Description
Do you love being outdoors and working as part of a team, where no two days are the same? Do you want to develop new skills that could help with future job opportunities?
We’re offering the opportunity for a young person to work alongside the Changing Chalk project team delivering nature and heritage engagement, building relationships with local communities and supporting them to connect with the nature and history in the South Downs from Shoreham to Eastbourne.
The ambition is to create a more sustainable future for the Downs’ rare and fragile chalk grassland, its unique cultural heritage and its richly diverse urban fringe (the areas at the very edges of the towns and cities and the countryside).
This is a grant-funded placement, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Linbury Trust. The conditions of the funding are that we appoint a person aged 16-24.
Hours/ working pattern: part-time, 15 hours per week (2 days per week), between Monday to Thursday (occasional weekends)
Salary: £11.50 per hour
Duration: Fixed Term Contract until 26 September 2025
Interview date: 5 & 6 February 2025
Potential start date:10 March 2025(though this can be flexible)
For under 18’s this role will count as 15 hours of work, out of the 20 hours or more a week of working or volunteering that you can do whilst in part-time education or training.
For an informal chat about the role, please contact:
Internally you will be known as ‘Trainee Volunteering & Community Assistant – Young Person Placement’
What it’s like to work here
This is an exciting opportunity to work in the spectacular landscape of the South Downs.
You’ll be helping the Volunteering & Community Manager and the Community & Participation Apprentice to deliver engagement to the public and volunteers, to champion the Changing Chalk projects and promote our work.
There will be lots to learn about the Changing Chalk partnership and our projects, and to discover about the unique habitats and heritage in the South Downs.
The Changing Chalk team is based at Saddlescombe Farm, close to Devil’s Dyke near Brighton, the role also includes attending community events between Shoreham and Eastbourne. You’ll need to be able travel to and from these sites for work.
This role is being offered as part of the Changing Chalk project. For more information, please follow this link: Changing Chalk project | Sussex | National Trust
Your contractual place of work will be the National Trust office at Devils Dyke. Our hybrid working policy means you can balance office and home working with site visits and meetings at other National Trust places. We’ll talk about this in more detail at interview, but you should expect to be at a National Trust site for 40-60% of your working week.
What you’ll be doing
You’ll be working on the Changing Chalk project, led by the National Trust, Changing Chalk is a landscape-scale partnership connecting nature, people and heritage on and around the South Downs.
You’ll be helping to support and deliver engagement activities to the public and wider audiences, typically at events, fairs and volunteer days.
You’ll be asked to help to design engagement activities and deliver them at events and workshops, these activities will help to educate people about the rare and precious chalk grassland of the South Downs.
You’ll be helping with volunteer management tasks and to support the delivery of volunteer activities.
Who we’re looking for
We’d love to hear from you if you are:
- keen to work with local diverse communities
- willing to engage with the public and volunteers
- interested in learning about history and nature
- able to work as part of a small team
- happy to spend the day on the South Downs or working at a desk
- willing to work outdoors in all weathers
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)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme
• Perks at work discounts such as 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 Trust places
Click here to find out moreabout the benefits we offer to support you.
Closing Date: 26 January 2025
To apply for this vacancy simply click the ‘apply’ button in the top right hand side of the page.
If you need any help with your application, i.e. due to technical difficulties, please call us on 0370 240 0274 or email us at
If you require an adjustment to the application process, for example due to disability or medical condition, please call us on 0370 240 0274 or email us at and we’ll support you as best as we can. For examples of how, please see our supporting you page.
EqualOpportunities Statement
The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here .
Safeguarding Statement
The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.
Please note we reserve the right to close this advert early and therefore we encourage you to apply for this position early.
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