Campaigns and Communications Officer - Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom - Newcastle West End Foodbank

Description

Job Title:
Campaigns and Communications Officer (Organising Local Mobilisation)


Hours:37 hours per week - Monday to Friday (Full-time 3-year fixed term post)


Salary:
£26,000 per annum, pro-rata and paid monthly.


Based:
Foodbank Centre, Benwell Lane
(other locations in Newcastle as the role requires)


Annual Leave:
is 25 days' holiday during each holiday year (2.1 per month) and all statutory and public holidays. Normal basic remuneration for all days taken as holidays.


Based:
Foodbank Centre, Benwell Lane


Responsible to:
Chief Executive Officer


Job Context:

Newcastle West End Foodbank aims to reduce poverty and tackle food insecurity in vulnerable communities within the Newcastle City Region.

This is an exciting and innovative project that will require someone with dedication, commitment, and a passion for helping others by raising awareness to influence change to reduce hardship.

Job Role and purpose:

As the Campaigns and Communications Officer (C&CO), you are responsible for building and leading a volunteer team to develop and deliver local influencing strategies in our community to campaign for change.

You will be the link between our Foodbank, stakeholders and the Organising and Local Mobilisation team at Trussell Trust, as we jointly build a movement to end the need for people to use food banks.

This job will influence change and is a challenging results-based role that requires vision, drive and a commitment to meaningful change in; policy, practices, attitudes, behaviours, and social perceptions of how poverty affects the lives of vulnerable people.

Working closely with the Foodbank CEO and Campaigns and Communications Sub-committee, the role will undertake stakeholder engagement, organise campaigns and host events to deliver the Charity's vision.

The role will liaise with the Trussell Trust Organising and Local Mobilisation team, and other food banks in their network, using evidence-based research to prepare and deliver reports to Trustees, funders, and other stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

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To develop and manage a team of volunteers, building and distributing leadership across the team, within the Foodbank teams, to work on local influencing to reduce poverty and peoples' need for food banks.
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To explore and understand the lived experiences that are bringing people to need our Foodbank's support, working with Foodbank staff and volunteers, through listening activities, focus groups, surveys and/or research to capture peoples' opinions.
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To map out and build relationships with the Foodbank's partners and stakeholders, referral agencies and local anti-poverty organisations, and to engage them in identifying the local drivers of poverty and develop a pragmatic response to the issues.
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To identify a local issues driving poverty, build a campaign team and develop a strategy to raise awareness, build power and win change, working with Foodbank staff and volunteers.
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To develop and deliver the local influencing campaign working with Foodbank staff, volunteers, and stakeholders to establish influential networks and events for change.
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To work with the Organising Local Mobilisation team and engage with the training and support on offer, including work with other local organisers in the Trussell Trust network.
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To promote the Foodbank's for change agenda, with local communities and toengage in Trussell Trust's central priority campaign activities.
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To coordinate the Campaigns & Communications Sub-committee monthly meetings, preparing reports, research, and publications to improve communications and raise awareness of the Charity's work to tackle poverty and promote social justice.


Key Tasks:

• Develop and implement the daytoday operations of the C&CO project as an integral service for foodbank stakeholders to tackle poverty and influence change.
• Create a local network of statutory/voluntary and community organisations/agencies that engage regularly to stimulate debate on client welfare and policy change.
• Develop a stakeholder network that support advocacy for food bank beneficiaries and remove their need to visit food banks due to improved financial circumstances.
• Oversee volunteer participation and team building programmes of training.
• Ensure C&CO services meet Foodbank's aims and are compliant with charity policies.
• Deliver events and campaigns designed to promote a stakeholder change journey.
• Establish evidence and researchbased platforms to influence debate and change.
• Participation in Foodbank sessions to support colleagues, client engagement and insight.
• Maintain records and provide regular project reports to trustees, funders, and relevant stakeholders to evaluate, and promote the C&CO impact on changing minds.
• Any other reasonable duties as specified by the line manager to support the work of the Charity including work outside of normal working hours, occasional weekends an