Campaigning, Advocacy and Organising Lead - Bath and North East Somerset, United Kingdom - Chipping Barnet Foodbank

Description

Job description


Background

Chipping Barnet Foodbank has recently marked its 10th anniversary and has seen need grow hugely, especially over the pandemic and in the context of the cost of living crisis.

As part of the Trussell Trust, we have a vision of a UK without the need for emergency food:
we don't want foodbanks to be a permanent feature of our community. To turn this vision into reality, we want to campaign for change.

We are looking for an inspiring, motivated and experienced person to lead our campaigning, advocacy and organising to tackle poverty and the root causes of hunger in Barnet.

Job Purpose:

To develop a Local Influencing Strategy, and to lead a team of volunteers to enable its implementation, with the aim of changing policies and mindsets towards alleviating poverty in the Barnet area.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work with CBFB's Foodbank Manager and Strategy Steering Group to develop and implement a Local Influencing Strategy.
• Develop and manage a team of volunteers within the Chipping Barnet Foodbank (CBFB) and with other local food banks, to work on local campaigning and influencing to reduce poverty and the need for food banks.
• Explore and understand the experiences that are bringing people to need the food bank's support, working with the Foodbank Manager and volunteers, through data analysis, listening activities and/or research.
• Map out and nurture CBFB's relationships with partners, referral agencies and local antipoverty organisations, and engage them in identifying the local drivers of poverty.
• Identify local issues driving poverty, build campaign teams, and develop strategies to build power and achieve change, working with food bank staff and volunteers.
• Contribute to the communications strategy, using a variety of techniques, with storytelling and firsthand experiences at its heart.
• Work with the Trussell Trust's OLM team and engage with the training and support on offer, including work with other local organisers in the Trussell Trust network.
• Engage in Trussell Trust's central priority campaign activities, working with the CBFB and local community.
• Ensure CBFB's planned campaigning expenditure is within budget, with performance monitored to enable continuous improvement.

Desired outcomes:

-
Changing mindsets; by raising the profile of poverty in the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) and making it an issue that cannot be ignored.
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Changing policy; by identifying the local issues driving poverty in the LBB and empowering Chipping Barnet Foodbank's volunteers, partners and supporters to campaign for change on these issues.


Person Specification:

• Track record of effective campaigning, advocacy and organising to achieve a change.
• Experience managing and working with volunteers.
• A general knowledge of, and interest in, UK and local politics.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other organisations to achieve a policy changes.
• Understanding of how to contribute to a communications strategy.
• Ability to manage projects, identifying conflicting demands and establishing clear priorities in order to meet agreed objectives.
• Good IT skills across MS Office and an understanding of social media.

Behaviours and competencies:

• Outstanding communicator, verbally and in writing.
• Highly competent presentation skills.
• A passion to end the need for food banks and tackle poverty.
• Diplomatic and with the interpersonal skills to seek and balance a range of views and stakeholders, influencing where required.
• Commitment to occasional need to work outside of normal working hours and to travel. Working flexibly in response to CBFB's changing organisational requirements.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the values of the CBFB and the Trussell Trust.
• Willing to work within an organisation with a Christian ethos.

Key Stakeholders

• CBFB's Management Team and Strategy Steering Group, volunteers, referral partners, community groups and beneficiaries.
• Barnet Council
• CBFB's Trussell Trust Area Manager
• The Senior Organiser, who will be your key point of contact in the Organising and Local Mobilisation (OLM) department
• The wider OLM Team who will deliver training and relational support
• Policy, Research and Campaigns department
• Strategic Communications department

Mandatory Trussell Trust Training

Please be aware, there will be mandatory Trussell Trust training (paid) for one day a week, week commencing 15th May, which the successful applicant will be expected to undertake, regardless of whether they are in post by then.