We’re looking for a volunteer to help us get news media talking about our fire festivals, Beltane and Samhuinn. If you know what makes journalists tick and press photographers smile, we need you!

The Beltane Fire Society is a community of volunteers who stage huge fire festivals in central Edinburgh on the last days of April and October each year. We use them to mark the turning seasons and keep ancient Celtic traditions alive. They’re incredible visual spectacles with audiences of thousands, and we get lots of media attention.

Each year we’re approached by journalists who want to film, write about or photograph our events. We know the best way to make the most of the attention we get (and to tell the stories we want to share) is to have a volunteer or two dedicated to working with them. It’s a huge help for us, and could be a great opportunity for you to work with international, UK, Scottish and local media – in past festivals our volunteers have worked with media including The Times, the BBC, STV and The Scotsman to get the word out.

Our current media volunteer will be working on our next event – Beltane 2015 on 30 April – as her last festival, so working alongside her to promote Beltane could be a great way to dip a toe in the water, get to know us (if you don’t already) and see if you’d be interested in taking up the full role for future festivals.

What we’re looking for:

• Someone who really gets how media works (so ideally someone with relevant experience – whether as a journalist or in PR – or relevant knowledge and a desire to put it into practice);
• Someone interested in or willing to learn about Beltane Fire Society, our principles and our events;
• Someone willing and able to commit to volunteering for us – for Beltane 2015 we’ll need roughly two hours a week of your time across late February, March and April (mostly outside office hours, so shouldn’t clash with work or study) to work with our current lead media volunteer. Must also be free on afternoon and evening of 30 April for the event itself.
• Someone based in Edinburgh or within easy travelling distance, and easy access to phone and internet.
• Someone interested in working to promote future Beltane Fire Society events as lead media volunteer.

Email us at press@beltane.org for more information or to let us know you’re interested by Sunday 8th February.

_{Photo of Samhuinn 2014 by Mark Taylor.}