Community Organizer

The CO will focus work on Barking Riverside, whilst retaining a basic awareness and input across the whole community of Thames View and Barking Riverside wards (and across the wider borough of Barking & Dagenham) on planning and campaigns, to ensure residents and community groups are able to exert influence on the regeneration programmes underway.  The vision of Thames Life is of ‘a diverse and vibrant community where residents are driving change’ – the role therefore needs to raise levels of engagement with planning and organise a wide range of campaigns to ensure greater equity, so that people can see a positive and exciting future and feel able to influence and shape the wider changes that are taking place due to development / regeneration.  On a day-to-day basis, the CO will have the overall responsibility for supporting the resident planning forum, ensure a wide number of responses to planning consultation, support the creation of a resident charter and deliver a range of meetings and campaigns.  The worker will ensure activities are delivered on time and within budget and that targets are met. S/he will have experience of working in communities under pressure, be committed to a community-led approach and be capable of establishing and running and chairing of community meetings.  S/he will have the skills and personal qualities to build strong, trusting relationships, and the confidence and maturity to encourage and support others to take a lead.

Key responsibilities:

·       Convene, publicise and recruit for a weekly Riverside Ripple Effect campaign meeting and support the monthly resident planning forum

·       Liaising with strategic partners (Citizens UK, Just Space, Planning Aid London, LBBD, etc).

·       Publicising activity on social media

·       Producing short 100-word reports for newsletters

·       Attending team meetings

·       Chairing community meetings.

·       Completing 1-2 small grant applications

·       Financial oversight of budget and monitoring requirements

·       Development of forward strategies to support environmental action

·       Attend training as appropriate.

·       Ensure compliance with Thames Life strategies – safeguarding, health and safety, EDI etc.

·       Any other duties as required.

The post for an initial 3-months pending review, with the hope of the post continuing thereafter