Refugee Cafe Volunteer Roles in Catford, Greater London
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Refugee Café is a small charity seeking to help refugees in Lewisham and surrounding areas enter employment in the hospitality sector. We began in May 2020, where we established ourselves at local markets, food-related initiatives and community projects and events. We recently completed a pilot employment programme in partnership with Lewisham College and the cafe at The Albany Theatre in Deptford.
Upon finishing the programme at Lewisham College, we are looking for a new Chair to lead the organisation’s vision and strategy for the upcoming year. The founding Board of Trustees are retiring their positions, giving way to a new enthusiastic and passionate Board with significant sector experience in either the food or refugee and migration sector.
Refugee Café is seeking to appoint a Chair to lead the Board of Trustees. The Chair will ensure that the charity fulfils its responsibilities for the public benefit, effectively delivers its objectives, and complies with its governing document. This role demands an exceptional individual who can combine strong leadership skills with the ability to oversee strategic direction, articulate our vision and engage people to implement organisational improvement and systemic change. It is an exciting opportunity to shape a young organisation and have a positive impact in our community.
Main Responsibilities
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Lead the charity in strategic development to ensure we create a positive impact with our community and achieve our mission.
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Support the charity to achieve its strategic and operational objectives Facilitate monthly board meetings in stimulating, inclusive and well-rounded discussions and considered decision-making.
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Be a strong spokesperson for the charity both internally and externally
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Liaise closely with the team of trustees and act as the focal point for organisational procedures and areas such as strategy, governance, safeguarding, finance, HR & management of risk.
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Maintain careful oversight of any risk to the reputational standing of the organisation.
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Represent the organisation at appropriate events, meetings or functions.
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Encourage an inclusive and supportive board culture.
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Steering the long-term stability of the charity, through sustainable financial growth, including fundraising and other income generating activities
Qualities of the Role
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Commitment to the organisation, its values, mission, and vision, and an enthusiasm for supporting its beneficiaries.
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Understanding of challenges facing refugees in finding sustainable employment
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Experience of effective chairing and understanding of how to facilitate debate. You will ensure a balance is struck between time-keeping and space for board discussions.
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Experience in strategic roles and the ability to understand strategic issues, without losing sight of a vision of positive change.
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The ability to understand perspectives of others, to act collaboratively and diplomatically, and to secure collective decision-making. Ability to foster and promote a collaborative working environment.
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Effective written and oral communication skills, and be a proactive team player who delivers results.
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Flexibility in your approach, revising remits and objectives when necessary, and being comfortable with a degree of uncertainty.
Please send a one-page CV and accompanying cover letter (no more than 2 additional pages)
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Plateful Café works to relieve poverty and isolation amongst refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in Lewisham. Our commitment is to reach the most vulnerable people in our community and help them access the support they are entitled to. Refugees will benefit from workshops, training skills and knowledge relevant for catering industry.
As a small charity, a modest sum of money raised can enable our projects to take place. As such, the role of volunteer fundraiser is essential. We are seeking to appoint enthusiastic, well-organised and highly motivated people to assist our Grants and Funding team with the research and writing of funding applications to secure vitally needed funds for the charity.
The duties will include:
- Conduct research into trusts and foundations
- Write funding applications
- Attend monthly team meeting
- Supporting the fundraising team in any other ways as required.
Requirements:
- Excellent communication skills in fluent English
- Excellent research skills and ability to work with considerable initiative
- Good computer skills
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Some previous fundraising experience is desirable
- An interest in supporting refugees and contributing to the work of Plateful Cafe
What you will gain as a volunteer:
- Gain experience and insight into the world of charity fundraising
- Develop skills and strategies needed as a fundraiser
- Acquire experience working within a community charity
- Access training opportunities available to Plateful Cafe volunteers
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are looking for an enthusiastic events assistant to join the team in our exciting new community space! Plateful Cafe is a recently established charity that seeks to help refugees in the surrounding area into employment within the food and hospitality sector.
We have opened a community cafe selling delicious Middle Eastern food! Our cafe is staffed by people with refugee status and experiences of forced migration who are being trained to work the food industry, as well as dedicated volunteers like you. We will be running regular community events and fundraisers for which we need a team of events assistants to help plan and run.
If you are passionate about being part of a community that celebrates a diversity of cultures and delicious food, this is your opportunity to make a difference and join us on our exciting journey with Plateful Cafe.
The role:
- Help organise monthly community dinners featuring three course meals from around the globe to enable the charity to engage with and attract donors.
- Help with running the dinner on the daywith tasks including welcoming the guests, serving food and drinks, take payments, setting up and clearing, etc.
- In a team plan and organise other events and fundraisers throughout the year, for example refugee week.
- Assist with applying for funds for events including securing raffle prizes, donations of ingredients, material needed, musicians and entertainment, etc.
- Work with the marketing volunteers, providing details of upcoming events for promotion; take pictures and quotes at the event.
Skills & Requirements:
- Prior experience of events planning and organisation
- A passion and keenness to engage in community-based work to support refugees and serve the local community
- Good organisation skills including: effective time management, punctuality and delegation of tasks.
- A flexible and proactive attitude to working
- Good responsiveness to emails/ text/ whatsapp
- Practical skills to help prepare and set-up the café for events
- Able to work well in a team and communicate effectively with the rest of the staff and visitors of the cafe
- A willingness to learn new skills
Desirable but not required:
- Prior experience working with refugees, people seeking asylum or other vulnerable groups
- Prior experience of involvement in charity fundraising events
Monthly community dinner times: 10-1pm (cooking); Afternoon: 1-5pm (preparing the hall); Evening: 6-10pm (running the dinner).
Travel costs reimbursed & free dinner.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Plateful Café is a charity with a physical café which opened to the public in September 2023. Our purpose is to upskill, hire and assist refugees in the culinary & hospitality sectors through training and employment at our café. Our community café is located in the Parkside Community Centre (SE10 8FY) which is open from Thursday to Saturday every week (9.30-3), but we also cater for events, pop ups and sell artisan products and artwork by local refugees.
We are looking for someone to join our advisory board of trustees, who will have a major impact in developing our growing charity. You will make a real impact in the lives of many refugees and help to reduce socio-economic inequality. As a business trustee, you will support the very exciting expansion of our sales plan – online, at markets and in the cafe. Your experience will help to keep our café running and succeeding by supporting the Founder in creating and overseeing plans, policies and finances.
Main duties and responsibilities
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Supporting the Founder in researching, identifying and developing new models to grow food sales at the cafe, and achieve Plateful Café’s mission
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Liaise with relevant staff to champion an effective growth plan, and ensure that plan is aligned with the mission to support more refugees into work
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Ensure Plateful Café’s customer service is of the highest standards
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Support the Founder in the production and implementation of the business plan, growing both the markets and the e-commerce and cafe
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Support the Founder to implement a marketing plan
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Represent Plateful Café at social events
Essential
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A passion for improving the lives of refugees and asylum seeker
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Experience and understanding of growing an e-commerce business and/or knowledge of cafe retail
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Previous experience in business development and sales
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Previous experience in customer services
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Being a proactive self-starter with dedication and drive to upskill in order to support the charity
Desirable
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Knowledge/experience of telemarketing and call centres
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Experience using CRM systems
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Previous experience in Marketing
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Knowledge of the food and café industry
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Lived experience of being a refugee and/or experience working with refugees
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Plateful Café works to relieve poverty and isolation amongst refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in Lewisham. Our commitment is to reach the most vulnerable people in our community and open a pathway to employment for people who have asylum here. Refugees will benefit from workshops, training skills and knowledge relevant for the catering industry. As a small charity it is important to share information and updates through our communications and social media content, to help us fundraise and grow. We are looking for someone to assist us with updating our website including the online shop, events page and blog. The website is a key part of Plateful Café, raising awareness about the barriers to work for refugees as well as helping to share our delicious products with a broad network. By joining the team you’ll be able to put your marketing and website design skills to great use, ensuring more refugees in South-East London can share delicious food.
Duties will include:
- Keeping the website up to date, including the online shop, events page and blog
- Identifying potential content and opportunities
- Adding ideas to the content planner
- Producing analytics on a monthly basis
- Attendance at monthly web team catch-ups virtually/phone
- ad-hoc attendance at events and markets
Requirements:
- Photo editing skills
- Experience with using Wordpress and Woocommerce
- Marketing / communications experience
- Able to create interesting and engaging content
- An interest in supporting refugees and contributing to the work of Plateful Café
- Good time management skills
- Good team player
Desirable:
- SEO knowledge
- Experience of working with refugees, people seeking asylum, vulnerable groups or lived experience
- Lives in South-East London
What Will You Gain?
- Experience and insight into working with a charity and our community and play a key part in ensuring Plateful Cafe achieves its goals.
- Develop your writing, editing and website skills
- Access training opportunities available to Plateful Cafe volunteers
- Regular support with undertaking your role
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you familiar with the hospitality landscape in South-East London? Do you have experience of running or working in a start-up? Plateful Café are seeking a dedicated entrepreneur to sit on their board of Trustees at this exciting time to help steer the social enterprise's development towards the next stage of opening a permanent café. Plateful Café founded in December 2022 and has been offered a free venue to open a local community cafe employing local refugees. By joining the charity at this exciting stage you will have the opportunity to work with a diverse team, providing a path to employment for out-of-work refugees in South-East London.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- With the Founder and Cafe Manager lead the operations team involved with opening the café
- Action planning, piloting and market research
- Customer development
- Developing networks in the hospitality sector to provide opportunities for Plateful Café clients to seek experience and positions after the training programme
- Plan opportunities to diversify and capacity build Plateful Café’s income strategy
- Overseeing activity on the online shop and selling points e.g. markets, local shops, events
Essential Skills:
Experience of management role in hospitality industry
Experience of setting up a community Cafe
Strong track record of relationship building and networking with businesses
Experience working to KPIs Successful leadership and operations in a professional capacity
Shared commitment for creating empowering, proactive solutions to local challenges
People-centred approach with strong communication and team working skills
Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
Desirable Skills:
Lived experience of being a refugee Project coordination experience Network building in South-East London
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Plateful Cafe works to relieve poverty and isolation amongst refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in Lewisham. Our commitment is to reach the most vulnerable people in our community and open a pathway to employment for people who have asylum here. Refugees will benefit from workshops, training skills and knowledge relevant for the catering industry. Plateful Cafe are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all volunteers and team members. We are an equal opportunities provider and actively encourage applications from people with a refugee background. We are currently looking for a dedicated and well-organised press volunteer who can assist our team with various communication tasks.
Main duties will include:
- Publishing news and reports about developments at Plateful Cafe, which is due to open in May
- Announcing and promoting events organised by our team through local press, radio, Lewisham Council and other organisations
- Writing stories for the website, funding applications and reports
- Creating content for our social media accounts
Requirements:
- Excellent writing and storytelling skills
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Prior experience in a Media/Communications/PR role or similar
- Able to create interesting and engaging content
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
- Works well in a team
- An interest in supporting refugees
Desirable:
- Contacts with the media/press
- Lives in South London
What difference will you make?
- Helping to support a refugee-run cafe
- Connecting local refugees with their passion for cooking
- Helping local refugees find employment and enter the workforce much sooner than they otherwise might
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Are you familiar with the hospitality landscape in South-East London? Do you have experience of running or working in a start-up?
Plateful Café are seeking a dedicated entrepreneur to sit on their advisory board of Trustees at this exciting time to help steer the charity development towards the next stage of establishing a sustainable café. Plateful Café opened to the public in September 2023 offering breakfast,lunch and hot drinks on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday(9-3) as well as catering for events, pop ups and selling artisan products and artwork by local refugees.We are based at Parkside Community Centre in SE10 8FY and we have tendered for the venue for the next 4 years.
By joining the charity at this exciting stage you will have the opportunity to work with a diverse team building on securing the charity long-term future.
Main duties and responsibilities
- Lead on a new operations subcommittee to build a sustainable café diversifying our income Action planning, piloting and market research
- Customer development,research and building rapport
- Developing networks in the hospitality sector to provide opportunities for Café clients to seek experience and positions after the training programme
- Plan opportunities to diversify and capacity build Plateful Café’s income strategy by identifying new venues for pop-ups,promoting catering and identify new stockists to sell our products
- Overseeing activity on the online shop and selling points e.g. markets, local shops, events
- Overseeing the new supper club
Essential Skills
- Experience of management role in hospitality industry
- Strong track record of relationships building and networking with businesses
- Experience working to KPI’s
- Successful leadership and operations in a professional capacity
- Shared commitment for creating empowering, proactive solutions to local challenges
- People centred approach with strong communication and team working skills
Desirable Skills
- Lived experience of being a refugee
- Project coordination experience
- Network building in South-East London
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Volunteers support every aspect of our work, including but not exclusively: governance, administration, fundraising, marketing, and project delivery. We recognize that without our teams of volunteers we would not be able to support our service users in the way we do. In your role as Volunteer Co-ordinator you will be the 'champion' and first point of contact for volunteers within the organisation, ensuring all volunteers are encouraged and celebrated. You will be responsible for helping to maintain and improve volunteer recruitment and retention and for recruiting, inducting and supporting volunteers to deliver a range of appropriate services for clients, in line with Plateful Cafe's Business Plan. The key features of the role will be:
1. Recruiting and selecting potential volunteers, acting as an ambassador for Plateful Café
2. Inducting volunteers into suitable roles based on their interests, experience and expectations and the charity's needs
3. Providing an initial point of contact with the charity and ensuring volunteers maintain a positive and confident approach
4. Supporting the volunteer team to ensure the provision of relevant experience, training and development opportunities as well as supervision and support
5. Maintaining an up-to-date database in order to monitor volunteer progress and to record and celebrate their contributions
6 Contributing to newsletter and reports in order to maintain and develop the profile of Plateful Café
7. Good understanding of safeguarding to keep both employees and volunteers safe and protected.
8. Good management skills and the ability to organise on behalf of others.
9. Help new volunteers when they are stuck with certain tasks
10. You will need to effectively strategise a plan for other volunteers, make volunteer rotas and stay on top of volunteering admin and prioritise important tasks.
Requirements, we are looking for someone who;
· Is committed to the aims and objectives of the Plateful Café
· Has experience of working with volunteers, preferably in a charity
· Has an understanding of the needs of refugees and how to involve them in the or-ganisation
Desirable, but not essential:
· Has experience of team working
· Is a good communicator, preferably a speaker of a community language
· Has good interpersonal skills