Food bank volunteer volunteer roles in didcot, oxfordshire

Sustainability Research Volunteer
People & Planet is looking for volunteers to assist with compiling its 2025/26 People & Planet
University League; the only higher education ranking that classifies based on ethics and climate
justice criteria.
Universities impart skills and knowledge, form life-long beliefs and behaviours, act as centres of
communities, employ, house and feed large numbers of people and promote the creation and
sharing of knowledge. We believe this makes them uniquely placed to lead on environmental and
ethical issues. For this reason the People & Planet University League has been running since 2007
and has been published by high-profile media partners such as The Guardian (2021, 2022. 2023,
2024) and whose data is used in the Sunday Time Good University Guide.
Volunteers will research publicly available university documents and assess universities against
our marking criteria, which cover a wide range of climate and social justice issues including
decarbonisation, fossil fuel divestment, ethical banking, workers’ rights and environmental
management among others. This work will help to incentivise the university sector towards taking
immediate and appropriate action on the climate crisis and upholding the rights and wellbeing of all
people internationally.

The role will develop and improve the following areas:
●​ Qualitative research skills
●​ Attention to detail
●​ Use of data collection software
●​ Time management and keeping to deadlines
●​ Working independently and remotely
●​ Communication skills
●​ Knowledge of environmental management processes and sustainability reporting.

Training is provided for the role. We believe the skills and experience gained could be valuable for
a number of career paths, including working in NGOs, corporate sustainability, estates
management, higher education policy making, research and campaigning among many others.
People & Planet would like to support volunteers in their future careers, so will give all volunteers
an official reference letter on successful completion of their placement and will act as a referee for
future positions for which you may apply. From last year’s cohort, 100% said they would
recommend this position to someone who wanted to add experience to their CV.

Feedback from previous volunteers
‘I think as someone looking for relevant experience to bolster a CV, this is a helpful and
not-too-time-consuming position. It had exactly the kind of flexibility that I required at this point in time.’
‘It's a really great opportunity to hone one's research skills, learn more about what our universities can do to
improve their impact on the planet, and make a small but real difference.’

Person Specification -the following are essential:

• Access to a computer or laptop and internet connection.
• Familiarity with desk-based research.
• Ability to work accurately and efficiently to agreed standards.
• Reliability and commitment to completing work to deadlines.Sustainability Research Volunteer
• Able to communicate needs with staff at People & Planet and if needed, ask for appropriate
• support to complete tasks in time.
• Ability to search policy documents for specific information in English.
• Ability to assess information against standardised frameworks.
• Ability to work remotely and independently

The following are desirable:

●​ Awareness of current issues in sustainability and ethics.
●​ Experience of research and data collection.
●​ An interest in higher education policy.
You will need to commit to
●​ Two 25 hour weeks of remote work in July and August.
●​ 5 hours work per day for the two week period. Volunteers can manage their own time
flexibly and will receive support from People & Planet, but must meet task deadlines on a
weekly basis and attend a short daily meeting.
●​ One half day of remote training and induction the week prior to your 2 week engagement.
●​ Attending a brief meeting in the morning or afternoon each day and one individual check-in
meeting in week 1.

Summer timetable
June 30th-July 11th Ethical Investment and Banking, Ethical Careers and Recruitment,
Education for Sustainable Development. Training and induction w/c 23rd June
July 21st-1st August Sustainable Food, Staff & HR, Environmental Policy and Strategy
Training and induction w/c 14th July
August 11th-August 22nd Managing Carbon, Workers’ Rights, Staff and Student
Engagement, Environmental Management and Auditing. Training and induction w/c August
4th

Application

Applications will be processed on a rolling basis until positions are filled, so please apply early to
avoid disappointment. The deadline for applications is Friday June the 6th 2025
Candidates will need to attend a non-competitive group recruitment session and complete an
online self-access task before being invited to volunteer with us.
Please let us know if you have specific access needs and what we can do to make the interview,
training and volunteer experience more accessible to you, including organising a one-on-one
interview. We welcome people with hearing loss, deaf and or disabled people to apply for thisSustainability Research Volunteer volunteer opportunity -unfortunately we don't use BSL so would need to make alternative support provisions for the training, unless a BSL interpreter can join you. If you have specific needs where
we might support you by making this volunteering opportunity more accessible, please let us know via email
People & Planet welcome applications from BAME folks and people of colour, from disabled people, from LGBTQI*people, from people who speak English as a second language, from people who identify as non-binary gender, from women, from people of different ages, from people with caring responsibilities and from people with irregular migration status, people seeking asylum in the UK or with a migrant background, folks with a working class background, and everyone else.

We are looking to recruit a new Vice-Chair, four trustees and three non-exec members of either our Finance, Audit, Risk and Governance, Remunerations or Nominations sub-committees.

We are particularly looking for candidates with experience in the following areas:

• Leading a food bank

• Leading or working in a church

• Digital, AI and/or Technology

• Safeguarding

• Managing investments

Role profile Role outline and purpose

Trustees have collective responsibility for the governance of the organisation and for all decisions made by the Board. They set the strategic direction for the organisation, ensuring alignment to our values, and are responsible for setting organisational policy, defining goals, agreeing the financial plan, evaluating performance, and ensuring that strong relationships are maintained between the Trustees and the Senior Leadership Group.

Role responsibilities Organisational purpose:

• Drive, embrace and commit to the organisation’s vision, mission, strategy and values.

• Ensure the charity complies with its governing document and charity law.

Leadership

• Commit to uphold our trustee code of conduct

• Ensure that the charity has a clear and relevant set of aims and an appropriate strategy for achieving them.

• Lead by example, ensuring the charity’s values are reflected in all of its work, and that the ethos and culture of the organisation underpin the delivery of all activities.

Integrity

• Safeguard and promote the charity’s reputation by living its values and by extension promote public confidence in the wider sector.

• Act in the best interests of the charity’s purposes and its beneficiaries, creating a safe, respectful and welcoming environment for those who come into contact with it.

• Make objective decisions about delivering the charity’s purposes, without undue influence by special or personal interests.

Decision-making risk and control

• Ensure clear focus on strategy, performance, and assurance, rather than operational matters.

• Promote a culture of sound decision making, monitoring and management of resources whilst understanding that being over-cautious and risk averse can itself be a risk and hinder innovation.

Board effectiveness

• Uphold board collective responsibility.

• Make reasonable use of own skills and experience to support the work of the Board and the wider organisation.

• Commit sufficient time and energy to the role of trustee.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

• Ensure the principles of equity, equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded in the organisation and help to deliver the charity’s public benefit.

• Work to reduce obstacles to participation, ensuring the organisation’s work is designed and open for everyone included within its charitable purposes.

• Actively challenge inequality and achieve improved equality of outcomes.

Openness and accountability

• Ensure that the charity’s performance and interaction with its stakeholders are guided by the values, ethics and culture put in place by the board.

• Take seriously the responsibility for building public trust and confidence in the organisation’s work.

• Ensure the charity is seen to have legitimacy in representing its beneficiaries and stakeholders.

Person specification

• Demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to the charity, its strategic objectives and cause and a heart for the people in crisis who we serve.

• Demonstrate Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

• Exhibit strong inter-personal and relationship building abilities and be comfortable in an ambassadorial role.

• Demonstrate tact and diplomacy, with the ability to listen and engage effectively.

• Strong networking capabilities that can be utilised for the benefit of the charity.

• Ability to foster and promote a collaborative team environment.

• Ability to commit time to conduct the role well, including travel and attending events out of office hours.

• Broad knowledge and understanding of the charity sector and current issues affecting it.

• Strong leadership skills, ability to motivate staff and volunteers and bring people together with an overarching commitment to working effectively and harmoniously with other board members and the staff team.

• Good understanding of charity governance issues, including the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of a trusteeship.

• An understanding of and commitment to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• Bring relevant skills that help the Board perform its role effectively and achieve the charity’s vision.

Key stakeholders

• Chief Executive

• Senior Leadership Group

• Food banks

Our values

Trussell is a charity that works to end the need for food banks. It is founded on and shaped by Christian principles. Our values of dignity, justice, compassion and community, are central to all that we do and therefore supports our aim to be an organisation where the diversity of all employees is valued. We welcome people of all faiths and none and those that are committed to these values.

We recognise that we have under-represented groups within our workforce. As part of our commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity we are actively encouraging applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBTQIA+, from racially minoritised communities such as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or longterm condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions and those with a lived experience of poverty as well as any other underrepresented group in our workforce.

We are committed ensuring the safety and protection of our employees from all forms of harm.

Time commitment: 3 Board meetings per year plus attendance at least one subcommittee (3 meetings per year each) plus contact with the Chair between meetings

Remuneration: Whilst the Trustee role is unpaid, reasonable expenses, such as those incurred in travelling to meetings, are payable in line with Trussell’s standard expenses policy.