At a Glance
- Tasks: Welcome customers and serve delicious café treats while providing top-notch service.
- Company: Join Freedom Leisure, a leading charitable leisure trust focused on community well-being.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, flexible hours, and career growth opportunities in a supportive environment.
- Other info: Be part of a friendly team that values inclusivity and personal development.
- Why this job: Make a positive impact in your community while gaining valuable experience and skills.
- Qualifications: Passion for customer service; barista experience is a plus but not required.
The predicted salary is between 7289 - 7289 £ per year.
Join the Energy at Freedom Leisure – Do Good Feel Good! At Freedom Leisure, we’re all about positive vibes, great people, and making a real impact. We run leisure and cultural facilities, gyms, and swimming pools, but at the heart of it all, it’s our people who make the difference.
As one of the UK’s leading charitable leisure trusts, we’re proud of our mission: Improving Lives Through Leisure. We’re here to help communities live healthier, happier lives by making our centres welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to everyone—because everyone deserves to feel good. We’re all about delivering amazing customer service with a smile—every single day.
This is your place, this is where you matter.
About the Role
We are looking for an enthusiastic, approachable, and customer-focused Reception & Café Assistant to join our front-of-house team. In this dual role, you’ll be the first point of contact for our customers – providing a warm welcome at reception and delivering excellent service in our café. If you enjoy working with people and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we’d love to hear from you.
Key Responsibilities:
- Welcome all visitors with a smile in a friendly and professional manner.
- Handle enquiries, bookings and memberships face-to-face, online and by phone.
- Accurately operate booking, till and membership systems.
- Provide up-to-date information on centre facilities, classes and promotions.
- Maintain a tidy, inviting reception area and ensure high standards of presentation.
- Prepare and serve hot and cold drinks, including barista-style coffee.
- Offer a range of light snacks and pre-packaged food items.
- Always ensure compliance with food hygiene and health & safety standards.
- Replenish café stock and vending machines as required.
- Keep café spaces clean, well-organised and customer friendly.
- Work as part of a collaborative, multi-skilled team.
- Support the delivery of events and activities within the centre.
- Follow Freedom Leisure’s policies on safeguarding, health & safety and customer care.
- Participate in relevant training and ongoing professional development.
Please note: If a high volume of suitable applications is received, we may close this vacancy earlier than advertised. Early applications are encouraged.
Hours: 11 hours per week, Monday - Sunday (rota basis)
Requirements
- Passionate about delivering outstanding customer service.
- Comfortable using till systems and handling cash/card payments.
- Barista experience is desirable but training can be provided.
- Able to multitask and remain calm in a busy environment.
- A proactive, flexible and reliable team player.
Desirable Skills & Experience:
- Previous experience in a customer-facing role in leisure, fitness or community service settings.
- Hospitality or Retail experience delivering customer excellence.
Benefits
We want you to love coming to work, feeling healthy, happy and valued. That's why we've developed a benefits package with you in mind:
- My Staff Shop, our very own staff benefit scheme, gives employees access to a great range of benefits.
- Discounted Staff membership (including family members)
- Incremental holidays
- Employee Assistance Programme - 24/7 confidential, independent and professional counselling.
- Company pension
- Various insurance and saving schemes
- Financial advice
- Cycle-to-work and Car Leasing tax-efficient schemes (salaried staff only, depending on earnings).
- All this as well as fully funded training and career progression opportunities in a team working environment supporting your local community to improve lives through leisure.
Closing Date: 19th June 2026
Salary: up to £7,289 per annum
Freedom Leisure is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults, and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Reception & Café Assistant - Part Time - Uckfield Leisure Centre employer: Freedom Leisure
At Freedom Leisure, we pride ourselves on being a supportive and inclusive employer, dedicated to improving lives through leisure. Our Uckfield Leisure Centre offers a vibrant work environment where you can thrive, with extensive training and career progression opportunities available. Enjoy a range of benefits including discounted memberships, access to our staff benefit scheme, and the chance to make a real impact in your community while delivering exceptional customer service.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Reception & Café Assistant - Part Time - Uckfield Leisure Centre
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company culture! Before your interview, check out Freedom Leisure's social media and website. Understanding their vibe will help you connect better during your chat.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice your customer service skills! Since this role is all about making people feel good, think of examples from your past experiences where you’ve gone above and beyond for a customer.
✨Tip Number 3
Dress the part! First impressions matter, so make sure you look smart and approachable. A friendly smile goes a long way in showing you’re ready to welcome customers.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the Freedom Leisure family!
We think you need these skills to ace Reception & Café Assistant - Part Time - Uckfield Leisure Centre
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for customer service shine through! We want to see how much you care about making people feel good and creating great experiences.
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to highlight relevant experience. If you've worked in a café or customer-facing role before, share those stories with us! It helps us see how you'd fit right in.
Be Yourself:We love authenticity! Don’t be afraid to let your personality come through in your writing. We’re looking for someone approachable and friendly, so show us who you are!
Apply Early:If this role sounds like the perfect fit for you, don’t wait around! Apply through our website as soon as you can. We might close the vacancy early if we get lots of great applications!
How to prepare for a job interview at Freedom Leisure
✨Show Your Passion for Customer Service
Make sure to express your enthusiasm for delivering outstanding customer service during the interview. Share specific examples of how you've gone above and beyond to help customers in previous roles, as this aligns perfectly with Freedom Leisure's mission of making a real impact.
✨Familiarise Yourself with the Role
Take some time to understand the key responsibilities of a Reception & Café Assistant. Be ready to discuss how you would handle various tasks, like managing enquiries or preparing drinks. This shows that you're proactive and genuinely interested in the position.
✨Demonstrate Team Spirit
Since teamwork is crucial in this role, be prepared to talk about your experiences working in a team. Highlight how you’ve collaborated with others to achieve common goals, especially in fast-paced environments, which is essential for this job.
✨Ask Thoughtful Questions
At the end of the interview, don’t forget to ask questions! Inquire about the training opportunities available or how the team supports each other. This not only shows your interest but also helps you gauge if the workplace culture aligns with your values.
