Secretary (voluntary trustee role)

A trustee position to support the chair by handling the organisation’s administration tasks, convening board meetings and preparing documents, writing up the minutes, maintaining a register of trustees, ensuring that the organisation complies with legal requirements, helping to monitor the organisation’s progress against its goals.

To participate in core decisions relating to the organisation’s performance, governance and organisational development.

Person profile: You are passionate about climate change and protecting nature, live within easy striking distance of Petersfield, and enjoy working with a diverse and energetic group of volunteers. You have a practical mindset, good organisational skills and are comfortable working with governance documents. 

Time commitment: The trustee board meets every month for an hour and half to oversee projects and governance issues. As a key trustee you will be consulted on projects, funding bids and financial matters by other trustees as these arise. There are also one or two full-day meetings a year, normally in the spring, to update strategy. 

To express interest or arrange an informal chat with one of the existing trustees about this role, please email us.

Education Outreach (voluntary trustee role)

We are looking for a volunteer trustee to support and drive forward our education outreach work with children in local schools. Our aim is to provide students of all ages with knowledge, understanding, and skills to help them navigate the future with resilience, confidence and wisdom. We want to empower them to make planet-friendly choices themselves, and enable them to amplify their voices in explaining those choices to others. We have developed excellent relationships with schools, and would like to extend our programme to include support with developing policies and activities to embed sustainable thinking across staff and parent communities.

Over the past two years we have delivered more than 100 transformative (and free) assemblies and workshops, reaching over 5,000 children, but with your help we could do much more.

Person profile: You are passionate about engaging with younger generations on the challenges presented by climate change and nature recovery, and you have experience of working in educational settings. There are a variety of activities available, including helping to deliver the sessions, develop new materials where necessary, and assist in management of bookings and communications as needed.

Time commitment: School outreach commitments will require from half a day per week of your time, depending on your engagements. The trustee board meets every month for an hour and half to oversee projects and governance issues. As a key trustee you will be consulted on projects, funding bids and financial matters by other trustees as these arise. There are also one or two full-day meetings a year, normally in the spring, to update strategy. 

To express interest or arrange an informal chat with one of the existing trustees about this role, please email us.

There are many other great volunteering opportunities available at PeCAN. You can find an up-to-date list and sign up for activities on our Better Impact page.    

To whet your appetite, a description of some our volunteering roles is below.

Please note, PeCAN has policies on Volunteers, Health & Safety and Lone Working, Safeguarding and Complaints. 

Education outreach volunteer

We are looking for volunteers to help with our education outreach. This is part of the charity’s work to help the younger generation develop their understanding of climate change and what they might be able to do within their communities.  We run assemblies and workshops in both primary and secondary schools as well as for local youth groups and are looking for people to assist us in delivering those sessions.

What's involved?

• Join PeCAN’s presenters in schools/clubs and support them with their delivery of workshops and assemblies
• Help devise content for assemblies and workshops

What's the time commitment?

• You can offer as many or as few sessions as you like. Each one would need around half a day, including preparation

Some experience of education (primary or secondary or extra curricular) might be useful but really you just have to enjoy working with young people!

If you would like to find out more please contact Rachel Ritchie via our Contact Us page.

Events organiser

PeCAN needs volunteers to help us organise public events including walks, film screenings, public talks and the Eco Fair 2024. We are currently looking for help putting on small events for local business owners (e.g. bringing in experts to talk about sustainable packaging, carbon footprinting etc).  

What's involved? 

• Work with PeCAN staff to plan and organise events including finding venues and securing speakers and dates
• Help to promote and run events
• Help us think of new event ideas

What's the time commitment?

• This could be just for one event or more regular support. For a single event, expect a few hours a week for about a month

If you would like to find out more please contact us.

Eco Cafe host

Petersfield's Eco Café, supported by PeCAN, runs every Tuesday morning from 10am - midday at Winton House. We also run an evening 'cafe' once a month, usually on a Wednesday or Thursday from 7pm at Ruby & Monty's. We are looking for volunteers to help host these regular get-togethers.

What's involved? 

• Welcome newcomers and regular attendees
• Help to make teas and coffees
• Chat to people about what we could collectively do to help protect the environment in our town
• Share news and projects related to PeCAN and opportunities for people to get involved

What's the time commitment?

• Two hours plus set-up time. A regular commitment, such as hosting once a month, would be ideal  

If you would like to find out more please contact us.

Active Travel volunteer

Help us to campaign for improved cycling and walking routes in and around Petersfield, including the Rother Valley Way (a wonderful proposal to create a walking and cycling route between Petersfield and Midhurst along the old railway line).

What's involved?

• Work with PeCAN’s active travel lead to map routes, identify improvements, and promote them to local authorities through written consultations and meetings
• Help us to build evidence through well-designed surveys and prepare business cases for specific improvements
• Liaise with stakeholder groups, such as the Friends of the Rother Valley Way and Petersfield Town Council’s Town Development Committee
• Write blogs and articles
• Prior experience of route planning is not essential, but an interest in promoting cycling/walking is needed, as is a collaborative approach and professional skills
• Experience of mapping/drawing tools would be useful

What's the time commitment?

• One day a week, more or less depending on your availabililty

If you would like to find out more please contact us.

Planning application reviewer

We are looking for volunteers to help us review planning applications and submit comments about active travel, impacts on biodiversity, and the energy efficiency of dwellings. Can be done from home.

What's involved?

• Help us to decide which planning applications to respond to
• Help us to assemble evidence and submit planning objections or comments
• Liaise with interested individuals and community groups
• Monitor new developments during and after the construction phase
• Contribute to PeCAN’s responses to ad hoc consultations about planning policy, such as on Local Plans

What's the time commitment?

• As much or as litttle as you wish

Prior experience of planning is not essential. An interest in either promoting cycling/walking, or some background knowledge about buildings emissions or nature and biodiversity would be helpful.

If you would like to find out more please contact us.