Register your interest now
Chiswick House and Gardens Trust
Chiswick House was built in 1729 and is one of Georgian Britain’s keynote architectural statements. Designed by its owner Richard Boyle (Lord Burlington) in collaboration with the multi-talented designer William Kent, the house was conceived as an aesthetic manifesto, gallery and place for entertaining. The collection includes superb examples of painting, furniture and sculpture.
Description

The Gardens are open to the public 365 days of the year from dawn until dusk. Our volunteer Rangers play a vital role in enabling us to keep the Gardens open and safe for everyone, every day.

We are looking for outgoing, confident individuals to join our team of Rangers. Our Rangers provide an important public presence in the Gardens and assist with hands-on maintenance and DIY projects around the grounds. They are an integral part of the team that ensures the smooth day-to-day running of the site.

Duties

The Ranger role covers two main areas: patrolling the grounds to ensure there is a helpful presence for the public and assisting with maintaining the general site. It is a physical job, and it is ideally suited to someone who is proactive and willing to get involved in a range of projects and odd jobs onsite.

Your main tasks will be:

  • Independently patrolling the gardens in the buggy and interacting with the public, answering questions and providing information as needed
  • Acting as the 'eyes and ears' of the Estate, reporting to the estates assistant any issues and playing a key role in improving the site for everyone and using radios to communicate with the wider team
  • Carrying out routine tasks such as changing signs, cleansing, filling dog bag dispensers and assisting with onsite maintenance
  • More hands-on DIY tasks, such as painting or sanding benches and fixing equipment
  • Assisting with moving objects across the site, such as tables
  • General caretaking of historical edifices, playing a key role in the conservation of historic buildings
  • Problem-solving and making a real difference to the Estate with own skills/ideas
Who will the volunteers be working with?
The Ranger role tends to be largely lone working but if working alone, the volunteer will be equipped with a radio and will be supervised by our Ranger Leader
Training
When you begin there will be an induction half-day during the week. Here you can learn more about the role and what it entails. Following this you will have the opportunity to go on a shift shadowing one of our current Rangers, followed by a six week probationary period to check that you are comfortable with the role.

Time commitment

For now Rangers operate Monday-Saturday, and ideally you will be able to volunteer for one shift one day a week. There are two shifts a day:
• Morning shift: 09:00 – 12:30
• Afternoon shift: 12:30 – 16:00
However, there is a degree of flexibility here, shift times are not overly rigid and arrangements can be made. We are looking for people who are reliable and able to commit to the same shift every week, with of course exceptions for planned holidays or illness.

This organisation is one of our community partner organisations.

Like all volunteer recruiters we work with, they have signed up to our service standards, agreeing to abide by our policy on partnership working to keep you safe and supported whilst you volunteer.

You’ll never be out of pocket for volunteering through us – with in-London travel expenses to and from your volunteering guaranteed.

In addition, the team here at Students’ Union UCL Volunteering Service is here to support you throughout your volunteering journey – you can get in touch with us at any time.