Cooking Project Leader Volunteers - FoodCycle

Availability Details

Attend a monthly Project Leader meeting to discuss as a team how things are going. Lead a minimum of one session per month.

Felling Community Centre, Below Crowhall Towers
Crowhall Lane
Gateshead
NE10 0NF

United Kingdom

Complete a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check and attend Safeguard training.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Expenses covered in line with our volunteer policy.

Food Cycle combines surplus food, volunteers and free kitchen space to create nutritious, three-course meals for the community.

Food Cycle has four main aims:

• To strengthen communities
• To improve nutrition and reduce hunger
• To change attitudes towards food and to reduce food waste.

Cooking Project Leader Volunteers take on the overall delivery of the meal. These people are passionate, committed and want to make a positive change within their community, they take ownership of their project and make decisions on the ground.

As a Cooking Project Lead volunteer cook, you will be responsible for:

• Running cooking sessions, leading a team of volunteers to create a three-course meal in a limited timeframe.
• Ensuring the team are following the food safety procedures set out in our kitchen handbook.
• Inducting new volunteers into the kitchen.
• Encouraging the whole kitchen team to input into planning a tasty, healthy and nutritionally balanced menu.
• Communicating with other leaders to ensure the store of dry/tinned goods is kept well stocked.
• Completing the weekly checklist in the kitchen handbook and reporting on the session on My Food Cycle.
• Reporting any accidents and incidents.
• Together with the hosting leader, recognising, responding to and reporting any safeguarding issues or concerns.

Skills you will learn from becoming a Cooking Project Leader Volunteer:

• Teamwork: you’ll work as part of a team to prepare a delicious meal and serve it to our guests.
• Leadership and delegation: we will train you up to lead cooking sessions and induct new members.
• Cooking: you will learn how to cater for large numbers of guests and how to make nutritionally balanced meals.
• Problem solving: you won’t always know what your ingredients will be so you will need to get creative to produce delicious meals.
• Relationship building: you’ll be building lasting relationships with your guests and volunteers.

What to expect from Food Cycle:

• Ongoing regular visits, support and advice.
• A training package to equip you for your role.
• Training throughout the year including safeguarding and first aid.
• Impressive skills to add to your CV and a reference when you need it.
• Accredited level 2 food safety qualification provided by Food Cycle.
• The opportunity to meet a large network of like-minded people.
• A fun creative volunteer experience with ownership of a community‑led project.

What is expected of me:

• Follow all Food Cycle Policies and procedures.
• You will need to shadow another volunteer leader before you are able to lead your own session.

Please tell us why are you interested in this volunteering opportunity.

Do you need any support in taking up this opportunity?