Volunteer Serving Community Team Engagement & Events Coordinator

Are you someone who likes to raise awareness about a worthy cause? Can you always get people onboard with your good ideas and enthusiasm? If so, we’d love to hear from you! You don’t need an Armed Forces background, just a desire to support the serving community.

What is a Serving Community Team Engagement and Events Coordinator?

There is a SSAFA presence throughout the serving community, both in the UK and overseas. In many areas SSAFA have Serving Community Teams that offer financial, practical, and emotional support to serving personnel and their families. Each team is formed of a group of dedicated volunteers who make this possible.

Engagement and Events Coordinators are essential members of the Serving Community Team. They lead the development and delivery of an effective local publicity plan to raise awareness of SSAFA to potential beneficiaries, volunteers and funders in the serving community.

This role also has voting rights for the grant giving process.

What difference will you make?

Volunteers are the lifeblood of SSAFA. We have been involving volunteers in supporting the Armed Forces community for more than 130 years. Our beneficiaries come from all backgrounds and age groups and the number of people contacting us for help rises each year.

In order to keep providing help to those who need it most, we need Engagement and Events Coordinators who can raise awareness of SSAFA, and encourage people to seek or offer support.

What will you be doing?

Although every SSAFA Serving Community Team has different needs, below are the main activities of an Engagement and Events Coordinator:

• Planning and events: With the Serving Community Team, develop a publicity and events plan to raise SSAFA’s profile in the community.
• Engaging: Engage with the local community to publicise the Team’s work, events and fundraising initiatives where SSAFA is represented.
• Marketing: Identify and develop case studies and good news stories with support from Marketing and PR colleagues at SSAFA Central Office and liaise with them about any PR or press opportunities.
• Networking: Be the point of contact locally for engagement and events and develop and maintain networks with local stakeholders and media outlets, providing press releases, interviews and case studies.
• Coordinating and teamwork: Oversee and support the activities of Community Engagement Volunteers and the Digital Marketing Co-ordinator.
• Branding and publicity: With support from Marketing colleagues at Central Office maintain a stock of SSAFA branded publicity resources and copy to distribute locally.

What about training and support?

• Online, e-learning, training modules to complete at home, so you are up to date on how to keep people and their personal information safe.
• Local induction and support.
• Access to a range of e-learning courses, resources and local opportunities to keep your knowledge and skills up to date.
• Ongoing support from SSAFA’s volunteering and operations colleagues based regionally and at our central office.
• Regular meetings and events to learn and share information.
• Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.
• Volunteers will be covered by SSAFA's Public Liability insurance while carrying out their role.

What can you gain from this volunteering role?

• Use your skills, knowledge and life experience to benefit others.
• Give back to the Armed Forces community.
• Become part of the SSAFA community and build networks across the serving community and local area.
• Experience, training, and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
• Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

What are we looking for?

• Friendly and approachable people with good written and verbal communication skills.
• Empathy regarding the needs and challenges related to serving community.
• Good IT skills e.g. ability to use Outlook and Excel – you will receive your own SSAFA email address.
• Be an effective listener, respectful and have a non-judgemental approach.
• A willingness to adhere to all relevant organisational policies and procedures.

Depending on the needs of the team, this role would suit someone who would like to volunteer a few hours each week.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and of all faiths and none. SSAFA are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities, so they have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

Please note this is a volunteer role and does not form part of any contract of employment.

Minimum Age: 18

Are references required? Yes. Two-character references from people who know you well (not family members).

Is a criminal record check required? No

We work to make SSAFA as safe as possible for everyone. Part of this involves volunteers attending an informal interview, providing two suitable references, and completing relevant training for your role.