Community Connector Basildon

Job Title: Community Connector Basildon

Salary: £23,915 (pro rota) £14,414 per anum

Responsible to: Essex Pedal Power Place Sustainability Lead

Location: Basildon, Essex

Hours of Work: 22 hours per week. Flexible working will be required and working hours should be spread over several days of the week. Occasional weekend or evening work is required.

Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2026

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working to develop healthy, happy communities living active and connected lives. Our vision is for a society where people have the autonomy, capacity, resources and skills to become the architects of their own destiny; where our individual wellbeing is recognised as being bound up in our collective responsibility to and dependency on each other; and where all of us feel empowered as agents of social change to make a difference – whether at an individual level or more widely.

By working collaboratively with communities we aim to bring about sustainable change on an social, environmental and economic level; to do the social knitting required to create stronger and more resilient communities and to support communities to identify, mitigate and remove the barriers that prevent them from living active and connected lives.

Essex Pedal Power is an exciting programme led by TAWS, Essex County Council and Active Essex to support more people to cycle by removing the barriers to participation. Essex Pedal Power is a community cycling engagement programme that aims to make cycling accessible for everyone, providing access to employment, training and educational opportunities or key local services.

As Community Connector you will be responsible for working alongside other colleagues and local partners to ensure our work reaches the whole community. The role will also focus on ensuring volunteering opportunities are developed so that volunteers can be part of the team making positive changes in communities. The post holder will benefit from peer support, working as part of wider TAWS teams, as well as those members of our local Essex Pedal Power projects in Basildon. The majority of your working hours would be spent out in the local community, alongside the volunteers within our venues and the rest of you time will be spent working from home or within the office.

You may like to watch this introductory video which showcases the positive work of The Active Wellbeing Society: TAWS Launch October 2018 - YouTube

All criteria are essential, and your application will be assessed on all points detailed below.

1.     Experience in volunteering and or recruitment or within another similar role.

2.     A commitment to equal opportunities and an understanding of the impact on individuals and community’s health and deprivation. 

3.     Experience in customer facing roles and knowledge of local communities.

4.     Ability to coordinate and consult internal and external organisations (including community groups) to provide pathways of opportunity for active citizenship and community activity.   

5.     Demonstrate empathy and understanding with the citizens and communities who access our services. Have a knowledge of the barriers that exist to activity within communities.   

6.     Adaptable and able to work at pace, working autonomously and collaboratively in a dynamic and challenging environment.   

7.     A genuine passion for the wellbeing of others and a drive to improve the lives of individuals and communities by bringing them together to improve their mental and physical wellbeing.

8.     A flexible approach to all working practices with the willingness to support other team members in their work as required (including presence at events). 

9.     Competent IT skills and familiarity with social media, with the ability to pick up skills in new systems as required along with excellent communication skills.   

10.  Evidence of a commitment to ongoing personal development and training.  

The below is a reflective of what you'll be responsible for.

1.     Work with communities and local organisations to develop and deliver ideas and activities to support people who are representative of the EPP target audience in the area.  

2.     Understand and use community assets (community spaces and key individuals) to support EPP activities.

3.     Ensure compliance with The Active Wellbeing Society processes and procedures including but not limited to; Safeguarding of children and adults at risk, equality and diversity, Health and Safety and Risk Assessments.

4.     Develop new opportunities, in particular for underrepresented groups, to ensure that potential new services offered by The Active Wellbeing Society is brought to new audiences, with a particular focus on inactive or hard to reach citizens.  

5.     Develop relationships within communities to become a trusted source for development and delivery.  

6.     Work closely with the EPP Team and Marketing to promote and celebrate EPP activities as well as ensuring that adverts for volunteering opportunities are engaging & timely.

7.     Recruit, train and supervise new volunteers and work alongside other colleagues to manage volunteer’s shifts.

8.     Identify and support volunteers with bespoke progression routes into training, pathways of employment and cycle groups.

9.     Create and maintain a safe, organised working environment, for all volunteers.

10.  Oversee that people are suitably qualified to deliver to required standards (food & hygiene courses, maintenance workshops, bike training, DBS).

We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include: 

• Annual Leave – 38 days! 25 days AL (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays. 
• Flexible working, home working and remote working options available 
• Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution. 
• Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day). 
• Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.

Please submit a cover letter demonstrating how you meet the competencies required for the Community Connector for Basildon, ensure your application includes detailed responses to each of the questions outlined below:

1. Experience in volunteer coordination, managing or recruiting volunteers, or similar community-based roles.
2. Community engagement skills working with local organisations or community groups.
3. Experience Be empathetic and have a knowledge of the barriers that exist to activity within communities.
4. Digital competency and familiarity with social media, with the ability to pick up skills in new systems as required along with excellent communication skills
5. A passion and interest in cycling or physical activity and understand the benefits that cycling/physical activity can bring

Due to the high numbers of applications we received for our job vacancies, we may close application windows early, so we would encourage you to submit your application ASAP.

We will provide all applicants with an outcome on your application, this will usually be within 1 week of the application window closing.

Successful applicants will be required to be DBS checked prior to starting.

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we, in recruiting for our team we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. The Active Wellbeing Society is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we recruit based upon capability and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. At The Active Wellbeing Society we are searching for people who share the passion for what we do with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, collectively making a difference.

If there is anything we can do to assist you in your application or preparations to be interviewed for one of our job vacancies please let us know and we can ensure you have a positive and comfortable experience.

Thank you for your interest in working for The Active Wellbeing Society, we look forward to receiving your application.

If you have any questions once you have read the Job Description or would like an informal chat about us, and/or, the role, please contact: [email protected] and we will be happy to help. As part of your application, please specify which vacancy you are interested in. Please note if you don't make reference to your preference, we will assume you are interested in either vacancy. Thank you once again.