Find a community meal

Surplus Food Coordinator

FoodCycle Projects are where the magic happens, as every week we welcome guests for a delicious, wholesome meal and friendly conversation. Each Project is run on the ground by a team of 8 or more lead volunteers called Project Leaders, who take ownership and make decisions about its day-to-day running.

Each leader takes on a specific role to ensure the smooth running of their FoodCycle Project.

As a  volunteer Surplus Food Coordinator you’ll work with  local supermarkets, shops, restaurants and surplus food services to ensure the weekly FoodCycle session has a regular donation of food. You will be passionate about reducing the amount of food that’s wasted in our society and actively seek out opportunities to work with local services, grow your Project’s networks within  the local community and represent FoodCycle at local food waste events and meetings.

What will I be responsible for?

As a volunteer Food Surplus Coordinator, you’ll be responsible for:

  • Coordinating a team of volunteers, and inducting new volunteers to collect surplus food in your local area.
  • Making sure that local retailers and supermarkets know what kind of surplus food we can collect.
  • Developing good relationships with store managers to ensure a regular food supply to your Project.
  • Encouraging the whole team to have input into growing your Project’s networks within the local community.
  • Communicating with other Surplus Food Coordinators and Cooking Project Leaders to ensure the store of dry/tinned goods is kept tidy and well stocked.

You don’t need to have any previous experience – you just need to love food and motivating people.

We’ll give you training and support, and you’ll develop a whole raft of skills that will look great on your CV – from teamwork to leadership. You’ll also get training in some specific areas like Safeguarding and Food Safety.

Best of all, you’ll enjoy a fun, creative volunteer experience with ownership over a community-led project that makes a real, positive difference in people’s lives.

FAQS

A Project Leader is a slightly more senior volunteer role, with extra training to help you feel confident running the sessions, supporting the volunteers and ensuring everyone has a good time! Project Leaders are also asked to submit a short report after each session and attend regular Project Leader team meetings. All Project Leaders are DBS checked.

As a FoodCycle volunteer you will receive basic training in Food Safety, Health & Safety, and Safeguarding when you register. After registering, you will have access to a variety of free online resources and training via the FoodCycle volunteer portal, including mental health awareness and guides for serving nutritious meals and talking to guests.

We don’t look for minimum commitments, but we love it if you keep coming back! An average food collection slot is 2 hours. You can volunteer weekly, monthly or just when you have the time.

A small number of these roles are walkable but for the majority of our Projects you will need access to a car or a bicycle. Car drivers will need a full UK driving license, a road-worthy vehicle, up to date road tax, MOT certificate and fully comprehensive insurance. Cyclists will need a road-worthy bicycle (with the ability to attach a trailer) and a helmet.

You don’t need any specific experience; we just want you to be enthusiastic about supporting your local community. We ask that you complete all the required training and follow all policies and procedures.

You can claim travel expenses, including mileage, in line with our volunteer policy.

All volunteers must be over the age of 18.

Visit our equal opportunities page to find out more about volunteering with a disability.

Signing up to be a FoodCycle volunteer is really easy, just complete our online form.

Equal Opportunities

At FoodCycle we are a diverse organisation and welcome volunteers and guests from all backgrounds and walks of life. Visit our equal opportunities page to find out about volunteering with a disability.

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