We have an opportunity to join our dedicated team of vergers to uphold the dignity of worship in the Cathedral, to care for its security and to welcome all who enter it. The vergers play an important part in ensuring the proper functioning of the Cathedral as a place of worship and for the many other roles and activities which it serves.
Main responsibilities
- Close and lock up the Cathedral and precincts at night.
- Share, with the other members of the verging team, the responsibility for internal maintenance and running of the Cathedral and precincts.
- Specialist duties include care and operation of the sound system and equipment; the care and operation of cleaning equipment; the operation of the heating system; and care and operation of the security and alarm systems.
- Help with setting up and removal of all contents and furniture as necessary for concerts, events and services (including staging), and for their restoration afterwards.
- Act as site supervisor during events and as point of contact for event organisers prior to, and during the events. Many of these events take place in the evenings and involve resetting the Cathedral after the event has finished, ready for the next day’s Morning Services.
- Provide a welcome to visitors as and when required, making sure that all visitors are received in a friendly, tactful and helpful manner. When it is necessary to be firm, this should be without giving offence.
- Support the work of the volunteer staff including Welcomers and Day Chaplains when required.
- Keep a vigilant eye on the Cathedral and its precincts with regard to security, making regular checks on the buildings and helping to maintain a visible staff presence across the site.
- Ensure all valuables and money are looked after according to agreed instructions including regular emptying of alms boxes and votive candle offerings, handling collection money and its safe storage when required.
- Assist in the maintenance of good order throughout the Cathedral and its precincts and ensure that decorum is maintained within the Cathedral at all times.
The ideal candidate
You will be a good team player with the ability to relate equally well to paid and voluntary staff, displaying an understanding of worship and an appreciation of the importance of dignity. You will have a friendly and welcoming personality, able to offer a warm welcome to all who visit or use the Cathedral for worship, for concerts and events or as tourists – even at the end of a long shift. The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, energetic and practical; able to work under pressure; will demonstrate sympathy with the aims and objectives of Southwark Cathedral; be flexible and willing to work overtime and shift-work when required; competent in the use of basic Microsoft Office applications and email; and with good communication skills, both written and oral.
You will also need to be able to reach all areas of the Cathedral Church and associated buildings without mechanical assistance, carry heavy loads and do such physical work as is required, including working at height.
Practical details
Salary: £17,102 (£23,943 pro rata)
Hours: 25 hours per week
Location: London Bridge
A clear basic DBS check will be required for this role.
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