Wilder Communities Officer (Testwood)

Wilder Communities Officer (Testwood)
Part Time – 25 per Week Salary: £29,190 pro rata gross per annum
Fixed Term Contract until the end of March 2030
Location: Testwood Lakes, Brunel Road, Calmore, Totton, Hampshire, SO40 3WX

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is a grassroots movement working for nature’s recovery and to bring people closer to nature.

‘Our vision for a wilder future is beautiful and vital!’

Our future has to be wilder!

We are seeking a Wilder Communities Officer (Testwood) to join our cause.

To succeed in putting nature in recovery, we need more people on nature’s side – to support the Trust, to take action themselves and to persuade others to do things differently.

The science suggests that to create a social tipping point in society where we can turn things around for climate and wildlife, we need 1 in 4 people to take meaningful action in support of the natural world. As part of the Testwood team, this role will use community organising approaches to support the community to take action for nature, on and around one of the Trust’s flagship reserves, Testwood Lakes.

Testwood Lakes Nature Reserve is a popular destination for the public and provides an important countryside destination in close proximity to Totton and Southampton. Part of the reserve is a multifunctional site providing access and use for angling, recreation and dog walkers. Our Education Centre provides space for visiting school groups, and at weekends, hosts a variety of children and family activities.

The post holder will work with Trust staff, other charities and communities to make a real difference to people’s connection with nature. They will play an active role in managing and developing excellent relationships and support in behaviour change of visitors. The role supports positive community engagement and action for nature as well as actively supporting site management. Positive and confident engagement is a necessity to promote the wildlife importance of the reserve and Trust’s interests while reinforcing responsible use of the site.

Wild About Inclusion!

As an inclusive employer we recognise that our workforce needs to better reflect the communities in which we live and work. We encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly those underrepresented within our sector, including people from black, Asian, minority Ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a Movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities.

Disability Confident. We are proudly a Disability Confident Committed employer. The scheme is helping us recruit and retain great people to meet our workforce needs. As a member of the scheme, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. You can request adjustments including accessible formats of this vacancy by emailing us. To be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme you must:

• Identify as being disabled which under the Equality Act 2010 means a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial*, long term** adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day to day activities; or a long-term health condition; and;
• Set out how you meet all the minimum qualifying criteria set out in the person specification for the post at the application and testing stages. This is a requirement for all candidates, not just those applying under the scheme.

(*Substantial is more than minor or trivial **Long-term means 12 months or more) We offer a wide range of benefits including a competitive salary, generous annual leave allowance, a contributory pension scheme, life assurance, learning and development support, 24-hour access to our employee assistance programme, discounted staff travel with our corporate partners Wightlink (subject to T&Cs) and more.

Closing date: 02 November 2025
Interviews: 13 November 2025

To apply for the role, please click on the 'Apply Now' button at the top of the page. In the ‘supporting information’ section, you’ll need to demonstrate, with detailed examples, how you meet the job requirements using the Job Description and Recruitment Pack below. Please note that we may occasionally close vacancies early when we have received enough applications that meet the required criteria.

Please do not use artificial intelligence tools to assist you to complete the application form. We may not accept applications that have been completed utilising AI tools. If you would usually use tools such as these to assist you in filling in a form, please contact us to discuss this further and understand other options.