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Why join Forestry England?

We are the country’s largest land manager, caring for the nation’s forests for people, nature and the economy. The foundation of our organisation is our world-class sustainable management of the nation’s forests.

Forestry England cares for more land and trees than any other organisation in England. From small woodlands on the fringes of towns and cities, to vast areas such as the ancient New Forest, for over 100 years we have been growing, shaping and caring for the nation’s forests.

Forestry England is in a good financial position with an annual turnover of c.£115 million. Our business is thriving and is being led by a passionate and talented team. Our strategy is to connect everyone with the nation's forests and there is a real appetite for growth and innovation as we seek to realise more of our potential through progressive plans.

We have an extraordinary staff group of over 1,000, many of whom have worked here for much of their careers, along with 1,900 dedicated volunteers. There is a wealth of expertise and experience, coupled with a love for forests and sustainable land management that makes us a world leader in forestry. Our staff engagement levels are consistently well above the Civil Service average and staff turnover is well below.

Summary of Forestry England
The size and scale of the nation's forests means we are in a unique position to confront the climate emergency, tackle the nature crisis and support people's health and wellbeing.

Our vision: The most valuable places for wildlife to thrive and expand in England.

• The nation's forests provide valuable, high-quality, sustainably managed habitats for wildlife in forests and woodlands, grasslands, heaths, wetlands and our internationally renowned arboreta. They are critical to the country’s response in this time of crisis for nature.

Our vision: A living treasure for all, deeply connected to people’s lives and improving the health and wellbeing of the nation.

• The nation’s forests are among the most popular natural spaces in the country. We want to break down barriers and reach all of society, so everyone feels welcome in these shared public spaces.

Our vision: The nation’s forests are resilient to climate change, producing high-quality sustainable timber and absorbing more carbon emissions.

• We will expand the nation’s forests, contributing to the government’s action plans on trees, nature and climate along with developing and taking wider opportunities for woodland creation. Our seed and nursery units will be fundamental to the longer-term success, quality and diversity of both our mature and newly created woodlands.

Find out more about Forestry England at https://www.forestryengland.uk/

Key Facts

• We are part of the Forestry Commission and the largest land manager in England.
• We are the largest provider of outdoor recreation in the country with 363 million visits last year
• Over half of the land in our care is covered by statutory designations, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and National Parks making them some of the most valuable habitats for nature.
• We planted some 6.8 million tress and supplied England’s largest amount of sustainably sourced timber - around 1.2 million tonnes per
  year - nearly half the English-grown annual supply.
• From carbon capture and flood prevention, to a positive impact on our mental health: the benefits our forests bring to society are valued at
  over £33 billion.

Job Background Information

Our recreation and visitor experience business plays an essential role in fulfilling the purpose of Forestry England. Forestry England recognise that ‘the nation’s forests are a living treasure for all, deeply connected to people’s lives improving the health and wellbeing of the nation’ and in our 5-year strategic plan, we set out a clear ambition:

“We want to break down barriers and reach across society, so everyone feels welcome in these shared public spaces. We are evolving our offer, reaching out to new audiences and welcoming visitors that reflect the richness and diversity of the nation’s forests.” (Growing the Future 2021-26)

This role is responsible for leading our hugely successful Active Forests programme which is now in its ninth year. We have been working in partnership with Sport England since 2014, to offer people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to be active in forests. Over that time we have generated over 7 million visits by individuals for activities, and health & wellbeing experiences. Our research has shown that 98% of participants have felt closer to nature through participation, and 97% have found mental health or wellbeing benefits.

We are at the start of a new three-year partnership and funding agreement where our focus is on removing the barriers for individuals, groups and communities to access the health & wellbeing benefits of the nation’s forests. Activities include walking and wheeling, cycling and taking part in supportive forest based led activities. Our programme is targeted at removing barriers for clearly identified groups including women and girls, minority ethnic groups, younger adults (under 35), older adults (over 65), those with an impairment or long-term health conditions, those facing prejudice and discrimination, and those from lower socioeconomic groups.

The links between accessing forests and benefits to health and wellbeing are well understood, it is the aim of this role to work across the business to achieve these goals.

Alongside your leadership role, you will work with your team to deliver four agreed workstreams:

• Improving access infrastructure to create more inclusive forests.
• Creation of wellbeing trails which are self-led opportunities for people to connect with the restorative mental health benefits of forests.
• Expansion of the successful Feel Good in the Forest pilot, to create a national offer of supportive forest-based activities for people with mental and physical health challenges.
• Continue to deliver a financially sustainable programme at forests, sharing learnings, supporting less active people to be more active and broaden the audience of the programme.

Responsibilities

This is an exciting and inspiring role, as you would be the strategic lead for the development of health and wellbeing programmes for Forestry England. You will take the lead on all programme management functions including high level financial control, including the management of significant internal and external funding. You will proactively identify trends and work with the senior leadership team to ensure that Forestry England remains responsive to the changing needs of society. You will be responsible for setting the direction and securing the funding for future phases of our public facing health and wellbeing programmes, looking for opportunities to diversify our offer over time. To be successful in this role you will have extensive experience and expertise in leading, and developing, large scale public programmes that are meaningful for individuals at a local level.

A core part of Forestry England’s strategic approach is to grow commercial activity and ensure that our health and wellbeing programmes are financially sustainable in the long-term.

You will report to the Head of Recreation and Visitor Experience and will be required to make periodic reports to the Operations Leadership team and the Forestry England Executive team.

Key Work Areas

• You will have direct line management responsibilities for the Active Forests team and provide a steer to other colleagues who support you in the health and wellbeing business area. You will represent the programme both internally and externally, looking for opportunities to be the voice for the health and wellbeing aspirations of Forestry England.
• Lead the strategic development and delivery of the Active Forests programme ensuring that it continues to grow, adapt and evolve to reflect the needs of society and our partners. You will ensure that all financial, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation processes and procedures are completed on time and to the required corporate standards.
• You will be responsible for identifying new health and wellbeing opportunities, securing new funding, and growing the work of Forestry England in this area. You will develop innovative new business relationships to secure sponsorship, funding, data, and new models of delivery.
• Work across the business and our sector to ensure that Active Forests, Forestry England and all future programme developments are communicated, celebrated and shared in order to grow the value and recognition of the Forestry England brand.
• You will be responsible for key stakeholder relationships including that with Sport England and corporate sponsors.
• Working collaboratively with Forestry England colleagues you will support business growth across a range of complementary business areas and programmes as required.

Essential

• Significant experience of developing and delivering public facing health & wellbeing programmes at scale.
• Leadership expertise in the development and delivery of significant programmes of work that have achieved wide-scale impact and involve a diverse range of colleagues, contractor, sponsors and volunteers
• You will need to demonstrate that you have considerable business acumen, expertise in financial modelling and control, and have a track record of securing new sources of income which have improved the bottom line.
• Evidence of developing new business & funding partnerships to achieve strategic objectives.
• Ability to communicate clearly, both in writing and in presentations, engaging internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge and an understanding of IT systems and experienced user of MS Office.

Desirable

• Degree or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant subject e.g. Project Management
• Expertise and experience in marketing and communications.
• Expertise and experience in third party funding bid management and corporate sponsorship management
• Knowledge of public facing health & wellbeing programmes based in the outdoors or in natural environments, outdoor recreation or land management sector
• Significant experience of delivering complex public facing projects or programmes which are delivered at scale
• Comprehensive experience of working in the health and wellbeing sector, delivering programmes which reflect the contemporary needs of society.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Generous Annual leave package – 27.5 days plus bank holidays, with
  additional leave increases after a set number of years of service.

Job contact :

Name :
Tanya Nesbitt-Rex
Email :
[email protected]

Recruitment team

Email :
[email protected]