Date posted: Thurs 24th September 2020
Closing date: 9am, Mon 19 October 2020
Join our active team and take overall responsibility for our new Community Carbon Literacy Project. This project will develop, recruit and train a brand-new network of twenty community trainers, to run a widespread programme of events on climate science and solutions, including open home events and carbon literacy training courses across Cumbria. The role includes the responsibility of recruiting and training the volunteers and supporting them to deliver the project in their communities and driving forward carbon literacy in the county.
Application & Interview Process
Please apply by completing the application form below. We do not accept CVs. Guidance for submitting your application is included in the form.
Application Form – Community Carbon Literacy Coordinator
The closing date for return of applications is 9am on 19th October 2020. Candidates shortlisted for interview will be informed by Wednesday 21 October 2020. Interviews will be held on Thursday 5th November 2020 via Zoom.
Job description
If you prefer to download the job description and person specification, please use the link below:
Job Description – Community Carbon Literacy Coordinator
EMPLOYER: Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS).
LOCATION: Principally home working, with meetings and training events required in various locations in Cumbria and at our office in Penrith when Covid-19 restrictions allow (Rural Eden Foyer, Old London Road, Penrith, CA11 8ET).
REPORTS TO: Zero Carbon Development Manager.
HOURS: 0.4 FTE or 2 days a week = 15hrs per week.
SALARY RANGE: £21,000 – £24,000 per annum full-time equivalent (£8,400 – £9,600 for the 15-hour week), depending on skills and experience.
DURATION: Fixed-term contract, starting immediately, to end September 2021 (with potential to extend or opportunity for extra hours subject to additional funding).
ABOUT CAFS:
Our vision is a zero carbon Cumbria and we strive to bring about a better way of life, in balance with our environment.
Our mission is 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.
CAfS is an award-winning charity with a team of seventeen highly skilled staff, working with a pool of specialist contractors and 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. Now in our 22nd 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 drive real change towards a low-carbon future. As such, we continually initiate, scrutinise, refine and launch new projects, accessing funding from a variety of sources or earning income from delivering specialist services.
BACKGROUND TO THE COMMUNITY CARBON LITERACY PROJECT
This project will develop, recruit and train a brand-new network of twenty community trainers, to run a widespread programme of events on climate science and solutions, including open home events and carbon literacy training courses across Cumbria.
A training package of information and interactive exercises will be developed, and the network of community trainers will be supported to deliver this training to those they wish to influence, including businesses, councils, schools, churches and other organisations. All community trainers will receive an induction, a full day of training as a group, one-to-one support, opportunities for additional training and learning and opportunities to socialise and support each other.
Individuals will also be supported to become open home hosts to showcase sustainable living, renewable energy and other solutions to support community knowledge sharing. The project is funded by a grant from the Emergence Foundation.
Project Outcomes
- 20 community trainers and 5 open home hosts will report improved quality of life, reduced feelings of helplessness about the climate crisis and increased sense of purpose, confidence, empowerment, and agency.
- 20 communities-of-interest report that their community has been enhanced through stronger networks, reduced feelings of isolation, increased opportunities to socialise, shared learning across groups and peer support.
- 400 individuals (trained by community trainers) report shift in consciousness, increased knowledge of climate science and solutions, and ability to make positive changes, increased agency, sense of purpose and responsibility.
- 400 people (trained by community trainers) make substantive pledges to benefit the environment through taking action to reduce emissions and tackle climate change in their own lives and in their workplace or community.
MAIN PURPOSES OF ROLE:
We are seeking a Community Carbon Literacy Training Coordinator to take overall responsibility for CAfS’ new Community Carbon Literacy Project. Specifically, to:
- Recruit and train 20 community volunteer trainers and coordinate and support them to deliver training in their communities.
- Coordinate volunteer open home hosts to deliver 5 open home events.
As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, all, or some, delivery may have to take place online to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers and attendees.
This is an outstanding opportunity for an individual to make a real impact in increasing awareness, confidence, agency and knowledge of climate science and solutions in Cumbria. Every opportunity should be taken to ensure this work is integrated into the other work that CAfS delivers so that benefits are maximised.
TASKS WILL INCLUDE:
Volunteer/community trainer coordination and support
- Ensure that 20 training events (these may be virtual) are run by community trainers and 400 people are trained by community trainers within one year.
- Recruit and induct 20 volunteer community trainers.
- Develop a clear offer for community trainers.
- Complete volunteer agreements with community trainers.
- Ensure all community trainers attend full day accredited carbon literacy training.
- Coordinate 3 or 4 focused one-hour training sessions for community trainers.
- Support community trainers to move on to join our pool of professional trainers if they wish, and if they show capability.
- Direct community trainers to further opportunities for learning and development.
- Coordinate opportunities for community trainers to socialise and support each other.
- Ensure that community trainers represent a diverse range of groups, reflective of Cumbria’s population.
- Manage enquiries about training courses and direct to community trainers.
Supporting development of, and leading delivery of (a small number of) training sessions directly:
- Mentor and support community trainers at the first session they deliver, if needed.
- Update and improve training materials as needed.
- Support community trainers with answers to queries.
- On occasion, deliver short one-hour sessions on climate science and solutions.
Open Homes event programme coordination
- Coordinate and attend five open home events (these may be virtual).
- Liaise with marketing team to promote open home events, manage bookings and donations.
- To recruit and liaise with event hosts.
- To attend and introduce events where needed.
- To be responsible for ensuring that a risk assessment is completed for every event.
Administration
- Administer trainer expenses claims, manage room bookings, refreshments etc.
- Negotiate partnerships and free venues and refreshments wherever possible.
Project Management
- Manage project budget.
- Develop monitoring and evaluation approach.
- Ensure that community trainers complete all required monitoring and evaluation.
- Liaise with and report to funder.
General
- Provide updates for CAfS Zero Carbon Development Manager as required.
- To be a conduit for information to individuals on wider CAfS projects.
- To contribute news articles, web content and other information about the project to the Marketing Team for publicity and CAfS profile raising.
- To contribute to the on-going work of CAfS generally including attending appropriate networking meetings, team meetings and training sessions and carry out other tasks or projects required from time to time, as directed by the manager or trustees.
Person Specification
Essential skills and attributes:
- Confident knowledge of climate science, sustainable living and low carbon solutions.
- Experience of volunteer coordination and support.
- Highly organised with experience of planning, scheduling and delivering projects and events.
- Ability to host and attend events and speak confidently in front of small groups, both online and in person.
- Experience of delivering training sessions or presentations.
- 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, although many elements of the role could be completed from home or the CAfS office.
The following are desirable but not essential:
- Experience of managing grant-funded projects.
- Experience of delivering meetings, events or training remotely using Zoom, MS Teams or other means.
- Knowledge of, and contacts across, Cumbria’s network of sustainability groups.
- Experience of managing budgets.
If you would like more information about the role, please email [email protected].
