As part of a team of leaders and helpers, Watch Leaders will:

• Plan a fun programme of wildlife activities throughout the year, inspired by nature and the environment.
• The emphasis is on regular, hands-on, informal outdoor activities, enabling children to explore the wildlife around them more closely.
• Deliver and lead each two-hour monthly sessions, working together with a team of other volunteer leaders and helpers.
• Administer and run sessions following our safeguarding guidelines and H&S procedures, including risk assessments and correct registration of each participant when they start and when they attend each month.
• Contribute to data collection about sessions by keeping up-to-date records and communicate regularly with our Watch Organiser (Natilee-Joy Alderson) to ensure sessions are recorded and evaluated centrally.
• Help promote Wildlife Watch sessions using templates and posters provided.
• Use the Watch email to regularly follow-up any enquires or contact from families wishing to join or to find out about sessions.
• Attend (where possible) Wildlife Watch volunteer training/sharing events.
• Utilise the free and supportive online materials and ideas provided by the national Wildlife Watch website and network.
• Support the administration of children gaining Wildlife Watch awards, celebrating children’s activities and achievements.
• Help document workshops by taking photos of activities and evaluating sessions.

• Approachable with a friendly personality.
• Interested in wildlife and conservation.
• Like listening and helping people.
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Efficient at taking messages and passing them on
• Some IT skills would be advantageous but not absolutely necessary

Previous experience and knowledge of conservation and wildlife is far less important than an empathy with children and the ability to interest them in fun ways to investigate their surroundings.  However, leadership does involve commitment and responsibility for the safety and well-being of the group members.

• Watch ‘leader’ status as part of the Watch Leader network in Notts and the UK.
• Regular contact from the Watch Organiser, mailings, activity ideas and resources for your group
• Training on child welfare and safeguarding, planning and running sessions and activities.
• Training/networking days each year for volunteer teams to get together and share ideas.
• Support in promotion of the group, and recruitment of children to the group.
• Access to the Wildlife Watch website, containing resources for leaders.
• Personal and skills experience to help future careers/learning opportunities.
• An opportunity to mentor other volunteers and helpers.
• Rewarding outcomes, enabling children to access nature and wildlife in your local area.

Wildlife Watch groups meet once a month for a two-hour session, run by Watch Leaders who can commit to most sessions so there is continuity. We kindly ask that all applicant can commit to volunteering at least 8 out of 12 months. Without volunteers like you the Wildlife Watch group cannot run.

Wildlife Watch Leaders can delegate session delivery to other group helpers if occasionally required and some groups may choose to deliver more or fewer sessions during certain seasons. This can be agreed with the Watch Organiser.

There are occasional group planning meetings which volunteers may organise to help plan sessions and two training/networking days per year for all Watch Leaders across the county to get together.

Yes, a reference is required, as well as an Enhanced DBS check