Are you passionate about the importance of green spaces within our communities? Do you have an interest in gardening? Do you have the knowledge, skills and experience to lead an organisation that is playing an important role within the community? This year Amisfield Preservation Trust (Amisfield Walled Garden) celebrates its 25th year anniversary. We are looking to recruit a new Chair who can lead the organisation forward to the next stage in its development.

About Amisfield Preservation Trust

Amisfield Preservation Trust provides a regenerative community space (Amisfield Walled Garden) just outside of Haddington for a wide range of groups. The project is volunteer led. Since project inception, volunteers have recreated a beautiful, historic and peaceful 8 acre walled garden which had fallen into disrepair. The project helps improve the life chances of those most vulnerable in our community, through support for individuals with barriers to employment; drives inclusion through involving volunteers with a range of additional support needs; promotes learning through educational activities for school groups with their teachers, and for the general public through a variety of training events; helps the community to flourish through increased social connection and regenerative activities that improve mental and physical wellbeing and resilience and help increase pride in the local community and place. Amisfield Walled Garden is a beautiful, tranquil garden. We are a 3 star Visit Scotland attraction which is open to the public (free of charge) for 6 days in the week.

We are looking for a volunteer Chair to lead the Amisfield Preservation Trust, the small charity that looks after the garden. The role involves working with our volunteer Board of Directors, Volunteer Coordinator, Wellbeing and Outreach worker and garden volunteers to ensure that the garden continues to play an important and much-loved role at the heart of the local community.

The qualities and experience we’re looking for in our new Chair are:

• An enthusiasm for gardening (whether amateur or professional)
• Great leadership skills
• A real sense of community, with great networks across the county or a willingness to create them
• Knowledge or experience of the voluntary/charitable sector
• Somebody comfortable with being the public face of the garden
• Ideally somebody based locally in East Lothian or willing to travel to Haddington.

Chair Role Description

Specific duties:

• Organising and Chairing monthly Amisfield Preservation Trust Board meetings
• Promoting good governance amongst fellow Board members and ensuring activity is in line with the garden’s charitable purposes
• Leading the Board in planning and coordinating a programme of garden developments and improvements
• Leading the Board in planning and coordinating a range of community events
• Working with fellow Board members to support and manage the garden’s two employees.
• Contributing to regular communications to the garden’s volunteers, supporters and stakeholders across email, the website and social media
• Being a key contact for the garden for stakeholders, funders and donors, including East Lothian Council
• Working with fellow Board members to compile applications for funding and collate impact reports to funders
• Representing the garden in the local media and with stakeholders across East Lothian

There are currently 8 members of the Board. The Chair role will be for a term of three years, with an initial probationary period of six months.

It’s a very exciting time to join the Ramblers. We have been instrumental in helping Britain experience the great outdoors for almost 90 years. But we are looking to the future, not the past.

We know not everyone has the same access to the outdoors, so we’re continue to fight for change. We campaign, protect paths and lead walks so no matter who you are, you can enjoy the benefits of getting out into the fresh air and wide-open spaces.

We need your drive, knowledge, skills, and creativity to help us raise awareness of the Ramblers and what we stand for, helping the charity grow its supporter base and meet our brand goals. Ultimately, you will help open up the joys and wellbeing benefits of walking to many more people.

About us

You might know us for our group walks, thousands of which take place every week across England, Scotland and Wales.

But there’s a lot more to the Ramblers. Since 1935, we’ve been fighting for the public’s right to enjoy Britain’s landscapes. We do it through campaigning for changes in legislation, opening up green routes in cities, maintaining paths and signposts, saving lost paths … and so much more.

Purpose of Role

We are looking for someone to help us shape public policy in Scotland in a way that ensures everyone can enjoy access to the outdoors. We want your help to make sure that those who currently have the least access are enabled to overcome the barriers they face, because they have the most to gain. You will help us engage with formal policy making processes, but also with the broader networks through which public policy is informed and shaped. You will become a key member of the small team that drives our public campaigning in Scotland.

The role

Key Responsibilities:

• Become the leading expert on access to the outdoors in Scotland and use your expertise to help make access more equitable.
• Create Ramblers Scotland policy and engage with formal opportunities to shape public policy.
• Develop and maintain high level professional relationships on behalf of the organisation to influence key stakeholders.
• Help Ramblers position itself in the Scottish public policy space and shape our campaign priorities.
• Develop and support a network of campaign volunteers and build their capacity.

The person

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• Good knowledge of policy issues relating to walking and the walking environment in Scotland or related policy areas.
• Proven ability to use your knowledge of Scottish political systems and structures to conduct effective advocacy.
• Line management of staff and/or volunteers or leading project teams.
• Ability to develop strong, collaborative relationships with stakeholder

Desirable:

• Ability to travel throughout Scotland and occasionally across Britain, full driver’s license and access to a car
• An active and demonstrable interest in walking and engaging people with the outdoors

The Ramblers promote diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Values and Behaviours

Our values are the core principles that guide us daily in our work and our membership of the Ramblers. We all share the passion that walking is for everyone and by living our shared values we can ensure the Ramblers is an organisation to be proud of. Our values will earn trust for the Ramblers brand which will allow us to open up a world of walking opportunities for even more people.

Inclusive– We make everyone feel welcome and part of the Ramblers community. We make sure we all feel respected and accepted and know our contributions make a difference in achieving our mission.

Inspiring– We strive to inspire people through the way we act and the things we say. We channel our passion and ambition so others are moved to help us achieve our mission.

Empowering– We empower and encourage each other to make a positive contribution to our teams and the Ramblers. We do all we can to make sure everyone has the ability, and feels confident, to take action.

Responsible– We take responsibility for ourselves and those around us seriously, by always acting in a safe and supportive way. We care about the environment and make sure we do what we say we will do.

The role of ECCAN’s Members Support and Events Lead is dynamic and multifaceted, serving as an important bridge between the members and the organisation. Operating within Edinburgh's four localities, this person will frequently travel and be the primary point of contact for the network’s members, offering project development support and enabling groups to take forward their ideas.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who is passionate about community engagement to support the development of community climate action plans, climate resilience plans, or local place planning for groups, organisations, and neighbourhoods in Edinburgh.

You will be a hands-on, adaptable and approachable coordinator who can diligently curate and distribute resources, ensuring their relevance and accessibility for ECCAN’s membership while also designing and administering feedback mechanisms to sustain member participation.

This will include planning and delivering in ECCAN’s in person and virtual events of different scales throughout the year and building capacity of member organisations to deliver compelling climate and social justice activities of their own.

This will involve conducting outreach talks and workshops for groups, managing and collaborating effectively with volunteers, liaising with speakers and trainers, and delivering sessions on carbon literacy and other pertinent topics across Edinburgh's localities.

Hours of Work: 28 hours a week flexible with some evening / weekend work (for which time off in lieu is provided). Potential for job share or compressed hours.

Additional Requirements: The post holder will be subject to a Disclosure Scotland check.

Location: You will be based in member premises in the heart of the city, working closely with other agencies and colleagues across Edinburgh. Flexible hot desking is possible in various community locations as well as home working.

Responsible to: ECCAN Network Lead

The energy crisis, higher winter energy prices and climate change impacts are a concern for anyone living in rural Scotland. We have an exciting opportunity in the Home Energy Scotland Highlands & Islands team for a self-motivated individual to provide energy advice and support to householders in Orkney to manage these impacts on their lives.

As our new Home Energy Officer, you will have the drive and capability to advise householders on energy efficiency, renewables and affordable warmth to help them keep their homes warm as high energy costs continue to impact on the cost of living.

You will provide clear, independent and impartial advice to support householders to make informed decisions to save energy and carbon. If you are an excellent communicator, numerate and with a good knowledge of energy use in the home you will be well suited to this role. There will be a requirement to travel, sometimes overnight. You must be able to work well within the team, as well as work effectively on your own to help achieve team targets.

If you are passionate about low carbon living, we are keen to hear from you. Full training will be given.

Specific working pattern and hours are negotiable.

Changeworks is a great place to work. We hold Investors in People Platinum accreditation (something only a few organisations in Scotland have), and we were nominated for employer of the year by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce this year. Our staff overwhelmingly would recommend us as an employer too.

The Climate Emergency has resulted in ambitious national targets to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment and reduce rates of fuel poverty. This has driven a significant increase in the number of pilot and large-scale interventions delivered by Changeworks and external organisations in this area. These include area-based domestic energy efficiency retrofit and decarbonisation projects and programmes.

We are a growing organisation, and this role is crucial to the delivery of our ambitious objectives. We want to decarbonise homes in Scotland on a massive scale, and that needs talented individuals like you to help us deliver on our objectives. You’ll receive full training plus coaching and mentoring.

We offer a wide range of staff benefits including flexible working, bike to work scheme, an excellent pension scheme and 26 days paid holiday plus 9 public holidays per year.

At Changeworks, we welcome and encourage applications from everyone.