AIM AND SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

To build an empowered, connected and skilled network of food growers in Lambeth IEL's vision is that everyone can grow food within 100 metres of their Lambeth home. IEL has 120 groups and 550 individual members supporting food growing – a volunteer workforce that has huge potential to improve Lambeth residents' health and access to healthy, affordable food. However, many food growers have told us that they need resources, support and capacity to properly sustain or grow their projects. Through a programme of outreach, co-design and training, we aim to catalyse a stronger network and build member capacity through upskilling, sharing good practice and providing resources. Over the five year period of funding, we will reach out to food growing projects, to amplify their voices and achievements and to co-design and deliver upskilling activities. During this period we will be campaigning for the Right To Grow in London.

THE ROLE:

This new role as network manager will build relationships with Lambeth’s 120 food growing groups, researching their needs, co-designing an upskilling programme and delivering workshops.

You will work alongside a 1 day a week project director and a 1 day a week communications manager.

You will be responsible for the following:

Outreach and engagement

Visit at least one group per week (total visits to 120 groups over five years). During your visit, you will support the groups you visit to use our evaluation tool with the aim of highlighting grower achievements and identifying their development needs. Work with them to identify upskilling activities they might want at quarterly workshops.
Sign up all groups visited as IEL members
After the visits, work with the communications manager to add a page about each group’s activities to IEL website to highlight their impact
Organise a Blooming Lambeth Awards ceremony in February each year

Evaluation and co-design

We want to understand our member needs and highlight their achievements. In order to do this, you will:

Work with the IEL team to continuously refine and develop an evaluation tool used to measure member needs and assets
Issue our annual needs and assets survey to group and individual growers across the IEL network
Support members to complete the needs and assets survey during your visits to their sites
Collate information about their needs in a database and use this to inform the upskilling programme
Work with members to co-design the quarterly upskilling workshops

Quarterly workshop days

Use information from visits and conversations with growers to co-design quarterly upskilling workshop days
Organise quarterly co-design and best practice workshop days in community settings.
The workshop days will aim to connect community growers, and deliver a range of upskilling activities including fundraising, communications and social media, community engagement, volunteer recruitment, strategic development, governance and evaluation. Upskilling will be delivered via mentoring, skill swaps, action learning sessions and workshops delivered by IEL staff and partners.

Communications

Provide information about members, projects and developments in the growing environment to the communications manager for social media updates plus our website and monthly ebulletin. This could be member profiles, updates about projects, information about other providers such as training or free resources.

SUPPORT AND TRAINING AVAILABLE TO THE POST

IEL director support (one day a week) with project management, communications, community engagement, governance, marketing, impact and evaluation measurement and financial management plus fundraising support for projects
Budget for upskilling days of £10k per annum and budget of £2.5k per annum for quarterly gatherings
IEL communications manager (one day a week) support with social media, website and monthly ebulletin, plus support to add projects to the website map
Train the trainer programme: IEL can provide training for you, for instance, in non violent communication, action learning, community organising
Co-creation and delivery of quarterly co-design sessions with Integrate Agency

Essential skills and experience

Experience of, and commitment to, working with a diverse range of stakeholders including statutory and community partners and community members
Experience of successful community engagement and community development across a diverse range of stakeholders
Experience of network building
Experience of delivering upskilling and/or workshops
High level of organisational skills and time management
Excellent written and verbal communication skills across a variety of formats and audiences, including community and statutory partners, community groups and the wider public.
Able to engage with a variety of stakeholders
Experience of collaborative working
Budget management and reporting
Event management skills
Experience of developing and maintaining partnerships
IT competency, including online content management platforms

Personal qualities

Commitment to urban food growing
An excellent self-starter - able to initiate new ideas and concepts in line with IEL’s mission and strategic aims

Desirable skills and experience

Trained and practiced in the delivery of action learning, mentoring, action research, supporting courageous conversations (non-violent communication)
Work in an anti-racist environment
An understanding of the statutory sector
Competent at managing social media and websites using Wordpress
Engaged in the local community and familiar with the Borough of Lambeth

Expected outcomes over five years

A populated needs/assets database, evaluation and awards framework.
120 members visited; information gathered on their needs and assets on IEL database.
120 members evaluated and awarded a grade (small, medium and large projects awarded bronze, silver, gold).
120 group members added to, or updated on, IEL website
Quarterly co-design sessions delivered with 30 participants from food growing groups a year.
120 group members learn a range of new skills that strengthen their ability to manage their projects.

Application information

See full details here.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter (cover letter max one A4 side) or a video outlining their skills, experience and qualifications and motivation for applying for this position to coordinator@incredibleediblelambeth.org by midnight Sunday 13th April.

Interviews will be held in the week commencing 21st April, 2025. Interviews will take place in person in London, or online if necessary. If selected for the role, we would require you to provide two professional references. If you need reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply.

We highly encourage people who align with IEL's values to apply to this role, and we look forward to welcoming you into our community.

Incredible Edible Lambeth jobs

Food Growing Network Coordinator