Work with us

Whether you’re a job hunter searching for your next enriching role, or you’re an organisation hoping to explore a long-lasting partnership with us, the Ernest Cook Trust is always open to working with people that bring fresh perspectives on learning and land.

Ernest Cook Trust -

Job opportunities

A life learning from the land is in your hands, and it’s possible for all of us. Remember, whatever your position at the Ernest Cook Trust, be sure to keep a pair of wellies close by.

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Our roots

The Ernest Cook Trust’s roots remain deeply grounded in our founder’s passion for the countryside. When Ernest Cook encountered great wealth, he combined this good fortune with his belief in preserving a rural way of life. After buying several country estates, he eventually gave them to the Ernest Cook Trust – the educational charity he founded in 1952.

Tenant farmer, river keeper, Outdoor Learning Leader or apprentice – all of us are united by a shared vision and belief: that the land is for all of us. Just as Ernest would have wanted.

Our values

These values aren’t just kept on paper – they’re in our nature. We embody them every minute of every day and they guide not just the work we do but the way we do it. Whether that’s tending the landscape or teaching the next generation.

Cultivating connections

Creating a sense of connection and belonging — to the land, between each other, and with new audiences.

Freedom to try

Committing to our belief that learning helps us thrive — whether from each other or across our land.

Progressive stewardship

Acknowledging that adaptation is necessary and builds resilience, but is rooted in a deep care for the land.

Connecting with colleagues, a bloom of experts in their field, is always a delight. Conversations can dart from spotting water voles on the River Coln, to our latest endeavours in teacher training, to shaping our future as a modern grant-maker – I’m always learning.

Sarah White, Director of Learning, Grants & Partnerships