Calling all community champions! Check out our unique role

Help us make waves at The Edge

Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners (WHC) are seeking a new recruit to take over the exciting role of Community Activity Co-ordinator for ‘The Edge’, Cumbria’s new Coastal Activities Centre that recently opened on the harbourside in Whitehaven, West Cumbria.

The Edge has a unique and exciting purpose, offering facilities not just for people to make use of while enjoying water sports and other outdoor activities but a multitude of other uses, from community workshops to cultural events.

The building itself boasts a range of usable spaces, accessible toilets, changing rooms, drying room, meeting room, a café and en-suite overnight accommodation.

The location of The Edge at the start of the C2C cycle route and on the Cumbria Coastal Way is expected to open doors to developing the commercial aspects of a large and expanding market.

The main commercial operator is local hospitality specialist Osprey Management Group, working with the WHC team and other partners to deliver a variety of outputs and outcomes for the benefit of the community.

Our Community Activity Co-ordinator role is a fixed-term post, which started just before the centre launched and is due to finish in December 2026 but has potential to be extended, subject to future funding.

The original post-holder has been working closely with local community groups on different uses for our new facilities at The Edge and to develop initiatives to capitalise on those ideas for the various spaces, as well as focusing on website content and wider marketing & promotions. An unexpected opportunity to take on a permanent role locally in the maritime sector means we now find ourselves needing to recruit again.

Could you be the person we’re seeking to develop this role even further and take us to the next stage?

The successful candidate will ideally bring with them – and build further – strong and lasting relationships between all those connected with The Edge and its stakeholders. They will be responsible for identifying and developing options for more than just the obvious community activities – from service providers to potential users – as well as organising and overseeing events that make the best use of the multi-functional spaces, working with a small but experienced team on the centre’s wider promotion.

The Edge project has been made possible with funding from Sellafield Ltd’s Social Impact Multiplied – SiX – programme and the Coastal Communities Fund.

Headline terms & conditions

Contract: Fixed term appointment until December 2026 (subject to start date; option to extend if further funding secured)

Salary and hours: This part-time position has a fixed, funded salary of just over £25k pa. We are initially seeking commitment for 28 hours a week but may consider less if we believe we have the right candidate. If you are interested but could only offer three days a week, for example, please still apply and use your cover letter to state how you would ensure quality of delivery and be able to support the wider team in achieving the publicly funded outputs and outcomes

Start date: Successful candidate to start immediately or as soon as available

Annual leave: 25 days plus all statutory bank holidays for full-time employees; pro rata for others

Probation period: Three months (during which the notice period on either side will be one week)

Notice period: Two full calendar months

Pension: WHC operates an auto-enrolment pension scheme through Nest

Important information

Download the full job description and person specification below, including details of how to apply

Deadline: 10am Tuesday 11th November 2025

Interview date: Thursday 20th November 2025 (TBC)