Visitor Interpretation and Heritage Engagement Assistant

Job reference: 000143

Salary: £254.20 per week plus £25 travel bursary

Department: Into the Light

Location: Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve

Team: Into the Light

Hours Per Week: 20 hours per week (8 weeks)

Job start date:

Closing date: 19/08/2026

Job Description

Paid Creative Placement Opportunity (8 weeks) – Visitor Interpretation and Heritage Engagement Assistant

Into the Light: Creative & Cultural Skills Hub

Are you interested in heritage, storytelling, community engagement and the natural environment? Would you like to gain paid, hands-on experience developing creative ways to connect people with the stories of a unique place?

We’re excited to launch a paid placement with the Durham Wildlife Trust as part of the Into the Light programme, designed to support people of all ages into meaningful, paid work experience across County Durham’s vibrant creative and cultural sector.

Job Title: Visitor Interpretation and Heritage Engagement Assistant

Location: Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, Chilton Moor, DH4 6PU

Duration: 8 weeks

Hours: 20 hours per week (days/times agreed)
Pay: £254.20/week (subject to statutory deductions)
Travel Bursary: £25 per week (added to weekly pay, subject to statutory deductions)

About the Placement

This exciting paid 8-week placement offers the opportunity to work with Durham Wildlife Trust at Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, exploring how visitors connect with the site’s rich natural, cultural and industrial heritage.
You will help investigate the stories that make the reserve unique, from its diverse wildlife to its historic links with the region’s industrial past. Through research, visitor conversations and community engagement, you’ll help to identify new and creative ways to bring these stories to life.

Working alongside the DWT team, you will contribute ideas for interpretation projects that could include visitor trails, maps, signage, information panels, storytelling resources and other engagement initiatives. Funding is available to support the development of some ideas longer term, meaning your contribution could have a lasting impact on the future visitor experience at Rainton Meadows.

What You’ll Learn

We’re committed to making this a meaningful learning experience. During your placement, you will:

• Build on practical skills in visitor engagement

• Gain experience of heritage interpretation and storytelling

• Develop research and project planning skills

• Learn about audience development and community engagement

• Gain insight into the conversational, environmental, heritage and cultural sectors

• Explore how cultural and industrial heritage can be integrated into natural landscapes

• Reflect on your progress through an end-of-placement review

Who Is This For?

This opportunity hopes to develop skills and experience for anyone interested in pursuing a career in heritage, conservation and cultural sectors. It would also benefit anyone interested in working in arts and cultural project management, community engagement, visitor experience in a cultural venue, or environmental education and public engagement.

How to apply

Please apply via with a short CV, along with a letter of application answering the question ‘Why are you interested in this placement opportunity, and what do you think you could bring to the role?’ (maximum 500 words).

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Hollie Galpin-Mitchell at holliegalpin-mitchell@beamish.org.uk or Emily Routledge at eroutledge@durhamwt.co.uk

You can find out more information about the Durham Wildlife Trust on their website https://www.durhamwt.com

Closing Date and Timeline

Closing Date: Wednesday 19th August 2026

Anticipated Start Date: late august/early September