it support desk jobs

Our Organisation

We are a community restoring the Dell at Tortworth Arboretum, to create a woodland where people and trees thrive.

Our mission is to nurture the symbiosis between people and trees by:

• restoring and managing the exotic tree collection at Tortworth, with and for the community,
• creating an inspiring and inclusive community space where people nurture themselves and nature through learning heritage, conservation.

Our values that underpin everything we do are inclusion, learning, and collaboration.

Founded in 2015, hundreds of volunteers have worked tirelessly to restore the 20-acre arboretum which had become overgrown, inaccessible and unsafe for the public to visit. We have been reducing brambles, rhododendrons and other invasive species, to allow native flora to thrive alongside our collection of exotic trees.

Alongside our woodland restoration work, we enable and empower people who wouldn’t usually access the countryside for wellbeing. was founded in 2015 to support self-identifying women recovering from addiction or struggling with poor mental health. Our experienced session leaders create a safe space where women can be outdoors in nature. Together they learn new skills and connect with others, without the fear of being judged. Alongside this, we run and the , which are open to all genders.

Tortworth Forest Centre CIC is a registered not-for-profit Community Interest Company (no: 09561405). We rely on public and corporate donations, grant funding and event ticket sales to support the restoration of Tortworth Arboretum and our community wellbeing projects. The land is owned and leased to us by woodlands.co.uk.

Applicants

The environment sector is one of the least ethnically diverse sectors in the UK and we want to contribute to change this. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where everyone feels they belong. We know that diversity ignites creativity and innovation. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are underrepresented in our team. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQI+ people.

We are committed to safeguarding our participants. This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check and reference checks.

Hours & Remuneration

8-24 hours per week at £15.17 per hour (£31,553.60 FTE) paid through PAYE following submission of timesheets on 26th of each month.

This is a practical and on-site role which would suit someone who is looking for mostly term-time hours. 8 hours per week during school holidays and 18 hours per week during term-time, plus one monthly Sunday.

The usual working hours include:

• Woodland Management Days - weekly Tuesdays 9:15am-4:30pm - driving and supporting the session
• Hawthorn Project - weekly Wednesdays 9:30am-3pm term-time only - driving and maintenance time
• Oak Tree Project - weekly Thursdays 10am-3:30pm term-time only - driving and maintenance time
• Community Volunteer Days - third Sunday of each month - 9:30am-4:30pm - driving and supporting the session
• Ad-hoc team days in the woods (usually a Monday) for development, team building or to undertake maintenance tasks which can’t be completed whilst participants are on-site, e.g. chainsawing

Purpose of the role

The Woodland Management Officer supports our work to deliver our mission of restoring and managing the tree collection at Tortworth, with and for the community.

Woodland Management

You will support our Collections Manager with all aspects of woodland management and the restoration of our collection of over 600 trees. The collection includes rare and champion specimens originally planted by the Earl of Ducie in 1853, alongside new introductions of specimens according to our carefully curated informed by Simon Toomer in March 2021.

You will take the lead on maintaining our machinery, tools and equipment, from machinery such as winches, trailers and brushcutters to hand tools.

Working with Participants & Volunteers

You will lead sub-groups of woodland management volunteers/participants to undertake a variety of woodland management tasks which help to keep the arboretum safe and thriving. Our Woodland Management Days provide extra hands for tasks, whilst developing the physical and mental wellbeing of the participants.

Driving our Minibus

You will be the primary Minibus Driver for the groups we support in the arboretum. You will be accompanied by another staff member on journeys with participants.

Supporting our work

The Woodland Management Officer must be passionate about the story of Tortworth and keen to inspire our community to be part of this exciting restoration project. As a member of our small but mighty team, you will be expected to take an active role in our public events, for example by leading tree walks at our seasonal celebrations.

Key objectives

• To support the management of the woodland in line with health & safety regulations, including leading regular maintenance tasks.
• To help restore the arboretum’s character and diversity of trees.
• To help inspire our community of participants, volunteers and the public to be part of the future of the arboretum.

Duties & Responsibilities

Operational

• Support woodland management tasks including visual tree assessments, site checks, dealing with fallen trees and tree works, monitoring pests and diseases.
• Support the Woodland Management Days and Community Volunteer Days including leading sub-groups for appropriate tasks ensuring they have the required PPE and skills to undertake tasks safely using hand tools.
• Contribute to creating a safe and supportive environment for participants and volunteers, rooted in trauma-informed practice.
• Support the recording of the tree collection and the history of the site.
• Organise and maintain tools, materials and PPE for woodland management work ensuring they are safe to use and fit for the purpose.
• Follow health & safety and lone working policies and procedures when completing maintenance tasks on-site.
• Use a chainsaw for cross cutting, felling small trees and dealing with storm damaged trees.
• Drive the minibus for participants to access the arboretum.
• Contribute and adhere to risk assessments.
• Participate in the weekly planning conversations via Slack.
• Contribute to planning meetings, training and the monitoring and evaluation of the project.
• First Aider duties.
• Comply with all the organisation’s policies, rules and procedures.
• Act in accordance with our Privacy Policy and GDPR.
• Other duties appropriate with the role as agreed with the Directors.

Skill & Competencies

Essential (we would like to hear from anyone who meets at least 70% of these requirements):

• Practical experience of woodland management, conservation or grounds maintenance.
• Experience leading a team of volunteers, ideally including people with complex emotional needs.
• Chainsaw Licence including competence using (cross-cutting and felling) and maintaining chainsaws, we will provide renewal of training and certification in line with legislation.
• Experience using grounds maintenance equipment such as trailers and brushcutters.
• Experience safely operating a winch for treework.
• Experience managing woodland/outdoor health & safety procedures.
• Able to manage several tasks at once, prioritising accordingly to meet deadlines.
• Calm, approachable and respectful of individual differences.
• Team player who can also work independently.
• Experience of using digital operational and record keeping systems .
• IT literate; competent with use of the Google Drive suite of programmes, plus Microsoft Word and Excel, email etc.
• This post is subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.
• Full UK D1 drivers licence and willingness to drive our 3.5 tonne minibus with MIDAS Training provided.

Desirable:

• Arboricultural or Horticultural qualifications, such as knowledge of tree care, pruning and propagation or a Professional Tree Inspection qualification.
• Experience in supporting adults with complex emotional needs.
• Current 2 day Outdoor First Aid certificate.
• Knowledge of adult safeguarding.
• Able to curate engaging content for our website and social media.
• This role is primarily practical and on-site, but set-up for working from home for occasional desk-based tasks will be useful.
• Confident in public speaking and leading tours of the tree collection.
• Experience of networking, making connections and collaborating with relevant organisations and partners.

Responsible for staff/equipment

• Woodland Management tools & equipment used for sessions
• Outdoor cooking equipment including food safety & hygiene

Reporting to:

• Collections Manager

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: £15.17 per hour

Expected hours: 8 – 26 per week

Experience:

• Groundskeeping: 1 year (required)

Licence/Certification:

• Category D1 Licence (preferred)
• Chainsaw Licence (preferred)

Work Location: In person