Hornbeam Coordinator

Job Description

Core tasks at the Hornbeam consist of:

  • Maintaining two community spaces – The Hornbeam in E17 andThe Learning Lodge in E4.
  • Making things happen in these spaces in line with Hornbeam values.
  • Managing relationships between various partners that make up the Hornbeam group, and partners with whom we deliver projects.

The Hornbeam Co-ordinator role exists to coordinate the many projectshappening under the Hornbeam umbrella, both grant-funded and enterprise. It will not always be your role to deliver, but it will be your role to communicate with the people making things happen. More about our vision, mission, values and partners can be found at the end of this document.

Coordinate Project Delivery

All projects come under our Low Cost Living initiative,which seeks to facilitate and engage people in activities that support them to reduce their costs of living, including financial, health and environmental costs. Current and planned activities include:

Food Rescue:

  • Coordinate delivery of Community Mondays and support the Volunteer Facilitator (Kim) and the volunteers in their Monday activities, which include cooking with donated food, People’s Kitchen lunches, jam-making and workshops.
  • Arrange collection, delivery, distribution and storage of donated ‘waste food’. Develop and maintain partnerships with food suppliers, waste food charities and retailers.
  • Oversee the remaining project budget and volunteer expenses.

Healthy Eating:

  • Engaging families in healthy eating activities.
  • Support and training in vegan and vegetarian cooking skills.
  • Collaborate with Waltham Forest Council to deliver elements of their Food Poverty Strategy.

Hornbeam Cafe

  • Support the Cafe Team to develop the HornbeamCafe as a viable social enterprise.
  • Where possible link Food Rescue and Healthy Eating activities into cafe operations.

Community Development:

  • Work in targeted geographical communities to engage local people in various forms of social action to develop solutions to local issues.
  • Support new social enterprise initiatives that deliver Low Cost Living outcomes.

JoyRiders Cycling Project:

  • Liaise with the JoyRiders Coordinator and sessional workers to complete delivery of the JoyRidersproject, including supporting project planning and monitoring.
  • Support the promotion of the project and partnership development linked to the project.

Cross-Project Tasks

  • Ensure systems are maintained, including evaluations and case studies, which enable the Hornbeam to demonstrate that targets are being met and provide good quality evidence and evaluation for funder reports.
  • Report on progress and on the final outcomes of projects to the Coordinating Group.
  • Collaborate with colleagues and partners to recruit volunteers for all projects and ensure they receive ongoing support.
  • Manage project budgets and finances

With others:

  • Involve and coordinate volunteers in project areas, and sometimes with partners. Help measure learning and accredit with AQAs.
  • Liaise with the Publicity Officer to promote all Hornbeam activities at both centres utilising a range of media, and all consortium networks including the Hornbeam’s own website.
  • Liaise with colleagues to ensure people are paid, and that income and expenditure is monitored.
  • Work closely with colleagues to gather the partners and research necessary to apply for funding to develop the centre to its full potential.

Maintain Our Community Space

In addition to specific project delivery, the Hornbeam coordinator is responsible for various key operational and administrative tasks.

  • Create roles, recruit and support volunteers that build the capacity of the Hornbeam, support individuals’ learning and development and harness skills.
  • Ensure health and safety, fire safety, risk assessment, security and insurance policies are understood by staff, volunteers and building users.
  • Take responsibility for organising and prioritising own work, identifying own support needs and working within the Hornbeam team to support other workers as needed
  • Keep a record of hours worked and days taken as holiday or sick leave.
  • Administer the’ volunteering’ and ‘info’ email addresses, including responding to questions, liaising with partners and acting as an initial point of contact for volunteering, operational and sometimes miscellaneous queries.

With others:

  • Support colleagues to ensure that both Hornbeam buildings are in good repair, attractive and safe for people to hire.
  • Participate fully in the management and running of the Hornbeam, including attending regular team meetings and undertaking strategic planning with the Hornbeam Coordinating Group
  • Engage and coordinate the contribution of others to the development of the Centre, bringing their ideas to Coordinating Group and enabling them to develop and deliver their ideas and activities.
  • Report progress and issues of projects, funding and finances to the Coordinating Group.

Salary: £22,750 pro rata (£15,925 per annum)

Mainly Based at:Hornbeam, 458 Hoe Street, London E17 9AH and Learning Lodge, 48 Kings Road, Chingford, E4 7HR

Working Hours: 24.5hours per week, flexible (with an intention to increase to 28 hours)

Annual Leave: 28 days per year (pro-rata)

Contract: Fixed term one year contract in the first instance. There is a probationary period of three months.

Equal Opportunities:Hornbeam serves a multi-racial community and welcomes applications from women, black and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQI community so as to build up a representative workforce.

Person Specification: Hornbeam Coordinator

Essential:

  1. Experience of delivering multiple grant-funded projects, managing budgets, evaluating and making reports to funders
  2. Experience of recruiting and supporting volunteers within a community setting.
  3. Strong leadership skills, with an ability to involve, motivate and support others to realise their ideas
  4. Strong organisational skills and an ability to maintain administrative systems
  5. An ability to work and communicate well with a wide variety of people
  6. Proficiency in a range of software applications including Word and Excel, and Google Drive and Dropbox
  7. An innovative and flexible approach to work
  8. An ability to work under own supervision, to manage and prioritise own workload and to meet deadlines, but also to work as part of a team
  9. A supportive and empowering approach to working alongside staff, workers, volunteers, partners and partner projects
  10. Ability to manage and nurture relationships with a range of different partners; from small volunteer-led groups to council departments
  11. Good knowledge of sustainability issues in particular in relation to food, energy, recycling, active travel and biodiversity
  12. A commitment to Hornbeam’s values and an enthusiasm to drive social change

Desirable:

  1. Diversity awareness and knowledge of why the Hornbeam aims to reach people in under-represented communities
  2. Good knowledge of relevant community networks in Waltham Forest
  3. A working knowledge of the activities of the main Hornbeam partners
  4. Experience of, and ability to work within a small community-based organisation
  5. Proficiency in Quickbooks accounting software

Closing date:midnighton Wed 4th April

Interviews: Thurs12thApril

Send applications to

The Hornbeam Centre: Vision, Mission and Values

The Hornbeam:a community organisation working with a range of partners in Waltham Forest and beyond. We offer:

SPACE for communities to meet in E17 and E4,

TIME and support to develop community initiatives,

SKILLS and knowledge about low cost, low impact living.

Our Visionis of active communities where people have a positive impact on their environment.

Our Missionis to

●Inspire people to think about how we live our lives and use resources

●Empower community-led action and support new initiatives that lead to positive environmental and social change

Our values are what drive us and inform our way of working:

●We are inclusive and people-focused: we believe people of all backgrounds and abilities have a role in achieving a just future for all of us and our environment, and we engage with the concerns and passions of individuals & community groups.

●We are creative and collaborative: we believe that innovation will help us to achieve the change we want to see, and that by working alongside partners and local community groups we will make that change lasting.

●We are committed to the careful use of resources, both environmental and human.

●We are committed to being transparent in our governance and in how we communicate with partners and supporters

●We are committed to remaining relevant to our community and conscious of the priorities of the people we work with

Our Partners:

Our main partners are the people that make up and run the Hornbeam. We each are working towards sustainable living & work cooperatively together to complete projects.

●FRP (Forest Recycling Project): Recycled paint, furniture and a surplus food project. Next door to the Hornbeam E17.

●OrganicLea: Grow food locally, distribute produce and train others to do the same. Have a 12 acre growing site in Waltham Forest

●HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Training): Keeping local people warm and safe in their homes and helping tackle climate change

●Bright Sparks: working with local authorities to collect unwanted household items and divert them from landfill protecting the environment and creating local jobs.