Assistant Camp Director, Volunteering

Post Title:                               Assistant Camp Director, Volunteering

Hours per week:                     35

Reports to:                             Camp Director

Base:                                      Can be remote (home) working but expected to attend our Havant office regularly and attend residential camps, which, in 2024 and 2025 will be located at different venues throughout the UK.

Main Purpose:                       To lead on Volunteer recruitment, training and engagement and support the Camp Director in the delivery and leadership of safe, fun, residential activity camps and online programmes.

Salary:                                    £35,000 per annum

Over the Wall is a fun, forward-thinking and creative UK charity that has been transforming the lives of seriously ill children, and their families, for 25 years. Our free of charge programmes are designed to address the loneliness, isolation and sense of being different that affects the quality of life for children living with serious illness.

We are seeking an Assistant Camp Director to join our Camp Operations team. The postholder will be an essential member of our Camp Leadership Team when camps are in session and will focus on Volunteer recruitment, development and experience.

You are:

• Excited by our mission and eager to make a positive difference in the lives of children and the staff and volunteers who support them.
• An experienced youth programming professional with a background in recruitment, training and development.
• Flexible and adaptable with a willingness to both develop your leadership skills and work collaboratively on a team.
• Able and eager to travel to and attend residential camps in a range of locations across the UK.
• Prepared to work flexibly across 7 days per week and undertake any other duties as deemed appropriate by the Camp Director and/or CEO that may be required in accordance with the overall purpose of the job.

You Have:

• A full driving license.
• A basic understanding of the principles of Therapeutic Recreation.
• Experience leading or coaching adults in a childcare setting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and experience facilitating trainings and activities.
• Comfort and proficiency in Microsoft suite and an aptitude for learning new digital tools and systems.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Attend Over the Wall residential camps (minimum of 4 per year) and virtual camps as part of the operational staff team. Attending camp involves long working hours, including day / evening and weekends, as well as being away from home for up to 11 nights at a time.
• Develop and deliver informative and engaging ‘all camp’ training for volunteers and full-time staff members, underpinned by the principles of therapeutic recreation and challenge by choice.
• Oversee the recruitment and hiring of 300+ volunteers, annually.
• Supportively coach and manage our team of Volunteer Coordinators.
• Design and implement effective feedback mechanisms for volunteers, camp staff, campers and families and deliver effective debriefing sessions at the end of each camp.
• Assist in the direction and supervision of all camp programs which include, but are not limited to, family weekends, summer sessions and virtual camps.
• Work closely with the Operations Team to provide leadership and support for campers, volunteers, and staff.
• Promote and encourage a strong culture of safety within camp & assist in the coordination of emergency procedures.
• Support overall camp budget management with an emphasis on Volunteering.
• In the absence of the Camp Director, take on the leadership of camp.
• Abide by and comply with all OTW policies and procedures, especially relating to individual areas of responsibility.

Diversity, Equality & Inclusion

• We actively encourage applications from the broad spectrum of diversity reflected in our beneficiaries, both in terms of visible and non-visible characteristics. We aim to ensure that regardless of where you are in our community, any difference you have is valued.

Safeguarding

• We are committed to Safer Recruitment. We REQUIRE a minimum of two professional and independent reference checks, with one of the reference checks being the last or current employer.  We will make verbal contact with your referees.