The role (what you will be doing)

You will work to create a strong sense of belonging and community cohesion in Lyde Green and the surrounding area, helping Lyde Green be a great place to live, work and play.

You will do this by embedding our strengths-based approach to community development and building a sustainable approach to volunteering, community engagement, and support.

You’ll champion that people know best what is needed in their local area and that they have the ideas, skills, and talents to make it happen, connecting like-minded individuals together and encouraging people to engage and act on things that matter to them.

The LGCA (about the charity)

Lyde Green Community Association CIO (LGCA) is a charity that has been set up by residents for the benefit of the community in Lyde Green and the surrounding area. It is run by local volunteers, with the objective of generating community spirit and making Lyde Green a great place to live and visit. As well as organising community events, we support a community partnership that meets regularly to solve problems that matter to residents and help the whole community shape its future.

The LGCA run and operate Lyde Green Community Centre, situated at the heart of Lyde Green near the local primary school and nursery. It is an exciting time to be working in Lyde Green, and the LGCA have received lots of support from both residents and local partners to date.

Your responsibilities

General

• Work closely with the Charity Manager and Trustees to ensure the outcomes of the Community Connector project are delivered
• Lead and embed the LGCA’s strengths-based community development approach
• Work as the Charity’s Volunteer Coordinator, developing and maintaining guidance and encouraging active participation in the community
• Help plan and support charity events
• Being an initial point of contact for the charity’s community engagement work, dealing with enquiries across multiple channels

• Report on and monitor project progress and agreed KPIs at the quarterly partnership meeting and via grant funding reports
• Ensure notice boards, website and social media are up-to-date with opportunities to get involved
• Work within LGCA’s policies and procedures
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required

Explore and discover

• Develop a good understanding of Lyde Green and the surrounding area
• Find out what is already happening in the area
• Listen to local people and find out what they care about, what their hopes and dreams are for the area, and what they’d be willing to take action on
• Build trusted and respectful relationships with residents, services and partners in the area

Make connections

• Connect people together based on their interests or ideas
• Connect people to existing groups or organisations
• Signpost people to relevant support services eg employability, training
• Encourage people to try new things
• Promote use of Lyde Green Community Centre as a safe, warm space and use it and other local assets to bring people together
• Share knowledge on how to access funding and guidance so that people can get started with their ideas or projects

Celebrate success

• Help people share and celebrate their stories of success and encourage more volunteering
• Work with those already linked to and engaged in Lyde Green to understand the role they wish to play in the wider community
• Share what has worked well with other volunteers, groups and projects

Build momentum

• Support the design of project outcomes when working with people
• Contribute to the monitoring and evaluation requirements of a project
• Demonstrate a commitment to personal learning
• Increase the number of people volunteering and actively engaging in the community
• Help demystify volunteering and overcome barriers (eg setting up groups, navigating processes, assessing risk, accessing funding etc)

Your skills and experience

Essential

• Experience of working with a wide range of people
• A good general education
• Motivated and self-reliant
• Good organisational skills
• Ability to prioritise workload and manage time