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Visitor Centre Meet and Greet Volunteer (Ingrebourne, South Essex)

Location:
Ingrebourne Nature Discovery Centre

Photo: Daniel Bridge

We are looking for volunteers at our Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre located between Hornchurch, Rainham and Upminster.

Position details

Commitment:

Monday, Sunday

Frequency:

Weekly
Work party volunteer

Role purpose
Volunteers at our nature discovery centres welcome visitors to the centre, talking about the site and Essex Wildlife Trust Membership options and donations, operating the till for retail and catering sales, restocking shelves, as well as general duties around the centre providing excellent customer service.

Background detail
Our Ingrebourne Valley Nature Discovery Centre is located within Hornchurch Country Park between Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. Opened in 2015 the site comprises of 261 hectares of interconnecting habitats, including river, open water, marsh, grassland, reed bed, ancient and secondary woodland, scrub and hedgerows and is home to London’s largest remaining continuous freshwater reed bed, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Our Nature Discovery Centre is a popular Centre with over 100,000 visitors annually visiting the park and offers an outdoor gym and ‘trim-trail’ that extends throughout the park. Hornchurch Country Park is the former site of Sutton’s Farm airfield, from which biplanes of the Royal Flying Corps took off to defend London in World War One. Various artefacts and relics of the site’s RAF history, such as pill boxes, Tett turrets and a Spitfire dispersal point are still visible within the park.

The site is not only unique but incredibly important for the 61 species of birds that regularly breed in the area, including Redshank, Lapwing and Pochard, in addition to 16 nationally scarce beetle species, dragonflies, crickets and other insects. The Ingrebourne Valley is a true haven for wildlife. Visitors may also get the chance to enjoy the wonderful but all-too-rare ‘plop’ as a Water Vole enters the water or the flash of blue as a Kingfisher dashes downstream.

The Visitor Centre located in the northern half of Hornchurch Country Park and offers an opportunity to discover the wildlife whilst enjoying refreshments and a gift shop, run by a friendly team and wonderful volunteers who are passionate about providing fantastic customer service.

Our centres are not for profit making. All money raised goes directly back into managing conservation across Essex.

Time commitment

We are looking for meet and greet volunteers on:

  • Mondays 11am-3pm ideally
  • Sundays 1pm - 5 pm ideally

Our nature discovery centres are open all year round from 10:00am until 5:00pm (4:00pm in the winter months) except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. 

Location
Ingrebourne Valley Nature Discovery Centre, Hornchurch Country Park, Squadrons Approach, Hornchurch, Essex, RM12 6DF (Sat Nav RM12 6TS).

Role description

  • Welcoming visitors to the centre.
  • Discussing and sharing with guests the work of the Trust.
  • Discussing membership options.
  • Operating the till for retail and catering sales.
  • Restocking catering and retail shelves.

Specialist knowledge and experience
None.

Why volunteer and why this opportunity?
As well as the opportunity to make a significant contribution to a local wildlife charity, the role provides opportunities to develop skills and knowledge. It is also an opportunity to become part of a thriving community of over 1400 Essex Wildlife Trust Volunteers. This opportunity will allow you to get to know your local community well and connect with other Essex Wildlife Trust members and volunteers in your area.

Special conditions
All Essex Wildlife Trust volunteers are required to complete any essential training.

EDI Statement
Essex Wildlife Trust is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone is welcome. As a conservation charity, we know how important diversity is, both in our natural world and amongst the people who choose to volunteer with us. We want everyone to feel valued and empowered to contribute to our vision of “A county rich in wildlife with people connected to nature”.

Supporting Documents

Apply for this Volunteering Opportunity
Thank you for your interest in wishing to volunteer at Essex Wildlife Trust. 

Please note, you are unable to save and return to this form.

Please complete the following form as fully as possible. The information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Essex Wildlife Trust Privacy Notice & Data Protection Policy
Essex Wildlife Trust (“the Trust”) is a data controller and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (registration number: Z356243X). The Trust may process any personal data about you, including sensitive personal data, which will be used for the purposes of recruitment and volunteering, in accordance with the Trust’s Privacy Notice and Data Protection Policy essexwt.org.uk/privacy-policy.

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As we sometimes send out marketing related content in our mailings, we cannot add anyone under the age of 18 to our mailing lists. If you are under 18, please ask permission to use a parent or responsible adults email address to receive communications about the wider work of the Trust.

Please note, We cannot accept volunteer applications for any opportunity from those age 13 or younger. For Volunteer Work Parties, volunteers must be aged 18 or older.
 
Do you have any convictions which are unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974?

Holding an unspent conviction does not automatically exclude you from volunteering with Essex Wildlife Trust. We encourage you to discuss this with us by emailing volunteering@essexwt.org.uk. 

 
If yes, please provide details.
Are you eligible to volunteer in the UK?

If you are unsure whether you have the right to volunteer in the UK, we advise you to contact the UK Borders and Immigration Agency.

 
Please include any relevant skills, knowledge and experience.
 
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Thank you for completing this application.

What happens next

Your interest in this opportunity will be shared with the relevant Volunteer Manager for consideration. We invite prospective volunteers for a meet and greet with the Volunteer Manager and team to discuss the opportunity. Following this, if you would like to accept role, you will be asked to complete a volunteer registration form and complete any necessary training.

If you decide not to go ahead with a Volunteer opportunity or are unsuccessful, your application will be deleted.

Declaration

If selected to volunteer with Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT), I will support the aims and values of the organisation. I will abide by the Volunteer Code of Conduct and all relevant policy and procedure. In my capacity as a volunteer, I will act as an ambassador and safeguard the reputation of EWT. 

I understand that, if selected to volunteer, my details will be held on the EWT database in accordance with the EWT Privacy Policy and that this information will be used for purposes related to my volunteering only, unless I give my further consent. 

I understand that this is a voluntary agreement, not a legally binding contract nor an offer of employment, and that it may be cancelled at any time by either party.

I confirm that the information I have provided on this form is complete and accurate. I understand that any false statement or omission may disqualify me from volunteering. 

 

Opportunity type

Ingrebourne Nature Discovery Centre