Active Forest Coordinator

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Hicks Lodge team to engage with our audiences and offer safe spaces for communities to visit.

You will be delivering our Feel Good in the Forest programme, with a focus at Hicks Lodge, Leicestershire but also at our other National Forest woodlands including Sence Valley, Leicestershire and Dimmingsdale, Staffordshire.

Feel Good in the Forest is part of the Active Forests programme. As an Active Forests co-ordinator, you will have the unique opportunity to curate a diverse programme of physical activity, health, and wellbeing experiences for new and returning visitors. Together, we will enhance the wellbeing of our visitors by promoting physical activity and fostering meaningful connections to nature.

Working closely with local communities and partners, volunteers, and instructors, you’ll lead on enabling activity offers including socially prescribed yoga sessions, mindful walks, physical activity sessions and events suitable for people with mild-to-moderate health conditions.

You will play a key part in the Hicks Lodge Forest Centre team, providing site support and cover including weekends.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

• Develop and implement engaging physical activity, health, and wellbeing experiences for visitors and communities.
• Encourage meaningful connections between individuals and nature by innovative programming.
• Collaborate with a passionate team to enhance the overall wellbeing of our visitors.
• Prepare to make a lasting impact in our vibrant forest environment!

Here's a snapshot of your responsibilities:

• Delivery: you will spearhead the site’s sustainable, customer-focused physical activity and wellbeing programmes. They will bolster Forestry England's social, environmental, and financial goals encouraging a thriving community and conserving the nation’s forests. develop and implement engaging physical activity, health, and wellbeing experiences for visitors and communities with mild to moderate health conditions. You will encourage meaningful connections between individuals and nature by innovative programming.
• Site support: As part of the Hicks Lodge team you will carry out site checks, supervise visitor service officers and provide some weekend cover
• Monitoring and evaluation: you will be responsible for making sure our programmes are effective and efficient. This involves collecting valuable data through innovative techniques, leveraging social media platforms, to enhance and refine the Active Forests Programme's activities.
• Manage stakeholder relationships: build strong relationships with external partners, tenants, and concession operators. Collaborate with local agencies, such as the Active Partnership, and local physical activity, wellbeing providers and networks. Social prescribers, GPs, charities supporting those with mild to moderate health conditions
• Represent Forestry England: participate in stakeholder meetings, events, and conferences to showcase Forestry England’s great work and foster community engagement.
• Maintain health and safety: co-ordinate emergency procedures, provide first aid, complete accident and incident reports, and follow health and safety guidelines.
• Promote responsible visitor behaviour: Communicate with visitors about responsible visitor behaviour and professionally manage and resolve potential conflicts.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Working in a public-facing role delivering high-quality customer service requiring excellent spoken and written communication skills in person and using a variety of digital platforms
• Previous experience of developing relationships and working effectively with internal and external partners, including proven ability to forge and maintain strong networks / partnerships
• An open and collaborative approach that listens to and responds to the needs of people from all backgrounds • excellent team working skills and the ability to work with dispersed team members
• Practical understanding of health and safety best practices and a commitment to a positive health and safety culture in an outdoor environment
• Competent IT user with experience in MS Office suite of applications

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Demonstrable experience of implementing robust quantitative and qualitative evaluation processes that show positive outcomes for health and wellbeing – not just counting numbers
• Existing contacts with local services / networks for inclusion and wellbeing in Leicestershire and/or Derbyshire and/or Staffordshire
• Experience of co-ordinating or delivering physical activities or events including experience of working with physical activity or health providers
• Experience of working with audiences facing physical or mental health issues or social exclusion

Qualifications

Essential

• Full UK driving licence
• A GSCE in Maths and English or functional skill equivalent

Desirable

• A suitable qualification (e.g. degrees, NVQ level 4, HND or relevant post-graduate qualification) in a relevant subject area (e.g. recreation or sporting subject, community work, youth, social care) or equivalent experience in sport, social prescribing or health and wellbeing sectors)
• First aid

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,105, Forestry Commission contributes £8,721 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

How to a