Reporting to: Board of Trustees

Management reports: 3 members of staff and over 30 regular volunteers

Budget responsibility: Accountable for operational budgets and financial management

Offer of employment contingent on Basic Disclosure from Disclosure Scotland

We are looking for a candidate with the ambition, experience and passion to help us grow our services while ensuring we deliver a ‘gold standard’ crisis food service to those that need it, when they need it, during the most challenging of times.

You will play a critical role in ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of our essential local services during very challenging times and in the face of increasing demand. You will have the skills and experience to develop and build a strong team of staff, volunteers and external partners committed to ensuring no one in need in East Lothian goes without food. Working with the Board of Trustees, you will ensure delivery of our strategic aims, including creative measures to help those experiencing food poverty and deprivation in East Lothian by supporting and encouraging self-help and support schemes, mobilising voluntary and community resources and accessing new sources of funding which can extend the reach, scope and scale of operation of the organisation.

Further priorities will include securing income from fundraising and grant income for our core crisis service and developing and resourcing ‘more than food’ projects and taking a strategic lead in helping shape local responses to the root causes of food poverty across East Lothian.

Experience of being accountable for or manager of a front line service would be an advantage.

There may always be a need for our crisis food service, but we believe with the right management we are well placed as an organisation to increase delivery of a range of services and projects to a scale that can have an impact on reducing demand for crisis food interventions and on the issues that contribute to food poverty and insecurity in East Lothian.

About us

Our mission is the prevention and relief of poverty in East Lothian through the provision of emergency food, signposting services and ‘More than Food’ projects, working with service users and in partnership with our stakeholders. Compassion, care & dignity are at the heart of everything we do. You can find out more about our values and strategy here. We’ll always be there for anyone who needs our support, but we want to see a future where emergency food isn’t needed at all.

There may always be a need for our crisis food service, but we believe with the right team in place we are well placed as an organisation to increase delivery of a range of services and projects to a scale that can have an impact on reducing demand for crisis food interventions and on the issues that contribute to food poverty and insecurity in East Lothian.

The Role

The East Lothian Foodbank Referrals Co-ordinator is at the frontline of our crisis service. As the first point of contact for our clients and referral partners you must be a confident communicator who can work well managing multiple tasks in a busy environment. Duties will include processing referrals for emergency food parcels received via phone, email and online. You will be expected to handle client and referral partner information in line with data handling policy and procedures, notifying Foodbank Manager and Operations Coordinator of specific requests or requirements. You will be taking care of day-to-day contacts and building relationships with partners, clients and others with regards to our crisis service. It is important to us that you have a positive, can-do attitude and be prepared to go the extra mile to ensure those we support can access our crisis service and are signposted to other services as required. The role holder will also support the work of the Communications and Outreach Manager as required.

This role is key to ensure we maintain our crisis food service to ‘gold standard’. The Referrals Co-ordinator must maintain good working relations, not only with our referral agents and partners, but also with our volunteers. The core values of East Lothian Foodbank must always be observed and promoted to ensure we offer the best possible support to those in food crisis.

The East Lothian Foodbank Referrals Co-ordinator is at the frontline of our crisis service. As the first point of contact for our clients and referral partners you must be a confident communicator who can work well managing multiple tasks in a busy environment. Duties will include processing referrals for emergency food parcels received via phone, email and online. You will be expected to handle client and referral partner information in line with data handling policy and procedures, notifying the Foodbank Manager of specific requests or requirements. You will be taking care of day-to-day contacts and building relationships with partners, clients and others with regards to our crisis service. It is important to us that you have a positive, can-do attitude and be prepared to go the extra mile to ensure those we support can access our crisis service and are signposted to other services as required.

This role is key to ensure we maintain our crisis food service to ‘gold standard’. The Referrals Co-ordinator must maintain good working relations, not only with our referral agents and partners, but also with our volunteers. The core values of East Lothian Foodbank must always be observed and promoted to ensure we offer the best possible support to those in food crisis.

The East Lothian Foodbank is looking to recruit new individuals to join its board of volunteer trustees

What is the East Lothian Foodbank?

The East Lothian Foodbank is part of a network of 1200 foodbanks operating across the UK, under the umbrella of the Trussell Trust. We provide emergency food and other services to families experiencing food poverty across the whole of East Lothian, operating alongside multiple partner agencies and utilising a team of wonderful volunteers/employees.

What does the ideal candidate look like?

Your skills brought from your own life and work experience will be invaluable in helping the Board to manage and support the paid staff and volunteer teams to develop the work of the Foodbank. You will be part of the team who ensure the delivery of its mission and objectives at a very critical time for foodbanks across the country. We are keen to consider applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences.

What does the role involve?

You will join the board of trustees for a 3-year unpaid term, meeting monthly (usually in the evening) to discuss/decide upon issues which impact the operations, strategy and funding of East Lothian Foodbank.

The East Lothian Foodbank is looking to recruit an individual to join its board of volunteer trustees as Chair

What is the East Lothian Foodbank?

The East Lothian Foodbank is part of a network of 1200 foodbanks operating across the UK, under the umbrella of the Trussell Trust. We provide emergency food and other services to families experiencing food poverty across the whole of East Lothian, operating alongside multiple partner agencies and utilising a team of wonderful volunteers/employees.

What does the ideal candidate look like?

Your skills brought from your own life and work experience will be invaluable in driving the Board to ensure efficient and effective governance in order to support the paid staff and volunteer teams to develop the work of the Foodbank. You will have proven experience of being an independent and strong leader, able to get the most of your teams, able to successfully mediate between differences of opinion, whilst always acting with respect, compassion and integrity. You will have an understanding of the distinctive nature of the charitable sector and a passion for the eradication of food poverty and its underlying causes.

What does the role involve?

You will join the board of trustees as Chair for a three-year unpaid term, chairing monthly meetings to oversee the governance, strategy and funding of East Lothian Foodbank. As Chair, you will be comfortable representing the Food Bank as required, ensuring compliance with the charity’s constitution and applicable legal requirements and ensuring that charity resources are always used responsibility and in a manner consistent with the Foodbank’s objectives. In consultation with the rest of the board, you will be responsible for recruiting new trustees and supporting the manager to employ new staff with relevant skills and experience. You will ensure the board meets with the appropriate frequency, delegating tasks and ensuring that all board decisions are recorded and implemented in a clear and transparent manner.