Food Discovery Coordinator - Birmingham We are searching for an inspiring child-led educator with a good knowledge of food, farming and the environment, as well as schools and communities. Key details: Location: Home-based, to work with 1-2 schools in Birmingham and with farms in the surrounding area. Part-time freelance contract – Approximately 38.25-60 days over the academic year (approx 1-1.5 days per week in term time) plus agreed paid time for induction, training and meetings. Freedom to set your own working days.£164 a day, plus mileage (45p a mile). This role is subject to successful fundraising – we are awaiting the outcome of pending applications which we expect to know during the recruitment period. About The Country Trust As a nation we've lost our connection with the land that sustains us all, with big and urgent ramifications for health, sustainability and equality. The Country Trust is changing this through high quality food, farming and countryside experiences that empower children in the most disadvantaged communities across the UK. For 45 years, we've worked with farmers to bring the countryside alive for over 600,000 children least able to access it. Our impactful programmes include the Food Discovery Programme teaching cooking and growing skills, Countryside Discovery Residentials, farm visits, and campaigns like Farm in a Box and Plant Your Pants. About the Role We are seeking a self-motivated, inspiring Coordinator to join our nationwide Food Discovery team. In this role, you will share your passion for cooking, growing, and the countryside to empower children in building confidence, making healthy choices, and developing a connection to their food. As a child-led educator, you will organise and lead safe, engaging cooking, gardening sessions, and farm visits for primary school children. You will have the flexibility to plan your workload independently with support from a remote manager. Responsibilities include storing and transporting provided equipment, recruiting farmers/producers to share expertise, and undergoing training in areas like health/safety and food hygiene. The ideal candidate has experience with primary education, strong knowledge of schools/communities, and the ability to inspire teachers to incorporate outdoor learning. About You We want to be as open and flexible as possible to the range of skills people could bring to these roles. There are some skills and attributes that we know every Coordinator needs in order to thrive in the role: Able to work in the UK. Living in within an hour of Food Discovery schools. Experience of working with primary age children and teachers. Experience of delivering cooking and/or gardening sessions to children. Awareness of best practice in health and safety, risk assessment and safeguarding, although training will be provided. Familiar with educational organisation (eg key stages) and the national curriculum, able to discuss learning objectives and learning resources with teaching staff. Knowledge of, and more importantly, infectious enthusiasm for food, farming and the countryside. IT Proficiency: a working knowledge of MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel), cloud-based systems and social media, confident to adapt to new systems. Demonstrable passion for hands on learning and able to tell and show us how you successfully take children on a learning journey. Able to articulate and demonstrate understanding of the barriers to accessing food, farming and countryside experiences faced by the children we work with. Excellent communication skills enabling you to build productive relationships with a range of people. Self-aware and self-motivated, with the resilience to work independently as part of a remote team. Able to deliver administrative aspects of role with attention to detail and within agreed timeframes. Sharing in our vision and core values Safeguarding The Country Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This is to be achieved through effective recruitment and retention of competent, motivated staff members who are suited to, and able to deliver their roles. All eligible post holders are subject to a satisfactory enhanced check with the Disclosure and Barring Service and regular training is mandatory. Enquiries: recruitmentcountrytrust.org.uk Closing date: 24 June at midday Provisional interview date: 11 July Candidates will be expected to plan and lead a short in person activity based around food and farming with a group of children as part of their interview. Start Date: References, DBS and online training during June/July. Delivery from September 2024. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by telephone and email.