Wilder Wellbeing Officer

The Wilder Wellbeing Officer is a Specialist role responsible for leading volunteers and Wilder Champions driving and promoting the benefits of a connection with nature to people.

Wilder Wellbeing Officer
Location: Taunton, Somerset, with opportunities for hybrid working
Salary: Actual £22,800 - £24,800 (£28,500 - £31,000 FTE)
Contract type: Fixed term, ending April 2027
Working hours: Part time, 30 hours per week

The Wilder Wellbeing Officer will:

• Drive, embed and promote the benefits of a connection with nature to people.
• Develop and deliver resources and upskilling opportunities for communities and practitioners that support them to bring the wellbeing benefits of nature connection into their regular activities.
• Support Community groups to set up nature connection specific activity
• Support volunteers to creatively bring nature connection for wellbeing into their communities.
• Working internally with community-based colleagues to embed nature connection for wellbeing into their practices.
• Work alongside health colleagues (Public Health, NHS, Integrated Care Board) and other Green and Social Prescribing Colleagues to help develop and improve the GSP offer in Somerset.
• This role will sit alongside other ‘Wilder Officers’ who are focused on different areas and specialisms including Youth, Volunteers and Communities.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

Responsibility 1: Developing and Maintaining Partner and Community Relationships

• Building on the legacy of previous wellbeing work, maintain relationships we have with health sector partners in Somerset as well as those supporting wellbeing through Social/Green Social Prescribing offers, including art and sports sector partners.
• Identifying individuals, community leaders and existing community groups in Somerset we are not currently working with and work to build trust and relationships.
• Working with our communications team, pro-actively provide content for external communications to highlight our work, the Team Wilder approach and the work of the communities and groups we are working with.
• Finding creative ways to reach previously underrepresented groups/individuals who may benefit from improved access to nature and who could help to take-action for nature in their communities.
• Supporting and inputting to the Local Nature Partnership Nature and Wellbeing Sub-Group, chaired by Somerset Wildlife Trust, and Somerset Nature and Wellbeing Practitioners Network.

Responsibility 2: Supporting Communities/Groups with Nature Connection for Wellbeing

• Championing the ‘Team Wilder’ approach to help create a movement for nature, sharing skills, experience, knowledge and learning about community organizing within the Trust and through the movement.
• Involving SWT and community-based volunteers to support with reaching previously underrepresented groups.
• Using in-depth knowledge of the benefits of nature connection for maintaining and improving health and wellbeing and experience in this field to community groups to embed in the services and informal support and advice they provide.
• Signposting individuals and groups to local nature and wellbeing/nature connection opportunities within their communities.
• Supporting individuals and groups with overcoming barriers to access.

Responsibility 3: Facilitating Events and Developing Resources

• Organising and facilitating public events and support community led events that aim to connect people to green spaces, recognizing the health and wellbeing benefits of doing so.
• Developing resources and guidance documents to support community groups, conservation sector colleagues and health practitioners to integrate nature connection/wellbeing into their regular activities.
• Working with community volunteers to ensure resources are relatable, accessible and include content that is most useful to communities and individuals we are supporting.

Additional benefits of working for the Somerset Wildlife Trust include:

• 7% employer pension contribution
• Life insurance
• An annual professional institution subscription
• Flexible and agile working
• Wellbeing support – EAP, wellbeing champions
• Diversity networks through RSWT/TWT
• Paid volunteer days
• Continuous Professional Development opportunities
• Minimum 33 days of holiday (25 annual leave + bank holidays)
• Active staff social events

The opportunity to make a real and positive difference to nature, communities and the climate.

Closing date: Friday 19 July 2024

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Somerset Wildlife Trust has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan and is committed to continuing to improve the equality, diversity and inclusion of every aspect of our work; we know we need to engage with everyone to live our Values and achieve our goals. We welcome applications from everyone and are happy to discuss any accommodations or arrangements that would make the recruitment process better for you, and the working environment should you be employed.

No agencies please.