Job Purpose

Reach Community Projects (Restore, Encourage, Action, Community and Hope) has provided support to local people in crisis for over 15 years.  We provide a debt counselling and advice service.  We are a small charity based in Haverhill, serving the community in Haverhill and surrounding areas.

Together with the Trussell Trust we run a foodbank to help our clients who are in financial crisis.  As an organisation we are taking part in a pilot project with the Trussell Trust – Organising & Local Mobilisation (OLM) Team Local Influencing pilot.  As a result of this project we are looking for a Local Influencer to join our team who will be based in Haverhill.  We are looking for someone who is dynamic and engaging, with excellent communication skills and a passion for improving the lives of people living through financial hardship. 

You should be self-motivated and have experience of Influencing/Campaigning either in a paid or volunteer role.  You will develop and deliver local influencing strategies in Haverhill and surrounding areas to campaign for change.

The role is full time role working 37½  hours a week, although some flexibility will be required dependent on service need.  There may also be some evening work and weekend work required, dependent on the needs of the charity.  Full training will be provided.

Job Summary

• To be responsible for building and leading a volunteer team to develop and deliver local influencing strategies in the local community to campaign for change.  The local influencer will be the link between Reach Community Projects and the Organising and Local Mobilisation team at Trussell Trust, as we build a movement to end the need for food banks.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Working with the volunteer experience co-ordinator to develop and supervise a team of volunteers – to work on local influencing to reduce poverty and the need for food banks
• To explore and understand the experiences that are bringing people to need the food bank’s support
• To map out and build relationships with the food bank’s partners, referral agencies and local anti-poverty organisations.  To engage them in identifying the local drivers of poverty
• As part of a the team identify and recruit people with lived experience to share their story, including attending events and visiting local groups
• To identify a local issue driving poverty, build a campaign team and develop a strategy to build power and win change
• To deliver the local influencing campaign
• With colleagues write campaign content – including e-mails and briefings – that is creative and accessible, to maximise people’s involvement with our work
• To work with the OLM team and engage with the training and support on offer
• To engage in Trussell Trust’s central priority campaign activities

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list.  Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the role.