Community Management Jobs

Community Drug and Alcohol Recovery Services (CDARS) is a charity organisation that provides psychological and social support to drug users and their family members.

As part of this work, it has built a track record of working with service user representatives, service user Councils and networks and service user involvement teams. This includes creating a strong Volunteer, Peer Mentor and Recovery Champion network and supporting them through training, supervision and access to additional personal and professional development areas.

The WCDAS and RCDAS Treatment services, led by South London and Maudsley (SLAM), are a community substance misuse ‘partnership’ service that offers a broad and inclusive range of support and treatment options for those seeking recovery from Substance use. This includes access to medical, psychological, and sustained recovery sessions within the Boroughs of Wandsworth and Richmond.

The Community Involvement Worker (CIW) will assist in delivering positive and improved outcomes for service users across both Boroughs and will work closely with the Community Involvement Co-Ordinator (CIC) to manage recruit, train and nurture peer mentors and service user representatives. This support will aim to build capacity and visible recovery across the boroughs. Both post-holders will help develop, train and nurture meaningful service user involvement through the Service User Council network and its representatives throughout the treatment system.

The post holder will need to work under the directives of the CDARS Wandsworth Management Team, with the objective of facilitating engagement in all aspects of service user involvement. The post holder will be expected to foster and develop good working relationships with staff at all levels within the partnership and establish good working relationships with other agencies, both voluntary and state, within the two Boroughs.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work as part of our housing management organisation that is rich in history with a thriving, vibrant, and diverse community. Delivering on behalf of our housing landlord, you will oversee the estate service ensuring the estate cleaning and grounds maintenance is carried out to a high standard that will enable our communities to thrive.

The postholder will be responsible for working together with the Estates team, contractors, SW9 operational managers, and the wider staff team. To lead an efficient and effective team within the customer services department to deliver a high-quality customer focused service in line SW9 objectives.

You will be leading a team and provide services to approximately 1,800 properties, ensuring that our services are fit for purpose and offers our residents excellent customer service.

Key Responsibilities:

· Manage Estate Service: Oversee and coordinate all estates activities, ensuring timely and cost-effective solutions.

· Team Leadership: Lead and support a team of staff and contractors, fostering a collaborative and efficient working environment.

· Budget Management: Control and monitor budgets, ensuring projects are completed within financial constraints.

· Customer Service: Maintain high levels of customer satisfaction by addressing tenant concerns and feedback promptly.

· Reporting: Prepare regular reports for senior management, highlighting performance metrics and areas for improvement.

About you:

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Estate Services Manager to oversee the effective management of the in-house cleaning team and external contract management for various aspects of the estate and delegation. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in estate management, excellent organisational skills, and a passion for delivering first-class service.

You will have good technical knowledge and management experience. This is a highly visible role, and the successful applicant will be able to demonstrate experience of delivering a first-class estate service.

Age UK Lambeth’s vision is to work closely with residents, closely to where they live, remain relevant and to respond locally to rising needs. We want to ensure that we are easy to access, working with local communities and providing the best support we can to residents and our partners such as secondary care. Hospitals need to free up beds by discharging patients who do not need to remain in hospital. Despite the pressures we want discharges to be safe, successful and as painless as possible for patients. We also want to ensure a patient is not readmitted into hospital. 

The Hospital Discharge Community Support Coordinator will match Age UK Lambeth (AUKL) volunteers and partner organisation volunteers to support a patient's discharge. Volunteers could provide support with transport, practical support such as food shopping or completing home safety checks. Upon discharge volunteers may continue supporting patients for up to 4 weeks, providing support in person (at the individual's home or in the community) and over the phone, linking them into support services and helping them access the community to prevent hospital readmission.

What you’ll be doing?

1. Oversee the development of a new, inclusive volunteer programme that offers a range of diverse and challenging volunteer roles to support patients leaving hospital and once settled home. 

2. Work in partnership with the VCS to create 100 volunteering opportunities to support hospital discharge.

3. Using the volunteer platform, Care for Me, track allocated tasks to ensure they’re completed. Monitor volunteer reports to review the support and work delivered under the project.

4. Develop and maintain strong working relationships with King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital to ensure appropriate referrals are made into the service.

What you’ll benefit from

• Flexibility - this is a hybrid role with lots of community engagement and the chance to manage your own working day 

• Generous pension provision - 7% employer contribution

• 26 days holiday a year rising to 31 days after 5 years

• A great staff team 

Community Development and Wind Farm Manager

Location: Hybrid, based in Uist, with a desk at old Lochmaddy School, North Uist.

Application deadline: Sunday 01 December, 2024, noon.

Hours of work: Full-time, 35 hours per week, flexible working considered.

Holidays: 25 days per year plus 9 days public holidays per year.

About us:

North Uist Development Company, founded in 2010, registered as a Scottish Company No. 383175 and as a Scottish Charity No. SC041709, aims to develop a sustainable and viable community through promoting the social, educational, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing of North Uist.UistWind (North Uist Development Company Trading Limited) is a Community Benefit Society, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under registration no: RS007738.  The two UistWind 900kW wind turbines are operated by UistWind on behalf of the community, with projections indicating the project will generate over £2 million for community benefit.  For more details visit our website.

Role summary:                   
This is an exciting opportunity to join North Uist Development Company (NUDC) and UistWind (North Uist Development Company Trading Limited) to act as a catalyst for innovative and sustainable community development and for successful operational management of the North Uist community-owned wind farm – UistWind.

The successful candidate will work with the UistWind Management Committee, its members and associated parties, to manage the Community Benefit Society’s operational business needs, meeting compliance requirements while working to maximise generation and revenue from two 900kW wind turbines at Criongrabhal near Clachan-na-Luib in North Uist for the benefit of the local community.The successful candidate will also work with NUDC and the wider community, to develop and implement both a community development plan, and a community investment plan for the UistWind community benefit fund, which takes account of opportunities to enhance the socio-economic, cultural and environmental welfare of the North Uist and Berneray area.

Who we are looking for:
We are looking to recruit an energetic and self-motivated individual, with a strong commitment to community development and community ownership.  You will have experience of partnership working, especially with community groups and associated stakeholders, and of working with and supporting voluntary trustees.  You will also have excellent communication, coordination and facilitation skills, alongside attention to detail and demonstrable ability to understand, utilise and interpret complex technical and financial information.  ​If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified, and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to hear from you.

How to apply:
For full details about the role, who we are looking for, and how to apply, please see the attached application pack.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV by noon on Sunday 1st December 2024.

The main purpose of this role is to deliver clear, accurate and valuable guidance to community organisations on renewable energy technologies, business models and project development processes at various scales. This support may range from advising on sustainable options for community buildings to assisting in the development of larger renewable energy projects, such as wind turbines and solar farms.

Pay and conditions

• The role is full-time (37.5 hours per week).
• The salary for the role will be £34,788 - £38,229 per year
• You will be entitled to 25 days paid holiday (plus statutory holidays).

CSE offer a range of benefits including, subsidised bike purchase and Tech Scheme, Life Assurance, Health Cash plan, retail discounts and discounted breakdown cover and many more.

We will pay fees and expenses on relevant training courses.

Specific responsibilities

An applicant appointed to the role will be expected to:

• Deliver engaging training to local and community stakeholders on renewable energy, heat and (potentially) storage technologies.
• Develop and strengthen creative tools, accessible guidance and other materials for community organisations that increase their ability to scope, develop and deliver projects.
• Work with community actors to develop and deliver pro-active local engagement processes that build informed consent and support for renewables within their wider community.
• Support community organisations to plan and deliver sites for development, assisting them to undertake basic options, appraisals, and commission specialist feasibility and other necessary studies.
• Provide input and guidance to help identify and secure funding and finance for project development and implementation.
• Facilitate learning, networking, and sharing between local and community organisations, staff and volunteers, including connecting networks, organisations and individuals to progress ideas.
• Support CSE’s fundraising activities and the development of new models and approaches for the provision of renewable energy, heat projects, and services at the local and community scale.
• Champion to key stakeholders (such as local authorities and funders) the roles which local and community organisations can play in catalysing and enabling renewable energy and local energy projects.
• Foster collaboration and deepening relationships with partners and other organisations who are active and interested in supporting similar areas of work. This might include local authorities, community organisations, community energy organisations, third sector organisations, developers, funders, investors and key supply chain actors.

To see a more detailed list of responsibilities please see the supporting documents attached. These documents are also available to download from our website.

Essential attributes for this role include:

• Have experience and knowledge of developing and/or delivering heat, renewable energy, or storage projects, including larger standalone renewables projects. 
• The ability to research and rapidly synthesise and share key understanding around different renewable technologies.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to apply these appropriately to a wide range of people and to relay and translate technical information for non-technical audiences.
• Have a broad understanding of the UK energy system, and the transformations required to tackle the climate emergency.

Please note, the above is an overview of the skills required for this role. To see the full list of essential and desirable skills please see the attached job description.

How to apply

To apply, please download and complete the application form available from our website. Your application should demonstrate your suitability for the role against the criteria outlined in the person specification.

Applications should be sent by email or by post to:Reception, Centre for Sustainable Energy, St James Court, St James Parade, Bristol BS1 3LH.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 midnight on Sunday 1 December 2024. If you have not heard from CSE by midday Tuesday 10 December, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Interviews will take place in-person at our offices in Bristol on Thursday 12 December and Friday 13 December 2024.

If invited to interview, we will ask you to provide evidence of eligibility to work in the UK.

We are recruiting a Community Development Officer to engage key partners and stakeholders in the region providing support, training and education to create suicide safer communities.

What you will do:

· Identify, develop and maintain effective partnerships with local communities, volunteers and key partners across the region to engage them in the prevention of young suicide.

· Proactively promote suicide prevention including raising the profile of PAPYRUS and engaging with those personally affected by young suicide.

· Equip a wide range of stakeholders to enable them to create sustainable suicide safer communities through the provision of tailored support, training and education.

· Deliver training and awareness raising products to a variety of groups including professionals, parents, young people, volunteers and other trainers.

· Contribute to the development and review of projects, and education and training products, in line with strategic plans.

· Record, monitor and report on data to evaluate our projects and demonstrate impact.

· Represent the charity at events including conferences, panels, working groups and through media channels as required.

To be successful in this role you will have:

· Previous experience working in a community setting, delivering information and training sessions, leading workshops or educational activities

· A proven track record of networking and building and managing effective relationships, tailoring the approach to meet the differing needs of the audience

· Experience as a qualified ASIST Trainer or willingness to gain qualification and experience

· Experience of using your own initiative and creativity to develop a project, programme or area of work

· Excellent time management skills and ability to manage a diverse workload

· The ability to travel to different locations across London and the South of England to attend meetings, events and deliver training.

Please visit the careers site for the full job description and person specification for the role.

Salary: £30,559 per annum (Scale SCP 18) progressing by increments to £33,366 per annum (Scale SCP 23). As this is a London-based role, the post-holder will receive an additional Cost of Living Allowance which is £5,000 per annum.

Hours: 36 hours per week  

Location: London (7-9 Bream’s Buildings, London, EC4A 1DT) with travel across the South of England

Contract: Permanent

Benefits: You will receive 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time workers), hybrid and flexible working arrangements, an attractive pension scheme, Simply Health membership and enhanced sick pay. Please visit our website for more details.

Closing date: Sunday 8th December 2024 

We reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier if we receive sufficient applications so, please submit your application as soon as possible.

PAPYRUS is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and its recruitment policies are designed to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

PAPYRUS is committed to safeguarding all children, young people and adults at risk that interact with the organisation. The organisation recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of these vulnerable groups by a commitment to procedures to protect them. The charity expects all staff and volunteers to fully support and promote these commitments.

Community Project Coordinator

Hours: Part-time, 21 hours per week (0.6 Full-Time Equivalent)

Starting salary: £25,767 (pro-rata)

Contract: Fixed term for 12 months. (Potentially longer dependent on funding).

Responsible to: Adult Projects Lead

Location: Office base is Chorley. A mix of home and office working, with a focus on travel to Burnley and Pendle for project delivery

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our adults project team as a project coordinator. The postholder will have significant experience of engaging south Asian communities in Lancashire. Alongside working on Connecting Communities.

We are looking for an individual who understands the communities of Lancashire and the barriers to engagement they may face. Fluency in languages such as Urdu, Punjabi or Bengali is advantageous. The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, with the ability to adapt to a range of audiences and with the ability to build relationships quickly with service users and professionals.

Lancashire Mind is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community, particularly candidates with a lived experience of mental health conditions who fulfil all the criteria within the person specification.

We offer a workplace pension scheme, 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), a sick pay scheme, paid emergency and compassionate leave, regular supervision, and a variety of learning and development opportunities.

Please note: Lancashire Mind follows Safer Recruitment practices and have a commitment to safeguarding people who use our services. Therefore, this post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. If invited to interview, we will ask you to provide evidence of your qualifications and right to work.

Applications must be submitted using a Lancashire Mind job application form, which can be downloaded from our Lancashire Mind website along with our recruitment pack which contains more information about this role.

Deadline for applications: 9am on Monday 9th December 2024.

Interviews for this post are scheduled to take place on Wednesday 18th December, in person at our office in Chorley. Please keep this date free as alternatives can’t be offered.

Registered Charity Number 1081427

Registered Company Number 3888655

Job Title: Community and Business Development Manager for Essex

Salary: £39,000 to £44,000

Responsible to: Regional Manager South and East

Location: Across Essex with time spent in Colchester

Hours of Work: 36 ½ hours per week. Flexible working will be required

Contract: Permanent

Benefits

We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include:

• Annual Leave – 38 days! 25 days AL (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays.
• Flexible working, home working and remote working options available
• Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution.
• Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more.
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day).
• Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.

Introduction to The Active Wellbeing Society

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working to develop healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives.

Our vision is for a society where people have the autonomy, capacity, resources and skills to become the architects of their own destiny; where our individual wellbeing is recognised as being bound up in our collective responsibility to and dependency on each other; and where all of us feel empowered as agents of social change to make a difference – whether at an individual level or more widely.

Essex Pedal Power is a flagship programme led by Essex County Council and Active Essex to support more people in deprived areas to cycle by removing the main barriers to cycling.

About the Role

In this strategic post as the Community and Business Development Manager for Essex you will play a key role in overseeing our existing work and also contributing to the development of future work within the region. You will directly manage the delivery of our community based projects, specifically the Heart of Greenstead and VCS capacity building, liaising closely with all key partners involved in the work, and representing the organisation in a wide range of system settings. You will play a vital role to ensure that the organisation’s contractual obligations and goals are achieved by collaborating with communities and partner organisations in the design and delivery of interventions to promote active citizenship. You will co-produce with local communities in order to achieve sustainable outcomes by bringing people together to be better connected and networked.

You will need to work collaboratively and influence effectively across multiple agendas, to maintain an overview of engagement and impact whilst seeking to maximise opportunities for partnership development. We are looking for an individual that demonstrates clear leadership and the ability to influence and persuade across multiple disciplines and arenas.

Main Duties

1. Responsible for building strong relationships and developing working partnerships across a wide range of local stakeholders with the aim of developing new business opportunities in conjunction with the Regional Manager.

2. To plan, develop and deliver high quality programmes, projects and interventions and ensuring all are in line with the overall strategy and objectives of the organisation and that meet contractual obligations.

3. To work closely with the funding team and the regional manager to develop new funding bids in line with opportunities created through partnerships and business development.

4. Manage the operational delivery and development of a range of funded programmes with a focus on collaborating with communities and partner organisations in the design and delivery to promote active citizenship. Ensure within this that agreed outcomes are met in full.

5. Manage and monitor the budget with finance representatives from TAWS and support the relationship management with existing funders and the identification of potential new funders.

6. Devise, understand and use asset-based community development approaches to community development and work with communities to understand priorities and co-design initiatives. Ensure that delivery mitigates or removes the barriers to participation.

7. Keep abreast of new and emergent thinking across wellbeing, community development and tackling inequalities as well as innovation and leadership in this field of work. Work collaboratively with partners from across the area to develop new innovation and interventions in line with the emergent opportunities.

8. Play a key role in monitoring and evaluation plans, through collecting, analysing and sharing data (quantitative and qualitative) working with the TAWS Data & Insight team.

Knowledge, Skills and Experiences

1. Good communication skills and engagement with communities with proven previous community engagement and delivery experience

2. Awareness of funding opportunities with experience of project and bid development as well as Experience in sub-contractor management

3. Experience in facilitation and training, providing advice and guidance and consultancy experience

4. Understanding of marketing, events coordination with strong planning and organisation skills

5. Project management experience, including design and development, planning, resource allocation, time, budget, risk management and evaluation of impact and outcomes.

6. Experience of line-managing and developing teams to deliver against programme objectives and to achieve their full potential, preferably in the field of community development

7. Understanding of interpreting and analysing data bringing insight to community planning, delivery, and development

This is an exciting time for Parkinson’s UK. We want to reach as many people as possible so we can improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s. We are looking for people to join our network, make genuine connections, and be part of a larger team that works together to support the Parkinson’s community. 

About the role 

The Parkinson’s UK Tech Guide connects people with Parkinson’s to devices and apps that could improve their quality of life, with the information and tools for people to choose the right solutions for them. 

As part of a small team and reporting to the Catalogue and Community Lead, you will support them in creating clear and comprehensive product reviews. You will also moderate contributions from our community of users and help create and maintain effective relationships inside and outside the charity. This means working with people inside Parkinson’s UK and from our community, as well as with the companies who make and sell the tech in our catalogue.

What you’ll do:

• Help the Catalogue and Community Lead to manage the catalogue of devices and apps, including compiling and editing listing pages.
• Help manage relationships with end users of the Tech Guide – people with Parkinson’s, their family and carers, and healthcare professionals – ensuring all stakeholders have the best possible experience.
• Provide user support, manage user-generated content, and enforce our code of conduct.
• Gain a deep understanding of the Parkinson’s community and of the organisations who supply and use tech to help them.
• Contribute your ideas and feedback to the development and growth of the Tech Guide itself.

What you’ll bring:

• Great organisational skills, able to make sure everything stays on track and is recorded and reported as needed.
• Excellent communication, negotiating and influencing skills, able to work effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently as part of a close-knit team.
• Commitment to working with our user communities to co-create the right solutions for them.

This is an exciting time for Parkinson’s UK and we would love you to join us!

Please apply by sending us your CV, together with a detailed supporting statement which will fully demonstrate how you meet all the criteria of the role, as stated in the "What you'll bring" section of the job description.

As well as flexible working hours, this role is offered on a flexible contract giving you the opportunity to also work from home four days a week. You’ll be required to cover your own travel expenses to our central-London office.

Anyone can get Parkinson’s. It’s vital that the people who work for Parkinson’s UK are representative of our diverse community. We actively encourage people from all sections of the community to apply, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, or religion.

We are recruiting a Community Development Officer to engage key partners and stakeholders in East Midlands and Cambridgeshire tailoring support, training and education to create suicide safer communities.

What you will do:

· Identify, develop and maintain effective partnerships with local communities, volunteers and key partners across the region to engage them in the prevention of young suicide.

· Proactively promote suicide prevention including raising the profile of PAPYRUS and engaging with those personally affected by young suicide.

· Equip a wide range of stakeholders to enable them to create sustainable suicide safer communities through the provision of tailored support, training and education.

· Deliver training and raise awareness of products to a variety of groups including professionals, parents, young people, volunteers and other trainers.

· Contribute to the development and review of projects, and education and training products, in line with the Strategic Plans.

· Contribute to and promote campaigns, training and opportunities as outlined in the Area and Strategic Plans.

To be successful in this role you will have:

· Previous experience working in a community setting, delivering information and training sessions, leading workshops or educational activities

· A proven track record of networking and building and managing effective relationships, tailoring the approach to meet the differing needs of the audience

· Experience as a qualified ASIST Trainer or willingness to gain qualification and experience

· Experience of using own initiative and creativity to develop a project, programme or area of work

· The ability to travel to different locations across West Midlands, West Mercia and Staffordshire  to attend meetings, events and deliver training.

· A degree or professional qualification in Education, Counselling, Training, Psychology, Community Development or Youth Work

Please visit the careers site for the full job description and person specification for the role.

Salary: £30,559 per annum (SCP 18) progressing by increments to £33,366 per annum (SCP 23)

Hours: 36 hours per week

Location: Birmingham, with travel across West Midlands, West Mercia and Staffordshire

Contract: Permanent

Benefits: You will receive 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time workers), hybrid and flexible working arrangements, an attractive pension scheme, Simply Health membership, enhanced sick pay and enhanced parental pay. Please visit our website for more details.

Closing date: Sunday 8th December 2024

We reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier if we receive sufficient applications so, please submit your application as soon as possible.

PAPYRUS is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and its recruitment policies are designed to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

PAPYRUS is committed to safeguarding all children, young people and adults at risk that interact with the organisation. The organisation recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of these vulnerable groups by a commitment to procedures to protect them. The charity expects all staff and volunteers to fully support and promote these commitments.

This is a vacancy for an established but growing Corporate and Community Fundraiser role in a Berkshire based charity, generating funds from local businesses and community groups, events and individuals. 

Camp Mohawk is a local but widely known and highly respected organisation, providing support services to children and young people with special needs and their families from our beautiful woodland site in rural East Berkshire. Camp Mohawk supports over 700 families from across the South / South East region, seeing over 17,000 visitors each year.

Many of our families and young people find it extremely difficult to access public play and leisure facilities, and the challenges they face with day-to-day life means that they are at significant risk of social isolation and deteriorating mental and physical health. Recent studies have found that families who have a child with special needs are experiencing significant pressure on their family finances, over and above those being experienced by the general population. Camp Mohawk is committed to a voluntary contribution system of charges for the families who use our service and with very limited government / local authority funding available we are therefore almost entirely reliant on grants and donations to make up our annual income requirements.

We have a vacancy for a dynamic, driven and experienced individual to join our small fundraising team, focussing on generating income from corporate and community sources and working closely with our Grants and Trusts Fundraiser. The successful applicant will be a superb communicator, with proven presentation and / or public speaking experience, allowing them to engage and enthuse diverse audiences of all ages. They will possess the skills and confidence to create and deliver persuasive presentations, write press releases, produce posters, leaflets and other written communications, and maintain and build our social media following on a variety of platforms.  Experience of planning and co-ordinating events and/or fundraising challenges, managing teams of volunteers and making pro-active approaches is desirable. They will possess good IT skills and will have a good understanding of financial reporting.

Working primarily from home or remotely (due to space limitations in our small office!), they will be highly self-motivated, driven and possess exceptional organisational skills. The role involves frequent travel locally for the purpose of visiting current and new contacts in the community and attending events, therefore the successful candidate will live locally and will need their own transport. Working hours can be flexible but the ability to work at occasional breakfast, evening and weekend events is essential. 

If you feel that you possess the skills and attributes this role requires, we would love to hear from you. 

• Ensuring that all requests and 1st & 2nd level queries (phone, email and in-person) are responded to promptly and effectively including providing tours of the Centre to prospective members.
• Interacting with members on a daily basis, delivering a superb experience
• Full responsibly for bookings & payments for all Classes, Clubs, activities, services, membership fees, etc. on the online system the Centre uses (training will be provided)
• Promoting all membership, classes, clubs, activities, special events and services with respective prices and availability to members and visitors
• Processing applications for membership and volunteers as per the Centre’s process.
• Managing drop-in activities which take place weekdays from 9 am to 12 noon. 
• Organising room setup requirements for activities, especially classes, meetings and events
• Maintaining the professional appearance of the office at all times, including ensuring front office filing systems are maintained and up to date
• Training and managing volunteers supporting the front office, Front Office Assistants, ensuring they are aware of their responsibilities and performing to a high standard
• Responsible to making sure members renew on time and membership renewal is up to date.
• Responsible for maintaining all notice boards in the Centre and keeping them up to date with correct posters and announcements.
• Receive and help with various deliveries ensuring everything is received properly and is kept in its correct place.
• Maintaining the activities list, class and clubs registers and the login/out ledger and visitors log for all members, visitors and volunteers.
• Making sure the relevant Health and Safety requirements and other obligations are being met and correctly observed
• Reporting any maintenance issues quickly and clearly to the Community Manager
• Overseeing and ensuring that all administrative processes are carried out in line with the Centre’s policy
• Opening the Centre in the mornings and possibly closing in the afternoon.
• Reconciling money received on a daily basis reporting this to the General Centre Manager
• You might be required to attend/support events out of working hours including weekends. You will receive time off in lieu for any hours you work over your contractual hours

What you need to have?

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of IT systems including MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
• Strong organisational skills & ability to multi-task
• Experience of working in a similar role and environment
• Able to demonstrate your ability to provide high quality customer service
• Good numeracy and literacy skills and an eye for detail and accuracy
• Self-motivated and able to work under pressure and on your own initiative without ongoing direct supervision
• Be an enthusiastic, flexible and adaptable team player.
• Understandings the importance of safeguarding
• Ideally living locally or within easy commute to Centre

Job Title: Community Connector Essex

Salary: £22,776 - £26,000

Responsible to: Community and Business Development Manager Essex

Location: Across Essex with time spent in Colchester

Hours of Work: 36 ½ hours per week. Flexible working will be required

Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2026

Benefits

We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include:

• Annual Leave – 38 days! 25 days AL (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays.
• Flexible working, home working and remote working options available
• Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution.
• Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more.
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day).
• Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.

Introduction to The Active Wellbeing Society

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working to develop healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives.

Our vision is for a society where people have the autonomy, capacity, resources and skills to become the architects of their own destiny; where our individual wellbeing is recognised as being bound up in our collective responsibility to and dependency on each other; and where all of us feel empowered as agents of social change to make a difference – whether at an individual level or more widely.

Essex Pedal Power is a flagship programme led by Essex County Council and Active Essex to support more people in deprived areas to cycle by removing the main barriers to cycling.

Main duties of the role

1. Work with communities and local organisations to develop and deliver ideas and activities to support people who are representative of the projects’ target audience in the areas.

2. Through local connections identify community assets (community spaces and key individuals) to support TAWS activities.

3. Develop new opportunities, in particular underrepresented groups, to ensure that services offered by The Active Wellbeing Society is brought to new audiences, with a particular focus on hard to reach citizens.

4. Devise, understand and use asset-based community development approaches to community development and work with your team/communities to understand priorities and co-design initiatives. Ensure that delivery mitigates or removes the barriers to participation.

5. Co-produce projects with local communities and locally trusted organisations and ensure continuous engagement and communication to ensure that eligible citizens receive a good quality experience.

6. Contribute to oral and written reports on engagement level, activity delivery and the development of new programmes / projects.

Experience and Knowledge

All criteria are essential, and your application will be assessed on all points detailed below.

1. Experience in volunteering and or recruitment or within another similar role.

2. A commitment to equal opportunities and an understanding of the impact on individuals and community’s health and deprivation.

3. Experience in customer facing roles and knowledge of local communities.

4. Ability to coordinate and consult internal and external organisations (including community groups) to provide pathways of opportunity for active citizenship and community activity.

5. A genuine passion for the wellbeing of others and a drive to improve the lives of individuals and communities by bringing them together to improve their mental and physical wellbeing.

We are looking for a Community Organiser to join the Thames Valley Citizens team in Reading, building the power of local communities.  The role will work across the whole city and will support existing member institutions, as well as focus on recruiting new ones, particularly ‘anchor institutions’ such as schools/colleges, faith institutions, and unions. Primary responsibilities will include recruiting new members; developing core teams in member institutions and supporting community leaders to take action on issues of shared concern.

With your passion, energy, and commitment to democracy, you will support communities to build the power they need to win justice and make a real and lasting impact.  Join us in the fight for a wealthier, healthier and fairer Reading.

A Community Organiser is responsible for the day-to-day development or maintenance of a Citizens alliance or small chapter. Supported by a more experienced Organiser, they have considerable independence and responsibility for external political and media relationships. They take responsibility for financial issues and staff and community training; and may oversee a budget or manage a colleague. A Community Organiser is a practitioner of the craft of broad-based community organising methodology, and focuses on the building of relational power, the recruitment and retention of dues-paying institutions, the development of leaders, the strengthening of member institutions, leader-led public actions, and the winning of systemic change.

Citizens UK

Citizens UK is a people power alliance of diverse local communities working together for the common good. Our mission is to develop leaders, strengthen civic organisations and make change. Our 550 member communities are deeply rooted in their local areas and connect every day to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Through the method of community organising we enable people experiencing powerlessness to develop their leadership and come together with the power and strategy to make change. 

This leads to hundreds of neighbourhood improvements - from zebra crossings outside primary schools to renovated public toilets in cemeteries. And it leads to some of the biggest campaign impacts in the UK, such as winning over £2 billion of wages through the UK Living Wage campaign, securing a legal cap on the cost of credit to control exploitative lending, and ending the detention of children for immigration purposes. We enable local campaigns to grow into large-scale social change projects such as the Living Wage Foundation, Parent Action, Sponsor Refugees, and Refugees for Justice, that form an integral part of our theory of change. The most prominent of these is the rapidly growing Living Wage Foundation with a network of over 13,000 accredited Living Wage Employers across the UK.

Thames Valley Citizens is a chapter of Citizens UK comprising Citizens MK (in Milton Keynes), Reading Citizens, and Oxford Citizens). Reading Citizens is one of Citizens UK’s newest Alliances, launched in 2023. It is a leader-led alliance. In Reading, we are currently focusing on growing the Alliance’s foundations by recruiting more civil society institutions to join existing members. We are building the power of civil society by developing a broad alliance of institutions, strengthening community leadership, and supporting people to take action on what matters most to them.

Main Responsibilities

Working as a Thames Valley Citizens Community Organiser in Reading, reporting to a Regional Supervisor, your main responsibilities will include:

Community Organiser for Reading Citizens:

• Work as part of a team of organisers across Thames Valley and across the South East of England (Thames Valley, Essex, and Sussex)

• Recruit civil society institutions into the alliance

• Support existing institutions across Reading Citizens to focus upon institutional development and strengthen civil society.

• Build relationships and support our strategic partnerships with Reading University and the Students’ Union.

Build relational power to further the goals of CUK:

• Develop a comprehensive power analysis for Reading Citizens

• Develop and grow a substantial network of key influencers at a local level, including journalists; taking the initiative to establish new relationships as required

• Conduct at least 3 121s a day in order to develop relationships with leaders; ensuring a deep understanding of their concerns.

• Tell a wide range of Community Organising stories effectively in order to influence others and achieve CUK’s goals

Identify and develop relational leaders prepared to act with others for the common good:

• Identify and discern actual and potential leaders with the passion and ability to drive change 

• Achieve significant development of primary and secondary leaders; nominate new leaders for training on the core taster curriculum and for National Training 

• Successfully lead training on the core taster curriculum at a local level and teach a variety of sessions on the National Training course

Strengthen institutions and develop BBOs:

• Ensure good understanding of the basic interests and traditions of typical member institutions

• Organise a full local alliance or a large cluster of up to 15 standard member organisations or up to 5 strategic partners to work together on shared issues, including a Leadership Team

• Support pre-existing core teams and create/develop new core teams to provide leadership for multi-institutional campaigns

• Run institutional development campaigns in a range of types of organisation

Support leaders through the Cycle of Action in order to create change:

• Take the staff lead on major actions and campaigns at a local level; aiming to achieve multiple large local wins

• Develop and facilitate action planning teams at local level

• Develop strategies for significant local impact; with comprehensive plans and tactics

• Organise and support local actions, ensuring publicity, and facilitating negotiations 

• Evaluate the effectiveness of actions; demonstrating ability to incorporate lessons learned into future actions

Contribute to CUK’s financial viability through effective fundraising & financial management:

• Recruit new dues paying institutions; negotiating annual membership fees and letters of understanding as required

• Contribute to fundraising by securing £40k-£60k per annum overall, at least half of which must be ‘hard money’ from the recruitment and retention of member institutions. 

• Manage the budget at Alliance/campaign level, incl. setting/ monitoring of budgets, and ensuring dues are collected in a timely manner

Contribute to effective teamwork:

• Be proactive concerning personal professional development and wellbeing, i.e. by reading widely, developing a healthy work-life balance and demonstrating ability to reflect on own organising craft and improve on self-identified weaknesses

• Demonstrate ability to work effectively with colleagues and participate in a team; contribute to the learning of other Organisers

• Lead other Organisers or Associates in a manner that supports high performance by providing clear expectations and providing proactive support, encouragement, and mentorship

• Effective line management of associate organisers 

• Produce all required reports and follow CUK’s procedures on time and to the required standards

Participate in the development of the craft of Community Organising and play a role in the Guild of COs:

• Schedule an average of at least 3 1-2-1 relational meetings into your daily schedule as a core part of your professional practice

• Commit 10 working days pa (pro rata for part-time staff) to the preparation, delivery and evaluation of Citizens UK National Community Leadership Training;

• Participate in a Guild Team and help it develop as a Community of Practice that enables Organisers across the UK to develop their skills and experience.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

• Displays self-awareness of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion issues and good practice. 

• Considers the impact on chapter and direct reports. 

• Leads and acts within their area of responsibility and influence. 

• Acts as a champion for those who might otherwise be marginalised 

Person Specification:

Essential (E)

Desirable (D)

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in any subject or equivalent (D)

Evidence of further and continuing study including a possible professional qualification (D)

EXPERIENCE

At least one-year employment track record of successful Organising (E)

Experience of carrying out a power analysis and using the results to initiate new relationships (E)

Experience of successful fundraising (E)

Experience of setting up a new or consolidating an existing project (E)

Clear evidence of campaigns won and volunteers developed (E)

KEY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Ability to inspire, motivate and lead (particularly people who are different from you) (E)

Ability to organise yourself and others and to work responsibly in an unstructured environment (E)

Financial management skills including ability to set and manage a budget (D)

Ability to use creative strategies to support and develop leaders within unheard and diverse communities. (E)

Ability to plan and organise under pressure (E)

Ability to build trusting relationships and communicate to a wide range of diverse people and institutions (E)

Ability to teach and run workshops (E)

Ability to develop the potential of others (E)

Ability to communicate well verbally and in writing (E)

A good knowledge of Reading and its diverse communities, social dynamics, and challenges (D)

PERSONAL QUALITIES & VALUES

A passion for justice (E)

A positive enthusiasm for working with faith congregations, trade unions, schools and other community organisations (E)

An interest in and experience of politics and public life (E)

Able to work in a team (E)

Willingness to work within accountable relationships (E)

Self-motivated and adaptable (E)

Interview date: 16/01/2025 (subject to change)