Old Way Job Vacancy

A permanent role starting January 4th, 2021. Working from home or on the path in Hampshire, Sussex and Kent, 4 days a week, £26,250 to £30,000 pro rata (actual is £21,000 to £24,000 plus benefits).

Please send your application, including your CV and a covering letter, by Friday 20th November, 5pm.
Email: guy@britishpilgrimage.org & abigail@britishpilgrimage.org

Interviews will take place the week of 30th November.

The British Pilgrimage Trust is ‘re-launching’ one of Britain’s forgotten medieval pilgrimage routes: Old Way, a 250-mile journey from Southampton to Canterbury. Pilgrims would land in the port of Southampton and make their way to one of Europe’s most renowned pilgrim destinations. It was rediscovered on Britain’s oldest road map (Gough Map c.1360) plotting a route through some of England’s most glorious countryside, full of history. Taking our cue from the Gough Map’s key waypoints, this old way is now being brought back to life by the BPT with the aim of making it one of the pre-eminent pilgrimage routes in south-east England.

We are looking to recruit an Old Way Project Leader to realise this ambition, and take further the work we have already done in re-establishing Old Way, who will amongst others:

  • Develop a community along Old Way;
  • Waymark Old Way; 
  • Develop & Update support material for pilgrims including the Online Guide, Passbooks;
  • Help increase accommodation and other essential services along Old Way;

You will need to be well organised and passionate about this project. You will need to demonstrate good communication skills; the ability to work pro-actively; good IT skills (and preferably, but not essentially, familiarity with WordPress website editing and GSuite). Previous experience of project management is not essential. It would be helpful to have your own transport or to hold a UK driving licence.

Further details about the role can be seen below:

Community Engagement

We see involvement by local communities along Old Way as crucial in developing Old Way and offer essential support. It will be the responsibility of this role to build this community engagement.

  • Meet Old Way’s communities by walking the route
  • Present to communities along Old Way
  • Develop relations with communities along the route who will in turn become ambassadors/caretakers for Old Way in their area
  • Share work programmes and responsibilities with the local communities 
  • Ongoing communications with local organisations & press
  • Continue to develop strategies to engage communities along Old Way 

Waymarking

  • Thoroughly familiarise yourself with the route, walking it to identify waymarking locations
  • Develop & produce waymarks
  • Liaise with local authorities to understand & follow regulations in each borough around waymarks
  • Locate & liaise with volunteers who will partake in waymarking establishment & upkeep
  • Communicate with local press & communities around waymarking
  • Maintain relations with volunteers who are upkeeping the waymarks once established 

Old Way Online Guide
We have launched an online guide to assist pilgrims find their way, places of interest along the route as well as essential information about accommodation and shops.
The role includes:

  • Perform quarterly updates of the online guide, incorporating new information & research gathered over the period
  • Communicate with Old Way walkers and subscribers to the guide via social media, email, and website comments
  • Continue to consider how the online guide can be improved over time, and communicate with other members of the team around this
  • Maintain targets around Old Way Online Guide uptake

Passbooks

  • Develop the sales pathway for passbook
  • Logistics of supplying passbooks and stamping them along the route
  • Maintain passbook sales through comms, ads, social media

Sanctuary Project

  • Liaise with Sanctuary churches to launch this low-cost accommodation project in Spring 2021
  • Maintain comms with churches & approach new possible venues for Sanctuary 
  • Maintain & update info on church sanctuary on the website and Old Way Online Guide
  • Finalise information flow for those locating & beginning the booking process for Sanctuary through the website
  • Continue to raise awareness within local communities about the Sanctuary Project
  • Maintain legal/insurance advice on Sanctuary

Old Way General

  • Development of Old Way PDF guide
  • Continue raising awareness & development of Old Way 

Internal comms/admin
Work alongside the rest of the team:

  • Attend a weekly team meeting
  • Help keep other team members accountable to deadlines/workflow & communicate your own deadlines & priorities
  • Keep files tidy & file documents intelligently so that all the team have easy access
  • Communicate regularly with your line manager and communicate deadlines & priorities 
  • Create regular update reports for Trustees 
  • Develop proposals for upcoming projects 

For any further information about this role, please contact abigail@britishpilgrimage.org