Food bank volunteer volunteer jobs in Windsor and maidenhead, berkshire

About the Role

This is a fantastic opportunity for a skilled line manager with experience in general welfare advice to join Sufra NW London. In this highly rewarding role, you will oversee the delivery of services that can measurably change lives by providing quality advice and support to those most in need. 

You will manage our team of advice staff and volunteers to deliver high quality advice, information and welfare support to guests on a range of topics including benefits, housing, debt and immigration issues. An additional focus will be on establishing clear pathways for referring guests to external services, and managing volunteers to triage, signpost and refer guests to other forms of welfare support.

The advice team consists of paid staff and support volunteers.  This year will be dedicated to consolidation of the service, ensuring that we are fulfilling our core mission to the highest standards.  We are also hoping to launch our immigration advice service, providing guests with a first point of contact for their immigration needs and smooth referral pathways to specialist advice.  Finally, our OpenARMs programme will be launching workshops for our refugee and asylum-seeker communities. 

You will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, especially Head of Advice at Sufra to support the implementation of new initiatives, and the expansion of our information and advice services to enhance our efficiency and impact.

The post holder will be a highly articulate and proactive individual with good welfare advice knowledge, 3+ years delivery experience in managing a charity team, strong service management skills, as well as experience managing staff and volunteers. The ideal candidate will have up-to-date knowledge of the welfare system, immigration and safeguarding protocols. They must also have demonstrable experience using a case management system, adhering to advice standards and be able to manage a diverse workload and work under pressure. 

This is an immensely rewarding role working in a dynamic charity built on an ethos of sharing, hospitality and inclusivity. We are looking for an exceptionally committed individual who is willing to go the extra mile and has flexibility to work during evenings and weekends if necessary. As this is a frontline role, you will be required to work on site at least 2 days per week. 

We offer a wide range of employee benefits including:

Excellent annual leave entitlement 
Pension scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Death in Service benefit 
Flexible working
Opportunities for training and professional development

Key Responsibilities

Advice Services

• Manage the advice service by overseeing and supporting volunteers and advice staff at our Community Wellbeing Service and Foodbank including setting objectives, managing performance and providing feedback during supervisions.
• Hold a small case load of advice guests, supporting them to achieve their aims
• Maintain a high quality service by ensuring that the advice team and volunteers are working to agreed standards and delivering against realistic grant agreements from funders.
• Use our case management software to report on cases and outcomes to support funding applications and remain compliant with funding needs.

Service Development

• Work with the Senior Leadership Team to develop, expand and improve Sufra’s information and advice services in alignment with our 2030 strategy.
• Carry out ongoing review of existing service delivery procedures.
• Undertake quality assurance including case checking and quality of advice audit.
• Identify the training needs of advice staff and volunteers through support, mentoring and supervisions.
• Ensure colleagues and relevant stakeholders are informed of changing legislation and social policy updates.
• Improve the case management systems to ensure it is fit for purpose.
• Work within the Advice Quality Standard (AQS) framework, ensuring that all policies and procedures are up to date for future assessments

Volunteer Management

• Develop, review and implement key policies and procedures to better equip Advice Volunteers to fulfil their role.
• Provide induction, support and supervision to enhance the quality standard of the service and contribute to the personal development of volunteers.
• Foster a positive working environment that maintains high morale and supports Advice Volunteer retention and regular participation.

Budgets, Monitoring & Evaluation

• Support the Senior Leadership Team in setting service budgets, updating policies, and monitoring spending in line with reporting and budgetary requirements.
• Ensure appropriate systems are maintained for recording statistics and outcomes.
• Provide regular and timely monitoring reports on service outputs, outcomes and expenditure.
• Collect regular feedback and conduct surveys from relevant stakeholders to inform ongoing improvements to the Advice Service.
• Contribute to strategic development by setting action plans in line with agreed Business Plans and keeping teams accountable to Action Plan goals.

Other

• Ensure the advice team are working in adherence to organisational policies and procedures.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties to support the operations of the charity. 

Role outline and purpose

The Organising and Local Mobilisation (OLM) Manager is responsible for managing ongoing support to food banks as they organise and campaign for change. This varied, proactive, and fast-paced role will involve working closely with grant funded Local Organisers as part of Trussell’s Organising Programme, frequently visiting food banks and delivering online and in person training.

You will hold responsibility for providing direct support as food banks develop effective campaign strategies – covering local and Trussell priorities – and ensuring they have the capacity, skills, and resources to deliver them. You will also work closely with other departments at Trussell and external partners to support food banks outside of the Organising Programme to influence locally and play a leading role in mobilising them to campaign for change. 

This role is part of Trussell’s Supportive Communities programme, the goal of which is to enable local communities to become places where people at risk of needing to use a food bank are supported and are using their agency to bring about meaningful changes that prevent anybody from needing emergency food. This role is focused on the successful delivery of the overall programme outcomes, contributing to the fulfilment of our long term vision of a UK without the need for food banks.

Role responsibilities

· Network area-wide delivery of the Organising Programme: Lead and manage the delivery of OLM’s Organising Programme in your network area, recruiting food banks to join, providing in person and online training and ongoing relational support to Local Organisers to ensure campaign strategies are developed and delivered. Organise and lead area-wide training, clusters, or events for food bank staff and volunteers to promote co-operation and sharing of good practice around local influencing. 

· Training, learning and programme development: Play a key role in the design and delivery of a programme of training and other learning for food banks covering organising, mobilising, and influencing. Contributing to impact and process evaluations and assisting food banks involved to explore future sources of funding, as required.

· Supporting food banks to influence locally: Empower food banks to develop their local influencing work, triaging influencing issues and managing input from other relevant Trussell Trust experts to provide ongoing support that enables the food bank to progress their influencing work. 

· Mobilising food banks in Trussell’s campaigns: Support the development and promotion of national Trussell policy campaigns, working with other teams and external partners to engage the food banks you support in taking action - including how they might take ownership of campaigns locally and help shape those priorities.

· Internal stakeholder engagement: Project manage OLM’s involvement in assigned cross-organisational projects – e.g. a policy campaign or strategic project, ensuring the OLM team are consulted, negotiating with other teams and making decisions accordingly. As part of an area-based matrix team you’ll work closely with other food bank facing staff to ensure a joined up approach to food bank support, effective communication, as well as sharing learning and best practice. 

· External stakeholder engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with food bank leaders, staff, volunteers, and trustees, as well as establishing effective partnerships with a range of stakeholders such as local authorities, community organisations, and churches. 

Person Specification

Technical skills and minimum knowledge:

·  Experience of delivering organising work and/or campaigning for change at a grassroots, local and/or national level. 

· Excellent knowledge and understanding of the political landscape of your assigned area. 

· A confident communicator with the ability to successfully influence and negotiate with a wide range of stakeholders, including food bank staff and volunteers, local authorities, community organisations, and churches. 

· Knowledge and experience of a wide range of campaigning tactics, campaign planning and developing theories of change. 

· Ability to develop and deliver training for organisers, trustees, staff and volunteers from food banks, including event management. 

Behaviours and competencies:

· Demonstrate a commitment to the values of Trussell. 

· Role models inclusive behaviour and values, including demonstrating empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially- excluded backgrounds. 

· Able to build effective relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and with differing life experience, including in contexts where Christian faith plays a major part, and in which people of all faiths and none collaborate to make a difference together.  

· Effective project management ensuring alignment with the Trussell vision and strategy and collaborative working to maximise integration and effectiveness of activities

· Is tenacious, proactive, creative and propositional, and makes things happen. 

· Able to solve complex problems; with a self-motivated and solutions-focused outlook 

Key Stakeholders

·  Food banks, including local organisers, project managers, volunteers, and people they support. 

· The wider OLM team. 

· Network Area Teams, who support food banks in their day-to-day work

· Grants team 

· Participation team 

· Making Social Security Work programme team

· Others TBC

Citizens Advice Surrey Heath (CA-SH) is an independent local charity and a company limited by guarantee.

We provide free, confidential, impartial, and independent advice and information for the benefit of the local community, to exercise a responsible influence on the development of social policies and to ensure individuals do not suffer through lack of knowledge or an inability to express their needs effectively.

The Role

Reporting to the Chair of the Trustee Board, the Chief Officer

● Is responsible to the Trustee Board for the management and leadership of Citizens Advice Surrey Heath.

● Represents Citizens Advice Surrey Heath to funders, partners and stakeholders.

● Ensures the delivery of a high quality, impartial and confidential service, utilising both paid staff and volunteers.

● Is responsible for the continuing funding, planning and financial management of the service.

● Represents the organisation in Surrey Heath and contributes to the overall provision of strategic advice services in the borough.

In particular, the priorities for the Chief Officer in 2026 will be to

● Manage CA-SH’s external relationships, with our funders and the Surrey Heath community generally, to ensure satisfaction with the delivery of current projects.

● Build on the current income base, in terms of increased existing project budgets, new projects, and diversifying the income base.

● Explore opportunities to potentially integrate with other local Citizens Advice in Surrey to ensure long-term sustainability and strengthen our impact, in line with the new Unitary Authority structure.

The role requires working closely with the Operations Manager, who will be responsible for staff, volunteers, and, generally, the internal CA-SH operation.

Person specification

Essential

1. Understanding of the voluntary sector and, in particular, knowledge of the strategic and policy environment in which the advice sector, and particularly Citizens Advice operates.
2. Proven ability to devise and implement strategic development and resource plans, particularly in the area of service development, staff development and the management of change.
3. Demonstrable track record of successful income generation and diversification, through promoting services, fundraising, and other activities.
4. Proven track record of devising funded projects, setting them up for delivery and delivering them against agreed targets.
5. Proven ability to lead, motivate and contribute to a team.
6. Demonstrable track record of financial management and budgetary control.
7. Effective communication and presentation skills in person and in writing, to include researching and interpreting complex information and producing clear verbal and written reports, both internally and externally.
8. Proven ability to earn and maintain the trust of stakeholders.
9. Track record in project management.

Desirable

1. Understanding of, and commitment to, Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies.
2. Broad understanding of the operation of local and national government, and the administration of public and legal services, including an understanding of commissioning.
3. Demonstrable ability in people management, particularly in the voluntary sector.
4. Ability to create a positive working environment in which equity and diversity are well managed, and staff are empowered and motivated to do their best.
5. Ability to communicate and work well with a governing body.
6. Track record of managing ICT in a working environment, including ICT business planning, managing information and supplier relations.
 

Staff Benefits

● 6% Employer Pension Contribution
● A company that is committed to its employees, valuing their knowledge, creativity, and flexibility
● Flexible, hybrid working
● Free parking
● Ongoing personal training and development
● The chance to work with amazing people and a nationally recognised charity.