Lochwinnoch Community Larder is one of the busiest community pantries in Scotland. We operate on dignified food principles, working to tackle the climate emergency through distribution of food which is otherwise destined for landfill, and food we grow ourselves locally. We are also addressing food insecurity for a wide rural population. Our success has attracted more than 2000 members to us from over 850 households from across Renfrewshire and North Ayrshire. Our activities include:

• A pantry which is open 4 days per week
• A community fridge & freezer which are accessible 24/7
• Courses of cooking classes and food demonstrations in fermenting
• Signposting to other support services
• Creating meaningful volunteering opportunities for people of all ages

This role is a brilliant opportunity to join a friendly team and work within the heart of an active rural community. It is a physical role which will require some lifting and period of time spent on your feet. The location for the project is within a vibrant social garden space which is also home to a Men’s Shed project, an outdoor children’s childcare group and our own food growing site.

You can find out more about LEAP and our other charitable activities here: myleapproject.org

Offering volunteering opportunities is as important as any other part of our work, and a focus of this role will be managing and developing those individuals to ensure the work is meaningful and their development is prioritised.

• This role is offered at £29225 FTE.
• Benefits include 6% workplace pension and 35 days holiday (pro rata) per annum.
• The contract is for 6 months initially, with the expectation that it will be extended on the basis of performance and funding availability.
• Hours of work will be 24 per week. While the majority of hours will be between 9.30am and 2.30 pm, there will some evening and weekend working. A preferred work schedule can be supplied on application.

A suitable candidate will be required to undergo a PVG check. Where a successful candidates does not already have Food Hygiene Level 2, they will be asked to complete relevant training.

DUTIES:

General

• Day-to-day facilitation of service;
  • Setting up and packing down shifts
  • Carrying out fridge temperature checks
  • Printing labels and safe food handling
  • Welcoming members
  • Handling and weighing food, and managing stock
• Supervising team of volunteers across varied duties including manning the Larder, food parcel delivery, collecting food from supermarkets
• Carrying out volunteer inductions and on-the-job training
• Completing volunteer rotas
• Hosting monthly volunteer meetings
• Administration and updating of digital records
• Assisting with duties at growing site such as watering plants - liaising with Food Growing Coordinator
• Promoting service on social media and updating website
• Building relationships locally with other groups and organisations
• Assisting to organise occasional cooking classes and food workshops, and other events as required
• Engaging members and handling referrals, signposting to other support services where appropriate
• Arranging added value workshops, surgeries and information days on-site and online via the Larder service with partner orgs: looking at ways we can sign-post to other services such as CAB, AdviceWorks, Renfrewshire FoodBank, RACA, HomeStart, Kairos, RAMH etc.
• Being responsible for facilities on-site relating to the project and its assets
• Identifying, developing and delivering opportunities for mini-projects and community participative events
• Liaising with food providers with regard to collections and cascading information to the volunteers
• Handling financial donations and cashier duties
• General administrative and practical duties

REQUIREMENTS:

For this role we are seeking someone with a stable work history and demonstrated experience of working in an autonomous role. You need to be able to manage your own tasks and workload independently, lead a team, and respond to changing circumstances and challenges effectively. It is a role where following processes and rules is imperative, and where you will often be required to develop and improve processes to ensure smooth running. It is also a people- focussed role; spending time with members and volunteers and creating a friendly and inclusive environment is of primary importance. You should have:

Essential requirements:

• Skills and experience in leading or supervising other people
• Administrative skills and IT literacy
• Strong communication skills, demonstrated through previous employment history
• A clean driving license and your own car
• Eligibility for PVG scheme (enhanced criminal records check)
• A can-do attitude and the ability to problem solve

Desirable requirements:

• Level 2 Food Hygiene Training
• Experience of working with volunteers in a community project