Cooking and kitchen volunteer roles

Join us on Christmas Day to spread joy and warmth in our Tooting Recovery Café by volunteering your support to help prepare and serve a festive meal! If you have a passion for cooking and would like to make a meaningful impact this Christmas, we would welcome an application from you!

As well as supporting on Christmas day, we are looking for a volunteer to support our service on an ongoing basis.

What you will be doing

• Assisting with chopping vegetables and other ingredients needed for the Christmas meal.
• Helping to cook and prepare the main meal and other dishes, following the instructions of staff
• Cleaning and washing dishes and kitchen equipment to ensure a hygienic environment.
• Adhering to food hygiene regulations and being mindful of dietary requirements and food allergies, such as gluten-free or peanut allergies.
• Creating a welcoming and positive atmosphere by serving meals and interacting with guests during the event.

The skills you need

• Food Safety Certificate/knowledge or willingness to complete relevant training
• Passion and knowledge of healthy eating and cooking
• Ability to engage, encourage and motivate individuals to participate in sessions
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Organisation Overview

Clean Break provides Theatre and writing based opportunities, including workshops from our studios in Kentish Town NW5 for women who have lived experience through the Criminal Justice System or women at risk of offending with drug/alcohol and/or mental health needs. We work in a safe, women-only environment, creating opportunities for women to develop personal, social, artistic and professional skills.

Directions

Buses: 46, 88, 134, 214, 393
Tube: Kentish Town (Northern Line) – Kentish Town station is closed for 1 year.
Overground: Kentish Town West

Role Title

Catering Volunteer (Women Only)

Responsible to

Members Support Manager and Volunteer Manager

Purpose/Summary of role

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to be a part of the Catering Team.  To assist with the preparation and service of nutritious food to our Members, maintaining Health & Safety and kitchen hygiene standards

Description of tasks

Food Preparation – catering for daily lunches and internal and events, tasks include prepping, cooking, dishing up and serving, washing up and clearing up kitchen.  Ingredients will be cooked, from fresh, frozen, or tinned stock to create healthy meat and vegetarian/vegan dishes.   To assist with periodic intensive cleaning of the catering space.

Time Commitment

3 months with end of season review to continue.

Flexible one day a week either on:

Mondays 10-2.30pm

or

Wednesdays 10-2.30pm

Skills and Qualifications

This role would suit someone who enjoys cooking and working as part of a team
A basic level of cooking knowledge and ability to follow instruction is essential.

Some experience or a desire to work with vulnerable women who have been through the Criminal Justice System or at risk of offending.
Desirable that candidate is locally based
Friendly, efficient, reliable, able to take initiative

Disabled Access

Yes – Wheelchair accessible

Training and Induction

Yes – induction, ongoing support and training will be provided.

 Food and Hygiene Level 2 qualification must be undertaken or updated within 1 month of taking on role, provided by Clean Break.

Food Standards Agency:  Safer Food Better Business for Caterers:

· Food Allergen

·  Open Checks and Closing Checks

·  Temperature control and readings,

· Food labelling

· Food handling and Transport

· Cross-contamination of foods

· Occupational Health

· Cleaning

· Supervision

Expenses

Yes – Travel and lunch

Recruitment Method

CV, informal discussion, reference, trial period, Basic DBS

 The post is open to women only

(exempt under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1)

We encourage people with lived experience to apply

Why we need you:

This role is vital to the work of FareShare Merseyside. You will be preparing and cooking meals for our volunteers and staff, cleaning down the kitchen, and adhering to allergen, HACCP, and other compliance checks.

For the role of the Volunteer Kitchen Assistant, a background in food is desirable but not essential. If you have experience working in a kitchen, a passion for food and sustainability, and a willingness to learn new skills whilst working in a small team, you would be a great fit for this role!

What will I be doing?

• Helping to plan, create, and cook meals from surplus food for volunteer and staff lunches.
• Carrying out routine kitchen cleaning, health and safety checks, and completing all relevant paperwork.
• Assisting with one- off corporate or fundraising events.
• Representing FareShare in a courteous and professional manner at all times.

What we need you to be:

• Minimum of 18 years old
• Passionate about food and saving surplus food from going to waste
• Positive, friendly and personable, able to interact well with different people 
• Good with numbers, identifying different foods, writing clearly  
• Able to work well in a team and on your own   
• Able to follow FareShare’s policies & procedures  

What will I get out of it?

· An active and sociable role 

· Development of skills such as food preparation, batch cooking, and menu planning.

· Support and supervision from the Regional Volunteer Manager, and our Culinary Lead. 

• An induction and training for the role
• The opportunity to take on new challenges and support people in your community
• Reasonable travel expenses and a free lunch  
• A fun and friendly place to work  
• The opportunity to take on new challenges   
• A work reference for those who have satisfactorily committed to at least 3 months  
• The opportunity to support a great cause and give something back to your community  

Background Information

Villa 21 is a large unstable housing settlement South of Buenos Aires. It mostly lacks paved roads and sewerage; many houses are made of perishable materials and have no running water or drainage. The neighborhood faces serious health problems, as it is located on the creek that divides the capital city of the province, and is highly contaminated, causing respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases that primarily affect children. The soup kitchen is visited by approximately 50 people from the neighborhood for lunch every day. The space is also available to support teenagers when there are volunteer teachers willing to help them.

The support from social organizations is fundamental in this very poor neighborhood, mainly because its precarious situation affects families that need to face a lack of infrastructures and serious problems of public sanitation. Indeed, many families live in houses where they have problems with light and where they don't have running water nor a drainage system, in an area which has huge weaknesses in terms of sewer systems and road pavements. Moreover, it is located near a river which is highly contaminated by the chemicals released by nearby factories, and this generates respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases that mainly affect the children. Although faced with this situation, people don't receive any help from the government to improve their standards of living that are now miserable and harmful to their health. There are some housing construction projects in the works but they are slow-coming and displacing the inhabitants that are the most affected by the contamination of the river. In addition to this precariousness, today, ambulances refuse to come into the area.

Why is this project important for the community?

The soup kitchen cooks for the kindergarten and the people from the town. Thus, this organization is based on working with families and children from first to seventh grade, supporting them in their growing and development process, with a team of professionals and social workers. This Community Center was founded in 1994 and began as a soup kitchen until it expanded into a kindergarten with the help of the mothers from the area.

The main goal of the Community Center is to offer the children's families a place of education and integral support. Moreover, the kitchen and center help to compensate these families’ economic situation. It is a place of exchange between teachers, social workers, parents and volunteers from the area and from Voluntario Global that work together for the safe upbringing of the children. It is also a place where the unemployed women from the area are able to have training sessions that take place periodically with professionals.

Role of the Volunteer

From 7:00 am to 2:00 pm, the kitchen prepares breakfast and lunch for the kids in the kindergarten and it also prepares food for the community members. The volunteer will be able to help in many tasks such as assist the women in the kitchen by washing and cutting vegetables, preparing the dessert for the children and help in the cleaning process after everything is served.

What do you learn as a volunteer?

When helping at the Soup Kitchen, you learn to appreciate the value of the small things, how to truly connect with people and the power that these relationships can have on your life and the lives of others, on the communities and the future. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what language you speak, what kind of house you live in or what kind of job you have. In the end, we are all human and we get so mixed up in focussing on other unimportant aspects that we forget that deep down we’re all the same. You will realise that even the smallest thing you do, can make someone else's day.

How does your work impact on the community?

Your help is invaluable for the workers and for the community members because this center is an integral part of their everyday life. Furthermore, the ladies and workers would not be able to participate in this cultural exchange if there aren’t any volunteers willing to help. The women also love helping the volunteers learn a bit of Spanish because they are like family to them. Here, the volunteer can learn so much about the Argentinian culture and see how many traditional dishes are prepared. It’s a place where you can completely feel the support of a community and you never leave the kitchen without a smile on your face.

Café VI is an inclusive and accessible space, in line with RNIB Scotland’s mission to support people with sight loss and promote a sense of community in everyday life. The café aims to provide a welcoming environment for the local community and to help raise awareness of sight loss through its design and operation.

The café is staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers, including both sighted and partially sighted individuals, working together to deliver friendly service and foster inclusion. We are looking for friendly and enthusiastic volunteers to assist in the running of the café and drop in centre for blind and partially sighted people. We require help in the kitchen, preparing food, cleaning and waiting on tables and assisting community members by chatting with them, sighted guiding and assisting members to take part in activities.

A passion for cooking is desirable but not essential. Experience in cash handling and how to use a cash register would be advantageous. Our aim is to move to a contactless process but we're not at that point yet.

The café is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11am until 3pm.

How often will I be needed?

• 4 Hours per Week

Key requirements

• This role requires 1 reference and a PVG.

Location

Region

• Scotland

Additional location information

• 12/14 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh EH7 5EA

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 16 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• Good Interpersonal Skills
• Willingness to work as part of a team
• Willingness to work independently
• Reliable, punctual and trustworthy

Do you have a passion for food and community, work in hospitality or enjoy cooking in a sustainable way and want to use your experience to help the community?

Are you studying public health, nutrition or social policy?

Are you passionate about social change and working to support marginalized groups? This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in any combination of the following:

• Addressing social isolation and food insecurity
• Operations management
• Local food systems and sustainability
• Youth engagement work
• Refugee and asylum seeker support
• Non-profit coordination

Role Responsibilities:

• Supporting the project manager in delivering our aMAZIng Meal Box Service. – Ensuring the kitchen is well managed & food hygiene standards are met – Communicating with volunteer groups
• Assisting with the training of new volunteers to meet in house standards
• Uphold the mission and values of The MAZI Project!

Requirements:

• Organised, passionate, resourceful, good attention to detail
• Ability to communicate, follow instructions and collaborate or lead effectively
• Willingness to work with many different personalities: friendly and approachable
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude; enthusiastic and committed

Learning Outcomes

(dependant upon applicants’ areas of interest)

• Local food systems and seasonal eating
• The MAZI Project’s charitable processes, development work and structures – Accessing on-going funding revenues
• The implementation of logistical systems
• Improving services for refugees and asylum seekers
• Building networks within the local food and hospitality industry

Extra perks

• Snacks, tea and a good time every Tuesday
• Any surplus fresh local and organic veg to top up your fridge
• Discounted tickets to our supper clubs hosted some of Bristol’s best chefs – The opportunity to start your own projects, initiatives or events
• Giving back to your community!

We welcome all applications, including those from under-represented backgrounds. Whether you have experience in the charity sector or want to take your first step into this industry, we would like to hear from you if you have the enthusiasm, insight, and commitment. We have a firm commitment to encouraging fairness and diversity in our workforce and we welcome applications from disabled people and those from BAME backgrounds.

Who is The MAZI Project?

We are a Bristol based charity empowering marginalized 16 – 25 year olds through food. We support care leavers, young asylum seekers, youth recovering from homelessness and fleeing domestic violence.

We do this by:

1. Feeding young people great local and nutritious food with our aMAZIng meal kits 2) Building connections within Bristol’s food scene
2. Hosting aMAZIng events to create a community and togetherness
3. Build young people’s confidence, practical skills and food independence

Background Information

This kindergarten is part of a Community Center that helps the population of the area with various activities such as a kindergarten, a playground for the younger kids, afterschool support workshops, a vegetable garden to be tended by the children when they are old enough, and the soup kitchen that cooks for the kindergarten and the people from the neighborhood. Thus, this organization is based on working with families and children from first to seventh grade, supporting them in their growing and development process, with a team of professionals and social workers. The Community Center was founded in 1994 as a soup kitchen, and the kindergarten was started by the mothers from the area a few years later.

Why is this project important for the community?

The main goal of this Center is to offer the children's families a place of education and integral support, where they can find social and psychological benefits. It ultimately represents a way to compensate for the schools' weaknesses and the lack of investment from the Government to improve them. Those who belong to the organization understand that the work with children is not efficient if it doesn't start from the beginning, with the youngest children, and this is the kindergarten's task. It is also a place where the unemployed women from the area can have training sessions that take place periodically with professionals.

Role of the Volunteer

From 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, the kindergarten welcomes and educates the children from the area. The volunteer can do a multitude of things such as assist the teachers with organizing activities, play with the children, help to feed them during lunch time, help in the cleaning process and much more! The Kindergarten is a place of exchange between teachers, social workers, parents and volunteers from the area, as well as from Voluntario Global. They all work together for the safe upbringing of the children and this gives the international volunteers a unique opportunity for learning about this perspective and exchanging valuable experiences.

What can you learn as a volunteer?

The help of the volunteer is invaluable for the teachers and for the population of the area because it represents both a practical support and cultural exchange. In this area where a variety of cultural communities live together, the volunteer learns about social diversity. Moreover, they can exchange with the local inhabitants about teaching methods and share their own experience and ideas to improve the organization of the kindergarten. These different viewpoints represent a wealth for this place and all initiatives are well received. This project is perfect to benefit from the company of children, who always have energy and whose smiles make us happy every day.

How does your work impact on the community?

The support from social organizations and volunteers is fundamental in this neighborhood, mainly because its precarious situation affects families that need to face a lack of infrastructures and serious problems of public sanitation. Indeed, many families live in houses where they have problems with light and where they don't have running water or a drainage system, in an area which has huge weaknesses in terms of sewer systems and road pavements. Also, it is located near a river which is highly contaminated by the chemicals released by nearby factories, and this generates respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases that mainly affect the children. Although faced with this situation, people don't receive help from the government to improve their standards of living that are now disadvantage and harmful to their health. There are some housing construction projects in the works but they are slow-coming and displacing the inhabitants that are the most affected by the contamination of the river. In addition to this precariousness, today, ambulances refuse to come into the area. Therefore, having volunteers coming to help them and wanting to learn from them and share time with them is crucially important for making them visible and appreciated in today’s society.

Being a trustee of an arts charity means helping to shape its future — bringing your skills, experience and ideas to support our work and champion our impact.

At Storyhouse, this means making sure we stay creative, inclusive and sustainable, so we can keep inspiring people, connecting communities, and opening our doors to everyone.

As a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, our Trustees are also directors of the company, with legal responsibilities for our governance and finances. The role is voluntary, but the difference you make will be lasting – for Storyhouse and for the communities we serve.

What’s involved:

- Board meetings – four per year

- Committees – the option to join at least one, to focus on specific areas

- Working groups - sometimes short-term ‘task and finish’ or working groups for particular projects

- Preparation - reading papers in advance and contributing actively to discussions

- Ambassadorship - staying connected with our work between meetings, championing Storyhouse in your own networks. Most of the year the rhythm of meetings is regular, but during extraordinary moments — like a leadership change or major challenge — Trustees may be asked to give a little more time and support.