internally and externally to a wide variety of audiences and using a variety of methods suitable to different audiences.

General

• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills. Ability to operate in a complex organisation and influence the delivery of others.


• Ability to work well under pressure, be motivated and self-managed.


• Able to represent the Trust externally and to professionally represent the values and aspirations of the Trust.


• Demonstrate personal resilience and the ability to use initiative to overcome difficulties.


• Utilise and share information appropriately to continuously develop self, team and the delivery of community engagement.


• Strong IT skills and confidence in using social media to promote and interact with the public

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.

What We Offer

In addition to your base salary of circa £30,000, you will also benefit from a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, great holiday entitlement and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits, all of which can be found here (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits). These include: 

• 25 days paid holiday, plus paid Bank Holidays, increasing to 27 days plus Bank Holidays after 3 years


• Home working status with ‘hub’ facilities available if a need to work outside of home – flexibility. Monday to Friday working,– some evenings and weekends are required for this role


• Annual £200 personal learning & growth award to spend on any learning related activity – hobbies; aspirations etc. 


• Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues – health; financial; lifestyle; well-being; domestic & neighbourly matters. 


• Access to a range of employee benefits including – store discounts; boating holiday discounts; holiday purchase scheme. 


• 2 days paid volunteering leave, volunteering for local community project work.

At the Trust we care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings with it a diversity of ideas, thinking and ways of working which enhances what we do as a Trust. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community.

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.

When you join the Canal & River Trust you become a member of an engaged team working to preserve our heritage for future generations. Come and share your passion and knowledge with a team that makes a difference to millions of people every day.

Find out more about us on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us