Join the movement to celebrate and protect Brighton and Hove’s starlings.
We are working to establish a mile of Brighton and Hove seafront as a Wildlife Heritage Area, to celebrate and conserve the city's starlings, grow awareness of the stunning spectacle of starling murmurations to locals and visitors and raise funds for starling conservation.
This is a brand new initiative, supported by local stakeholders from business, education, and wildlife organisations, and will be developed as a non-profit entity over the next year.
The role offers hands-on experience at the intersection of urban biodiversity, conservation policy, community engagement, and place-based nature recovery.
Role Title: Project Coordinator (Volunteer)
Project: Brighton Starling City - Wildlife Heritage Area Application
Location: Brighton & Hove (hybrid/ flexible)
Time Commitment: Approx. 4–6 hours per week
Duration: 12 months (aligned to application timeline). There may be potential for this to grow into a paid role for the right candidate
Reporting to: Project Lead, Brighton Starling City
Role Purpose:
The Project Coordinator will help organise the Brighton Starling City project in progressing its application for Wildlife Heritage Area (WHA) status. The role focuses on coordinating information, stakeholders and evidence required for the application, helping to ensure a clear, well-structured and timely submission that reflects the ecological, cultural and community value of Brighton’s starling populations. Some fundraising and communications may also be incorporated.
Key Responsibilities:
Application Coordination
Lead the coordination of tasks and inputs required for the Wildlife Heritage Area application.
Develop and maintain a simple application timeline, tracking progress against key milestones.
Ensure application requirements, criteria and guidance are clearly understood and followed.
Research and Evidence Gathering
Supervise desk-based information gathering on Brighton’s starling populations, habitats, threats and conservation value.
Supervise collation of existing ecological data, reports, case studies and relevant policy references.
Assist in identifying evidence of cultural, social and educational value linked to the starlings.
Stakeholder Liaison
Support engagement with key stakeholders such as local authorities, conservation organisations, researchers, community groups and volunteers.
Coordinate inputs, testimonials or letters of support where appropriate.
Act as a central point of contact for application-related queries.
Drafting and Documentation
Contribute to drafting sections of the application, under guidance from the project lead.
Help ensure content is clear, accurate and aligned with Wildlife Heritage Area criteria.
Support document management, version control and final submission preparation.
Communications and Learning
Assist with internal project communications relating to the application process.
Capture learning, challenges and good practice to inform future WHA applications or similar initiatives.
Support with social media communications and fundraising applications
Skills & Experience (Desirable)
Interest in wildlife conservation, biodiversity, urban ecology or environmental policy.
Strong organisational and coordination skills, with attention to detail.
Good written communication skills and confidence working with documents.
Ability to manage tasks independently while working as part of a small team.
Familiarity with research methods or data collation is an advantage.
Local knowledge of Brighton & Hove would be beneficial.
What You'll Gain
Practical experience supporting a real-world conservation designation process.
Insight into biodiversity policy, heritage recognition and urban nature recovery.
Opportunities to work with conservation and sustainability professionals, researchers and community stakeholders.
Development of project coordination, research and stakeholder engagement skills.
A reference and recognition of contribution to the Brighton Starling City initiative.
The volunteer will receive regular check-ins, clear guidance and mentoring from the project lead. Tasks will be designed to fit around existing commitments, with flexibility built into the role.
How to Apply
Send a covering letter and CV to [email protected] before 5pm on Friday 27th Feb 2026