Jobs

We currently have two vacancies:

Volunteer Coordinator - 16 hours per week

Responsible for: Actively managing our valuable volunteers by recruiting, training, supporting and communicating with the volunteer team.

Salary: £24,570 per annum pro-rata to £10,483.20 based on the Real Living Wage of £12.60 an hour

Part-time: 16 Hours/37.5 hour week

Fixed-term contract for two years

Overall responsibilities of the job:

To ensure that the recruitment, onboarding, and training of volunteers are done in a consistent and cohesive manner across all teams at the food bank, and to promote support and development to ensure the ongoing well-being of all volunteers.

General requirement to attend a Foodbank Centre regularly

1. Maintain volunteer records using our internal database and promote the system to improve uptake amongst volunteers
   1. Keep role descriptions and training schedules current
2. Assess volunteer recruitment needs and recruit accordingly using food bank safer recruitment systems and processes
   1. Recruit and onboard volunteers within key operational areas such as the warehouse and centres.
   2. Recruit and onboard strategic volunteers that will help progress the food bank’s strategy, e.g. Church Ambassadors, Fundraisers, public speakers and signposting volunteers in the distribution centre, Fuelbank volunteers
3. Implement a formal training programme for existing and new volunteers
   1. Conduct a training audit of all volunteers to identify gaps and priorities for training
   2. Develop relevant volunteer resources that will equip and support both new and current volunteers to perform their roles to their best ability
4. Enhance volunteer recognition
   1. Deliver key volunteer events that make volunteers feel seen and appreciated
   2. Work with the communications co-ordinator to use social media to recruit volunteers or celebrate them
   3. Develop a volunteer newsletter to disseminate information.
5. Implement a robust package to support and promote volunteer well-being, both physically and mentally
   1. Equip Centre Leads to ensure that debriefing is offered to a high standard at all food bank centres
   2. Equip volunteers to be able to handle incidents of aggression or support individuals with complex needs, and to do so in a way that protects their own well-being
   3. Deliver other training that will help to address volunteer well-being
   4. Provide a personal point of contact for all volunteers and to provide pastoral support where appropriate.

Person profile: 

• Experience in coordinating, managing or supervising a team of people, including volunteers, with strong interpersonal skills
• Experience in booking and managing training
• Experience in event management
• Organised and can work independently and work well with various teams across the foodbank. 

Benefits of working for the Foodbank: 

• Use your existing skills to make a difference
• Meet new people who share your passion to eradicate poverty in the community
• Make a real difference to the running of the food bank

Administrator - 12 hours per week

Responsible for: Providing admin support for the Foodbank

Salary:  £24,570 per annum pro-rata to £7,862.40 based on Real Living Wage of £12.60 an hour

Part-time: 12 Hours/37.5 hour week

Permanent role

Overall responsibilities of the job:

To support in the administration of the Foodbank. 

Organise meetings:

• Organise and minute trustee and distribution centre co-ordinator meetings. 

Database Management:

• Maintenance of a local school and supporter database
• Maintaining correspondence lists. 

Correspondence and communication:

 Requesting and overseeing thank you letters being sent out for financial donations. 

• Managing the admin and info email accounts, handling correspondence, sending and responding to emails, and forwarding them to the appropriate colleagues.    
• Assisting communications and campaigns co-ordinator to send campaigns to schools, churches and other organisations.
• Respond to messages sent to our Facebook account.
• Co-ordinating Harvest, Christmas and other ad-hoc collections.

 Guest-related tasks:

•  Oversee Fuelbank vouchers
• Organise deliveries received through referral agencies. 

Policy assistance

• Assisting the Project Manager to co-ordinate the updating of risk assessments for Warehouse, Distribution Centres & supermarket collections.
• Assisting the Project Manager with updating and circulating of policies and procedures for Southend Foodbank.
• Assist the Project Manager with Quality Assurance questionnaires and outcomes as required.
• Ensuring Charity Commission details are correct and up to date.

Trussell/commercial partner arrangements

• Co-ordinating with the team on offers in the Trussell weekly updates
• SIM card ordering when needed.
• Ordering stationery and supplies. 

About you/Person Specification:

• Excellent communication skills
• Good IT skills – Experience of Microsoft Office essential
• An eye for detail
• Organised, self-motivated and able to work independently and unsupervised
• Numerate
• Able to work and empathise with people from disadvantaged, marginalised, or socially excluded backgrounds 

Benefits of working for the Foodbank: 

• Use your existing skills to make a difference
• Meet new people who share your passion to eradicate poverty in the community
• Make a real difference to the running of the food bank

Application and Interviewing Process for these vacancies:

If you are passionate about making a difference and feel you meet the requirements of the person specification, we encourage you to apply. 

Please send your CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability for the role to Natasha Copus, Project Manager at natasha@southend.foodbank.org.uk by Sunday, 18th May 2025.

Interviews will be held on W/C 26th May 2025. If you apply, please ensure you are available on these dates. Some flexibility may be available, but to ensure a swift and effective interview process this will be at the discretion of the interview panel’s availability.
 

Please subscribe to our newsletter or social media accounts for updates about when we are hiring for staff.