The Volunteer & Engagement Coordinator Plays a Central Role In Recruiting, Developing And Supporting Full Circle Food Project's(FCFP) Volunteers, As Well As Coordinating Meaningful Engagement With Stakeholders And The Wider Community. FCFP's Objectives Are:
Providing comprehensive food education programmes that teach individuals of all ages about the importance of nutrition, cooking techniques, and the impact of food choices on health and the environment.
Equipping individuals with practical skills to grow their own food through community gardens, supporting local allotments, and promoting sustainable food production.
Creating social connections to foster a sense of community and collaboration by organising cooking classes, workshops, and events that bring people together to share knowledge, experiences and celebrations around food.
Implementing initiatives to reduce food waste by educating on proper storage, meal planning, and creative use of leftovers.
Developing initiatives to reduce food poverty and act as an advocate for policies that promote food security, equitable access to healthy food, and sustainability in food systems.
This position ensures volunteers are confident, trained and empowered, while participants are supported in their journey, from initial engagement through to progression, including opportunities to become volunteers themselves.
A key part of this role is ensuring FCFP maintains a strong and visible presence within the community. The postholder will represent the organisation at events, networking opportunities, and external meetings to promote brand, strengthen partnerships, raise awareness of our work, and encourage wider engagement.
The Post Plays a Key Role In Delivering The Volunteer Strategy, Strengthening Community Relationships And Ensuring FCFP's Work Is Inclusive Transparent, And Impactful. You Will Oversee Volunteers Across Four Areas Of FCFP's Main Operational Areas:
Hands-on cooking classes, meal preparation
Gardening activities within our Community Garden and outreach at other venues
Ashington Cycle Hub and other active travel activities
Events and outreach, including staffing stalls at community fairs, markets and public engagement events
Main Duties:
Volunteer Recruitment and Coordination
Recruit volunteers for cooking, gardening, active travel, event support, and other organisational and delivery areas.
Develop and manage clear volunteer pathways, including induction, training, and progression
Match interested volunteers with suitable roles based on skills, interests and organisational needs.
Coordinate volunteer rotas and maintain an accurate database of volunteer activity
Provide regular support, supervision, and recognition to volunteers.
Develop and deliver volunteer celebration activities to promote retention.
Engagement with Participants
Coordinate the induction and onboarding of participants referred into the project
Ensure participants understand the time-limited nature of their involvement and their progression pathway
Work alongside volunteers and staff to support participants in building skills and confidence
Encourage and support participants to progress into volunteering roles where appropriate
Maintain transparent communication with referral partners and stakeholders.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
Attend community events, meetings, and external networking sessions to promote the charity's brand
Build relationships with partner organisations, schools, referral agencies, councils, and community groups
Promote volunteering opportunities and project activities through outreach and engagement campaigns
Coordinate community engagement events and open days to showcase the charity's work.
Training, Development, and Safeguarding
Deliver or arrange volunteer training sessions such as inductions, safeguarding, food hygiene, Health & Safety and role-specific training.
Work closely with the Safeguarding Lead and Health & Safety Lead to maintain compliance and respond to issues appropriately.
Support volunteers to develop confidence, skills, and progression goals.
Ensure all volunteers operate within FCFP safeguarding and H&S policies.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Administration
Maintain accurate volunteer records, including hours, training, engagement, and progression.
Collect monitoring data and contribute to impact reporting for funders and trustees.
Produce reports, updates, and case studies as needed.
Ensure volunteer paperwork, DBS checks, references, and digital records are up to date.
General Responsibilities
Promote the values and vision of Full Circle Food Project in all interactions
Support events, programmes, and organisational activities across FCFP as required
Uphold confidentiality, safeguarding, GDPR, and organisational policies
Contribute to the ongoing development and implementation of the Volunteer Strategy
Any other duties as required.