Staff and volunteers at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust are passionate about enhancing their local environment to encourage wildlife and support nature’s recovery. However, the Trust also takes responsibility for the health and safety of its employees and volunteers very seriously, taking a proactive decision to ensure that its staff complete RLSS UK water safety training.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust manages over forty nature reserves across Wiltshire and Swindon, including wetland, woodland, meadow, and chalk downland habitats. Their staff and volunteers are frequently called upon to complete critical environmental project work in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs at these sites. Several of their teams, including the Freshwater team, also complete conservation work for private landowners across their region. They conduct geological or species surveys, create new wildlife habitats, or restore building structures. Being water aware is critical for the staff that oversee the projects.

RLSS UK is an expert in water safety training and offers a series of water safety qualifications designed primarily for companies with employees who work on, in, or near water. The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust staff complete one of these courses to ensure they have the essential knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about managing water safety for themselves, their volunteers, and the public visiting their sites.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust staff attend courses delivered by Bristol Maritime, completing the training modules that best meet their company needs. These are the RLSS UK’s National Water Safety Management Programme DEFRA (NWSMP DEFRA) - Training Module 1 - Water & Flood Awareness  DEFRA and Training Module 2 – Water & Flood First Responder.

Connor Stapleton-Goddard, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Head of Freshwater, said about the training: “Many of our new staff don’t have previous experience of working in waterways, so it is essential that we train them to have the skills and knowledge to be able to protect staff, volunteers and the public whilst completing our vital work for the natural environment.