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;
(*Substantial is more than minor or trivial **Long-term means 12 months or more)
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.
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.
INDMED
The Company
The Company has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. We have a vast number of employees, and provide support to clients from all over the country. Recently, the company has won multiple workplace environment awards and has an outstanding record of employee satisfaction.
The Benefits
Benefit 1
Benefit 2
Benefit 3
Benefit 4
The Values
Innovation
We are creative and fearless in our work.
Accountability
We take ownership of our work and lead from the front.
Teamwork
We collaborate widely and build supportive environments.
So what do we offer to our employees?
Well most importantly you get to work in one of the most magnificent parts of the UK! Here in Hampshire we have globally important wetlands around the coastline of the Solent and medieval heathland landscapes in the New Forest. Our thriving cities and suburbs are surrounded by exceptional places for wildlife including gin-clear chalk rivers, flower-rich grasslands and ancient woodlands. And our jewel in the crown is the Isle of Wight where you can walk all day across downland turf and along spectacular cliffs. That’s our working environment and you could share it with us!
Pay
Whether you are Reserves Officer shaping habitats for wildlife or a Finance Officer crunching the numbers, you are vital to the achievement of our vision for a wilder future. We want to make sure that you stay with us and feel valued, recognised and rewarded. So we benchmark our salaries against similar organisations to make sure we offer a competitive salary for all. We are also a living wage employer.
Pension
Securing your future is as important to us as securing the future for wildlife!
All our employees are auto-enrolled into our pension scheme. Those on permanent contracts, or fixed term contracts for over 2 years, receive 8% contribution from the Trust with an employee contribution of 2%.
Those on temporary or shorter termed contracts are auto-enrolled onto our NEST pension scheme, receiving a 3% contribution from the Trust and paying 5% themselves.
Holidays
Whether you want to hibernate or travel south for the winter, you will receive 25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays each year (pro-rated for part time staff). Your holiday entitlement will increase with your length of service to a maximum of 30 days per year.
Flexible Working
As we work to tip the balance in favour of nature, we are keen to ensure that our employees have a healthy work life balance too. We are always ready to talk to staff about ways we may be able to support this. We have a number of staff who work part time, from home and have flexible working patterns.
Health and Wellbeing
Like nature, should you need support to recover, we offer enhanced sick pay above your statutory entitlement.
We also fund counselling sessions for employees who would like help with their mental health and wellbeing as part of our Employee Assistance Programme.
Learning and Development
We ensure that wildlife has a habitat to thrive in and we do the same for our staff. We commit to ensuring that our employees have the skills, knowledge and experience they need in order to excel at their role. We recognise talent and actively support professional and career development.
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.
Based on our gender pay gap calculations, on average (median) men and women are paid equally at the Trust and our mean calculations report that on average women get paid slightly more than men.
Our Values
Our values are at the heart of who we are and what we do – they propel our culture and shape our priorities, beliefs, and actions. They underpin the decisions we make and are fundamental to how we treat one another and our stakeholders.
Passion
We are inspired by our love for nature and driven by our cause. We are relentless in the pursuit of our Vision and Mission.
Integrity
Honesty and ethics underpin our work. We understand that our individual and collective actions form the essence of our reputation and trustworthiness as an environmental NGO.
Respect
We value our people and treat everyone with dignity and professionalism.
Inclusion
Collectively and as individuals we recognise that it takes people with different ideas, strengths, identities, interests, and cultural backgrounds to make our organisation succeed.
Commitment
We are committed to doing our best for each other and for nature. We persevere through difficulties and setbacks, maintaining our commitment even in the face of challenges.
Collaboration
We support each other and our stakeholders. We feel motivation in shared success as well as individual progress.
Excellence
We are committed to continuous improvement, adapting, and evolving to meet and exceed the expectations of our stakeholders.
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Interested in working for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust but no current vacancies suitable for you? Click below to return to the jobs page and use the button in the top right corner to register for job alerts.
As defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Hampshire Wildlife Trust is the Data Controller and ultimately responsible for ensuring the data you provide is kept secure, processed correctly and that you understand your legal rights in relation to the data you provide.
The recruitment software we use via this website is supplied by IRIS Software Group Limited and they are defined as a Data Processor under the GDPR. They will only process your data in accordance with our instructions.
IRIS can be contacted at: 4th Floor Heathrow Approach, 470 London Road, Slough, England, SL3 8QY
For Data Protection enquiries, please contact the Help Desk at support@networxrecruitment.com
As part of any recruitment process, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (“the Trust”, “we”, “us”) collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. The Trust is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations.
Legal basis of processing
The legal basis for processing your personal data is:
contractual: it is necessary to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract for employment. This relates to information that we collect as part of the application and selection process.
consent: Where the Trust processes special categories of data, such as information about ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health, religion or belief, age, gender or marital status, this is done for the purposes of equal opportunities monitoring with the explicit consent of job applicants. If we rely on your consent to process your personal information for the purposes of recruitment, you have the right to withdraw your consent for processing for that purpose at any time by contacting by contacting recruitment@hiwwt.org.uk
legitimate interests: We have a legitimate interest in processing personal data during the recruitment process and for keeping records of the process, and for statistical analysis. Processing data from job applicants allows us to manage the recruitment process, assess and confirm a candidate's suitability for employment and decide to whom to offer a job. We may also need to process data from job applicants to respond to and defend against legal claims. Where our processing of your information is based solely on our legitimate interests (or those of a third party), you have the right to object to that processing if you give us specific reasons why you are objecting, which are based on your particular situation.
Legal obligation: In some cases, the Trust needs to process data to ensure that it is complying with its legal obligations. For example, it is required to check a successful applicant's eligibility to work in the UK before employment starts.
Where the Trust relies on legitimate interests as a reason for processing data, it has considered whether those interests are overridden by the rights and freedoms of job applicants, employees or workers and has concluded that they are not.
What information does the Trust collect?
The Trust collects a range of information about you. This includes, but is not limited to:
Your name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone number;
CV (if applicable)
Details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history;
Whether you have a disability for which the Trust needs to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process (defined as special category data);
Health information if it needs to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process for candidates who have a disability. This is to carry out its obligations and exercise specific rights in relation to employment.
Information about your entitlement to work in the UK; and
Equal opportunities monitoring information, including information about your gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health, and religion or belief (defined as special categories data).
Information about criminal convictions and offences (as relevant to the role). Where the Trust seeks this information, it does so because it is necessary for it to comply with a regulatory requirement to establish whether an individual has committed an unlawful act or been involved in dishonesty or other improper conduct.
The Trust will also collect personal data about you from third parties, such as references supplied by former employers, information from employment background check providers, and information from criminal records checks. The Trust will seek information from third parties only once a job offer to you has been made and will inform you that it is doing so.
How does the Trust collect the data?
The Trust collects this information in a variety of ways. For example, data might be contained in application forms, CVs or resumes, obtained from your passport or other identity documents, or collected through interviews or other forms of assessment, including online tests where applicable.
Where is the data stored and for how long?
Data will be stored in a range of different places, including on your application record, in HR management systems, the recruitment platform, and on other IT systems (including email).
If your application is unsuccessful, we will store your application data for 12 months after the vacancy has closed and may be used to contact you about other vacancies. At the end of that period, or once you withdraw your consent, your data is deleted or destroyed.
If your application for employment is successful, personal data gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file and retained during your employment. The periods for which your data will be held will be provided to you in a new privacy notice.
Who has access to data?
Your information will be shared internally for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes members of the HR team, interviewers involved in the recruitment process, managers in the business area with a vacancy and IT staff if access to the data is necessary for the performance of their roles.
The Trust will not share your data with third parties unless your application for employment is successful and it makes you an offer of employment. The Trust will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you, employment background check providers to obtain necessary background checks and the Disclosure and Barring Service to obtain necessary criminal records checks.
The Trust will not transfer your data outside the UK.
How does the Trust protect data?
The Trust takes the security of your data seriously. It has internal policies and controls in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused, or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our employees in the proper performance of their duties.
How can I access the information you hold about me? Your rights
We are dedicated to providing reasonable access to visitors who wish to review the personal information retained when they apply via our website site and correct any inaccuracies it may contain. If you choose to register, you may access your profile, correct, and update your details, or withdraw your details at any time. To do this, you can access your personal profile by using the secure login. In all cases we will treat requests to access information or change information in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
As a data subject, you have several rights. You can:
access and obtain a copy of your data on request;
require the Trust to change incorrect or incomplete data;
require the Trust to delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary for the purposes of processing;
object to the processing of your data where the Trust is relying on its legitimate interests as the legal ground for processing; and
ask the Trust to stop processing data for a period if data is inaccurate or there is a dispute about whether your interests override the Trust's legitimate grounds for processing data.
If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact Natasha Thorneloe on Tel; 01489 774400 or by email at: recruitment@hiwwt.org.uk
Within your candidate account, you can also use the Download Data feature to generate an XML file of the current data we hold about you that you have provided and/or have access to within the account.
Where you exercise your right to object or withdraw your consent, we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent where we are permitted or required by law or regulatory requirements to do so. In such a case, we will not process more personal data than is required under the circumstances.
If you are not satisfied by our actions, you can seek recourse through our internal complaints procedure by contacting: recruitment@hiwwt.org.uk
If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner (www.ico.org.uk) or seek recourse through the courts.
If you believe that the Trust has not complied with your data protection rights, you can complain to the Information Commissioner.
What if you do not provide personal data?
You are under no statutory or contractual obligation to provide data to the Trust during the recruitment process. However, if you do not provide the information, the Trust may not be able to process your application properly or at all. If your application is successful, it will be a condition of any job offer that you provide evidence of your right to work in the UK, satisfactory references, and, depending on role, a criminal records check.
You are under no obligation to provide information for equal opportunities monitoring purposes and there are no consequences for your application if you choose not to provide such information.
Updating of this Policy
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust can exercise the right to update this policy as and when required.
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