Community Organiser: Tyne & Wear Citizens

We are looking for a Community Organiser to join the team in Tyne & Wear, building the power of local communities.  The role will work across the whole Northeast region.  They will support local organising and have a specific focus on organising with schools, educational establishments and young people.  Primary responsibilities will include institutional development; finding and developing new leaders; delivering training; recruiting new members; developing core teams in member institutions and supporting community leaders to take action on issues of shared concern. 

Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems. 

At Citizens UK, our organisers and project staff work within communities and ‘organise across difference’. There are various project roles and management, operational, communication, finance and HR roles that support the organisation and project staff and organisers to deliver on this mission and work. This work is rewarding and can be challenging; it requires a personal commitment to inclusion, a willingness to listen and disagree respectfully, and an interest in working in an organisation where our staff, member institutions and leaders will come from a diversity of backgrounds and often hold views that may be very different from our own. More information about how we operate within this context, and build trusted relationships across difference can be found on our website and is covered in induction. Onboarding and navigating this relational culture, and type of work, is supported by line managers and further training. 

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 Northeast. 

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. 

Main Responsibilities 

Working as a Community Organiser in Tyne & Wear Citizens, reporting to a Senior Organiser, your main responsibilities will include: 

Community Organiser for Tyne & Wear Citizens 

• Work as part of a team of organisers across Tyne & Wear 

• Support school and educational institutions across Tyne & Wear Citizens to focus upon institutional development and strengthen civil society. 

• Work with member institutions of faith, education and community and support a cycle of research, action and evaluation. 

• Recruit educational institutions into the alliance 

• Build relationships and support strategic partnerships with educational institutions (Universities and MAT Trusts) 

• Support community leaders to engage with regional and national campaigns 

Build relational power to further the goals of CUK 

• Develop a comprehensive power analysis for Tyne & Wear 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 Chapter/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. 

Person Specification 

REQUIREMENTS 

ESSENTIAL 

DESIRABLE 

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)

Experience or organising with schools and young people (E)

KEY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

Ability to inspire, motivate and lead (particularly people who are different than 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 imaginative strategies to help improve disadvantaged communities (E)

Ability to plan and organise under pressure (E)

Ability to work with and relate to all types of people (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)

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) 

The successful applicant will be required to undertake a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check. DBS checks are reviewed each 3 years.