Volunteer & Engagement Coordinator in Brighton

The Volunteer & Engagement Coordinator plays a central role in recruiting, developing and supporting Full Circle Food Project’s (FCFP) volunteers, as well as coordinating meaningful engagement with stakeholders and the wider community. FCFP’s objectives are:

• Providing comprehensive food education programmes that teach individuals of all ages about the importance of nutrition, cooking techniques, and the impact of food choices on health and the environment.
• Equipping individuals with practical skills to grow their own food through community gardens, supporting local allotments, and promoting sustainable food production.
• Creating social connections to foster a sense of community and collaboration by organising cooking classes, workshops, and events that bring people together to share knowledge, experiences and celebrations around food.
• Implementing initiatives to reduce food waste by educating on proper storage, meal planning, and creative use of leftovers.
• Developing initiatives to reduce food poverty and act as an advocate for policies that promote food security, equitable access to healthy food, and sustainability in food systems.

This position ensures volunteers are confident, trained and empowered, while participants are supported in their journey, from initial engagement through to progression, including opportunities to become volunteers themselves. A key part of this role is ensuring FCFP maintains a strong and visible presence within the community. The postholder will represent the organisation at events, networking opportunities, and external meetings to promote brand, strengthen partnerships, raise awareness of our work, and encourage wider engagement. The post plays a key role in delivering the Volunteer Strategy, strengthening community relationships and ensuring FCFP’s work is inclusive, transparent, and impactful.

You will oversee volunteers across four areas of FCFP’s main operational areas:

• Hands‑on cooking classes, meal preparation
• Gardening activities within our Community Garden and outreach at other venues
• Ashington Cycle Hub and other active travel activities
• Events and outreach, including staffing stalls at community fairs, markets and public engagement events

Main Duties

• Volunteer Recruitment and Coordination
  • Recruit volunteers for cooking, gardening, active travel, event support, and other organisational and delivery areas.
  • Develop and manage clear volunteer pathways, including induction, training, and progression.
  • Match interested volunteers with suitable roles based on skills, interests and organisational needs.
  • Coordinate volunteer rotas and maintain an accurate database of volunteer activity.
  • Provide regular support, supervision, and recognition to volunteers.
  • Develop and deliver volunteer celebration activities to promote retention.
• Engagement with Participants
  • Coordinate the induction and onboarding of participants referred into the project.
  • Ensure participants understand the time‑limited nature of their involvement and their progression pathway.
  • Work alongside volunteers and staff to support participants in building skills and confidence.
  • Encourage and support participants to progress into volunteering roles where appropriate.
  • Maintain transparent communication with referral partners and stakeholders.
• Community and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Attend community events, meetings, and external networking sessions to promote the charity’s brand.
  • Build relationships with partner organisations, schools, referral agencies, councils, and community groups.
  • Promote volunteering opportunities and project activities through outreach and engagement campaigns.
  • Coordinate community engagement events and open days to showcase the charity’s work.
• Training, Development, and Safeguarding
  • Deliver or arrange volunteer training sessions such as inductions, safeguarding, food hygiene, Health & Safety and role-specific training.
  • Work closely with the Safeguarding Lead and Health & Safety Lead to maintain compliance and respond to issues appropriately.
  • Support volunteers to develop confidence, skills, and progression goals.
  • Ensure all volunteers operate within FCFP safeguarding and H&S policies.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Administration
  • Maintain accurate volunteer records, including hours, training, engagement and progression.
  • Collect monitoring data and contribute to impact reporting for funders and trustees.
  • Produce reports, updates, and case studies as needed.
  • Ensure volunteer paperwork, DBS checks, references and digital records are up to date.
• General Responsibilities
  • Promote the values and vision of Full Circle Food Project in all interactions.
  • Support events, programmes, and organisational activities across FCFP as required.
  • Uphold confidentiality, safeguarding, GDPR and organisational policies.
  • Contribute to the ongoing development and implementation of the Volunteer Strategy.
  • Any other duties as required.