Project Coordinator

**Project Coordinator (Lewisham)**

12 Month Contract
Job Ref: V440
Hours/Days per week: 14 hours / 2 days

**Salary**: £25,000 FTE
Start date: ASAP
Location: Homebased (travel around Lewisham required)
Closing date: 26th March 2023
Interview date and Location: TBC, via Microsoft Teams

**Volunteering Matters**

At Volunteering Matters we use volunteering’s unique power to bring people together and build stronger, more resilient communities across the UK.

We bring people together to resolve some of society’s most complex issues. From social isolation and loneliness; improving health and wellbeing; building skills, confidence, and opportunity; to ensuring young people can become change makers in their community, the impact that we make is great. And we won’t stop until everyone in the UK has the opportunity to thrive.

People-led and impact driven, we are a national charity that is deeply embedded in local areas across the UK. We operate in five regions: London and the South East; Wales and the West of England; East of England; the Midlands and North West England; and Scotland and North East England. We also have an Employee Volunteering Team with over 25 years’ experience, acting as a broker to provide tailor-made solutions to employers. We turn local knowledge and energy into action and progress, building stronger communities and a better future for all.

This is an exciting time to be joining the team. We’re changing the way we work to meet new ambitions and make sure our impact continues to grow alongside out business.

**Grandmentors**

Grandmentors is an innovative volunteering project where older volunteers (aged 50+) use their lifetime of skills and experience to support and mentor vulnerable young people leaving the care system. These young people often need a guiding hand and role model to support them to find work, continue their education or begin training - ultimately giving them the skills and self-belief to lead successful and independent lives.

Volunteers meet with a young person regularly to boost their confidence and work towards goals, which are unique to each young person.

**Role Purpose**

To develop and deliver all aspects of our Grandmentors project in Lewisham, ensuring it achieves its aims, objectives, outcomes, and targets. The post holder will work alongside the Leaving Care team within Lewisham Council and with local volunteers to ensure that we improve and empower the lives of care leavers (aged 16-25) through the unique power of inter-generational mentoring.

**Key Duties & Responsibilities**
- To effectively deliver the service to ensure the project meets its agreed targets and millstones.
- Maintain effective relationships with stakeholders and local authority staff at a day-to day level.
- To ensure volunteers are recruited, appropriately trained and supported in their role; this will involve processing volunteer expenses, DBS checks and maintaining databases.
- To ensure regular communication between project staff and volunteers is maintained and that regular supervision for volunteers is provided.
- To work with your line manager to ensure project expenditure is in line with the budget.
- To maintain accurate administration, for all aspects of the project.
- To maintain accurate records on all aspects of the project and submit data onto a secure database.
- To manage and maintain effective monitoring and evaluation records to capture impact and outcomes and ensure contractual compliance.
- To implement and maintain appropriate risk assessment management processes.
- To prepare regular impact and progress reports for both internal and external purposes.
- To develop relevant information to promote and raise the profile of Volunteering Matters locally.
- To promote and adhere to Volunteering Matters Equality and Diversity Policy and all other Volunteering.
- Matters policies which relate to the work of Grandmentors.
- To comply with the applicable Health and Safety and Safeguarding regulations.
- To contribute to joint working and teamwork across Volunteering Matters.

**Skills**
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise a demanding and developing workload.
- Evidence of good administrative and IT skills and the ability to maintain project monitoring and administrative records.
- Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, volunteers, young people and partners.
- Ability to assess risk and carry out risk assessments.
- The ability to motivate, enthuse and empower yourself and others.

**Qualifications**

Relevant experience and values alignment is more important for this role than specific qualifications.

**DBS**

**Location**

With a flexible working policy, the postholder can be based from home or within Lewisham Council offices. The postholder will need internet access to enable remote working. I.T. equipment and infrastructure will be supplied. Ther