Food bank jobs in plymouth, england

At The Hygiene Bank, our volunteers are the heart and soul of everything we do and achieve as a charity. Without the incredible individuals up and down the country who generously give their time to run our local hygiene bank projects, collecting and distributing essential products through our network of community partners, our charity simply wouldn’t exist.   

The Hygiene Bank aspires to build the best recruited, best trained and best supported community of volunteers in the charity sector. The extraordinary commitment, dedication, enthusiasm and sheer hard work of our nearly 600 volunteers underpins our current operations and our future plans. In particular, our volunteers and projects are central to our aspirations to engage Parliamentarians and other key stakeholders, and to raise awareness of hygiene poverty, in support of our goal to end it for good.  

Thanks to a generous grant, we are now able to recruit a Volunteer Engagement Officer, who will play a pivotal role supporting and empowering this brilliant community. As such, you will play a key part in shaping the future of a national anti-poverty charity working on a key social justice challenge.   

You’ll be an outstanding, purpose-driven, empathic communicator. You’ll have demonstrable, outstanding people skills and experience in convening and consulting with stakeholders and working with volunteers along with strong communication skills. If that sounds like you, then we’d love to hear from you.  

About The Hygiene Bank  

Hygiene poverty is not being able to afford many of the everyday hygiene and personal grooming products most of us take for granted. The reality of low income is that it restricts people’s options, leaving us caught between being able to heat our homes, pay the rent, eat, or be clean.  It is washing hair, bodies, faces and clothes in the same cheap washing-up liquid used for the dishes. It is not being able to replace a toothbrush when needed or sharing a toothbrush because one each just isn't an option. It is having to choose between shaving foam and razors or the transport fare to a job interview.  

Hygiene Poverty is the hidden crisis facing the UK. In 2024, The Hygiene Bank published a research report into the incidence and impact of hygiene poverty. It found that over 4.2m adults in the UK are affected by hygiene poverty, that is an additional 1.1m people into hygiene poverty since 2022 - the equivalent of the population of Birmingham.   

Hygiene poverty is not only on the rise, it’ is also undermining the nation’s health: 50% of those affected by hygiene poverty say that it is causing them anxiety or depression. 92% of people affected report that it limits their social interactions with friends and family. 54% of those affected have not gone to the dentist in the last 12 months. But most importantly, it’s putting people in impossible situations. A staggering 69% of adults experiencing hygiene poverty are having to make the difficult decision between paying for essential needs like food and bills or purchasing basic toiletries. 65% of parents affected by hygiene poverty have had to choose between buying hygiene products for themselves or their children.  

At The Hygiene Bank, we believe that everyone deserves to feel clean. That is why our network of projects exists – to give people access to the basics they need.  

About the role  

Reporting into the Operations Manager, this role will be part of the Operations Team and will work closely with the Partnership Managers who support our projects and volunteers on a day-to-day basis. You will provide exceptional service to the volunteer journey and experience, including recruitment, training and engagement.  

Responsibilities (with estimate % of time in role) 

• Recruitment 20%: (Year 1 priority) Design and implement compelling volunteer recruitment campaigns at a national level and for specific areas of the UK - in line with the organisational strategy. 

• Virtual Volunteering 5%: Develop our offer for volunteers to bring their skills, experience and time to the charity outside our local community and project structures, for example coordinating volunteers who can support local projects with social media, or with fundraising. 

• Onboarding 10%: Design and run the volunteer onboarding process, ensuring that all of our volunteers have the tools they need to be successful  

• Governance 10%: (Year 1 priority) Administrate and coordinate the Volunteer Council, a new Committee designed to centre volunteer voice in the charity’s governance  

• Consultation 10%: Further develop the charity’s volunteer survey and create ongoing opportunities for genuine feedback and consultation from our volunteer community to amplify their lived experience 

• Training 20%: (Year 1 priority) Identify areas for training, source and develop these, providing exciting and effective opportunities for our volunteers to develop their skills, practice and impact   

• Resources 10%: (Year 1 priority) Working with the Partnership Managers and other colleagues in the central team, design and develop video and written resources to support the projects in their day-to-day work. The postholder will also hold responsibility for the Volunteer Members’ Area, ensuring content is up to date, relevant and useful 

• Communications 10%:  Working closely with our communications team, collate compelling, informative and engaging content and write the monthly volunteers’ newsletter, ensuring volunteers’ achievements are celebrated, that they understand and are involved in the charity’s development. You will also be responsible for developing new and effective communication channels.  

• Data 5%: through collecting and sharing data on our volunteers and their  experience with the charity, you will report on progress and suggest ways to continuously improve our offer. You will also ensure that data is captured appropriately on our systems.  

Person Specification  

With a demonstrable alignment with The Hygiene Bank’s values, you will have:  

• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills to liaise with a diverse range of stakeholders and create content for different audiences  

• A can-do, problem solving attitude, and strong ability to use your initiative to find resolutions and solutions  

• High level of collaborative skills, as well as being a self-starter who enjoys taking responsibility for areas of work and is able to work without close supervision  

• A creative mindset and high levels of emotional intelligence, with a particular ability to identify and understand volunteers’ perspectives and views  

• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail  

• A skilled listener, who enjoys advocating for a cause and communicating persuasively the reasons behind decisions, to increase stakeholder engagement and inspire and motivate people  

• A strong relationship-builder and team player    

• The ability to work under pressure and on multiple projects at the same time.  

• The ability to represent the charity and its mission in a clear, emotive and factual way. 

This job description and person specification represents an outline of the major components of the job and is not intended to be exhaustive.  

The role does not include any line management responsibilities. 

The role is remote based, but with bi-monthly full organisation team days in London. In addition, we have approximately 4 Operations Team meetings in London or other central UK location. The role will also require regular visits to our community projects and partners so the post holder to understand, support and champion the volunteer experience. 

Experience  

You will have a minimum of two years’ experience in the following:  

• Experience of supporting the volunteer journey, delivering work on the planning, recruitment, induction and engagement of volunteers across a dispersed geography. 

• Volunteer engagement, with a particular emphasis on consulting and convening diverse groups of people in the service of progressing a cause or project  

• Producing high quality written tools and resources, and/or training materials for volunteers based across the UK

• Experience of designing and delivering recognition activities over Volunteers’ Week and other milestones in the volunteer journey 

• Experience of, or willingness to learn a range of communications tools, e.g, Canva, Mailchimp, Wordpress, Google Adwords, etc. 

• Experience or willingness to learn our current CRM system, Salesforce 

Please note that applicants need to be resident in the UK and have the right to work in the UK. 

The Hygiene Bank is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and values diversity of culture among our staff and volunteers.  We actively welcome applications that will help increase the diversity of our workforce, welcoming applications from those with disabilities and from minority groups and from different backgrounds and experiences. 

How to apply 
Closing date: Sunday 19th October @23.30pm. Please note that we are a small team and will be reviewing applications as they are received. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately, once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.

Interview dates: from 27th October - 7th November

Role Summary

Join our team and help us improve public sector food across the UK with our School Plates and new Hospital Plates programmes. We're looking for a passionate and driven Chef Trainer to support schools and hospitals in delivering healthier and more sustainable menus.

The programmes continue to go from strength to strength. Through School Plates, we currently support over a third of all UK local authorities, catering for more than 12,000 schools and feeding over 1.25 million children daily. To date, we have been responsible for swapping over 50 million school meals from meat-based to meat-free or plant-based. We're now expanding our successful model into the health sector with our new Hospital Plates programme, bringing the same positive change to patient and staff menus.

Are you a skilled chef trainer with a passion for improving public food? Can you match our ambition? You'll be using your culinary expertise to train catering teams in both schools and hospitals, provide menu advice, and get involved with recipe development and culinary education. You will also run cooking workshops for pupils in secondary schools, inspiring the next generation to get excited about plant-based food. You will also build and manage relationships with our catering partners, helping them deliver delicious and sustainable meals. This is a UK-wide role and will require travel to different sites.

We’re looking for someone to join our team for 3 days a week but are open to applicants looking for flexible working hours, including, potentially, 4 days a week.

Job Details

Job Title: Chef Trainer - School Plates & Hospital Plates 
Reporting to: Programme Manager, UK
Location: Remote (home-based with travel across UK) 
Hours: 21-28 hours per week (0.6-0.8 FTE)
Salary: £32,000 per annum pro rata (based on 1.0 FTE) 

 

Responsibilities

As our Chef Trainer & Programme Support, you'll be a key player in developing and delivering our School Plates and Hospital Plates programmes. You'll use your culinary expertise and passion for food system change to create resources, train professionals, and engage with our partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Recipe Development & Training: You'll co-lead the creation, testing, and development of new plant-based recipes for our school and hospital programmes, and lead on developing ‘grab-and-go’ and internationally inspired options for secondary schools. You'll also plan and deliver training sessions, including in-person and online workshops, and create e-learning courses for caterers.

• Programme Development & Support: Work closely with programme managers to develop and refine the strategy for our initiatives. This includes supporting pilot programmes, measuring their impact, and creating bespoke catering resources for our partners.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Represent our organisation at events and in meetings, providing expert catering advice and information on our programmes. Collaborate with our communications manager to create engaging content, including recipes and videos for our website, e-learning platform and social media.

• Education & Outreach: Partner with our education manager to plan and co-deliver secondary school cooking workshops. These sessions will teach pupils basic plant-based culinary skills that align with the National Curriculum as well as inspire the next generation to choose plant-forward options and learn about the impact of their food choices in a positive way.

• Inspire Catering Teams: Your role is to build and maintain relationships with catering partners, providing expert catering advice and practical recipe suggestions. You'll work with them directly on pilot programmes, offering bespoke support to inspire positive menu changes. You'll also provide essential administrative support for our programmes and help create and deliver presentations to promote our work to a wider audience.

Qualifications

    Essential

• Experienced in planning and delivering cooking workshops to groups.

• Experience of working in a culinary setting and developing recipes with a strong interest in plant-based recipes.

• Excellent communication skills and be a confident and engaging educator.

• Flexible and agile approach, with a willingness to be a true team player and fill gaps as needed.

• Proactive with initiative and drive.

• Strong organisational skills.

• Attention to detail.

• Solution-focused and resilient.

• Confident in creating basic spreadsheets and slide decks.

• Ability to work well under pressure and manage time effectively in a fast-paced and small but fast-growing non-profit work environment.

• Ability to work well unsupervised with experience of working in remote teams with a reliable internet connection.

• Passionate about food systems change.

• Alignment with our vision and mission.

• Based in the UK and able to attend meetings, events, and training to represent the team and programme across the UK.

• Willing to travel across the UK for workshops and events. 

Desirable

• Experience of working within school and/or hospital food. 

• Experience of food photography and creating recipe content for social platforms or online courses. 

• Experience of managing projects.

• Experience of liaising with local authorities, schools, or other public sector bodies.

• Experience in the field of nutrition, including an interest in plant-based nutrition.

• Experience of working in the food, health or environmental sector.

• Experience of using customer relationship management (CRM) systems (training will be provided).

Benefits of working with us

• Generous annual leave entitlement - 25 days per year, with an additional day granted at the start of each calendar up to a maximum of 30 days (plus bank holidays)

• A strong organisational focus on personal development, with a designated training budget.

• Provision of a work laptop.

• Flexible, trust-based working arrangements and home-office arrangements.

• Career development support

• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay

• Compassionate animal companion leave

• Employee Assistance Programme including counselling

• Access to 24/7 virtual GP Service

• Mindfulness support via a free Headspace account for you and up to 5 friends or family members

• Access to the Wisdom app with exclusive perks and discounts

• Membership to the OpenUp platform

• We are a workplace that encourages everyone to bring their whole selves to work. We are an inclusive workplace for our diverse employees around the world.

• And, last but not least, become part of a great team and work with us towards a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet!

When?

Application deadline: 5th October 2025
Start date: November 2025

Application process and timeline 

Please submit your application using our online form including your CV and cover letter. By submitting your application you agree that your personal data will be processed by and shared with our UK entity (ProVeg C.I.C.) and German entity (ProVeg e.V.). 

The recruitment process consists of two rounds: 1): an online trial task; 2): an interview with the Programme Manager and Director. 
 

• Application deadline: 5th October 2025

• Online trial task: sent to longlisted candidates by 10th October 5pm, to be completed by 12 October at 5pm 

• Interviews: take place on 21st and 22nd October 2025

• Start date: November 2025

Land, and the way that it is owned and managed, impacts on all of us. It has different places in all of our histories, whatever our backgrounds or heritage, whether our experience is of public or private ownership, colonialism, dispossession, or migration, the difficulties of making a living in a rural economy or the daily impacts of urbanisation and gentrification. How we currently own, manage and make decisions about land lies at the heart of many of our current social, economic and environmental challenges and injustices. 

Shared Assets works with people and land for a just future.

We undertake advice & support, research, movement building, communications and resourcing work to support, mobilise and advocate for the development of models of managing land that create shared social, economic and environmental benefits. We see systems change as a core value of our work and seek to be transformative, both through externally-facing projects and internal approaches and ways of working.

Our research work supports collective learning related to working on and with the land. We communicate our findings through articles, blogs, podcasts, reports, events, and more - building a shared evidence base to support the development of a just land system. Through our research, we seek to make an impact at a local and a systemic level. We want to create conditions that allow people and communities to thrive, and promote care for the land and environment. We do this work on both a commercial and grant funded basis.

The role holder will lead the full range of Shared Assets’ research projects, from scoping and design through to delivery, follow up and evaluation. They will need to have experience of designing and carrying out research and learning activities with a wide range of partners - including academics, community groups, NGOS and local authorities - in collaborative ways. In the past we have worked on research projects of many scales - from large European Union funded consortia, to smaller, one-off pieces which help a local authority or community organisation move forward with their work. Often our research work involves collaborating with a group of other civil society organisations to provide evidence of why change in the land, food and farming system is needed, and generate action on these issues. 

The main areas of work are to: manage and deliver funded research projects (or projects with a research component) with partners, reflect with colleagues on what we are learning within and across workstreams as an organisation and sector, use this knowledge to create new ideas for research work, and support fundraising for these, as part of our ‘infrastructure’ role.

For more details please see the full application pack. Apply before 10am on Monday 27th October.