Volunteering opportunities

Why volunteer with us

Volunteering with The Wokingham Foodbank offers both personal and community benefits including:

• Meeting new people
• Helping those in need
• Giving back to the community
• Gaining new skills
• Boosting confidence
• Expanding your professional network
• Experiencing a sense of purpose by making a direct impact on the lives of others.

Volunteering at the food bank provides hands-on experience whether you’re out driving, sorting food in the warehouse, packing parcels or supporting clients face to face.

Social Media Specialist Volunteer

Part Time, Remote/Hybrid- Foodbank Warehouse, 498 Reading Road, Winnersh, RG41 5EX

Time commitment: Approx 5 hours a month.

Wokingham Foodbank is part of the Trussell network of foodbanks. We aim to offer a service that is accessible and provides a positive experience for the people we support. We seek to champion the needs of all of our clients. Part of this involves talking to our community about who we are and what we do to support local people experiencing financial hardship. 

Overview of the role: 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Social Media Specialist to join our team at Wokingham Foodbank. To support our work in raising awareness online on why we operate, how we support the community, and encourage the local community to take action and support us. If you have a passion for digital marketing and making a social impact, this opportunity is perfect for gaining experience running branded social media channels and using design software such as Canva to create engaging content. 

Key tasks:

• Transform key charity strategy goals into actionable social media strategies
• Implementation and delivery of multi-channel campaigns. Building awareness on how we operate and how we can support the local community.
• Work alongside the Engagement Manager to deliver campaigns to increase financial food donations and ensure we are getting the donations we need.
• Create multimedia, on-brand content, inline with the brand guidelines.
• Create engaging, educational content to help raise the profile on food poverty, dispel myths around those who use the foodbank and share tips on how to reduce food waste.
• Edit, schedule and publish posts, in a timely manner, to increase engagement and awareness.
• Analyse social media performance, assess the effectiveness of campaigns and provide insights for improvement.

About you:

• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Experience with social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
• Experience creating a social media strategy
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and translate into actionable improvements.
• Strong content writing and proofreading skills with attention to detail.
• Creative mindset to deliver engaging, educational content.
• Positive, friendly, empathetic and enthusiastic about tackling food poverty.
• A basic understanding of Canva, an online graphic tool, is desirable. 

How to apply 

For more information please contact Karam Nijjar

engagement@wokingham.foodbank.org.uk

Supermarket Collector Volunteer

Wokingham Foodbank is part of the Trussell network of foodbanks. We aim to offer a service that is accessible and provides a positive experience for the people we support. We seek to champion the needs of all of our clients. Part of this involves talking to our community about who we are and what we do to support local people experiencing financial hardship. 

Overview of the role: 

As a supermarket collection volunteer you will play a vital role to our foodbank ensuring that we are meeting the demand for our services, providing help and support to people in crisis in the local community.

This role is suitable for people who can volunteer their time in the evenings or at weekends. We request that volunteers are able to make a regular commitment (for at least 6 months).

Person Specification:

• Own vehicle 
• Physically able to lift heavy bags 
• Displays empathy for people of disadvantaged backgrounds

We will ask to see your driving licence, tax, insurance and MOT (where applicable).

Specific Responsibilities:

• Collection of food donations from local supermarkets
• Delivery of food donations to our warehouse in Winnersh

How to apply 

For more information please contact Jatinder Dhanoa

volunteer@wokingham.foodbank.org.uk

Community & Engagement Trustee

Wokingham Foodbank is part of the Trussell network of foodbanks. We aim to offer a service that is accessible and provides a positive experience for the people we support. We will always champion the needs of our clients by engaging a network of local services to encourage positive change for local people living with food insecurity.

As a trustee, you will be responsible with your fellow board members for the overall governance, strategic direction, and financial oversight of the charity. Trustees are accountable to the charity's beneficiaries, funders, regulators, and the wider public, ensuring that the charity delivers its purpose effectively and in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Overview of the role: Wokingham Foodbank is seeking a trustee board member with the expertise needed to support our work streams on strategic communication, engagement and outreach to build the profile of the Foodbank. It is also the responsibility of this trustee to work in partnership with our employed Communication & Engagement Manager to provide specialised advice and support to drive this work forward. 

Time commitment: Four in-person board evening meetings a year held at Frederick House, 498 Reading Road, Winnersh, RG41 5EX. Each meeting has pre-reads that are distributed 1 week in advance. In addition, approximately 4-8 hrs per month, supporting remotely. Also working closely in support of the Communication & Engagement Manager on plans and performance. 

Key tasks: Trustee responsibilities, along with the fellow board members, include:

• Ensure the effective running of the charity, ensuring it fulfils its purpose
• Ensure the charity is accountable, actively complying with statutory accounting and reporting requirements and the law. 
• To ensure appropriate financial plans are in place for future budget allocations as well as looking after contractual agreements with external partners that award money for core costs and additional projects.
• To help promote the organisation to a wider audience of potential funders and beneficiaries.
• To ensure the Foodbank has appropriate procedures to: comply with current legislation and good practice; including employment, health and safety, equal opportunities, safeguarding & GDPR compliance/data protection etc.
• Act with reasonable care and skill, giving your time, thought and energy to your role.
• To serve as an additional promoter of the Foodbank in the community.

Community & Engagement Responsibilities:

• Provides oversight of the charity’s Community engagement objectives, how these support our work and our key messages, audiences, and channels.
• Provides oversight of branding, tone of voice and house style, as appropriate.
• Follows and actively engages the charity social media accounts and encourages other trustees to do so.
• Oversee stakeholder management to ensure the Foodbank objectives are achieved while maintaining positive and productive relationships with those impacted by its work. 
• Ensure that the Foodbank seeks and considers the views of stakeholders in setting strategic direction and policy 
• Leverages the Trussell Trust support around engagement

Optional Safeguarding Responsibilities

We are also looking for candidates with the skills and willingness to take up the role as Safeguarding Trustee focal point. The role of the safeguarding trustee is to 

• help ensure that safeguarding is effective and not to carry out the work of the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Be the trustee who understands the safeguarding requirements of the organisation and to support the work of the designated safeguarding lead.

About you

• A knowledge of and commitment to the work of the Wokingham Foodbank
• Enthusiasm to play an active role on the Board and in fulfilling Wokingham Foodbanks purpose 
• Desire to use your existing skills to make a difference
• Drive to engage with issues affecting the community

Previous experience or an ability in:

• Developing and implementing a communications strategy 
• Effective application and use of online media and techniques, such as social media management and analytics
• Demonstrable experience of building and sustaining relationships with key stakeholders and colleagues to achieve organisational objectives
• Strong communication skills
• Experience in business development, marketing, agency or PR would be helpful

Benefits of volunteering

• Using your existing skills to make a difference.
• Meet new people who share your passion to eradicate poverty in the local community.
• Make a real difference to the running of the Foodbank.
• Help shift the focus from meeting the urgent need to communicating and engaging around why the need exists

Impact of your role: By leading on how the Foodbank communicates and engages with our community you are part of providing a vital support function across Wokingham Borough, ensuring a dignified experience to anyone visiting or anyone who comes into contact with Wokingham Foodbank.

Support: A full trustee induction is in place to support the prospective candidate within their role, as well as access to local voluntary section trustee training.

How to apply: If you have any questions about the role or would like to receive an application form please contact Sam Sudlow on samsudlow@gmail.com.