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A grassroots community group and registered charity to protect and champion the River Wye. More on our website.

Friends of the River Wye Icon

We defend and champion the mighty River Wye, which flows between Wales and England. Sadly, the Wye is at a low ebb, suffering from severe pollution and the effects of climate change. Many factors are influencing the poor health of the river including intensive agriculture, the discharge of human sewage and the increased frequency of severe flooding events. Algal blooms are starving our river of light and oxygen, damaging irreplaceable ecosystems.Our aim is to better understand these complex problems and to offer practical solutions that anyone inspired to help the river can get involved with. We run a citizen science project to enable local people to become guardians of their nearest stretch of river and monitor water quality on a regular basis.The Wye is a river that captures the imagination. We encourage individuals and groups to get creative on behalf of the river and shine a light on the true value of the Wye to the communities that live and work along it. We organise community events and have mounted exhibitions at the Hay Festival. We successfully won official bathing status for a stretch of the river at the Warren in Hay-on-Wye, making it the first river site in Wales to get this designation.Our long-term goal is to restore the ecological health of the river for all the wildlife that calls it home, for the local communities who depend on it, and for the visitors who come to enjoy this beautiful river landscape. We will pursue all means to make the Wye a clean river, properly protected, so that it can be enjoyed for generations to come. We are a strong grassroots voice for the Wye and hold the combined power of two major groups, Friends of the Upper Wye and Friends of the Lower Wye, which have joined forces to become Friends of the River Wye.  Friends of the Upper Wye started out as a grassroots community group in the summer of 2020 and became a registered charity, incorporating Friends of the Lugg, in 2022. Our charity number is 1198234. ‘Friends of

Friends of the River Wye is a dedicated grassroots charity committed to safeguarding and restoring the ecological health of the River Wye, which is currently facing severe pollution and the impacts of climate change. Established in the summer of 2020, this organization unites the strengths of both the Friends of the Upper Wye and Friends of the Lower Wye, fostering a collaborative approach to tackle the complex challenges facing the river.

The charity runs a robust citizen science program, empowering local communities to monitor water quality and act as guardians of their local river stretches. Their initiatives also include creative outreach projects to raise awareness about the river’s value and its vital ecosystems. Partnering with Cardiff University and multiple environmental groups, Friends of the River Wye contributes to the Wye Catchment Partnership and engages with local wildlife trusts, advocating for sustainable practices and environmental protection.

Through collective efforts, the organization aims to ensure that the River Wye remains a clean and flourishing waterway for current and future generations.

Friends of the River Wye

Friends of the River Wye Logo

Friends of the River Wye (FORW) are seeking a creative, self-motivated and highly capable Lead Communicator to keep the River Wye firmly in the public conversation and help drive progress towards restoring the river to health. A project associated with this role is funded by the Nature Networks Programme. It is being delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government.

## Lead Communicator

**Role Overview**

This role is central to how FORW communicates its work locally and nationally. The Lead Communicator will create compelling content across FORW's website, newsletter, social media channels and press activity, shaping stories that raise awareness, influence debate and support positive change across the catchment.

The role suits someone imaginative, flexible and confident working independently, who can respond quickly to events on the river while maintaining high standards of accuracy, clarity and tone.

**Responsibilities**

1. Digital content & storytelling
   - Write and edit engaging content for FORW's website and regular email newsletter.
   - Shape stories with the potential for national reach, including investigative human-interest stories as well as ground-breaking rights of nature and environmental pieces.
   - Digest complex reports, legal documents, data and technical information and translate them into clear, accessible content for a general audience.
   - Ensure all published content is accurate, well-sourced and rigorously fact-checked.

2. Communications & social media leadership
   - Lead FORW's social media presence across Instagram, Facebook, X, BlueSky and YouTube.
   - Create and publish regular posts, stories, short videos and visual content to build reach and engagement.
   - Maintain a strong, consistent voice that balances education, campaigning and positive storytelling, always within Charity Commission guidelines.
   - Respond quickly to emerging issues, policy, legislation, pollution incidents and good-news stories to maximise impact.

3. Media & press relations
   - Write clear, compelling press releases to engage regional and national media.
   - Proactively pitch stories and tip-offs to journalists.
   - Monitor and respond promptly to enquiries via FORW's press email address.
   - Facilitate media requests, including arranging interviews with staff, trustees and volunteers.

4. Visual and video content
   - Create short videos explaining FORW's work, campaigns and findings.
   - Capture high-quality photos and video footage for use across FORW channels and by external media.
   - Document events, fieldwork and public engagement activities to amplify FORW's impact.

5. Catchment-based, responsive reporting
   - Travel across the Wye catchment to gather content directly, including pollution incidents and environmental harm, volunteer activity and citizen science work, community events, festivals and agricultural shows, and positive practice and innovation, particularly within the farming community
   - Work in a responsive and opportunistic way to capture stories as they happen.

6. Collaboration and organisational awareness
   - Stay closely connected to all areas of FORW's work to ensure communications are timely, accurate and aligned.
   - Collaborate closely with partners such as Save the Wye and River Action to align and coordinate press releases and social media.
   - Support communication of public-participation initiatives such as the Big Ranunculus Watch and Run-Off Reporter.
   - Work alongside the Volunteer Coordinator, with flexibility around the division of science-focused communications where appropriate.
   - Communicate the value of FORW's work to encourage donations from the public and philanthropists, assisting with fund-raising efforts.

**Skills and Experience**

- Highly organised, self-motivated, and capable of managing multiple strands of work.
- Excellent written communication skills with strong attention to detail.
- Proven ability to create engaging digital content, including text, images and video.
- Strong instinct for what is newsworthy and how to frame stories for impact.
- Confidence working with journalists and media outlets.
- Ability to communicate complex or technical information clearly and accurately.
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly around the Wye catchment.

**Desirable**

- Experience in journalism, campaigning, PR, media, communications or research.
- Confidence in public speaking or representing FORW on stage or on camera.
- Ability to create materials for public communication (leaflets, posters, displays, exhibitions).
- Experience writing briefing materials for politicians or other influencers.

**Personal Attributes**

- Passionate about river health, nature and environmental restoration.
- Curious, creative and proactive in seeking out stories.
- Comfortable engaging with a wide range of people, including scientists, farmers, volunteers, artists and campaigners.
- Positive and solutions-focused, with a strong sense of integrity and responsibility.

**Work Arrangement**

This is a flexible contract role. The successful candidate will be expected to provide their own equipment (laptop and phone) and to work flexibly, including occasional evenings or weekends, to respond to events, media opportunities and time-sensitive issues. Where appropriate, they will ensure Welsh translation is provided, and appropriate recognition of grants and sponsorship that have supported our work.

**Compensation & Contract Details**

- Type: 1-Year contract (2 days per week - flexible working hours)
- Rate: £190 per day (contract rate)
- Location: Flexible working, based within / across the Wye catchment

Apply for Lead Communicator at Friends of the River Wye

Friends of the River Wye is seeking a Lead Communicator to manage digital content, social media, and press relations, focusing on environmental storytelling and public engagement. This is a flexible contract role, 2 days per week, with a rate of £190 per day.

Fractional Lead Communicator

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Friends of the River Wye is working in partnership with Save the River Usk following the success of the Big Ranunculus Watch. This project is funded by the Nature Networks Programme and is being delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government. The organisation focuses on river ecology and environmental restoration across the Wye and Usk catchments.

## Project Lead - Ranunculus (Water Crowfoot)

**Location**: Flexible working, based within / across the Wye & Usk catchment (Remote, United Kingdom)

**Type**: 1-Year contract (2 days per week - flexible working hours - extendable to 3 years)

**Rate**: £200 per day (contract rate)

**Reporting**: Dedicated steering group including trustees/leaders from FORW and Save the Usk

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## Overview

This role holds overall responsibility for delivering a new three-year programme focused on collecting evidence to contribute to the recovery of water crowfoot (Ranunculus) across the Welsh Wye and Usk. The programme includes public engagement with a strong citizen science component and coordination with scientific partners, regulators and other stakeholders. This programme is anticipated to last at least the next three growing seasons and will include preparing an overall project report and evaluation report, to include recommendations for future monitoring of water crowfoot and management options to help safeguard this keystone species and SAC feature.

## Responsibilities

**Fieldwork coordination and data gathering**

● Collate and supplement existing records of the water crowfoot plant assemblage.

● Undertake surveys at key sites, including ground-based and drone-assisted remote sensing.

● Establish and document a baseline of images and botanical records for public access and future comparison.

● Agree specification for and commission drone and specialist survey work in liaison with NRW and WVNL.

**Citizen science engagement**

Coordinate with our citizen science and engagement team to:

● Launch and run Big Ranunculus Watch in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

● Design and deliver training for volunteers to monitor long-term sites in more detail.

● Help build public awareness of water crowfoot and its ecological significance in the Wye and Usk.

**Partnership and research liaison**

In tandem with the FORW Programme Manager and Communication Lead:

● Work closely with partners including NRW, scientific researchers and NGOs.

● Liaise with regulatory authorities and ensure legal permissions for all project activities are in place.

● Ensure alignment with related catchment initiatives and national citizen science programmes.

**Reporting and project delivery**

● Track and manage project progress and budget.

● Establish and monitor key performance metrics.

● Prepare interim outputs, a final evaluation report, and a strategic project report with recommendations for long-term monitoring and conservation of water crowfoot.

## Skills and Experience

● Educated to degree level in freshwater ecology, botany, or a related field.

● Proven experience delivering ecological field-based research projects.

● Strong organisational and project management skills, including budgeting.

● Experience with GIS and mapping tools (e.g. QGIS, ArcGIS and accessible tools like Google Maps and Google Earth) to support site selection, baseline mapping, and presentation of survey data.

● Familiarity with data visualisation tools (ideally Tableau) to support accessible, public-facing presentation of findings.

● Experience working with multiple stakeholders including funders, regulators and researchers.

● Experience commissioning technical specialists or consultants (e.g. drone operators, lab analysis).

● Comfortable managing a project budget and workplan independently.

● Confident in designing, managing and reporting on multi-strand projects.

● Ability to analyse, synthesise and communicate scientific data effectively.

## Desirable

● Welsh language skills and knowledge of rural Welsh landscapes.

● Residence in or near the Wye/Usk catchment area.

## Personal Attributes

● Passionate about river ecology and environmental restoration.

● Highly organised, self-motivated, and able to work independently.

● Comfortable engaging with a wide range of people from scientists to volunteers.

● Flexible and adaptive in response to emerging opportunities or challenges.

● Proactive and confident in shaping and driving forward the project without close supervision.

## Work Arrangement

This is a flexible contract role. The successful candidate will be expected to provide their own equipment (laptop, phone and vehicle) and to work flexibly, including occasional evenings or weekends, to respond to fieldwork schedules, public engagement events and seasonal activity across the catchment.

Apply for Project Lead - Ranunculus (Water Crowfoot) at Friends of the River Wye

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Project Management

Lead a three-year programme focused on the recovery of water crowfoot across the Wye and Usk catchments, involving fieldwork coordination, citizen science engagement, and partnership liaison.

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Fractional Lead Communicator

Fractional Project Lead - Ranunculus (Water Crowfoot)

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