VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR - JOB DESCRIPTION
(3-month contract)
ABOUT CITY HARVEST
Est. 2014, City Harvest London food charity rescues nutritious surplus food from farms, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, and delivers it, for free, to over 130,000 people a week via organisations feeding those facing food poverty. Our HQ depot is in Acton, with satellite sites in New Covent Garden Market, and New Spitalfields Market. City Harvest rescues food, people, and the planet by diverting food waste and providing life-changing support to communities across London.
Distributing free food for more than 1.3 million meals a month, our fleet of vans deliver to food banks, homeless shelters, hostels, soup kitchens, mental health charities, projects supporting the elderly and socially isolated, social pantries, community kitchens, refugee hostels, schools and nurseries, family centres and domestic abuse refuges.
Join our passionate mission to reduce waste and feed London, with opportunities to grow while making a real difference.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Volunteers are the lifeblood of City Harvest - they are our packers, stackers, sorters and
porters, working tirelessly to ensure the efficient turnaround of rescued food to those in
need across London. The City Harvest Volunteer Programme has grown enormously over the
last 12 months and now we’re happy to say that it requires another pair of capable hands to
help ensure cover across all areas of operation.
Reporting into the Community Volunteering Manager, you will work closely with the
Volunteer Team and will support the efficient running of our Community and Corporate
Volunteering Programmes. You will be responsible for supervising and engaging with our
Community and Corporate volunteers, by coordinating their daily activities according to the
needs of the Warehouse, while ensuring they feel valued and are supported in their roles.
You will also be a vital part of our community outreach and engagement programme,
helping us celebrate volunteering, nominating volunteers for recognition and organising
events to celebrate success and major achievements. You will also be responsible for
offering advice and information to volunteers and external organisations through face-to-
face, telephone and email contact. In addition, this role will play a vital part in the promotion
of our volunteering opportunities, reaching out to new volunteers, deepening our
relationships with Corporate partners, and developing a better understanding of the
importance of progression of these relationships.VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR - JOB DESCRIPTION
(3-month contract)
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
All of the below deliverables will be shared with the rest of the Volunteering Team, where a
close relationship will need to be established between team members to distribute
responsibilities fairly and ensure an effective and seamless way of working.
Community Volunteer Responsibilities:
• Monitor community volunteer numbers on a daily and weekly basis, ensuring
effective planning and communication with other teams to ensure adequate
volunteer cover.
• Set up volunteer workstations and coordinate daily tasks of community volunteers,
ensuring effective communication, support, and guidance with a hands-on approach.
• Build effective relationships to understand individual needs are met and make
necessary adjustments in the work setting accordingly.
• Support the development of volunteers with briefings and tailored training that will
help them fulfil their roles effectively.
Corporate Volunteer Responsibilities:
• Work closely with the Corporate Partnerships Manager, Food Team, and wider
Volunteering team to ensure awareness and adherence to corporate volunteer
requirements and expectations.
• Work closely with the Warehouse and Logistics teams to prioritise daily tasks
efficiently and coordinate our volunteers appropriately.
• Induct, train and support corporate volunteers, as and when required.
• Act as first point of contact for all corporate volunteers throughout the day, ensuring
good level of contact, high engagement levels and sufficient and adequate guidance
is provided to volunteers.
• Ensure volunteers enjoy an excellent experience with City Harvest!
Relationship Management:
• Act as a coordinator between the Warehouse, Volunteering, and Food teams.
• Attend Food, Volunteering and Warehouse team meetings, as and when required,
ensuring awareness of deliveries and setting priorities accordingly.
• Ensure high levels of engagement among volunteers by supporting and motivating
them, recognising their achievements and celebrating their work.
• Support the delivery of our Volunteering Team Strategy, to ensure the continued
success of the City Harvest Volunteering Programme.
• Support the delivery of the various volunteer engagement and celebration activities,
as and when required.
• Act as a Volunteering Champion both within City Harvest and beyond, looking for
ways to recognise and reward the City Harvest volunteers.VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR - JOB DESCRIPTION
(3-month contract)
ABOUT YOU
You must be a self-starter and will have experience in complying with relevant equality and
diversity policies, promoting a healthy working environment where all individuals are valued
and always respected. In addition, you must always comply with relevant H&S rules and
regulations, seeking to minimise and eliminate hazards in the workplace. Compliance with
relevant data protection policies, ensuring General Data Protection Regulations are
considered when making plans and decisions is key in this role. You be experienced working
as part of a team, undertaking additional responsibilities or tasks necessary for the
successful completion of your duties as a Volunteer Coordinator, as required by the
organisation.
DESIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
• Previous experience in a similar role and/or in a similar setting managing or working
with volunteers, including being a volunteer, is a must.
• Food Hygiene Level 2 is essential (you could have it completed or could be working
towards it, we can supply training).
• Knowledge of the social impact charity workings would be beneficial for the role.
• Strong time-management and organisational skills with the ability to manage a
variety of tasks are essential for this role.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to build healthy
work relationships.
• Ability to cope with high work volumes and perform well under pressure is key.
• An essential requirement for the role is to be inspiring, motivating, and energising
style which will engage and encourage others.
• Problem-solving skills and positive, proactive "can-do" attitude.
• Strong IT skills (Outlook, Word and Excel) with the ability to keep accurate records
are essential for this role.
QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESS AT CITY HARVEST
• Charitable
• Compassionate
• Community-focused
• Aspiring
• Trustworthy
• Collaborative team player
JOB DETAILS
• Job Type: 3-month fixed-term contract, full-time.VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR - JOB DESCRIPTION
(3-month contract)
• Hours of Work: 8am – 4pm (with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break)
• Salary: £28,808 - £30,000 pa
• Place of Work: Unit 8, Acton Park Industrial Estate, London, W3 7QE (some
occasional weekend work may be required).
City Harvest London is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to creating an inclusive and
diverse workplace. We believe in treating all employees, volunteers, candidates, and stakeholders
with fairness and respect. We value the unique perspectives and experiences that individuals from
different backgrounds bring to our organisation, and we strive to foster an environment that
promotes equal opportunities for all.
We adhere to the Equality Act 2010 and our policy is to be fair and consistent in all aspects of our
organisation. Our recruitment and selection processes are designed to select candidates based on
their abilities and merits to perform the tasks required. All applications received will be dealt with
confidentially and subject to our company's recruitment and selection processes. Employment is
subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks and eligibility to live and work in the UK.
At City Harvest London, we embrace equality as part of our ways of working because we believe it is
the right thing to do for our people, our community, and our success. We do not discriminate in
employment based on race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, disability,
age, marital status, medical history, parental status, or genetic information.