Workshop Assistant - London, United Kingdom - Petit Miracles

Description

We're a social enterprise on a mission to boost employability, support creative businesses, and protect our planet. At Petit Miracles our people bring new life to salvaged, vintage and antique items to create beautiful and affordable bespoke furniture. We change lives for the better in practical, measurable and impactful ways through hands-on work experience/traineeships, workshops, and business incubation services. We're all about supporting local people facing disadvantages. As a charitable social enterprise, all proceeds are invested directly back into our people, programmes and the community.

Workshop Assistant
The main responsibility of the workshop assistant is to deliver training to our beneficiaries. Tasks also include helping to plan, organise, coordinate, and control furniture production. Training occurs in a work experience, traineeship and workshop capacity. Many people we support have a disability, are struggling with their mental health and facing multiple disadvantages.


Benefits
Meet new people | Build your skills | Training | Give back to the community | Develop traditional restoration skills


Tasks include:

• Follow Health and Safety rules of the workshop.
• Keep all tools and materials in good condition.
• Plan and deliver training to our beneficiaries.
• Always keep your workspace and the workshop tidy.
• Assist in furniture manufacturing: donation/stock management and the restoration process from start to finish.
• Ensure all furniture projects are completed to a high standard.
• Use your creativity to restore furniture to a high standard.
• Welcoming and helping customers.
• Support the Programme Director and Workshop manager and complete tasks requested.

The duties and responsibilities of the workshop assistant are to support the aims of the charity whilst working to develop and refine your beneficiary training skills as well as restoration and upcycling skills.

Some of the duties include moving furniture, following painting practices, supporting volunteers and beneficiaries to enhance their own skills. Patience and respect whilst working with, and supporting our beneficiaries is essential, as is the ability to motivate volunteers. You must also operate in a logical and systematic manner, and good judgement is crucial.


Skills you can gain from this opportunity:

• Wood working, upcycling and furniture restoration skills
• Stock management
• Community building
• Restoration manufacturing skills
• Teaching and training
• Customer service skills
• Health and Safety
• Team working skills.

Your skills & experience

Essential:

• Experience working with people who have disabilities.
• Some basic DIY skills, you will be repairing and restoring furniture.
• Some basic painting/decorating skills: our furniture represents the charity and must be finished to a high quality.
• Proficient with Microsoft suite, specifically excel.
• Good punctuality and attendance are a must.
• Team working and strong communication with your team members.

Desirable:

• Basic upholstery skills, many pieces we have donated need some reupholstering to bring them back to life.
• Valid driver's licence.

Person Specification:

• Genuine interest to support people who face multiple disadvantages.
• Genuine interest in furniture restoration and upcycling.
• Willingness to learn new skills and share your talents.
• Willingness to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Patience working with beneficiaries who come from a wide range of backgrounds and have varied abilities.
• Good task management skills, many projects will be ongoing at the same time.
• Reliable, responsible, and trustworthy.
• You need to be proactive and helpful to staff, beneficiaries, customers and volunteers.
• You'll need to be able to work as part of a team and independently.

Additional Information

• Reports to: Workshop Manager
• Start Date: TBC
• Salary level: £12.50 per hour (London Living Wage)

• Shift patterns: Tuesday

• Saturday 10:00 17:30
• Hours: 37.5 hours per week
• Place of work: Unit C, West12 Shopping Centre, London, W12 8PP.
• This post occasionally requires the postholder to travel around London (within M25 corridor).

Salary:
£12.50 per hour


Experience:

- woodwork/joinery/


DIY:
1 year (preferred)
- working with people who have disabilities: 1 year (preferred)


Work Location:
One location