Volunteer Hub
Volunteer Project Leader
Organisation Details
FoodCycle
Activity type: Administration, Asylum Seekers and Refugees, Catering, Community Work, Fundraising, Health and Wellbeing, Homeless and Housing, Marketing, PR and Media, Mentoring, Befriending and Buddying, Older People
Stellify Award: This opportunity is part of 'Make a Difference'
Organisation Description: We’re FoodCycle – a national charity that combines volunteers, surplus food and spare kitchen spaces to create tasty, nutritious meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation.
We run over 38 projects across the UK, united by the simple idea that food waste and food poverty should not coexist.
As we are run by volunteers we don't always have a chance to check our emails every day.
If you are a volunteer signed up to a session and can no longer attend, please visit https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/volunteer-account-overview [volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk] and remove yourself from upcoming opportunities as soon as possible.
If you are new to FoodCycle and wish to sign up to volunteer, all you need to do is go to our website https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/ [volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk]. You will need to register and then you can sign into the calendar for the dates you're available for. Other than that just turn up on the day! The address of the centre is included on the website page.
For anything urgent, please contact FoodCycle Head Office on 020 77 292775 or at hello@foodcycle.org.uk
We run over 38 projects across the UK, united by the simple idea that food waste and food poverty should not coexist.
As we are run by volunteers we don't always have a chance to check our emails every day.
If you are a volunteer signed up to a session and can no longer attend, please visit https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/volunteer-account-overview [volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk] and remove yourself from upcoming opportunities as soon as possible.
If you are new to FoodCycle and wish to sign up to volunteer, all you need to do is go to our website https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/ [volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk]. You will need to register and then you can sign into the calendar for the dates you're available for. Other than that just turn up on the day! The address of the centre is included on the website page.
For anything urgent, please contact FoodCycle Head Office on 020 77 292775 or at hello@foodcycle.org.uk
Description of role: We’re FoodCycle – a national charity that combines volunteers, surplus food and spare kitchen spaces to create free tasty, nutritious meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation.
We run over 100 projects across the UK, united by the simple idea that food waste and food poverty should not coexist.
A FoodCycle project is where the magic happens. Each project is run on the ground by a team of lead volunteers called Project Leaders, with each leader taking on a specific role to ensure the smooth running of their FoodCycle Project. These people are passionate, committed and want to make a positive change within their community, they take ownership of their project and make decisions about the day-to-day running of it.
All our leaders will take on cooking or hosting leader roles at our meals but will also have the opportunity to take on additional roles such as communications and PR, student liaison, volunteer co-ordination, team co-ordination, and surplus food co-ordination.
We have projects in Oldham (Tuesday 4pm - 8.00pm) Wythenshawe (Wednesday evenings 3.00pm - 7.00pm), Salford Angel Centre (Wednesday evenings 5.00pm - 9.00pm), Salford Langworthy Cornerstone (Tuesday 4.30-8.30pm and Thursday 5pm - 9pm), Levenshulme (Thursday 5.00pm - 9.00pm) and Prestwich (Saturday Evenings 3.00pm - 7pm). Our Salford projects are close to central Manchester and are both on the number 50 bus service that runs past the University and through the city centre. If volunteering at weekend suits you better you could try our Prestwich project which cooks on Saturday evening, it's right next door to the Prestwich Metrolink stop. We pay travel expenses so you won't be out of pocket.
As a cooking leader you will be responsible for:
Running cooking sessions, leading a team of volunteers to create a three-course meal in a limited timeframe
Ensuring the team are following the food safety procedures set out in our kitchen handbook
Inducting new volunteers into the kitchen
Encouraging the whole kitchen team to input into planning a tasty, healthy and nutritionally balanced menu
Communicating with other leaders and the surplus food co-ordinator to ensure the store of dry/tinned goods is kept well stocked
Completing the weekly checklist in the kitchen handbook and reporting on the session on My FoodCycle
Reporting any accidents and incidents
Together with the hosting leader, recognising, responding to and reporting any safeguarding issues or concerns
You don’t need to have any previous cooking experience, you just need to love food and motivating people!
Skills you’ll learn
Teamwork: you’ll work as part of a team to prepare a delicious meal and serve it to our guests.
Leadership and delegation: we’ll train you up to lead cooking sessions and induct new volunteers.
Cooking: you’ll learn how to cater for large numbers of guests and how to make nutritionally balanced meals.
Problem solving: you won’t always know what your ingredients will be so you will need to get creative to produce delicious 3 course meals
Relationship building: you’ll be building lasting relationships with your guests and volunteers, ensuring they come back each week.
What to expect from FoodCycle
Ongoing, regular visits, support and advice from your Regional Manager
Annual training conference to equip you for your role. Travel, accommodation and food cost covered by FoodCycle.
Expenses covered in line with our volunteer policy.
Training throughout the year from FoodCycle, including safeguarding and first aid.
Impressive skills to add to your CV and a reference if/when you need it.
Accredited level two food safety qualification provided by FoodCycle.
The opportunity to meet a large network of like-minded people.
A fun, creative volunteer experience with ownership over a community-led project.
What’s expected of me
We ask that Project Leaders stay with us for a minimum of 6 months, to enable them to get the most out of the role. As Cooking Leader, you will be expected to:
Attend a Project Leader meeting to discuss as a team how things are going (every 3 months).
Lead a minimum of one session per month
Follow all FoodCycle policies and procedures
Complete a DBS check and attend safeguarding training
Complete the project report on our website after leading a session
Time commitment
The suggested minimum time commitment to your role is 6 hours a month.
How to apply.
1. You must first register your interest via the Volunteer Hub account all you need to do is press apply now in the advert and then submit your email address.
2. To apply to become a project leader at one of our projects please complete the application form here https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/projectleader
Find out more about us at http://foodcycle.org.uk
We would also suggest that if you are interested in becoming a project leader it's a great idea to also comes down and volunteer with us at one of our projects a couple of times, just to check it's the right thing for you before committing as a leader.
We run over 100 projects across the UK, united by the simple idea that food waste and food poverty should not coexist.
A FoodCycle project is where the magic happens. Each project is run on the ground by a team of lead volunteers called Project Leaders, with each leader taking on a specific role to ensure the smooth running of their FoodCycle Project. These people are passionate, committed and want to make a positive change within their community, they take ownership of their project and make decisions about the day-to-day running of it.
All our leaders will take on cooking or hosting leader roles at our meals but will also have the opportunity to take on additional roles such as communications and PR, student liaison, volunteer co-ordination, team co-ordination, and surplus food co-ordination.
We have projects in Oldham (Tuesday 4pm - 8.00pm) Wythenshawe (Wednesday evenings 3.00pm - 7.00pm), Salford Angel Centre (Wednesday evenings 5.00pm - 9.00pm), Salford Langworthy Cornerstone (Tuesday 4.30-8.30pm and Thursday 5pm - 9pm), Levenshulme (Thursday 5.00pm - 9.00pm) and Prestwich (Saturday Evenings 3.00pm - 7pm). Our Salford projects are close to central Manchester and are both on the number 50 bus service that runs past the University and through the city centre. If volunteering at weekend suits you better you could try our Prestwich project which cooks on Saturday evening, it's right next door to the Prestwich Metrolink stop. We pay travel expenses so you won't be out of pocket.
As a cooking leader you will be responsible for:
Running cooking sessions, leading a team of volunteers to create a three-course meal in a limited timeframe
Ensuring the team are following the food safety procedures set out in our kitchen handbook
Inducting new volunteers into the kitchen
Encouraging the whole kitchen team to input into planning a tasty, healthy and nutritionally balanced menu
Communicating with other leaders and the surplus food co-ordinator to ensure the store of dry/tinned goods is kept well stocked
Completing the weekly checklist in the kitchen handbook and reporting on the session on My FoodCycle
Reporting any accidents and incidents
Together with the hosting leader, recognising, responding to and reporting any safeguarding issues or concerns
You don’t need to have any previous cooking experience, you just need to love food and motivating people!
Skills you’ll learn
Teamwork: you’ll work as part of a team to prepare a delicious meal and serve it to our guests.
Leadership and delegation: we’ll train you up to lead cooking sessions and induct new volunteers.
Cooking: you’ll learn how to cater for large numbers of guests and how to make nutritionally balanced meals.
Problem solving: you won’t always know what your ingredients will be so you will need to get creative to produce delicious 3 course meals
Relationship building: you’ll be building lasting relationships with your guests and volunteers, ensuring they come back each week.
What to expect from FoodCycle
Ongoing, regular visits, support and advice from your Regional Manager
Annual training conference to equip you for your role. Travel, accommodation and food cost covered by FoodCycle.
Expenses covered in line with our volunteer policy.
Training throughout the year from FoodCycle, including safeguarding and first aid.
Impressive skills to add to your CV and a reference if/when you need it.
Accredited level two food safety qualification provided by FoodCycle.
The opportunity to meet a large network of like-minded people.
A fun, creative volunteer experience with ownership over a community-led project.
What’s expected of me
We ask that Project Leaders stay with us for a minimum of 6 months, to enable them to get the most out of the role. As Cooking Leader, you will be expected to:
Attend a Project Leader meeting to discuss as a team how things are going (every 3 months).
Lead a minimum of one session per month
Follow all FoodCycle policies and procedures
Complete a DBS check and attend safeguarding training
Complete the project report on our website after leading a session
Time commitment
The suggested minimum time commitment to your role is 6 hours a month.
How to apply.
1. You must first register your interest via the Volunteer Hub account all you need to do is press apply now in the advert and then submit your email address.
2. To apply to become a project leader at one of our projects please complete the application form here https://volunteer.foodcycle.org.uk/projectleader
Find out more about us at http://foodcycle.org.uk
We would also suggest that if you are interested in becoming a project leader it's a great idea to also comes down and volunteer with us at one of our projects a couple of times, just to check it's the right thing for you before committing as a leader.
Skills / qualities associated with the role: Creative Skills, Fundraising, Leadership, Marketing and PR, Practical Skills, Research, Team Working
Are volunteer expenses available?: Yes
Duration of role: Ongoing / Long term
Opportunity times: Tuesday PM, Tuesday Evening, Wednesday PM, Wednesday Evening, Thursday PM, Thursday Evening, Saturday PM, Saturday Evening
DBS required: On
Can reasonable adjustments be made regarding additional needs?: Yes
Is this organisation part of the Sports Volunteering Scheme (SVS)?: No
Minimum hours commitment: Approx 6-8 hours a month
Location:
Langworthy Cornerstone
Salford
M6 5QQ