How would you like a total career change in the countryside - joining a team to grow a village enterprise?

Make Your Mark is looking for a really diverse pool of applicants for a unique project which has funding from the Big Lottery Fund and a TV series from the BBC. The deadline for applications is 14 August!

The search is on for individuals with the skills and passion to help transform rural Britain. Six ‘champions' are required to work with a village to drive a successful and sustainable business venture. The biggest barrier to starting up a business is access to finance, but with this Village SOS project Village Champions are paid a salary of £30,000 and the business will be given up to £400,000 funding to get the idea off the ground.  

Part of the Village SOS initiative, candidates will live for a year in the village they are striving to revitalise. Candidates with a track record of running any kind of business or project are encouraged to apply.  They could be a successful entrepreneur, community activist, marketing whizz, festival manager, career high flyer, redundant banker or CEO who is looking for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference to a rural community.  

There are more highly skilled people in the job market than ever; levels of unemployment continued to rise in quarter one of 2009 amongst managers and senior officials, and also rose within agriculture, manufacturing, hotels & restaurants and banking & finance.  

Hannah Bourne from Make Your Mark said: "There are many highly skilled people out there who may want to use today's uncertainties as an opportunity to change their career direction, and we'd like to hear from anyone who thinks they have something to offer.  

"The villages will be looking for champions who can compliment their own skills and talents. With the recession in full swing and unemployment figures expected to rise into 2010 we expect many people to be in a position to apply - could this be the best job in the UK?!" 

Village SOS is a partnership between enterprise campaign Make Your Mark, BBC One and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG).  Villages from across the UK are also applying to take part and champions are needed to help them set their business ideas in motion. Champions can also put in their own money for a profit share (and villagers and other third parties can too), as long as the investment is no more than the Lottery grant, which may be attractive to entrepreneurs looking to run a project and invest their own capital.  

The BBC will be charting each village's journey in a six-part series to be aired next year. The programmes will follow the trials and tribulations of the village communities and their champions as they pull together to bring life back into their area, create jobs and inspire others. 

The Village Champion contract will run for a year but it's hoped that some or all will stay on and ensure the project becomes sustainable beyond when the TV cameras will be rolling. In addition a BBC Learning campaign will accompany the TV series and encourage other rural communities to set up ventures.  

The closing date for applications from Village Champions and villages is Friday 14 August and further information can be found at www.makeyourmark.org.uk/villagesos or www.bbc.co.uk/villagesos. A shortlist of champions will be presented to the villages and they will choose the candidate who brings the most suitable skills to their project.