Cofruition are applying to be the team that makes a new podcast about the value of hedges in the UK as part of a broader campaign by a UK charity to promote the value of hedges.

The goal of the podcast is to encourage more young people (16-24 year olds) to consider a career in land management (e.g. growing trees as a horticulturist, surveying hedgerows as an ecologist or managing hedges as a hedgelayer).

We are seeking a freelance podcast host who can be the voice of the show, speak enthusiastically/ knowledgably about ways to engage young people in land management.

Your Tasks

Whilst the project may evolve, your responsibilities at the beginning will be to contribute to developing the podcast concept, conducting interviews and recording audio segments (scripted by you and the Producer) to make a compelling final episode.

In practice:

Set Up Phase:

• Develop the concept: work with the Cofruition project manager/ producer to develop some possible structures for the first set of episodes (both topics and episode format)

Episode Production Phase:

• Arrange/ plan interviews with guests: episodes will most likely feature snippets from interviews of people who can talk about the topic. The client can make an introduction to some of the guests, and then with the help of the PM/ producer you will plan out interviews and record. Note that this can be done in person or remotely
• Give feedback on/ record a script: as the host you will guide listeners through the episode. After guest interviews you and the producer will select the best bits, and then record yourself saying scripted parts that “connect the dots”

The Cofruition project manager will help with ensuring you have everything you need to do your job well, as well as ensuring that deadlines are met etc..

Training

Before working on the project, the Cofruition team will take you through our training program so that you’re clear on how to present podcasts “the Cofruition way”. A lot of this is intuitive, but nevertheless helpful to go through!

‘Must-Haves’

• An enthusiasm for getting more young people entering land management: this is so central to the podcast that listeners should feel it in your presentation, rather you viewing this as “a job to do”
• Relatable to the target audience: the show is aimed at encouraging 16-24 year olds to enter land management jobs. We therefore plan to feature people in this demographic as part of the show and it would also be helpful (we think) if the host was too
  UK-based: the charity and the focus on the show is UK-based and so you should be too. This also opens the opportunity to do in person meetings/ recordings if necessary
• Comfortable behind a microphone: you don’t need to have made a podcast before, but you should have experience speaking clearly and presenting ideas in an engaging manner
• Organised/ technically competent: whilst you will have a lot of support in helping you make this podcast (producer joining on interviews etc), there will be a lot of autonomy and the need to share files/ ideas in a “remote” way. As such, you should be structured in your thinking (i.e. enjoy using templates/ project management tools) rather than being a bit hectic in your work approach!

Practical Information

• 6 episodes: the project details are to create 6 episodes that will then be disseminated throughout the charity’s networks and used as part of a broader knowledge hub to inspire more young people to consider land management as an exciting/ viable career path
• £250 per episode: + £300 to help during the set up phase
• ~6 hours work per episode: as the producer/ editor/ project manager will be responsible for “putting the episode together” and your main focus will be on presenting the podcast our best guess is that this will take 4-6 hours per episode. You can set your own schedule based on the various deadlines we need to hit, and we work remotely by default
• Available Jan-Mar 2022: the rough timeline for the project (should Cofruition win the application!) is:Dec 2021: project approval + initial planning
  • Jan 2022: record interviews
  • Feb 2022: produce episodes
  • Mar 2022: launch the podcast
• Expenses etc: if you need recording equipment/ to travel to interviews, this will be paid for by Cofruition

More information about the theme, host, topics etc. will be shared once you start on the project.

How To Apply

Please fill out this form specifying your Primary role as Host and in the Project application field writing UK Hedges This will then prompt you to attach a cover letter. Please do so along with uploading a recording of you saying “Hello and welcome to the UK Hedges podcast. This week we’re speaking with an ecologist about how hedgerows are playing a crucial role in restoring biodiversity across the UK.”

Please also mention Journo Resources when you apply, it really helps us out.

The Cofruition team will then be in touch with applicants who could be a good fit and then invite to Google Meet invite asap.

Please note that applications close on Friday 3rd December 2021 and candidates will be interviewed on an ongoing basis