Conservation volunteer roles

Dive into lasting impact: Fundraise for East London Waterworks Park to create and shape natural swimming ponds, ecological habitats and community gardens

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

Do you have experience organising events, or would you like to get some? Our past fundraising activities have included pub quizzes, a photography competition and exhibition, sale of locally made jeans and more. If you’re buzzing with ideas of how to raise money or are keen to get stuck in and help to make some events happen, we would love to hear from you.

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.

Dive into lasting impact: Fundraise for East London Waterworks Park to create and shape natural swimming ponds, ecological habitats and community gardens

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are creating a fundraising strategy for our next phase of work: an exciting programme of community projects. If you have experience of planning or running fundraising campaigns, we would love to hear from you. Our community-led strategic process, as well as all of our work, is open for everyone to participate in.

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

If you have experience in writing grants and funding applications, corporate fundraising, philanthropy, or any other aspect of fundraising, it would be great to hear from you. 

We are keen fundraisers but we are lacking professional expertise and experience and we would love your help and input. We would welcome one-off advice on the phone or in person, as well as longer term volunteers. 

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.

Closing Date:

We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and applications will be reviewed as they are received.

The Role:

We are currently seeking a Finance Trustee to join our Board as Treasurer. It’s a voluntary role that requires a committed individual with financial expertise to take a collaborative approach, supporting our Trustees, our Head of Finance and Governance, and our management team to oversee the financial affairs of our charity and ensure that they are legal, constitutional, and within accepted accounting practice.

Our Organisation:

Greener and Cleaner delivers locally but thinks, and influences, nationally. Our vision is greener, healthier, better connected communities across the UK. We seek to achieve this through normalising 360-degree sustainable living, bringing the community together to make changes that can deliver a big impact. We have a non-judgemental peer-to-peer approach, so that all elements of the community feel empowered to take action in how they live, work, and play and in how they use their voice to push for change.

Treasurer Role:

The primary role is to ensure alongside other Trustees that they accept ultimate responsibility for the affairs of G&C and ensure that it is solvent, well run, and delivering the charitable outcomes for which it has been set up. As well as fulfilling the duties of a Trustee, the Treasurer ensures that effective and appropriate financial measures, controls, and procedures are put in place and reports to the Board at regular intervals about the financial health of the organisation.

• Overseeing the presentation of budgets, internal management accounts, and annual financial statements, as produced by the finance team or others where appropriate, to the Board of Trustees
• Ensuring that proper accounting records are kept, and that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in place. 
• Liaising with any paid staff about financial matters, as appropriate.
• Ensuring that robust and comprehensive financial policies are in place and being implemented, and supporting the development of policies covering financial reserves, and cost management. 
• Overseeing financial controls and adherence to systems. 
• Drawing any major financial concerns to the attention of the trustee and the management team.
• Ensuring that the charity has appropriate reserves in line with its reserves policy, and monitoring and advising on the financial viability of the charity. 
• Advising on the financial implications of the charity’s strategic plan, including overseeing the charity’s financial risk-management process.
• Ensuring that the charity has an appropriate investment policy and that investments and assets are maximised.
• Leading on the appointment of and liaison with external auditors. 
• Overseeing the development and implementation of systems for appraising, mitigating, and reporting corporate risk. 
• Ensuring that the accounts are prepared and disclosed in the form required by relevant statutory bodies – for example, the Charity Commission and/or the Registrar of Companies.
• Keeping the board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities.
• Supporting other Trustees in understanding the charity’s financial position and decision making.
• Contributing to the fundraising strategy of the charity and its ethical fundraising policy.
• Making a formal presentation of the accounts at the Annual General Meeting and drawing attention to important points in a coherent and easily understandable way.

The Person We’re Looking For:

• A finance professional with a firm understanding of charity finance and some experience of fundraising and pension schemes.
• Knowledge of charity fundraising, bid writing, and/or other income generation and/or securing funding through creation or leveraging of partnerships and networks (at a national or local level).
• A strategic thinker with an ability to balance risk and opportunity and the skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences.
• Clear communicator with the ability to explain financial information to members of the Board and other stakeholders.
• Willing to play an active role in areas such as forecasting, setting budgets, and liaising with auditors.

In addition, the Treasurer will also have the responsibilities and qualities of all Trustees.

Responsibilities of All Trustees:

• Demonstrating a commitment to G&C’s objectives
• Contributing to setting the strategic goals and monitoring performance by active participation in Board discussions and decision-making
• Actively assisting the charity to build their connections and partnerships for the purposes of most effectively delivering their goals and fundraising
• Ensuring that G&C complies with its governing documents, the law, and all other relevant documentation
• Helping to identify risks and ensuring appropriate controls are in place
• Helping the Board to make sound decisions by making available their own personal knowledge and experience
• Assisting the Chair to appoint and appraise the performance of the Senior Leadership Team members
• Sharing relevant skills and expertise with the Senior Leadership Team members
• Making all reasonable efforts to attend Board meetings, away days, development meetings, publicity events, and other such public functions as requested by the Chair
• Ensuring the charity’s focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion remains at the heart of its strategy and delivery

Trustee Person Specification:

In addition to the Treasurer role specific above, our Trustees will ideally also demonstrate the following:

• A commitment to the objectives and activities of G&C
• A willingness to devote time and effort to G&C beyond attending board meetings
• Have strategic vision, an ability to think creatively, and an appropriate level of financial literacy
• Understanding of and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of their position
• Have good independent judgement
• Be willing to effectively act as part of a team
• Adhere to the Nolan Principles of public office: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership
• A willingness to allow the Employee/s to make reasonable decisions and to act within the limits prescribed by the Board

To Apply:

To see the full job advertisement with details on how to apply, and to learn more about the role and our organisation, please see the attached supporting documents.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning coordinators wanted to help East London Waterworks Park deliver its environmental learning goals. 

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for a volunteer to track the impact of our educational initiatives, gather data, and support continuous improvement in our learning programs. This role ensures that our learning activities are effective and contribute meaningfully to ELWP’s overarching goals.

This role would include:

• Developing measures of success of existing environmental education initiatives
• Collecting and analyzing feedback from programme participants
• Recommending improvements based on data insights

Schools, universities and youth groups we've collaborated with include:

• Waltham Forest College 
• Henry Maynard Primary School, Walthamstow
• Buxton School, Leytonstone
• Kingsmead Primary School, Hackney
• Daubeney Primary School, Hackney
• UCL 
• Royal College of Art
• University of Westminster 
• Project Zero
• Voyage Youth 
• Loyola University Chicago 
• Vanderbilt University Nashville

The Learning Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening at 8pm for an hour on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

We're looking for people to lead on these projects and facilitate the direction of the learning working group.

Individuals with experience in research, programme evaluation, data analysis, or education assessment are encouraged to apply. Attention to detail and an interest in measuring impact will be key strengths in this role. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Your support will help young people and learners improve their environmental knowledge of design and research as well as contributing to our community-owned park. This will in turn provide a sense of stewardship over the land once the park is created and student's ideas have been built into the park. Creating learning projects with educational institutions will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. 

You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. By volunteering in this role, you will help shape the future of East London Waterworks Park as a community-led environmental learning space. This  will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to hear from you!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Have you got finance or adult social care knowledge and experience that you would like to use as a way of giving back to your local community? Then your experience will be valuable as a Trustee here at the Harrison and Potter Trust.

This is a great opportunity to get involved with a charity that focuses its work on the provision of housing. You'll support those in need of decent homes across Leeds, while learning and building on your governance skills. Your professional know-how will make a difference where it matters.

So, can you lead in collaboration with your fellow Trustees to ensure that the vision and mission of our charity are achieved? Then, we'd like to learn more about how your financial or social care knowledge and experience can support our Trust.

WHO ARE HARRISON AND POTTER TRUST?

Harrison and Potter Trust is a Leeds-based charity supporting people to live well. We have almshouses on Lovell Park Road and Raglan Road, and offer safe and secure housing. We also give grants to local groups, supporting people facing financial hardship. Our focus is especially on housing needs and social isolation.

WHAT MATTERS TO US

Securing a decent home in Leeds continues to be a challenge for a great number of people, young and old. Housing stock is limited, particularly for people on limited means. We’re proud to be supporting the people who live in our houses who might otherwise have struggled to find good, safe, and clean housing.

IF YOU JOIN US…

You'll join a Board that is keen to welcome new Trustees who will bring energy as well as broader experience. Your knowledge and skills will enhance and support our important work as a charity.

Sharing our commitment to honour our settlors’ legacies will be a focal point for you. Providing housing for older people and supporting local charities will be your shared mission.

The strategic experience gained through a trustee role can have a powerful impact on your career. You'll grow in personal development through a role that is flexible around other commitments.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

All Trustees need certain qualities such as integrity and commitment. You'll also learn about the importance of effective governance.

We are particularly seeking:

• a Finance Trustee with knowledge of charity accounts and managing investment portfolio
• a Trustee with Adult Social Care experience within a Local Authority or Housing Association

Please make sure you read our Candidate Information Pack before applying. It contains important details about the role and our organisation.

Don’t think you quite meet all the specifications? Please don’t count yourself out. We’d still love to learn more about your interest in joining the Harrison and Potter Trust.

What’s next?

Eastside People is supporting Harrison Potter and Trust in the recruitment of these roles. You can click here to apply today.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 25th February. Shortlisting interviews will take place shortly after. Shortlisted candidates will then have an interview with Harrison and Potter shortly after this.

We acknowledge every application. You’ll always hear from us after taking the time to apply - we look forward to hearing from you!

Do you have experience in digital and social media? Can you help us improve our communications and raise the profile of the work we do?

We are seeking an expert, creative Volunteer Digital and Social Media Lead. You will help us promote our programmes supporting people in prison and young people at risk of entering the justice system, as well as our Community Bike Shop, which funds and strengthens this work.

What you’ll do:

• Design and schedule engaging posts, stories, and reels across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more to grow our audience.

• Develop strategies for viral campaigns and collaborations to boost awareness and donations and share your expertise with our team.

• Analyse metrics (engagement, reach, growth) and refine tactics based on what resonates.

• Create eye-catching visuals using tools like Canva.

• Update our website as required and make suggestions for improvements.

• Work with our expert Trustee to consider how we can use online retail platforms to sell our refurbished bikes.

What we’ll provide:

· Creative freedom within agreed priorities and tone of voice.

· Access to the right tools plus shared photos, stories and impact stats.

· A named contact, light-touch sign-off, and occasional check-ins to remove blockers.

Time commitment: we’ll agree a realistic scope with the right volunteer based on their availability.

Reasonable agreed expenses will be paid.

Thank you

Mark Flannagan
Chief Executive

About us

UpCycle, works with individuals in prisons and young people at risk in marginalised communities.  We use bicycle maintenance workshops to help build life skills, enhance employability, prevent offending and reoffending, and foster social reintegration.  We also offer lead rides, bike fit-it sessions and other ways to engage with vulnerable people.

In prisons

· We delivered 956 un-refurbished bikes and received back 768 refurbished bikes across eight prisons and one Young Offenders Institution, training over 238 individuals.

In the Community

· Over 1034 bikes were donated to our Community Bike Shop, of those we refurbished and distributed more than 612 to underserved communities locally and overseas.

· Workshops in Bradford engaged 361 participants in diverse cycling-related activities across the area.

· "Bike to the Future" and other initiatives reached 220 young people with more complex needs.