The Royal Parks Foundation Is a Registered Charity, Launched in May 2003 s1

Job Title: Projects & Communications Assistant

Fixed term contract from March to October 2014, with the possibility of extension

Based in: Isis Education Centre, at the LookOut, Hyde Park

Salary: c £18,000 per year pro rata (according to experience) 25 days leave per annum pro rata, plus Public Holidays

Reports to: Projects Manager, Royal Parks Foundation

Supervised by: Communications Manager, Royal Parks Foundation

ROYAL PARKS FOUNDATION - WHO WE ARE:

The Royal Parks Foundation is the registered charity (no.1097545) that helps support the magic of London’s eight amazing Royal Parks for everyone to enjoy.

Established in 2003, the charity has helped raise more than £10m towards a wide variety of projects from wildlife conservation and heritage restoration, to community sport, education and the creative arts. Its projects include funding and building a £2.2m environmental education centre in Hyde Park, which opened in September 2011.

The small, energetic team of 17 people is based in the Isis Education Centre and works closely with The Royal Parks agency, the government body responsible for the day-to-day management of the Parks. The charity is supported by an active Chairman and Board of 13 Trustees.

The Royal Parks Foundation and its Trustees are committed to:

 Help protect, support and enhance the past, present and future of London’s eight Royal Parks and their rare and special assets

 Reach out to make the Parks more of people’s lives

 Help improve the Parks’ financial future 2

The Foundation’s objectives are to:

 Repair, restore, conserve and improve the Parks’ natural and built environment

 Promote broader public access to and enjoyment of the Royal Parks

 Educate, engage and inform the public about the past, present and future heritage of the Royal Parks and their role and value to society

 Encourage the protection of wildlife and support and increase biodiversity and promote sustainability

THE ROLE

A dynamic and hard-working self-starter, the Projects & Communications Assistant will provide support to both Projects and Communication teams with day-to-day tasks, helping deliver projects and communication campaigns on time and with a high quality output. This will require:  Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills

 Lots of multi-tasking and “roll-your-sleeves-up” action

 Excellent problem solving skills

 A positive proactive and supportive attitude

 Keeping relevant colleagues informed of progress

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF THE POST:

The Projects & Communications Assistant will: i) Help the Projects Manager to prepare and deliver specific Foundation initiatives. This may include: a. Team Squirrel: recruiting, enthusing and tracking a team of runners who support and fundraise for the Foundation in the Half Marathon, 50k Ultra and London Duathlon b. Winter Wonderland Charity Preview Night: selling preview wristbands to supporters as part of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts c. Corporate Volunteering: employees from private companies engage in volunteer opportunities in the Royal Parks d. Donations Boxes: a fundraising initiative for coin donations across the Royal Parks ii) Help the Communications Team with day-to-day communication activities as per the Foundation’s annual communication and marketing plan. This may include: 3

a. The Half Marathon and Ultra events, a yearly sports run for charity across the Royal Parks b. The Education & Community Engagement programme, with educational and learning experiences for schools, community groups and the public c. Park specific projects, such as DeckChair Dreams’ public art programme or Hedgehogs research initiative d. Fundraising appeal campaigns, to help generate income for the Foundation iii) Engage and work with volunteers and project participants as and when required, acting as an ambassador of the Foundation at all times

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

 Provide ‘hands on’ support to the Projects Manager in the production and delivery of initiatives such as Team Squirrel, Winter Wonderland Charity Preview Night, Corporate Volunteering and Donations Boxes

 Connect with volunteers, participants and supporters, keeping them informed and engaged in a proactive and consistent manner

 Maintain accurate and up to date administrative project records as requested by the Projects Manager

 Provide support to the Communications team with day-to-day administration and production of marketing materials to promote the Foundation’s events and activities

 Draft copy and publish regular email newsletters and internet content on our website and social media outlets as required

 Prepare content using CMS for the Foundation and partner organisations to promote our Education and Community Engagement activities

 Source and maintain all press clippings as required

 Monitor and stock all communication and marketing materials produced in house, keeping archives and databases up to date using manual and electronic systems

 Contribute to Foundation events as and when required

 Work on other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time

 Act as an ambassador of the Foundation at all times 4

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

The Royal Parks Foundation core values define the principles and ethos that are central to the way we operate as an organisation and the way we treat those with whom we come into contact. They inform what we do and how we do it; we expect every member of the team to commit to creating value for our supporters, partners and the communities we engage.

Every member of the team should live up to the following values:

 Responsibility  Enjoy creativity  High quality  Can – do attitude  Supportiveness  Ambition  Enjoyment  Resourcefulness  Dedication  Flexibility

In practice this means that every member of our team show a willingness to be flexible, to support other colleagues, who may be under pressure, and to have a cheerful, optimistic outlook.

In order to be considered for this post you will need to demonstrate that you already have the skills / experience shown overleaf. 5

Person Specification Criteria * Qualifications  Degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (marketing/communications, D project management or event production)  A clean and current UK driving License E Experience  Minimum 1 year of work experience supporting projects and or communications E  Experience in a customer facing role, engaging and liaising with visitors, E participants, audiences and or volunteers  Experience working or volunteering in charities and or social enterprises from D the heritage, wildlife, conservation and wellbeing sectors Skills  Excellent written / verbal communication skills and a confident phone manner E  Understanding of the project cycle and its key stages E  Understanding of communications and marketing functions E  Good copy writing skills for print and digital platforms D  Excellent IT skills, including operational use of the Microsoft Office suite, E databases, internet and social media channels  Good operational use of CMS, image editing and design software D  Impeccable attention to detail, with an accurate and methodical approach to E work  Proven ability to prioritise and organize a heavy workload effectively and E efficiently and meet deadlines, performing effectively under pressure  Target-driven, pro-active and resilient, with the ability to make sound judgments E about when to act on own initiative  Excellent interpersonal skills including problem solving, team working and a firm E commitment to delivering exceptional customer care  Flexible with a creative approach to work, able to provide support transversally E across teams  Willingness to “muck in” and be hands-on, even with the most tedious tasks E  Passionate about and committed to the environment, heritage and culture, as D well as health/fitness, especially relating to the outdoors

* E: Essential. D: Desirable 6

OUTLINE OF TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Job title: Projects & Communications Assistant

Fixed term contract from March to October 2014, with the possibility of extension

Hours: 40 hours per week plus 1 hour unpaid lunch worked over 5 days, Monday to Friday. Core hours of business are 10:00 to 16:00 with remaining working hours to be allocated before and or after this period based on the needs of the Foundation

Due to the nature of the work of the Royal Parks Foundation, members of the team support each other in the delivery of events and activities when needed and, if required, provide cover for evening and / or weekend work. Please note the Royal Parks Foundation applies a “time off in lieu” policy

Salary: c £18,000 per year pro rata (according to experience)

Probationary period: 1 month

Notice period: 1 week during probationary period, 1 month thereafter

Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays pro rata

Pension: Eligible to join pension arrangements after 3 months

HOW TO APPLY:

Please apply with CV and cover letter, linking your experience and skills to the Job Description and Person Specification, and explain why you want to work for the Royal Parks Foundation. Please email your application to: [email protected]

Deadline for applications: midnight, Sunday 26 January 2014

The Royal Parks Foundation is committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer 7