UMT Property Advisor

What will you be doing?

Our Sea Cadets unit operates from a dedicated facility that provides the base for weekly training, community events and cadet activities. Maintaining and improving this space is essential to ensuring a safe, welcoming and functional environment for young people and volunteers.

Our Unit Management Team includes volunteers with a range of experience who work together to oversee the unit’s governance and development. One of our key priorities is ensuring the building and facilities remain safe, well maintained and suitable for our growing programme of activities.

We are seeking a Property Advisor Trustee to help oversee the upkeep and development of the unit’s premises. This trustee will work with the team to monitor maintenance needs, advise on improvements and support planning for any building or facility projects.

The role may involve helping coordinate maintenance priorities, supporting facility planning discussions and working with volunteers or external contractors when improvements are required.

By helping maintain and improve the unit’s home, the Property Advisor directly supports the safe delivery of cadet activities and helps ensure the building remains a welcoming hub for young people, volunteers and the local community.

What are we looking for?

We are seeking a Property Advisor Trustee who can help support the management and development of the unit’s premises. This role would suit someone who enjoys practical problem-solving and wants to help ensure that the organisation has safe and effective facilities for its activities.

Experience or knowledge relating to property, buildings or facilities management would be very beneficial. This could include backgrounds in areas such as construction, surveying, property management, engineering, maintenance or project management. The role may also suit someone who has experience overseeing buildings within a charity, school or community organisation.

However, professional qualifications are not essential. We welcome individuals who have practical knowledge or experience of property maintenance, building improvements or facilities oversight. Someone who understands how buildings operate and can help guide maintenance planning or improvement projects would be extremely valuable to the organisation.

Attention to detail and a practical mindset are important qualities for this role. The Property Advisor helps ensure that the premises remain safe, well maintained and suitable for the organisation’s activities. This might involve helping identify maintenance priorities, advising on improvements or supporting planning for future building projects.

The ideal trustee will also be comfortable working collaboratively with others. The Unit Management Team works together to make decisions that support the long-term success of the organisation, so being able to contribute ideas and discuss practical solutions is important.

Experience of working with contractors, coordinating repairs or overseeing facilities projects would be particularly useful. These experiences can help the organisation manage building improvements efficiently and ensure resources are used effectively.

We also welcome individuals who have experience supporting community facilities or volunteer-led organisations. Understanding how buildings support community activities can bring valuable insight into how the premises can best serve cadets and volunteers.

An interest in supporting young people and community programmes is also an important quality. The unit building is the centre of activity for the organisation, and maintaining it properly ensures that cadets have a safe and welcoming place to learn, train and build friendships.

Ultimately, we are looking for someone who enjoys helping organisations maintain and improve their facilities and who wants to contribute their knowledge to a charity that supports young people.

By helping care for and develop the unit’s premises, the Property Advisor Trustee plays an important role in ensuring the organisation continues to provide a safe and inspiring environment for cadets.

What difference will you make?

The Property Advisor Trustee plays an important role in ensuring that Waltham Forest Sea Cadets & Royal Marines Cadets has a safe, welcoming and well-maintained home from which to deliver its activities. The unit’s building is more than just a facility — it is the centre of the cadet community, where young people meet, train, learn and build friendships.

By supporting the Unit Management Team in overseeing the upkeep and development of the premises, the Property Advisor helps ensure that the environment remains suitable for the wide range of activities delivered by the unit. This includes maintaining safe training spaces, ensuring the building is well cared for and supporting discussions around improvements or future development.

A well-maintained facility directly benefits both cadets and volunteers. It ensures that training can take place safely and comfortably, allows the unit to store and manage equipment effectively and creates a welcoming space where young people feel part of a positive and supportive community.

The impact of this role is both practical and long-term. Good oversight of the building helps prevent small maintenance issues from becoming larger problems and ensures the organisation can plan for improvements in a structured and sustainable way. This helps protect the unit’s resources and ensures that facilities continue to support the needs of cadets for years to come.

The building also plays an important role in the organisation’s connection with the local community. A well-maintained and welcoming space allows the unit to host events, welcome visitors and strengthen relationships with supporters and partners.

Through their contribution, the Property Advisor helps ensure that the physical environment matches the ambition of the organisation — providing a space where young people can learn new skills, build confidence and take part in meaningful activities.

Ultimately, this role supports the foundation on which all cadet activities take place. By helping maintain and develop the unit’s facilities, the Property Advisor helps ensure that Waltham Forest Sea Cadets & Royal Marines Cadets can continue delivering its programme safely and effectively for the young people it serves.

Before you apply

Once an application is received, we will review the candidate’s message along with any links to their CV or portfolio. We are interested in understanding why applicants are interested in supporting a youth organisation and how their experience or interests align with the organisational and coordination aspects of this role.

In your message, it would be helpful if you briefly describe your relevant experience or similar responsibilities. We are also keen to understand what motivates you to volunteer your time and what interests you about the work of Sea Cadets.

Suitable applicants will be invited to an informal conversation with members of our Unit Management Team. This will usually take place online or in person and is designed to be relaxed and conversational. It is an opportunity for us to learn more about you, and equally for you to ask questions and learn about the organisation and the role.

Following the conversation, we may invite prospective trustees to visit the unit on a parade night so they can see the cadets and volunteers in action.

Successful candidates will then go through the standard onboarding process, including necessary checks and induction support. We aim to respond to applications within two weeks.