Environmental volunteer jobs

Groundwork South is seeking a motivated and experienced Senior Project Officer to lead on the delivery of our Climate Action Fund project over the next five years.

Senior Project Officer (Climate Action Fund Training and Development Lead)
Reference: CAF0626
Contract: Fixed term until June 2031
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours each week
Salary: £28,000 - £32,000 per annum
Location: Home-based (with travel across England) – There is a focus on South West England during the pilot phase

About Us

Groundwork South works with communities across the south of England to transform their lives and the places where they live. We have been at the forefront of social and environmental regeneration for over 25 years, and today we have a simple mission: to create better places, improve people’s prospects, and promote greener living and working.

We are passionate about creating a future where every neighbourhood is vibrant and green, every community is strong and able to shape its own destiny, and no-one is held back by their background or circumstances. This vision drives the work that we do. Each year we deliver over 100 innovative projects, tackling the biggest issues facing our communities and creating real and lasting, positive change.

About the Project

Communities Prepared works with volunteers and communities across England to help them build the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. This includes supporting communities to plan for climate-related risks such as flooding, storms, heatwaves, and severe weather.

Despite the successes we have had through our programme to date, we are not currently reaching diverse enough audiences and too often there are people missing from the resilience sector. This needs to change. To address this we are now embarking on an exciting new UK-wide partnership programme funded through the National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund over the next five years.

The programme responds to growing evidence that climate-related emergencies, including extreme heat, flooding, fire, cold and severe weather, disproportionately impact marginalised communities, while those same communities are often excluded from resilience planning and decision-making.

The programme brings together Equally Ours, Communities Prepared (part of Groundwork South), and the VCS Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP, part of the British Red Cross) to strengthen climate resilience by ensuring that communities experiencing discrimination and disadvantage are at the heart of climate preparedness, response, recovery and policy-making.

Through a rights-based and co-produced approach, the programme seeks to shift climate resilience policy and practice away from models that frame communities as “vulnerable”, and towards approaches grounded in agency, participation, equality and shared responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

As Senior Project Officer, you will:

• Work with the project team to map stakeholders and co-develop a structured engagement plan to recruit and work with marginalised communities.
• Build a collaborative and trusting relationship with the partner organisations and other stakeholders for this project, ensuring this work meets their expectations and complements areas of the work programme led by others.
• Work with project participants and partners to co-design Communities Prepared material and delivery methods that are more accessible and relevant to diverse audiences.
• Lead on the delivery of resilience training and workshop sessions with diverse audiences, both in-person and online.
• Work with project participants and partners to co-design a train the trainer model that will enable diverse audiences to deliver resilience training within their own communities, amplifying reach and impact.
• Work with the core Communities Prepared team to adapt our offer with the long-term goal of the Programme reaching more diverse audiences, especially those seldom heard in this sector.

The role involves regular travel across the UK, with a focus on South West England during the project’s pilot phase.

We are looking for someone with:

• Experience in community engagement or community development.
• Experience delivering training or workshops.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, confident to engage people from a range of different backgrounds.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders or partners.
• Confidence working independently in a remote role.
• An interest in climate change, community resilience and wider community development.
• A willingness to travel across the country.

Closing date for applications: 11.59pm, 30th June 2026
Interview date: 15th July over MS Teams
Interview panel: Representatives from Groundwork South, Equally Ours and VCSEP (tbc)

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.

Groundwork South is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of the community.

No agencies please.

ABOUT MUSTARD TREE

At Mustard Tree, we believe everyone deserves dignity, opportunity, and hope.

We work alongside people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and financial hardship, providing practical support, life-changing opportunities, and pathways towards greater stability and independence.

Our work addresses both the causes and consequences of poverty. We support people not only in crisis, but as they rebuild confidence, develop skills, improve wellbeing, and take meaningful steps towards a more secure future.

ROLE PURPOSE

This role provides person-centred employment and progression support to individuals facing barriers to financial wellbeing, including homelessness or risk of homelessness. Working with a managed caseload, this role will support participants to build confidence and employability skills, and progress towards meaningful, sustained employment, further education, or accredited training.

The role includes a blend of structured employability support, responsive frontline 121 work combined with corporate partnership skills.  This role will work directly with Freedom Trainees and Mustard Tree clients, supporting walk-ins, referrals, and longer-term participants. This role will represent our values through high-quality, compassionate, and professional service delivery.

This role combines direct participant support, employability delivery, employer engagement working with the Salford Area Manager. You will work across our Eccles and Little Hulton sites, helping create meaningful opportunities that enable participants’ progression.

Key Competencies

1. World Class Welcome and Customer Service

· Deliver Work Placement and Employment service across Salford appropriate to participants’ needs, through a welcoming, inclusive, and professional service that reflects a world-class customer experience.

· Networking and building relationships in Salford with new and existing corporate partners to deliver work placement opportunities to Freedom Project trainees, attendees to structured courses/clubs, and referrals from partner organisations (JCP and Elevate partners)

· Provide tailored, 1:1 employment and skills support, including caseload management, action planning, CV development, job search, and interview preparation.

· Adapt support to meet the diverse and complex needs of participants, demonstrating empathy and resilience.

· Manage referrals and signposting effectively, ensuring participants access appropriate internal and external services.

2. Proactive in Living and Sharing our Culture, Values and Behaviours

· Consistently model Mustard Tree’s values, culture and expected behaviours in all interactions with participants, colleagues and partners.

· Promote equality, diversity and inclusion by creating safe, welcoming and respectful environments for everyone by building positive relationships, challenge inappropriate behaviour appropriately, and reflect on feedback to continuously improve practice.

· Communicate in an inclusive, accessible and person-centred way, adapting approaches to meet participants needs.

· Demonstrate professionalism, integrity and accountability while maintaining boundaries and delivering on commitments.

3. Courage in Problem Solving and Embracing Change to Meet Needs

· Identify barriers affecting participant progression and respond to reduce/remove the barriers

· Adapt quickly and positively to changing priorities, service demands and participant needs while maintaining high-quality support.

· Demonstrate resilience when managing complex situations, setbacks or competing pressures, whilst taking ownership of actions and outcomes

· Embrace learning, feedback and change to continuously improve ways of working and support positive participant outcomes

4. Confident in Safeguarding and Incident Management

· Manage situations calmly and professionally, maintaining dignity and safety for all.

· Follow safeguarding, health and safety, and incident management procedures, escalating concerns appropriately.

· Work collaboratively with colleagues, contributing to case discussions and team meetings

• Complete and maintain accurate documentation, incident forms, and risk records.
• Attend required training, supervision, and reflective practice sessions and keep up to date with relevant legislation and local statutory and voluntary-sector provision.

5. Skilled in Reporting

· Monitor progress, record outcomes, and adapt support in response to individual needs, using TreeSalt, case notes, and case studies to evidence impact.

• Signpost and refer trainees and participants to appropriate internal services and external agencies, including housing, mental health, benefits, and specialist support.
• Track participant outcomes including engagement, training completion, volunteering, work placements, and employment progression to support internal reporting requirements and funder monitoring.

6. Positive Management of Stakeholders, Partners and Supporters

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with local employers, job centres, statutory services, charities, and third-sector organisations.

• Coordinate referrals and progression pathways into and out of the programme. Establish and maintain pathways into employment, education, training, and volunteering.

• Identify, develop, and maintain work placement and progression opportunities with employers and partner organisations.
• Match participants to placements aligned with their interests, goals, and support needs.

• Ensure placements are structured, safe, and provide meaningful learning and development. Escalate any placement-related issues promptly and collaboratively.

General Duties

• Work in line with organisational policies, procedures, and values.
• Support colleagues and provide cover across services and sites when required.
• Take responsibility for professional development and ongoing learning.
• Act as a positive ambassador for the organisation internally and externally.
• Contribute to environmental responsibility through day-to-day working practices.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role as required.

What we are looking for.

Person Specification 

Minimum of two years’ frontline experience supporting adults, including vulnerable individuals. - Essential

Experience supporting people facing multiple barriers such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, or housing instability. - Essential

Experience of managing varied caseloads and achieving measurable outcomes with participants. - Essential

Experience of and/or ability to build and maintain partnerships with external organisations, local businesses or employers. - Essential

Understanding of employability pathways, training provision, and labour market opportunities. - Essential

Resilient, adaptable, with flexible enthusiastic approach. Able to work on their own initiative as well as contributing effectively as part of a team. - Essential

Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, health and safety, and risk management. - Essential

Good interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication skills. - Essential

Degree-level qualification and/or equivalent experience in responsible roles. - Desirable

Strong time management and administration skills, with the ability to multitask - Essential

Experienced in using IT systems including Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Excel, and Word - Desirable 

Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle and willingness and ability to travel regularly across our Salford hubs - Desirable

Why Work for Mustard Tree

Working at Mustard Tree is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to be part of a community that is changing lives every day.

Our Culture

• A values-led organisation where compassion, dignity, and respect guide everything we do
• A supportive and collaborative team environment where your voice matters
• A place where lived experience is valued and people are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work
• A strong sense of purpose, with the opportunity to see the real impact of your work

What We Offer

• A meaningful role where you can make a tangible difference in people’s lives
• Opportunities for learning, development, and progression, including access to training and mentoring
• A flexible and supportive approach to working, with consideration for work-life balance
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing with length of service), with additional bank holidays and a day off for your birthday
• Employer pension contribution
• Access to wellbeing support, including Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Perkbox

We are committed to investing in our people and creating an environment where you can grow, feel supported, and do your best work.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a supporting statement - telling us about your experience and why this role matters to you.

This job description is intended as a guide and may evolve as our work continues to grow and respond to the needs of our community.

We are looking for a motivated and creative individual to join our Charity Team at an exciting time of growth and ambition. If you have a talent for writing compelling cases for support and a passion for turning ideas into funded projects, this is a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference to patients, families and staff across our hospitals.

This role sits at the heart of our income generation activity, securing vital funding from trusts, foundations and corporate partners. You will play a key role in delivering high-profile projects and campaigns, contributing to major fundraising appeals and helping to grow our brand-new Impact Fund, which is set to transform services across the Trust.

There is real scope to shape this role, build meaningful relationships, and see the direct impact of your work in improving healthcare environments and outcomes.

This is a full-time position, with flexible hybrid working available following successful completion of probation.