DEADLINE EXTENDED to Wednesday 20th May 2021
Job Title: Community Meal Chef and Coordinator
Accountable to: Enterprise and Facilities Manager
Location: WHALE Arts Centre, 30 Westburn Grove, Edinburgh, EH14 2SA
Hours of Work: 14 hours per week (2 days a week – must be available on Fridays)
Salary: £22,000 per annum year 1, £22, 660 per annum year 2, and £23, 339 per annum year 3 (£8800 year 1, £9064 year 2, £9335 year 3 pro-rata equivalent) for 3 years from May 2021 – April 30 2024.
Background of project
The post is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund for 3-years through our new community-led project ‘Grow, Cook, Eat, Repeat’ from May 2021 to March 31 2024.
Grow, Cook, Eat, Repeat is for local residents of all-ages in Wester Hailes. It combines three interconnected strands of our existing work – our community garden, community meal and volunteering – into one cohesive programme which will put a 3-year structure in place to enable local residents to take the lead in developing their skills through volunteering in the garden, at the meal or other areas across the organisation. It will put local people at the centre of decision-making and follow their lead on how best to address food insecurity and improve the mental health and wellbeing of our community.
During the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 WHALE Arts paused all regular programmes and activities and focused resources into food provision for Wester Hailes. We turned our popular Community Meal into a takeaway and delivery service and continue to develop and deliver the project safely and within government guidelines and following building risk assessments.
The community meal at WHALE Arts originally formed between 2017 – 2019 from the ‘Tasting Change’ project between local community organisations (Prospect Housing, WHALE Arts, SCOREscotland, The Health Agency and CHAI). We remain connected with local partners and will work closely with them to deliver important work to the community.
SUMMARY OF THE POST
The Community Meal Chef and Coordinator will continue to cook a delicious plant-based meal for 50-70 local people in the Wester Hailes community served at 1pm-2pm every Friday at WHALE Arts centre.
They are responsible for coordinating local community meal volunteers, cooking and serving the weekly meal and working closely with the community garden team to ensure that garden produce is transformed into healthy, delicious meals.
Our aim is that volunteers and participants will feel:
• Welcome, safe, included, accepted, supported.
• An increased sense of ownership and that they can make a valuable contribution.
• Less isolated and lonely.
• More skilled with better economic prospects.
• Healthy and well.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Food, nutrition and eco-sustainability
Prepare, organise and cook a nutritious, plant-based and sustainable community meal for 50-70 local people every Friday
Be responsible for ordering and stock management within the WHALE Arts kitchen pantry, storing useable fresh and dry store ingredients for the meal
Ensure health and safety guidelines relating to the meal and related activities are adhered to at all times by staff and volunteers
Liaise with the local partners and the building team including the Community Garden Coordinator, meal and garden volunteers and staff to maintain and implement nutrition and sustainability goals
Implement sustainability work and controls to reduce food waste including but not limited to: regular composting from the kitchen, plan meals using Wester Hailes home-grown ingredients from the community garden
Provide figures to track any relevant evaluation data for the meal and work with your line manager to develop and improve the meal further (e.g. food donations used in the meal, meals cooked, feedback from community)
Work closely with the Enterprise and Facilities manager and the rest of the team to help implement relevant enterprise activities (e.g. pay-it-forward model trial for meal)
Supporting local community and volunteers
Manage, coach, train and support 3-4 local community meal volunteers per year
Support and supervise volunteers in line with our volunteer policy and procedures to achieve their volunteering goals and help deliver the community meal project
Work closely with the volunteer coordinator to recruit, induct and support new volunteers at WHALE Arts
Provide figures to volunteer coordinator for monitoring the project (e.g. volunteer hours, any other relevant data to monitor the project)
Work closely with local community and your line manager to ensure ongoing input and feedback from community feeds is listened to and implemented
Other duties
Undertake any other relevant duties within the role
Skills, qualities and experience required:
Essential:
● Experience of menu planning and vegan/vegetarian cooking for large numbers
● Ability to work in a calm and organised manner
● Passionate about nutritious, sustainable food and able to communicate this
● Able to work on own initiative and to work with others collectively
● Experience or knowledge of working with volunteers in a similar organisation or environment
● Good organisational and planning skills
● Current Food Hygiene Certificate
Desirable:
• Understanding of environmental and sustainability issues, especially around food
• Knowledge of and passion for nutrition and plant-based cooking
• Experience of working on a similar project before
• Experience or knowledge of working at similar organisations in the community and charity sector either local or national
• PVG is desirable, however this can be sought upon successful appointment
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Apply in writing or by email, enclosing/attaching:
● An up to date CV detailing relevant education and employment experience. No longer than two pages.
● A covering letter demonstrating how your skills meet the Essential and Desirable Skills criteria of the job description. No longer than one page.
● Details of two referees, including your most recent employer.
The successful candidate will be appointed to the role subject to confirmation of PVG Scheme Membership.
Send applications to recruitment@whalearts.co.uk by midday on Wednesday 20th May 2021.
If you would like to speak to someone about the role please contact Laura Delahunt, Enterprise and Facilities Manager, by emailing us on recruitment@whalearts.co.uk or by phoning 0131 4583267 to request a call.
www.whalearts.co.uk
ABOUT WHALE ARTS
Since being set up by local people in 1992 WHALE Arts has firmly established itself as the cultural anchor organisation for Wester Hailes. As a community-led arts charity and social enterprise, WHALE Arts’ mission is to be the creative heart of a vibrant, thriving community.
WHALE acts as a conduit between our community and creative opportunities through the direct delivery of projects, programmes and events and by connecting our community with city and national cultural partners.
We are based in the purpose built WHALE Arts Centre a unique community asset that provides a range of high quality creative spaces for our community. WHALE Arts operates as a social enterprise allowing us to generate income that supports our charitable work.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES MONITORING
WHALE Arts Agency is committed to recruiting high quality candidates whose skills and experience are most suited to the job regardless of sex, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion (or beliefs), marital status, sexual orientation (or perceived sexual orientation), disability, age or political affiliation. Please complete the Equal Opportunities form enclosed with the application pack. This information is for monitoring purposes only, will be treated as confidential and will not be used in the selection process.
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