Posted: 28 March 2019
Closing date: 9am, Thu 18 April 2019

You’ll take overall responsibility for our annual green build festival. You’ll coordinate and deliver a series of open home events, site visits, bus tours, training events, film showings and other green build and sustainable living events. The main festival runs throughout September, followed by monthly events across the following year.

There are full details in the job description and person specification below.

How to apply

To apply, please download and fill in the application form below. Instructions for submitting your application are included in the form.

Application Form – Green Build and Sustainable Living Festival Coordinator – CAfS

Closing date for return of applications is 9am on Thursday 18 April 2019.

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 1 May in Penrith.

Job description

THE EMPLOYER: Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS)

LOCATION: Eden Rural Foyer, Old London Road, Penrith, CA11 8ET

REPORTS TO: Funding and Finance Manager

HOURS: 22.5 hrs a week / 3 days a week

SALARY RANGE: £18,000 – £24,000 per annum pro rata (dependent on experience)

DURATION: Fixed-term contract from 1 May 2019 to 31 October 2019 (6 months – start date to be negotiated)

MAIN PURPOSES OF ROLE:

To take overall responsibility for CAfS’ Green Build Festival project.

To coordinate and deliver a series of open home events, site visits, bus tours, training events, film showings and other green build and sustainable living themed events. We expect to coordinate and run up to 40 events throughout September followed by monthly events throughout the following year. The series of events aims to:

• Share knowledge and inspiration about sustainable lifestyles
• Inspire individuals, communities and organisations to make positive change
• Provide a platform for individuals, communities and organisations who have done something transformational to share their learning with others.
• Increase knowledge of climate science and solutions (carbon literacy)
• Promote energy efficiency and renewable energy generation to individuals, through peer to peer information and support.
• Provide examples of retrofitting energy efficiency measures in hard to treat homes and promote sustainable and lower cost alternatives to oil and electric heating.
• Provide advice and information about ways to reduce bills and how to finance energy efficient refurbishments.
• Train professionals from the construction industry to use low carbon building techniques and to understand how to retrofit for energy efficiency and flood resilience
• Showcase waste prevention activity and sustainable transport options
• Increase knowledge of sustainable approaches to food growing and low carbon diets
• Bring in sufficient income from delegate fees to cover the costs of the festival including any staff time not covered by grant funding

This is an outstanding opportunity for an individual to make a real impact in increasing awareness and take up of low carbon solutions in Cumbria. Every opportunity should be taken to ensure this work is integrated in to the other work that CAfS delivers so that benefits are maximised.

MAIN TASKS

• To coordinate a programme of Green Build events ensuring a broad coverage of topics and wide geographical reach.
• To provide CAfS Marketing Manager with a comprehensive programme to promote
• To manage the project budget, ensuring that ticket prices for chargeable events are reflective of the full costs of the events
• To recruit and liaise with event hosts.
• To coordinate staffing of events
• To work with CAfS Marketing Manager to manage bookings and the donation process.
• To produce case studies and coordinate production of films following some events.
• To help distribute event programmes, posters and marketing literature.
• To attend and introduce events where needed.
• To write draft copy for newsletters and press releases and contribute to our social media activity.
• Provide updates for CAfS Marketing Manager, Chief Executive and Trustees as required.
• To be responsible for ensuring that a risk assessment is completed for every event
• To recruit and manage volunteers to ensure the successful delivery of events.
• To help secure sponsors and develop our relationships with them
• To evaluate the project and provide reports to funders and sponsors
• To be a conduit for information to individuals on wider CAfS projects.
• To respond to information enquiries as and when necessary.
• To contribute to the on-going work of CAfS generally including attending appropriate networking meetings, team meetings and training sessions.
• Provide monitoring and evaluation of activities to meet reporting processes, measure success and inform future funding bids.
• Collaborate with the wider CAfS team to carry out other tasks or projects required from time to time, as directed by the manager or trustees.
• Help develop revenue streams and sponsorships for CAfS and help secure additional funding and develop a legacy for projects.

Person specification

Essential skills and attributes:

• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues and an interest in the objectives that CAfS seeks to deliver
• Basic knowledge of sustainable living and low carbon solutions. May include domestic energy efficiency, renewable technology, transport, waste and food
• Highly organised with experience of planning, scheduling and delivering projects and events
• Pro-active with ability to suggest solutions and overcome problems
• Event management experience
• Ability to host and attend events and speak confidently in front of small groups
• Ability to work flexibly including evening and weekend working
• Highly motivated and independent worker requiring minimal supervision
• Ability to work cooperatively as part of a small team
• Good knowledge of Cumbrian geography and the ability to travel independently throughout rural Cumbria

The following are desirable but not essential:

• Existing network of contacts within Cumbria who can exemplify sustainable living or have undertaken green building work or sustainable refurbishment projects across the county.
• Ability to bring specialist expertise or interest in one or more of: climate science, energy efficiency, building design, renewable energy, community energy projects, sustainable food, sustainable transport
• Experience of managing grant-funded projects
• Experience of coordinating chargeable events
• Experience of volunteer coordination
• Experience of web editing and use of social media
• Experience of attracting funding through sponsorship
• Experience of managing budgets
• Experience of event marketing and production of promotional materials for a wide range of audiences
• Ability to drive a minibus

ABOUT CAFS

Vision: Towards a Zero Carbon Cumbria – bringing about a better way of life in balance with our environment.

Mission: To empower and enable people, communities and businesses to live and work more sustainably by sharing our knowledge, practice, skills, networks and practical experience. We manage and deliver events, advice, training and practical projects across the county as well as providing specialist consultancy services to enable individuals, communities, businesses and local authorities to drive a shift towards a Zero Carbon Cumbria.

Our team of ten highly skilled staff work with a pool of 25 specialist contractors and 30 volunteers to deliver around 20 major, transformational low-carbon projects each year. CAfS is the leading organisation in Cumbria showcasing low carbon living, energy efficiency improvements, renewable technology and reduced use of fossil fuels, both on a domestic scale and in the community. The charity is driving the shift towards a zero carbon Cumbria and provides information, advice and motivation through events, site visits and practical projects. Now celebrating our 20th year, CAfS is the first point of reference in the county for information on sustainability.

CAfS is a dynamic, pro-active and responsive organisation, continually striving to deliver effective projects that make an impact and which create a ‘shift’. Our flagship project is the Cumbria Green Build and Sustainable Living Festival, the first in the country, which inspires hundreds of people each year to take steps to live more sustainably. The festival will run throughout September 2019, followed by monthly events throughout the following year. We are seeking a passionate, knowledgeable and extremely well-organised individual to coordinate the festival in our 20th year.