Job Description

Arts, Heritage and Events Officer (AHEO)

St. Editha's Church is the largest parish church in Staffordshire. A grade-I listed building, the church is at the very heart of Tamworth and dear to the hearts of many in the local area and beyond. We have a growing congregation and are blessed with both a fantastic, iconic building and a vibrant, diverse community. Choral music is at the heart of our regular worship and we are currently the only church in Tamworth that maintains a choral tradition.

We are privileged to host a number of special occasions throughout the year for civic celebrations and community events, and we welcome visiting choirs to sing in the church on a regular basis.

St. Editha's is a magnificent space for performances and exhibitions of all kinds and we are passionate about helping artists, musicians, historians and performers to flourish in our town. The church also holds strong potential as an engine for heritage tourism and development and as part of our strategic development - including an ambitious bid to become a Minster Church before 2030 - we are looking for a creative, flexible, dynamic member of staff to help us to flourish as one of the region's most significant performance spaces and a leading arts, cultural and heritage tourism destination.

The church is open every day and we regularly welcome visitors, pilgrims and tourists to view the magnificent architecture of the building, to discover more about the history and heritage of the church, and to experience a sense of wonder, prayer and worship in the heart of our community. We have an aspirational vision to increase visitor footfall to 50,000 per year, over the next 5 years.

This is a unique opportunity to join a growing, positive, aspirational community and share in the work of one of the UK's finest churches - to be a part of a 1000-year-old presence in Tamworth, and to be a part of a wider story of welcome, wonder and worship at the heart of the community. You will have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of different people from all over the world, including church leaders, local dignitaries, royalty, celebrities, VIPs and other guests. There are occasionally opportunities for staff to participate in subsidised overseas visits.

We have a growing staff team of people who seek to bring out the best in each other. You will be fully supported by the Vicar, Churchwardens and the wider team, who will enable opportunities for wider learning, reflection and developing of best practice. We like to think that our churches are happy, fulfilling contexts in which to work.

We are looking for someone who is confident in their ability and committed to giving of their best, but is also someone personable and relatable, with a flexible approach. We expect a lot of our staff, but are committed to offering a supportive, friendly, relaxed working environment.

Arts, Heritage and Events at St. Editha's

Our annual programme of events and activities is growing, both in terms of our own provision but also third-party bookings. In 2024, we welcomed:

- 8 concerts delivered by third parties, from community choirs to pop concerts;

- 5 special carol services (including school concerts) delivered by third parties;

- 2 art exhibitions;

- 8 organ recitals, delivered "in house";

- 2 special services with visiting cathedral choirs;

- 5 civic celebrations, from Mayor Making to historic commemorations.

Going forward, fixed events in the annual calendar will include:

A series of 5 organ and piano recitals during the season of Lent (March/April);

An annual concert performed by the St. Editha's Choir, usually in Summer;

Athelstan 1100 or similar; a week of festivities delivered in conjunction with other stakeholders, celebrating the Anglo-Saxon heritage of Tamworth (July);

A celebration Evensong in October featuring a visiting cathedral choir;

An annual Christmas Tree Festival in late November/early December;

The Christmas Spectacular community carol service in December.

As well as a fixed calendar, we often receive requests for one-off events to be held at relatively short notice. We are happy to host these, providing we are able to properly resource the use of the building. There were 3 requests for TV filming at the church last year.

Main Duties

The Events Officer will have a wide range of duties. These will include, but are not limited to the following:

To co-ordinate the planning of events and special services (including concerts, lectures, performances, exhibitions etc) in collaboration with others across the parish;

To plan and deliver the annual programme of "in house" concerts and activities (as outlined above), and to produce an annual programme booklet, assisting with the distribution of the document across the parish;

To actively seek new third-party users of the church, with a particular view to encouraging musicians and performances (especially choirs), arts installations and similar, and to be the main point of contact for events enquiries;

To manage the administration of all third-party event bookings from initial enquiry through to fulfilment of the event, including liaison with clients and negotiation internally and externally before, during and after the booking;

To arrange and conduct inspection visits for potential clients, advising and liaising with appropriate staff members on requirements;

To propose full and accurate quotations and negotiating rates when required and to undertake a regular view of terms and conditions for third-party hires;

To work closely with local stakeholders, particularly Tamworth Castle, Tamworth Borough Council and the Tamworth and District Civic Society, to deliver high-quality and creative heritage events across the parish including an annual programme of heritage celebrations;

To undertake site meetings (including taking minutes as required), attendance at events and liaising with suppliers where required;

To produce timely information for invoices and ensure all necessary paperwork is in place prior to events;

To obtain post-event feedback from clients and church officers along with maintaining communication channels with the client with a view to developing long-term relationships;

To lead on the day-to-day administration that is required for St. Editha's event function, which includes monitoring and responding to events email inbox and regularly updating St. Editha's Facebook page, as well as exploring and developing other social media channels;

To work closely with the Vicar and Director of Music to support with the delivery of special services, especially when they involve visiting choirs or performers;

To develop our offering as a place of welcome, worship and wonder for tourists, pilgrims and performers and to take a lead on managing the St. Editha's Bookshop;

To work closely with the Parish Administrator, Cafe Manager and others to ensure that information for special services and events is available to key church staff in a timely fashion;

To prepare seating plans, tickets, seating labels, invitations and guest lists as required for all events and to proactively manage the St. Editha's online bookings platform, www.tamworthtickets.co.uk;

To develop publicity for events, including posters, flyers and online content, and to circulate accordingly;

To oversee, recruit and produce rotas for the church's stewarding team;

To work with the wider team (staff, volunteers, officers and congregation) to ensure the fulfilment of the St. Editha's strategy and vision.

Any other reasonable duties and responsibilities as may be required by the Vicar and Churchwardens.

Hours of Commitment

The 15 hours may be spread over the week in a flexible arrangement, but fixed commitments in the weekly pattern will be:

Mondays 10am - 12pm

Fridays 10am - 2pm

The role will occasionally require the post holder to work evenings and weekends. It is expected that the post holder will attend events as an "on the ground" liaison for third parties, in conjunction with the Churchwardens and other volunteers.

Holidays

You will be entitled to 29 days holiday per year (including pro-rata bank holiday entitlement) based on a 4-day working week.

Generic Responsibilities of all staff

As the Church is run by a small team, all staff are expected to act flexibly and cover for each other when required. Duties may include:

Undertaking as requested other duties as might reasonably be expected; Following the policies and procedures of the Church, paying particular attention to the requirements of the policies and procedures for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children; Treating everyone with respect and dignity in the workplace.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The successful candidate will possess:

Exceptional communication skills, together with a confident and professional approach;

A high level of self-motivation, whilst understanding the importance of working as part of a team;

Sympathy towards and supportive of the mission and values of the church;

Experience of managing bookings, handling a complex diary and delivering successful events;

Experience of working to tight deadlines and schedules and the ability to be responsive;

High level of competency and meticulous approach to administrative tasks, with an ordered approach, real attention to detail and the ability to deal efficiently with paperwork, correspondence and filing;

The ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with a range of people including church colleagues and external organisations;

An outlook which prides itself on organisational flair and ability to finish tasks;

Comprehensive IT skills including demonstrable experience of social media platforms;

Willingness to work flexibly, including evenings, weekends and public holidays as required;

Experience of working towards and delivering against an agreed financial target;

Empathy with the ethos of the Church of England.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

Remuneration:

10257 per annum (854 per month).

Working time:

15 hours a week (25,600FTE)

Health and Safety:

Under the Health and Safety Act 1974, whilst at work, you must take reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of any other person who may be affected by your acts or omissions. In addition, you must cooperate with the Church on health and safety and not interfere with, or misuse, anything provided for your health, safety or welfare.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check:

This appointment is subject to a satisfactory Enhanced Check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Safer Recruitment:

The successful applicant must complete the necessary safeguarding training before commencing in their role.

We welcome applicants from all socio-ethnic groups; appointments will be made on the basis of merit alone.

A full application and information pack, containing detailed information about the context and the position, can be obtained from the church or via email - admin@parishoftamworth.co.uk

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: 10,257.00 per year

Expected hours: 15 per week

Benefits:

Company pension Flexitime Free parking On-site parking Sick pay
Schedule:

Monday to Friday Weekend availability
Application question(s):

What interests you in this position and what skills would you bring that would allow you to flourish in this role? Please give details, using at least 300 words. Please describe what you feel are the key challenges specific to this role. Please give details, using at least 300 words.
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 04/08/2025
Reference ID: Events Officer in the Parish of Tamworth
Expected start date: 01/09/2025