Whitley Fund for Nature
The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK charity supporting outstanding grassroots conservation leaders across the Global South. Through project funding (Awards), training, and media profile, we support local solutions to the planet’s most pressing conservation challenges. Our winners are courageous changemakers, working alongside communities to save species and protect ecosystems. Established in 1993, we have channeled £24 million to +220 conservation leaders in 80 countries, benefitting wildlife, landscapes, and people. WFN is governed by a committed trustee board. Our team is dynamic, passionate about our mission, and ambitious. The charity benefits from high profile support from Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, and Ambassadors including Sir David Attenborough.
The Opportunity
In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to use and develop your communications skills to help amplify the work of WFN and conservation leaders. You’ll play an important role in supporting our digital channels, campaigns, and content creation - from social media and newsletters to website updates and event communications. You should have excellent writing skills, strong attention to detail and an interest in nature and wildlife conservation issues. If you are looking to build a career in communications, want to help support those protecting our planet, and are seeking experience working for a small, ambitious charity, then we want to hear from you!
“Saving our planet is now a communications challenge. We know what to do, we just need the will” - Sir David Attenborough.
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT - PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
Essential:
- Excellent writing skills
- An eye for design to create engaging assets for diverse audiences and platforms, including our website, newsletters, social media and events
- Confident communicator with a friendly, professional manner
- Organised, with high levels of accuracy and attention to detail
- Proficient in Microsoft Office - Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
- Able to manage and prioritise a varied workload within deadline
- Reliable, proactive, and willing to take initiative
- Comfortable working as part of a small, busy team
- Interest in wildlife conservation.
Desirable
- Experience drafting and scheduling social media posts, and producing campaign assets
- Familiarity with programmes such as Canva and Hootsuite to aid with content creation and scheduling
- Experience with basic video editing
- Competency using a Salesforce database, WordPress, or Mailchimp.
Additional details and benefits:
- Attractive holiday package totaling 30 days p.a. plus bank holidays
- Training and professional development opportunities provided
- Hybrid working opportunities
- The charity operates a Pension Scheme and a Life Assurance Scheme
- Access to 24hr Employee Assistance Programme.
This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship. Only applicants who have the right to work in the UK at the time of application will be considered for this role.
Regrettably, due to limited resources and the high number of applications we receive, we are only able to contact short-listed candidates. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.
Diversity and Inclusion
At WFN we are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse organisation, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. We celebrate and respect diversity in nature and among the people and partners with whom we work. We need more people and diversity across the environment sector, and to achieve our vision. We therefore encourage applications from Black, Asian or minority ethnic; disabled; LGBTQ+; or from lower socio-economic backgrounds. As a small organisation we are committed to progressing and continuing development across DE&I. Please contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application. Applications are considered solely on your demonstrated suitability for the role.
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT - JOB DESCRIPTION
REPORTING TO HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
WFN’s communications amplify the work of Whitley Award winners, raise the profile of the charity, bolster fundraising efforts, and contribute to global conservation conversations, positioning WFN as a leader within the sector.
- Monitor, and create and schedule content for WFN’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn accounts, helping to grow engagement and channel performance, driving traffic to WFN’s website, and sharing charity, winner, and sector news – in line with WFN’s communications strategy and with oversight from the Head of Communications (HoC)
- Lead management of WFN’s photo library and footage archive (Google photos): naming, categorising, and uploading winner and event photos
- Support delivery of social media campaigns during the lead up to events to drive engagement and/or donations, and supporting with posting content throughout the event period
- Help produce video content
- Support production and distribution of our regular e-letter (through MailChimp)
- Work with the HoC on WFN’s website to regularly review and update content
- Draft copy for website news stories and any additional copywriting as needed throughout the year
- Assist the HoC with monthly reporting on the website, social media platforms, newsletter and media coverage
- Support digital event communications including creation of e-letters, e-invitations, website pages, email signatures and visual assets.
PR
WFN shares impactful stories that resonate with supporters and demonstrate we can make a difference. Throughout the year, we actively work to secure PR coverage for Whitley Award winners. Increased visibility helps winners to attract further funding, gain new connections, and increase political clout – all tools which strengthen conservation work.
- Produce reactive social media to share PR coverage secured by the HoM
- Create and distribute toolkits for press and partners to bolster media campaigns
- Collate charity and winner press coverage, including website news pages, throughout the year
- Support the Head of Media (HoM) and HoC in responding to press enquiries and supplying materials.
EVENTS
Whitley Awards Ceremony
The Whitley Awards are the result of an international search to find, fund, train and put a spotlight on outstanding grassroots leaders and their conservation projects. Finalists are invited to London for a week of training and events, culminating with the Whitley Awards Ceremony, where winners receive their Awards from WFN Patron, HRH The Princess Royal in front of 400 guests and many more tuning in via our livestream.
The Communications Assistant will assist the team in planning and delivery of events during the Whitley Awards Ceremony week, including the Friends Reception, Ceremony and NGO Reception, particularly in the following areas:
Communications
- Assist with supplier liaison across event filming, livestream, and photography
- Help create event visuals and on-screen graphics
- Support with creation of the Ceremony invitations and booklet
- Support with sourcing additional material for the Whitley Award films as needed
- Support the HoC with creation and uploading of content to the website and across social media platforms, including press releases, photographs, news stories, winner pages, and films.
Other WFN Events
Throughout the year WFN holds other fundraising and engagement events ranging from intimate dinners with supporters, winner talks, events as part of our Next Gen programme and major initiatives such as Biodiversity Summits which will require the CA’s assistance.
- Assist with the production of pre-event communications and marketing materials, including invitations, e-letters, social media content, and advertisements
- Assist with setting up and managing platforms such as Eventbrite as needed
- Assist with production of event materials (signage, banners, programmes, displays, slides)
- Assist with communications-related supplier liaison eg. Photography, filming, livestreaming etc.
GENERAL DUTIES
- Review and respond to general email enquiries when needed (info@ inbox)
- Represent WFN professionally at all times
- Adhere to WFN’s financial and operational procedures
- Undertake any other duties as reasonably requested from time to time. This job description is not exhaustive and may evolve.
Registered Charity
6 - 10
Whitley Fund for Nature is a fundraising and grant-giving nature conservation charity supporting grassroots practitioners across the Global South.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
37.5 hours per week / £27,770 per annum / fixed term contract (paternity cover) until 4 August 2026 / working across Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, office based in Worthing, delivering Transitional Services in the community across Horsham, Crawley, Burgess Hill and Worthing.
It is essential that you hold a current UK driving license and have a car for this role (expenses for mileage paid at 45p per mile, excluding home to work journey).
At YMCA DownsLink Group, our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, building life skills and self-confidence, and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections - guide and shape how we show up for children and young people we support and for each other.
West Sussex Transitional Housing provides homes for young people in a range of settings across the county. Services provide a low level of support for young people who already have a basic level of daily living skills and can keep themselves safe without daily supervision.Services are staffed Monday to Friday 9 to 5, with some services having on site staff and others visiting staff; all services are supported by a mobile night team who carry out regular safety and security checks. The aim of the service is to enable and empower young people to move on to independent accommodation and articulate and start to achieve their aspirations and ambitions.
We adopt a trauma informed and psychologically informed approach to supporting our residents to help them build essential life skills, identify their goals and support residents into independent accommodation. We have a dedicated team of Support Workers, Night Workers and additional Bank Workers who provide support, guidance, and signposting around areas such as housing, budgeting, living skills, jobs and relationship building.
We are looking for a Supported Housing Support Worker to join our team, who will hold a caseload of residents and meet with them weekly to build a support plan. Main areas of responsibilities are:
Housing:
- Coach young people to manage their occupancy agreement and adhere to house rules, in preparation for independent living
- Promote a credit culture, encouraging young people to keep up to date with all payments for rent
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of housing and welfare benefits for young people and be well-informed on significant changes to housing law
- Deal effectively with non-compliance issues, such as non-payment of rent or damage to room, using restorative practices and working collaboratively with the rest of the team
Coaching and Engagement:
- Coach young people so they can articulate their aspirations and ambitions and take the lead in acquiring the skills they need to live independent and fulfilling lives
- Ensure young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own personal development, to engage with the services on offer and build strong networks and connections within the local community
- Ensure consistent standards of safeguarding and Trauma Informed Practice when supporting young people, observing our safeguarding procedures, and keeping yourself and residents safe by respecting professional boundaries
- Maintain client records on In-Form (client database) detailing the young person’s journey in relation to their strengths and needs, any risks, and any outcomes (to monitor service performance)
General:
- Work as part of a team, on a rota shift pattern, ensuring young people at the service have non-judgemental, objective, and supportive staff during the day/evening, along with taking responsibility for personal safety during periods of lone working
- Contribute to a great working environment, with a calm, yet assertive manner, being able to handle potentially difficult situations
- Participate in relevant continuing professional development and utilise Reflective Practice Supervision as part of leading psychologically informed practice
There will be times when lone working will be a requirement for this role, but you will get to know the team and service, along with an induction and training prior to starting on a rota. Please download the job profile for full role details.
If you are enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience does not align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate.
This is a dynamic and varied role; you will be passionate about being involved in the support and growth of young people.
Experience and Knowledge:
- Experience relating to housing, support work, and/or working with young people at risk
- Experience of working proactively with a caseload of young people with multiple and complex needs to enable them to achieve independent living
- Knowledge of statutory and voluntary resources available to young people with multiple and complex needs
- Knowledge of good safeguarding procedures in relation to young people and the ability to maintain effective professional boundaries
- Demonstrated confidence and competence in recording notes/actions in service log, incident forms and health and safety check lists
Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing for appropriate recording of a resident’s progression, and to evidence outcomes achieved
- Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with all stakeholders, including signposting and advocating for clients as necessary
- Ability to work autonomously, and use own initiative, as well as being part of a team
- Clear verbal and written communication skills, good IT, and keyboard skills
- Ability to de-escalate volatile situations and manage challenging behaviour appropriately
CLOSING DATE: Sunday 4 January 2025 at midnight. If we identify a strong candidate, we may invite them to interview ahead of the closing date.
We are not able to support a work permit or offer a visa sponsorship for this role. Candidates must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.
An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.
Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.
YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns.
Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children’s and Adults’ barred lists) check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.