Volunteering opportunities - Leadership & Advocacy

This role involves being invited to visit gardens to give encouraging advice and guidance on how to create and improve spaces for wildlife. This is an advisory role; you will not be asked to complete practical gardening tasks. We are not currently recruiting for this role. 

Currently recruiting!

This is a flexible opportunity for anyone who wants to share their love of the nature world and help others to connect with nature. Whether you’re short on time or have lots to give, you can get involved. You don’t need to be an expert; we just need your enthusiasm! 

We know that for large scale societal change to take place, we need at least 1 in 4 people acting in support of nature.  To raise awareness and encourage more individuals to get involved, we will need to reach thousands of people every year, across Somerset, including through a series of engaging events. 

This could include guided walks around reserves, species ID and recording events, beach cleans or building homes for nature and talks focused on British nature recovery projects. 

As a volunteer it is up to you how much time you give, but we ask that for this role you lead or support with at least one event a year. 

Tasks involved in this will vary depending on the events you choose to hold but could include: 

• Contacting speakers or guided walk leaders 

• Booking a venue 

• Staying in touch with other local volunteers to coordinate plans 

• Local publicity i.e. putting up posters (template available) 

• Set-up and pack down of events 

• Taking admission fees, signing people in, talking to members of the public and being an ambassador for our work 

Please email volunteering@somersetwildlife.org. 

Currently recruiting!

From time-to-time Somerset Wildlife Trust receive requests to deliver talks or attend events across the county for organisations such as the WI, scouts and village environment groups. These are fantastic opportunities to engage with the community and involve people in creating a Wilder Somerset. Speaker fees from events go directly back into supporting our wider nature recovery work. 

We're looking for volunteers to help support us deliver this important engagement work. We receive requests from across the county, so you'll need to have access to your own transport and be comfortable travelling to attend events or talks. You will need to enjoy engaging with others and be a confident public speaker - happy talking to a wide range of audiences. And of course, you’ll be passionate about creating a Wilder Somerset! 

We will provide template presentations and some additional resources. You don't need to be a wildlife expert, but a good general knowledge of British wildlife and familiarity with the work of Somerset Wildlife Trust is essential. We will support you to promote and deliver talks, which typically last for 40 minutes with time after for questions. The presentations are delivered using a PowerPoint presentation (which we provide, along with a projector if required), along with accompanying notes.

Please email volunteering@somersetwildlife.org. 

Through our Youth Forum we support an amazing group of young people to have a voice within the charity and the environmental politics and policy of Somerset. 

If you would like to find out more about our Youth Forum, please email our Wilder Youth Officer Siân on sian.bentley@somersetwildlife.org.  For updates on our youth work follow our youth Instagram, @wilderyouthswt. 

We are not currently recruiting for a Trustee.

Trustees are vital to the smooth running of SWT. They ensure that the organisation is pursuing its stated objectives, that we are complying with relevant legislation and regulations and applying our resources correctly to mention a few. Trustees volunteer for a term of three years, with potential to renew, and attend several Council meetings throughout the year, plus our AGM.

We are hosting an event to survey wildlife at Brides Field, Brides Mound and Chapel Field, Beckery on Saturday 3rd May 2025. There will also be nature and wellbeing activities and information stalls from other local organisations in the Red Brick Building. Could you help us ensure the smooth running of this fun and action-packed day?

We are looking for people who are flexible and happy to just muck-in and do what is needed to help the day run smoothly.  This could include anything from signing people in for surveys, escorting them to the survey site (includes walking down a single-track road), helping stall holders set up tables, litter-picking, supporting craft activities, etc.  

We need support 8am-8pm, although this will probably be broken down into 3 shifts of 4-4.5 hours (8.00am-12.30pm; 12.00pm-4.30pm; and 4.00pm-8.00pm).  We will provide hot drinks and biscuits in the morning and afternoon and a light lunch as a thank you.

This event is part of the Bogs and Bitterns project.  It is funded by the Species Survival Fund and Glastonbury Town Deal. We are grateful to Friends of Brides Mound and South West Heritage Trust for allowing us access to their land for the event.

If you have any questions or would like to sign-up, please contact alicia.hallatt@somersetwildlife.org.