Fife Coast & Countryside Trust
Volunteer Information Pack
Contents Page
1. What's it all about? 3
2. Who are we? 3
3. Health and safety 4
4. What’s Involved? 5
5. What happens now? 5
i. Guidance on completing the application Form 6
ii. Additional Information 6
iii. Volunteering Opportunity Profiles 7-10
1. What's it all about?
Thank you for showing an interest in becoming a volunteer with Fife Coast & Countryside Trust (FCCT) in Fife.
Volunteers are an important and much appreciated part of our role and are at the heart of what we do: working with local people for local people in our local environment. You can benefit enormously from volunteering with us and as a volunteer you will be able to learn new skills or develop existing ones. This can sometimes help in finding paid work in related fields by gaining valuable experience. Volunteering with us is also a great way to socialise with like minded people and work as part of a team. Your mental and physical health will also benefit from the rewarding and often physical work and above all you will be making a real contribution to Fife’s countryside, benefiting all those who live in and enjoy our region.
Our volunteer opportunities include practical conservation work such as tree planting or woodland work, gathering and managing information and working directly with people (e.g. schools, community groups, general public).
We get a great deal from volunteers too….in addition to the work you complete we can learn from your knowledge and your experience, applying this to the benefit of Fife’s countryside.
Again thank you for your interest and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Caroline Collie
Volunteer Coordinator
Tel: 01592 656089
2. Who are we?
Fife Coast and Countryside Trust officially came into being on 1st March 2001 with the Chief Executive, Amanda McFarlane appointed in June 2002. It is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status (charity number SC031247). It is also VAT registered (VAT No 828 8251 03).
The objectives of FCCT are:
The conservation, preservation and improvement of the countryside and access to said countryside in the Fife local Government area for the benefit of the public at large to advance their education and provide recreation facilities by:
· Providing, developing and improving the facilities of the countryside and of the natural resources of Fife
· Seeking to preserve and conserve the heritage of Fife including its landscape, wildlife, history and culture
· Interpreting and encouraging informed, responsible public access to the landscape and the wildlife resources of Fife
· Securing the sustainable use, management and enjoyment of the countryside of Fife
The Trust is governed by a Board of Directors and has 39 staff. Amanda McFarlane is the Chief Executive and has been in post since its inception.
3. Insurance / Health & Safety
Many of the policies and procedures that affect staff of the Trust also apply to you…eg Discrimination, Health & Safety, Equality ….
Your Ranger / Project worker will take every effort to ensure that all health and safety policies are followed and you are properly inducted and supervised to ensure your personal wellbeing. However, if you feel uncomfortable or uncertain at any time please let us know.
Volunteers are covered under Public Liability insurance and under the motor vehicle insurance policy held by FCCT for Trust vehicles, where applicable. Details of which are given below.
INSURANCE INFORMATION
Public Liability – Encompass Scheme Policy Number RNN669645
Ref: FIFE59CS01
Limit of Indemnity £5,000,000 0 Expiry August 2013
Employer’s Liability – Encompass Scheme Policy Number RNN669645
Ref: FIFE59CS01
Limit of Indemnity - £10,000,000
Vehicle Fleet Insurance = AXA Insurance plc Policy No. YB FLE 1893905
22 vehicles insured (including trailers and quad bike)
Excess = £250 (if driver under 25 years of age excess of £400 applies)
Windscreen excess = £50
All insurances managed via Keegan and Pennykid, 50 Queen Street, Edinburgh DH2 3NS
4. What’s Involved?
Volunteering with FCCT is wide and varied. It can often depend upon your individual skill, interest and capabilities. However the work expected can probably be divided in to three broad areas: Conservation, Education and Field Survey.
Conservation & Access Volunteer
The Conservation role involves the physical management of Fife's countryside and usually involves getting dirty! The range of works can include cutting down trees, planting; hedging work, building and putting up bird and bat boxes; making otter holts; cleaning ponds and maintaining footpaths. It can also include doing litter clean-ups. Usually these jobs need a certain degree of fitness and the use of hand tools - saws and other sharp edged tools. Jobs can be far from a road and can involve a long walk carrying heavy and awkward loads… and it may be raining too! Full instruction in the use of all tools and techniques is given before the start, even if you have used them previously, and appropriate protective clothing, such as gloves and hard hats, are issued.
The Access role helps us cover the Lomond hills Regional Park during busy times at weekends and holidays. They carry out the patrolling function by meeting people and ensuring everybody's safe, dispensing information and guidance and enforcing bylaws. Obviously a much fuller training and induction is given for these positions which takes place over several weeks. You may be asked to attend First Aid training for this role.
Education Volunteer
The second major area of volunteering involves working closely with people. Again this is varied, one minute you may be helping with a pre-school group looking for “signs of spring”, next with a Primary 7 school group pond dipping and then possibly helping the public get the best out of Fife’s countryside by providing information or talks. You are likely to be working alongside people of all ages and capabilities. Like the practical tasks, full instruction and guidance is given beforehand and you won’t be asked to do something you are not comfortable doing. This volunteer role may require that you have an Enhanced Disclosure Check carried out.
Field Survey Volunteer
The third area of the volunteering role is gathering information vital for us to protect and enhance Fife’s countryside. This can include collating new information on Fife’s countryside through partnerships with other organisations and groups, adding new species and habitat information for our databases. Your role may involve surveying in all weathers and at different times to gather the required information. This role helps ensure our valuable species and habitats are protected by putting the right information into the right hands.
Beach Warden Volunteer
The Beach Warden role involves assisting the Beach Lifeguard in their duties to ensure safety of the beach users and to maintain the beach in accordance with the Blue Flag or Seaside Award criteria. This can include litter picking, raising of flags, raising public awareness, First Aid (if trained), updating notice boards, water safety advice, promoting environmental initiatives, checking and maintaining life belts and the maintenance of toilet blocks. This volunteer role requires you be a competent swimmer and confident working in water based environment.
Community Based Litter Picker/Mobile Litter Picker Volunteer
There are two roles available within this role, please state clearly on the application form which one you are interested in. These roles require you to have a willingness to work in an outdoor environment, you will be required to work as part of a team or in the case of community based litter picker you will be working independently at times, a degree of fitness is required for both posts, you will be working with a view to enhancing civic pride.
5. What happens now?
The first stage is to complete an application form and return it to the address noted on the form. Please fill in the application form providing as much information as you possibly can on why you want to volunteer with us. The form can look a bit ominous, but is designed to capture as much information as possible about you to comply with FCCT’s Volunteer policy ensuring your safety and those with whom you volunteer. The Volunteer Coordinator will then write out to you to arrange an informal meeting with a Ranger /Project worker in the area you would like to become involved in. Also included will be instruction on any extra documentation you should bring along with you as proof of identity.
Once you have had your meeting references will be taken up and an induction will be arranged. There may be occasions when a Disclosure Certificate will be required for the role and this will be arranged by the Volunteer Coordinator.
Guidance on completing the application.
i. Application Form
Name, address, contact number & e-mail address – so that we can get in touch to keep you informed of up and coming or regular events in the volunteering calendar. Your e-mail address is particularly important as we strive to keep our carbon footprint low. We do not pass any details to any other organisations.
Why do you want to volunteer? – this will give us a general idea of your environmental interests in connection with our values at FCCT. Please feel free to use a separate sheet if required.
Days of the week when you are available – for our information should an event come up where we need to contact volunteers for their help.
Criminal convictions - Just because you may have a conviction this need not prevent you from volunteering, just let us know and we can discuss it, confidentially. Please note that an Enhanced Disclosure may be carried out.
Next of Kin - this is required to inform your next of kin in case of an accident or emergency during a volunteering activity.
General Background information – Please supply as much information as possible on your current employment & qualifications, personal interests & hobbies, previous volunteer work and any skills you think relevant.
Volunteering role/area – please see page 3 of the application form and insert chosen role/area. This can be changed at a later date if you wish.
Referees – A reference will be required if you are working with any Vulnerable adults or children’s groups and will be requested at the same time as an Enhanced Disclosure is done.
Declaration – Sign to declare the information you have provided it true and correct.
ii. Additional Information
These are the details we need in addition to that required under FC&CT volunteering policy.
Medical Data:- this is mainly needed if you are working away from home and is normally a requirement of the outdoor centres we use, so we know who to contact in an emergency or accident.
Declaration:- this section is to be completed and signed.
Once you've completed these forms please return them to:- Volunteer Coordinator
Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, The Harbourmaster’s House, Hot Pot Wynd, Dysart,
KY1 2TQ
iii. Volunteering Opportunity Profiles:- These are included below to help you choose which type of volunteering most suits your interests.
In all cases the volunteer is in the first instance answerable to the Ranger / Project Worker within the area they are working. They must report to that person at the start of the work and must inform them when they leave the site.
Volunteers must comply with all Health and Safety policy and legislation in the performance of the duties of these roles.
TITLE: Conservation and Access Volunteer
RESPONSIBLE TO: RANGER (CONSERVATION)
WORKPLACE: FIFE WIDE
KEY TASKS
1. To work as part of a team of volunteers supporting Fife Coast & Countryside Trust in delivery of projects that develop and improve facilities for access to the countryside and to carry out environmental improvement and conservation works.
2. To observe natural populations, habitats and landscape features and make records and report as necessary.
3. To carry out detailed surveys from time to time of key species or habitats and research archives of existing records.
4. To carry out tasks such as minor footpath restoration and repair of countryside furniture.
5. To provide adequate information for administrative systems, eg. record keeping – as may be required.
6. To comply with all Health and Safety policy and legislation in the performance of the duties of the role.
7. To patrol a range of sites for a variety of purposes making observations and reporting as required.
8. To meet users, be receptive to their point of view, to provide advice and to act or report accordingly.
9. To attempt to prevent misuse of the Regional and Country Parks and any other sites by persuasion and reporting any observations.
10. To identify items for maintenance and report accordingly.
11. To control certain invasive non-native species, adhering to appropriate procedures and protocols, including responsible and humane despatch of any animals.
TITLE: Education Volunteer
RESPONSIBLE TO: RANGER
WORKPLACE: FIFE WIDE
KEY TASKS
1. To assist in the preparation of interpretive and educational materials.
2. To assist in carrying out interpretive and educational activities for a wide variety of user groups including guided events, children’s nature clubs, slide talks, events and formal education groups.
3. To meet users at events and activities, be receptive to their point of view to provide advice and to act or report accordingly.
4. To carry out tasks with community groups such as minor maintenance and casual litter clearance and to take part in larger co-operative ventures with other staff.
5. To provide adequate information for any administrative systems, e.g.record keeping, as may be required.
6. To be able to work unsupervised from time to time alongside groups and individuals of all ages and capabilities.
TITLE: Field Survey Volunteer
RESPONSIBLE TO: RANGER
WORKPLACE: FIFE WIDE
KEY TASKS
1 To carry out the survey and/or species counting at designated area within Fife to the standard requested for the survey and for any other agency that may wish to use the data.