Trainee Wilder Schools and Communities Officer

Part Time – 21 Hours per Week (0.6 FTE)

Salary: £22,932 pro rata gross per annum

Fixed Term Contract for 2 Years

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 Trainee Wilder Schools and Communities Officer to join our cause.

This role will help children, families, schools and communities connect with nature and take action in support of wildlife. Our education and engagement work plays a pivotal role in our efforts to create a wilder Hampshire and Isle of Wight. We know that wildlife is in freefall both locally and globally and we need many more people on nature’s side if we are to tip the balance in favour of nature’s recovery.

Based at Testwood Lakes Nature Reserve, this new role will work with schools, groups, communities and visitors from the surrounding area.

Testwood Lakes is one of the Wildlife Trust’s flagship reserves. It is a popular destination for the public and provides essential access to nature for those living in Totton and Southampton, as well as visitors from further afield. This is a multifunctional site used for angling, recreation and dog walking, as well as providing essential habitat and sanctuary areas for wildlife. The Education Centre provides space for visiting school groups as well as meeting space and at weekend hosts a variety of children and family activities.

This role will help us to engage more deeply with the communities surrounding the nature reserve, including local schools – inspiring and motivating them to take positive action, value the nature reserve and be part of ‘Team Wilder’. Our Wilder Schools approach has been developing over the past few years, building on our excellent track record of outdoor education at our sites. This role will support work with local schools, providing advice, guidance and educational sessions both in school and on-site at Testwood Lakes.

The post holder will also support building positive relationships and work closely with local organisations and residents/visitors to make a real difference to people’s connection with nature and encourage pro-nature behaviour change, both on-site and in the wider community.

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.

Interview Date: 21 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.