Corporate Volunteer Intern in London

Reports to: Head of Corporate Partnerships

Location: Based at Trees for Cities office in Brixton. Hybrid working offered with at least two days per week in our London office.

Working Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week.

Contract: 6-Months, Fixed-Term

PURPOSE OF JOB

The Corporate Volunteer Intern is the first point of contact for companies wanting to organise an employee volunteering day with Trees for Cities. They will engage with companies interested in employee volunteering and corporate partnerships, helping to deliver our vision of healthy, accessible and resilient urban forests for current and future generations. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience in project management, events delivery, corporate fundraising, partnership development and stakeholder engagement within a national environmental charity.

The postholder will help coordinate our well-established employee volunteering programme, producing engaging volunteering materials, responding to corporate enquiries and bookings, managing the volunteering calendar, and supporting effective systems and processes. Unlike many fundraising and partnerships roles, this position offers the opportunity to spend time outdoors supporting the delivery of urban forestry projects. The successful candidate will work alongside colleagues, volunteers and corporate partners at planting sites, gaining first-hand experience of tree planting, community engagement and urban forest management.

Corporate fundraising is a growing area for Trees for Cities, and our volunteering programme is often the starting point for long-term corporate partnerships. This role is designed to ensure companies receive an outstanding experience while providing the postholder with valuable skills and experience for a future career in fundraising, partnerships, sustainability, project management or events.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage corporate enquiries, ensuring a smooth, professional and high-quality experience for prospective and existing supporters. This includes responding promptly to enquiries and directing them to appropriate internal contacts where necessary.
• Act as the primary point of contact for companies to coordinate volunteering opportunities, including booking one-off corporate volunteering days and scheduling volunteering days as part of existing partnership agreements. Volunteering opportunities may take place in London, across the UK, or internationally.
• Build positive relationships with corporate volunteers and partners, acting as an ambassador for Trees for Cities and ensuring an excellent volunteer experience from enquiry through to event delivery.
• Coordinate the planning and logistics of corporate volunteering activities, including managing bookings, schedules, participant communications and project timelines.
• Work closely with colleagues across the Fundraising, Development and Urban Forest teams to plan and facilitate corporate volunteering opportunities. This may also include liaising with external stakeholders such as landowners, local authorities and delivery partners.
• Support the delivery of volunteering events ranging from small team activities to large-scale events involving 100+ participants, working alongside colleagues to ensure safe and successful delivery.
• Attend and support tree planting, woodland creation and urban greening projects, helping corporate volunteers have a rewarding, enjoyable and impactful experience.
• Develop knowledge of urban forestry, environmental sustainability and community engagement through active participation in Trees for Cities planting and greening projects.
• Conduct prospect research, due diligence and ethical evaluations on prospective corporate partners.
• Support the delivery of an effective donor stewardship programme by producing impact reports, case studies, presentations, updates and supporter communications.
• Present to companies, corporate volunteer groups and other stakeholders, sharing the impact of Trees for Cities' work and helping to inspire support.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records across our CRM and project management systems, including Salesforce, Monday.com and Donorfy, supporting wider fundraising and reporting activities as required.
• Support health and safety processes, including assisting with risk assessments and volunteer documentation where required.
• Document, review and improve systems and processes to enhance efficiency and the overall volunteer and partner experience.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen corporate engagement and support the growth of Trees for Cities' corporate partnerships programme.

What you’ll gain from this role

This role offers an excellent opportunity to develop practical skills and experience in:

• Project management and event coordination
• Corporate partnerships and fundraising
• Stakeholder engagement and relationship management
• Volunteer programme delivery
• Corporate communications and stewardship
• CRM and database management
• Urban forestry and environmental sustainability
• Outdoor event delivery and tree planting
• Public speaking and presenting to corporate groups

No two weeks are the same – one day you may be coordinating a large corporate volunteering event, the next you could be out on site helping to plant trees alongside volunteers and learning from our Urban Forest team.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

• Strong interpersonal skills and a confident communicator, both verbally and written
• High level of administration skills and IT literacy, with working knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information in a professional manner
• Responsive, able to prioritise and time manage effectively
• A positive and proactive approach, strong initiative and problem solving skills, and the ability to cope with change
• Eligible to work in the UK
• Experience of using CRM, project management or database systems
• An active interest in the natural environment and desire to fulfil Trees for Cities’ mission

DESIRABLE

• Experience liaising with corporate employees or customer service experience
• Experience of brief and/or report writing
• Research skills – ability to proactively and systematically research potential funding opportunities
• Experience of working within the not for profit sector

All employees have a duty under the Health & Safety at Work Act to ensure that their working environment is free of hazards that may prove injurious to themselves, their colleagues, and all those engaged in the charity’s activities. Occasional weekend and/or evening work may be required, particularly during the planting season (October to March), for which staff receive time off in lieu (TOIL).

This job description is not exhaustive and is liable to review following discussions with the post holder. The post holder will be expected to undertake any other reasonable duties as requested by his/her manager.

Trees for Cities is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. We value diversity and are committed to promoting diversity within the workplace. We aim to ensure that our employees achieve their full potential and that all employment decisions, including recruitment, are taken without reference to irrelevant or discriminatory criteria. A full copy of our Equal Opportunities Policy can be provided on request.

Staff Benefits

• 29 days annual leave in addition to public holidays
• Annual half day birthday leave
• Pension: Employees are required to make a minimum 3% contribution with Trees for Cities’ making an enhanced 5% employer’s contribution. Trees for Cities also offers the option to match additional contributions up to a further 2%.
• Parental Leave: Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
• Enhanced Occupational Sick Pay: 3 days full pay during probationary period which increases to 10 days full pay after successful completion of probation (pro rata for part time staff and staff on fixed term contracts)
• Company Paid Healthcare with Simply Health
• Staff Socials (annual Staff Appreciation Day and End of Year Celebration)

Once salaried employees (permanent or fixed term) have successfully completed their probationary period, they are entitled to the following additional benefits:

• Professional development training budget
• Moving day allowance (up to one day per year in addition to their annual leave entitlement)
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Volunteering Day (one day)
• Career breaks in addition to annual leave linked to length of service.

Please note we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role, you must therefore have valid a right to work in the UK to apply to this role.