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The Woodland Trust is looking for an Engaging Communities Officer to join our exciting Sherwood’s Living Legends project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. A development grant has been awarded by Heritage Fund to help the Woodland Trust progress the project over 18-months to apply for a 5-year delivery stage grant. If this application is successful, the project will safeguard the future of ancient and veteran trees in Sherwood Forest and reconnect communities with this iconic landscape. This is a fixed term contract for 18-months, with the potential for an extension.
The Role:
The Candidate:
Benefits and Wellbeing:
Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:
About Us:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees.
People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.
Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application.
Application Advice:
For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and CVs are redacted until after shortlisting is complete. Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role. Even if you don't meet every requirement of the role, we would encourage you to apply.
Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.
Apply Now:
If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete.
Interviews to be held on April 21st 2026.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
JOB TITLE: Centre Based Assistance Dog Instructor (Maternity Cover)
LOCATION: Based at our Centre in Milton Keynes, with travel up to 3 hours
SALARY BAND: £26K - £32K per annum, depending on experience. Line management experience desirable.
JOB TYPE: Full time and Part time applicants considered. Fixed Term of 12-18 months
REPORTS TO: Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme
Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives.
We train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease, providing life-saving alert assistance dogs to people with complex health problems across the UK and collaborating with NHS Trusts and other researchers and Universities both in the UK and internationally to advance the early diagnosis of disease.
We have an exciting new opportunity to join this small but fast-growing charity that is a world leader in its specialist innovative field.
The Role
We are looking for a passionate and driven person who has previous proven experience and skills working as an Instructor within an Assistance Dog organisation, who has worked with clients and partnerships. The role includes supporting both clients who have had a MDD dog placed with them and also our own dog applicants with their puppies and young dogs to ensure they receive the highest standard of socialisation and early training in terms of obedience, public access and developing an alert to the applicant’s condition, with the aim to reach an accreditable assistance dog partnership status. The role will also include carrying out client specific and odour training for MDD own dogs, placing these dogs with their new clients and looking after a number of established partnerships. This role would suit somebody residing up to an hour from our centre in Milton Keynes.
Duties that encompass the role of an Instructor include:
Alongside the Instructing team, to run puppy classes, public access training, recall sessions in small groups for applicant own dogs that are in line with the charity’s quality standards and in accordance with timescales and targets.
To also carry out support visits and home interviews for applicants and clients that have been allocated to you.
Regularly monitor progress of any young dogs and partnerships in training in your area and provide detailed, evidenced feedback to Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme.
To carry out client specific training with any MDD owned dogs that have been matched, including the required odour scent training.
Instructing, guiding and supporting new assistance dog clients in managing and handling a Medical Alert Assistance Dog effectively, via pretraining, placement training and aftercare visits.
Supporting partnerships in training in successfully reaching an accreditation standard and in maintaining this standard throughout the life of the partnership.
To support a number of established partnerships in the form of aftercare, refresher training and yearly re-accreditations, assisting further afield on occasions as required.
Responsibilities
To escalate issues and problems to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme as appropriate.
To carry out scent assessments on any MDD dogs in socialising as and when required with the support of the rest of the Instructing Team.
Other
Share best practice with colleagues across the charity.
Any other duties or tasks that are required to ensure the successful running of the Medical Alert Assistance Dog Department and the Charity overall.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
Essential
Preferable
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills
Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life threatening conditions
Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation
You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as able to motivate yourself
You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
DIVERITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION
We are a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive Charity. Medical Detection Dogs thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Charity Values
All employees are expected to uphold the charity’s core values in their daily work. This includes demonstrating respect through open and considerate communication, fostering cooperation by working collaboratively, maintaining honesty in all interactions and ensuring fairness through just and transparent decision-making.
Finally, the successful candidate will also be expected to:
Hold a full UK Driving Licence
Provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK.
Undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
Work some evenings and weekends
Be willing to travel to the Centre based near Milton Keynes
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.