Residential Volunteer - Coombes Valley and Consall Woods

Duration 8 months

30 June 2025 to 27 February 2026

Why We Want You

If you have a passion for nature and conservation and are eager to learn and keen to share your enthusiasm for nature with others, then this is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills, gain experience and knowledge and get amazing insight into all aspects of nature reserve management.

We are looking for an enthusiastic residential volunteer to become a valued and essential member of our Coombes Valley and Consall Woods reserve team where you will make a big difference to our work. Throughout your stay with us you will receive guidance and support to develop your knowledge and learning and we will work with you to identify and achieve goals and skills.

You will be volunteering on two wonderful woodland reserves, each with a rich mixture of wood pasture, meadows, pools and mature woodland, nestled in steep valleys. These enchanting sites are important breeding grounds for both pied flycatchers and redstarts. As a residential volunteer, you will undertake all aspects of important reserve work from ensuring our visitors receive a warm welcome to maintaining the reserve infrastructure and carry out practical reserves work.

With nature the best way to learn is to experience it and be in it! Coombes and Consall are waiting for you.

What’s In It For You

As a residential volunteer you’ll live at the beautiful Coombes Valley alongside one other residential volunteer. Volunteers at Coombes Valley and Consall Woods become fully fledged team members, working alongside staff and other passionate volunteers. Our team has a wealth of experience and with their support you will gain first-hand experience of the daily operation of these woodland reserves.

This experience will include:

• Getting the chance to pass on your love of nature when you engage visiting members of the pubic, while helping in our small visitor centre.
• Improving your skills as you deliver practical estate management.
• Undertake routine site checks.
• Attending RSPB West Midlands area team meetings where you will meet members of the wider area team and learn about our conservation and community work in the West Midlands.
• Once you are confident to do so, being given responsibilities for leading volunteer teams.
• Appropriate training, including Lantra certificates for Brush Cutter and Sit astride ATV. First aid training will also be provided along with several in house training options including GIS mapping.
• A dedicated mentor will monitor your progress and help with personal development throughout your placement.

This whole experience is a great chance, whilst working within one of Europe’s largest conservation charities, for you to further develop your skills prior to starting a career in conservation.

Potential to stay beyond 8 months for further development.

Requirements

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• A full clean driving licence (manual vehicle)
• Excellent people and communication skills.
• Approachable personality.
• Ability to work as part of a team and on your own.
• Enthusiasm for wildlife and conservation (specialist knowledge not required)
• Ability to use Microsoft office.
• Prepared to undertake strenuous manual labour outside in all weathers.
• Happy to help with all essential day to day task, to make the reserves a special place for people and wildlife, from cleaning the visitor facilities to maintaining the workshop tools.

Notes

Interviews will be held on Friday 23 May 2025

All the training provided is free.

Free accommodation (including utility bills) is also provided in the form of an onsite house. This accommodation may be shared with one other person helping on the site. The house adjoins the Coombes Valley office, with lovely views over the surrounding countryside. The property is approximately 3 miles from Leek and unfortunately is not on a bus route.

For more information please contact:

Jon Rowe (Site Manager)

[email protected]