Young Tree Champions London Living Labs: Project Lead

BASED: The Tree Council HQ in Canada Water, London SE16 with considerable flexibility to work from home.

SCOPE: Engage schools with the Young Tree Champions London Living Labs programme with regular travel to schools within the GLA region.

SALARY: £30,000 - £33,000 per annum.

PENSION: 7% contribution by The Tree Council.

TERMS: Full-time, two-year, fixed-term role with occasional weekend and evening work, starting August 2026, and finishing 31 July 2028, with potential for extension, subject to funding. 25 days annual leave, plus Public Holidays and the period between Christmas and the New Year.

REGION: Greater London.

REPORTING TO: The Tree Council Head of National Schools Programme.

INTERNAL LIAISON: National Schools Programme Manager, Communications Team, National Tree Warden Scheme Co-ordinator, Science & Research team, Community Planting and Grants team.

EXTERNAL LIAISON: Programme partners, primary and secondary school teachers, PRUs, AP, SEND schools, community tree nurseries, volunteers and others.

Background: Young Tree Champions Living Labs is the latest addition to The Tree Council’s National Schools Programme (NSP). Since launch in 2020, the NSP has become one of the largest environmental education programmes in the UK with over 5,000 schools actively taking part.

The programme has, to date, comprised two elements: a practical, large scale, light touch programme called ‘Orchards for Schools’ and a core multi-faceted campaign ‘Young Tree Champions (YTC). Following confirmation of additional London-wide funding through a new partnership with the GLA, ‘YTC London Living Labs’ is an exciting new, London-focused, development of Young Tree Champions.

YTC London Living Labs has an inclusive approach to working with underrepresented groups, targeting approximately 50 schools and their communities that are most impacted by climate and nature challenges, which have a wider correlation with social deprivation. The project aims to inspire children and young people of all ages and abilities to lead the way in assessing climate and nature risks in their school grounds, by mapping a baseline of climate related hazards (heat, drought, flooding, pollution - noise/air particulates), and scoring the likely impact. Students will work with nature to implement a plan to mitigate exposure to these hazards through the introduction of green infrastructure measures (tree growing and planting of new species, rainwater harvesting/irrigation, onsite composting/mulching, sustainable drainage, green walls etc). This process brings many benefits for students and nature, including exciting work-related skills and knowledge progression across multiple subjects, improved health, well-being and a contribution to the school’s wider sustainable development.

Following our established YTC framework the programme provides high quality teacher training and pupil workshops (online and in-person), plus resources and funds for physical infrastructure to help teachers and pupils tackle the climate and nature emergency. Schools will enable their pupils to grow a deep-rooted connection with trees and nature through the growing and caring of trees and other green infrastructure. Gaining regular access and contact time with nature, they will develop the confidence, knowledge and skills needed to explore a career in the environment sector. Schools will have opportunities to share and inspire others to transform their school grounds across London and nationally, leading to a tree-filled, healthy, more sustainable and just future for schools.

Why trees and children? Trees are incredible organisms that humanity and all life on earth depends upon - revered by cultures for thousands of years. They provide the oxygen we need to breathe, offer homes for more than 75% of species on the planet, and help stabilise our global climate so life can thrive on earth. Trees even have the power to change the way we feel and think and are universally recognised as a crucial mitigating factor in the fight against the climate and nature emergencies. Trees and nature are inextricably linked to the future of children and young people.

What we are looking for in our team members: You will have experience of teaching in schools (primary, secondary, alternative provision or special schools) either in the classroom and outdoors - or teaching in an informal environmental setting. You will be familiar with the complex and ever-changing demands placed on teachers and schools. You will be able to contribute to monitoring and assessing the impact of the Young Tree Champion London Living Labs programme.

You will have excellent organisational skills and be a strong communicator, working collaboratively with many different partners to deliver this new London element of a nationwide schools programme. You must be prepared to work with The Tree Council’s small dynamic team, in a fast-paced environment, and travel to visit schools across Greater London. Attention to detail, a positive attitude, tenacity and a flexible outlook will be key. You will be working during a challenging time for schools, so your ability to problem-solve, inspire and support teachers to achieve their goals will play an important role in the success of the programme. Above all, you should be passionate about young people and the environment and making lasting change.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF LONDON LIVING LABS PROJECT LEAD:

• Support operations and delivery of YTC London Living Labs until project end date (July 2028).
• Engagement and face-to-face delivery in schools.
• Assist with the recruitment of 50 schools onto the YTC London Living Labs programme (25 per year).
• Deliver a significant proportion of the project’s 75 engaging, in-school, skills-based workshop days per year (average 3 per school).
• On visit days, deliver impactful on-the-ground training to enable teachers/school teams to continue project work outside of your visits. Training from The Tree Council team will be provided.
• Lead workshops to school groups from all backgrounds and abilities from KS2 to KS4, including complex needs and pupils at risk of exclusion.
• Record required project delivery and output data in a timely manner using the systems provided to support the internal and external evaluation of the project.
• Where possible, encourage the school to embed the project within their sustainability action plan.

Wider school engagement:

• Support teachers to engage and connect with their wider community of parents and local groups.
• Support the planning and delivery of c5 corporate volunteer days in London Living Lab schools.
• Where feasible and appropriate, support wider National Schools Programme and The Tree Council’s activity in the greater London area.

Comms and marketing:

• Direct communication with schools to support project delivery.
• Support Tree Council team members with comms around project by contributing project updates for Tree Council national schools bulletin.
• Provide photos and content for YTC website and social media channels.
• Support project-related resource design and development that can be shared more widely.

Health and Safety:

• Follow H&S policies, guidance and procedures.
• Follow TTC’s Safeguarding policy, guidance and procedures.
• Follow TTC’s Lone-working policy, guidance and procedures.

THE TREE COUNCIL - WHO WE ARE: The Tree Council is a national charity and umbrella body bringing everyone together with a shared mission to care for trees and our planet’s future. We inspire and empower organisations, government, communities and individuals with the knowledge and tools to create positive, lasting change at a national and local level.

We inspire people to plant and care for trees – the trees in your city street, your local park or school playground, in orchards and hedgerows and rural pastures around the UK. We celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2024.

Our work beyond our National Schools Programme includes:

• Support for a network of thousands of volunteer Tree Wardens who help plant and establish trees in communities across England, Scotland and Wales.
• An annual community programme, which connects people with trees and the natural world, including ‘National Tree Week’ at the end of November, which celebrates the start of the winter planting season.
• A grants programme that helps schools and other groups fulfil their vision to grow and plant trees, orchards and hedgerows.
• Science and social research programme in partnership with Defra, Forestry Commission, Fera Science and top UK universities.
• An important relationship as a ‘critical friend’ to Network Rail. We advise on vegetation management along 20,000 miles of railway corridors and are delivering a £1.2m community planting programme in partnership with Network Rail.
• Partnership with our 120 Member organisations including other charities, academic partners and our generous supporters (businesses, major donors, Trusts & Foundations).

YOUR APPLICATION: If you wish to apply, please provide a CV (maximum 2 pages A4) and cover letter (maximum 2 sides A4) outlining your experience, skills and personal attributes that demonstrate your ability to inspire and engage schools with our Young Tree Champions programme. Please submit your application by midnight on Sunday 21 June 2026. Interviews will be held w/c 29 June. The contract will begin from 17 August (subject to availability and references).

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI): We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications - for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, personal writing can often convey enthusiasm, energy and character better than AI so please bear this in mind. During interviews, candidates will be expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.

Pre-employment checks for the successful candidate will include:

• Enhanced DBS check.
• Two professional references.
• Verification of ‘Right to Work in the UK’.

The Tree Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.