Volunteer Roles

Purpose of your role: To assist with habitat and species surveying and monitoring on Warwickshire Wildlife Trust nature reserves.

Surveys you will be involved with:

• Botany (national vegetation classification and habitat condition)
• Pond /amphibian
• Invertebrates (butterflies, dragonflies and moths)
• Birds and breeding bird populations
• Small mammals
• Fungi

Bioblitz Survey Force is our volunteer group who carry out surveys on Warwickshire Wildlife Trust nature reserves. As a Survey Force volunteer, you have the option to join our regular larger group sessions which take place on alternate Mondays* during the survey season (April–September) or if you would prefer and opportunities are available, you may survey by yourself or in smaller groups at a Warwickshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve of your choice at a time more suited to you (please note that the exception to this is that some surveys are required to be done at certain times of the day and year).

Alternatively; you may choose to do a mixture of both the larger group and individual surveying. For more information, please get in contact and we will be happy to discuss the various options with you.

*For volunteers wanting to join our Monday sessions, we either leave Brandon Marsh Nature Centre in the minibus at 10:00 am and head to a reserve to carry out the survey or arrange to meet at the site to be surveyed (in which case details of meet times and locations will be provided separately). Please note this is an approximate guide and survey sessions may be arranged on different days and times as required.

We also run various workshops to train people in identification skills and how to carry out surveys. The workshops are usually free to attend on the condition that attendees use their new skills to survey a reserve in their own time. If we are unable to provide appropriate surveying opportunities, we may be able to direct you to other organisations who can assist.

Purpose of your role: If you have a particular passion for birds of prey then this is an opportunity to share your passion with others. We need your help to enable local people to view peregrines and learn more about them. You will be the friendly face representing the Trust and helping us to conserve our birds of prey.

Tasks you will be involved with: We are looking for volunteers who want to organise and operate a small display tent that invites people to use telescopes to view peregrines from a distance. Other tasks include having an input into displays and other interpretation materials and media, engaging with visitors and chatting about the benefits and the ways they can support Warwickshire Wildlife Trusts, helping to promote the wider benefits of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust membership.

The café is a popular part of our visitor experience, and can become extremely busy, especially during the school holidays. We also have local people who pop in for a coffee or just taking time out of their day to have a bite to eat.

We value the support from volunteers to ensure that we continue to provide high quality food and excellent customer service to our visitors.

If you like being part of a busy and friendly team, where no day is the same and where you get to interact with lots of people then we would love to hear from you!

Tasks you will be involved with:

• Working within a busy café environment, assisting with food prep, serving customers and taking food orders,   using the till and handling payments, clearing down tables and loading of dishwasher, using and operating catering equipment. 
• Customer interactions, talking to people about their visit, what they may have seen during their visit and about the work of the Trust.
• You should bring suitable footwear (enclosed toe), protective clothing, eg: an apron will be provided.

As people, we are all different and we all have different abilities, interests, goals and           aspirations, this is exactly the same for a new volunteer with the Trust and more so when it’s a young person.

As a Volunteer Mentor to a young person, aged 16-17 years, you will work with the group leader, helping to support a young person to settle into the volunteering group, give guidance on the tasks being undertaken, and help to build their confidence whilst becoming part of the team.
 
Tasks you will be involved with: 
Supporting a young person to undertake practical conservation tasks. Tasks will vary throughout the year, ranging from meadow and ride cutting in the summer to coppicing, tree felling and scrub clearance in the winter along with various other construction projects, fencing, pond work, litter picking. Often the work will involve the use of hand tools, such as loppers and bowsaws, rakes and tree-poppers.

From beginners, to birdwatchers, families to photographers, as a Guide in a Hide, you will give a warm welcome to all our visitors and encourage them to make the most of their visit to ours hides.
You will help them to identify wildlife they see and understand how supporting our work helps protect these wonderful habitats for wildlife and for people to enjoy.
You will also update the sightings board and inform the Visitor Experience Team of any exciting sightings.

Tasks you will be involved with:
Being welcoming in the Wright Hide, helping point out to the visitors what wildlife they can see.
Walking around the other hides talking to visitors and birdwatching.
Updating the sightings board and informing the Visitor Experience Team of any exciting sightings.
Keeping hides clean and tidy by litter picking and sweeping.

Providing assistance to the Fundraising team in growing our fundraising activity for the Trust, we are looking to recruit volunteers to become Ambassadors for the Trust, to attend these community fundraising events on anad-hoc basis. 

Due to the frequency and nature of these events, Trust staff are often unable to attend and therefore miss out on much needed funds and opportunities to grow our networks.  Our volunteers act as an ‘ear on the ground’, and help by sharing any new fundraising opportunities that come up within our area/region with the Fundraising team.

Tasks you will be involved with:

 - Giving a short thank-you speech on behalf of the Trust.
 - Handling money/collecting funds.
 - Setting up display banner and/or stand.
 - Talking to members of the public about our aims and the work of the Trust.
 - Working with a diverse range of people across all age groups.
 - Helping others to act for nature.

-To identify areas of concern for young people regarding wildlife and the environment and to create campaigns to allow their voices to be heard. 
 -To help support the Trust’s 2030 strategic objectives by developing a bold, confident, young local voice, that raises awareness of the challenges faced by people and wildlife across Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull and inspires young people and their communities to take action for nature.  - The role will look to develop impactful and meaningful campaigns, targeted at young people in the area, that support nature’s recovery and - mobilise young people to take action. 
- Build engagement and involvement with campaigns through social media, press, events, blogs, contacting local MP's and much more. 
- Identifying and sharing (with the Trust and the wider public) stories in the local area which could help to  promote the message of our campaigns and raise awareness of our wider movement and purpose. 
- Helping others to take action for nature through events, campaigns, awareness raising and practical         examples. Talking to members of the public about our #TeamWilder movement and the work of the Trust.
- Working with a diverse range of people across all age groups and communities. Meeting and engaging with like-minded people at campaign events or Trust/Youth Committee meetings.
- Help to build a database of young people and others in the community who wish to take action for nature.
- Work closely with the marketing volunteer and the Marketing and Communications team within the Trust, to share the campaigns with as wide an audience as possible.

 Chair youth committee meetings and have the casting vote at Committee meetings where necessary.
- Responsible for ensuring that relevant communications from the Action for Nature team are circulated to all  Committee members.
- Keeping the Action for Nature team informed of the Youth Committee’s activities and progress.
- Ensures all events and activities have the correct procedures and risks assessments in place to be safe and requires that committee members abide by these. 
- Main committee contact with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust regarding the terms of reference for the youth  committee.

 Become more relevant to more people by ensuring we reflect the diversity of the communities in which we live and work, by increasing opportunities and reducing barriers for marginalised and underserved groups. 
- Cultivate an inclusive movement and culture where we are ‘Wild About Inclusion’, where difference is celebrated, everyone can be themselves, feel respected and able to contribute to their full potential.
- Communicate inclusively - the ways that we connect with our communities will be intentionally inclusive and  nurture a sense of belonging.  We want to demonstrate solidarity for people from different  backgrounds, abilities, and identities, and ensure they are empowered to change the natural world for the better.
- Provide access and engagement for everyone. We aim to increase our engagement with diverse  communities, to better understand and overcome barriers to accessing and engaging with nature and to ensure that everyone can benefit from the joy of wildlife in their daily lives.

- Leading on the organisation of events from concept to completion, including coordinating and supporting the successful delivery of internal or external events. 
- Developing good relationships with local community groups, promoting the activities on offer for young adults and reaching new people to attend them. 
- Developing good relationships with professionals delivering services on behalf of the Committee and the Trust. 
- Leading on event evaluation and encouraging feedback from those taking part in opportunities and activities provided by the Committee.
- Inspiring others to act for nature.
- Talking to members of the public about our #Team Wilder movement and the work of the Trust.
- Working with a diverse range of people across all age groups.
- Setting up display stands, erecting and dismantling WKWT gazebos.

Role description:

-  Have a critical role in raising funds to support the work of the Youth Committee.
- Devise a strategy to grow local community interest with young adults. (18-35 years)
- Promote the Trust in local communities and develop fundraising initiatives.
- Research new fundraising opportunities in local areas and communities.
- Working with a diverse range of people of all ages.

Skills needed:

- A willingness to learn and abide by the Code of Fundraising Practice.
- Good communication skills.
- A keen interest in wildlife and the work of the Trust.
-Friendly and approachable with good interpersonal skills.
- Ability to engage with people of all ages.
- High level of enthusiasm.
- Ability to work as part of a team and without direct supervision.
- Ability to work as part of a team and without direct supervision.

- Helping to support the Trust’s 2030 strategic objectives by developing a bold, confident, young local voice, that raises awareness of the challenges faced by people and wildlife across Warwickshire, Coventry, and Solihull and inspires young people and their communities to take action for nature.  The role will look to    develop impactful and meaningful content, targeted at young people in the area, that support nature’s    recovery and mobilise young people to take action. 
- Working closely with the campaign volunteer role, build engagement and awareness of campaigns through social media, press, events, blogs, contacting local MP's and much more.
- Identifying and sharing (with the Trust and the wider public) stories in the local area which could help to raise awareness of campaigns and the wider movement and purpose.
- Helping others to take action for nature through the promotion and communication of events, campaigns, awareness raising and practical examples. 
- Raising the profile of the work of the Youth Committee and the wider Trust to a younger audience.
- Managing and updating the Committee's social media sites with compelling content with the objective of increasing followers and engagement. 
- Promote the work of the Trust and #TeamWilder in local communities.
- Create content for and distribute the Youth committee newsletter to those who have agreed to receive it, whilst also working to increase this database of contacts.
- Working with a diverse range of people across all age groups and communities. Meeting and engaging with like-minded people at campaign events or Trust/Youth Committee meetings.
- Work closely with the campaign volunteer and the Marketing and Communications team within the Trust, to create and share content with as wide and diverse an audience as possible, across a variety of new channels and mediums. 
- Help to build a database of young people and others in the community who wish to take action for nature.

- Support the Chair in administrative tasks not otherwise covered by the other committee roles. 
- Organise committee meetings, and recording minutes and related action points. 
- Provide the administrative support for events, by uploading events onto the booking system.
- Maintain a register of all committee members and keep the Action for Nature team updated at all times.

Skills needed:

- Good communication skills. 
- Attention to detail with accurate minute taking. 
- Computer literate and familiar with MS Office. 
- A keen interest in wildlife and the work of the Trust. 
- Friendly and approachable with good interpersonal skills. 
- Ability to engage with people of all ages. 
- Ability to work as part of a team and without direct supervision

To assist with the smooth running of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust by providing a range of office administration and information services to staff, volunteers and members.

Tasks you will be involved with:
• Management of documentation and records including scanning, filing, archiving and shredding
• Assisting the Administrator with creation and maintenance of internal spreadsheets
• Assisting with the input of data onto our Access Charity CRM database system
• General office duties such as maintaining tidy storage of office consumables, replenishment of first aid consumables, unpacking stationery, checking and updating noticeboards
• Supporting project staff with preparation of materials, e.g. photocopying and laminating display items
• Distributing and dispatching mail