Pantry Assistant

**Job Title**:Pantry Assistant

**Context**: Newcastle West End Foodbank aims to reduce poverty and tackle food insecurity in vulnerable communities within the Newcastle City Region. To advance these aims the Charity is to introduce a Community Pantry which will provide affordable food for people who would otherwise struggle to buy household essentials. The Newcastle Community Pantry is designed to complement the Charity’s network of food-banks and welfare support hubs to assist people in their time of need. This is a new and innovative project that will require a someone with dedication, commitment and a passion for helping others to overcome hardship.

**Job Purpose**:Reporting to the Pantry Manager, this job is a hands-on role to deliver the day-to-day Pantry services in community venues. The Pantry Assistant will work with a team to deliver the Community Pantry in collaboration with community partners throughout the city in areas of multiple deprivation. The Pantry Assistant will contribute to organising the daily Pantry sessions, including membership, Pantry shop set-up, day to day reporting, record keeping, cash handling and customer service. The postholder will create a customer focused shopping experience and logístical support with food supply and display to create a welcoming and friendly environment.

**Responsible to**:Pantry Manager

**Based**:Foodbank Centre, Benwell Lane (Warehouse, other Foodbank and Pantry sites and work-related travel as required)

**Responsibilities**:The Pantry Assistant will work closely with the Pantry Manager and volunteers on all aspects of the Pantry service to meet the needs of customers and ensure the delivery of a daily on-site pantry shopping service from community-based sites to provide a pop-up shop, offering food supplies for a membership fee.

The Pantry Assistant will keep records for inclusion in regular updates and monthly reports, to demonstrate progress against agreed targets set by the C.E.O, and Pantry Manager.

**Key Tasks**:

- Assist with the operations and delivery of the Community Pantry in keeping with the Your Local Pantry franchise guidance and Foodbank’s policies and procedures
- Contribute to the daily running of the Community Pantry shops at agreed venues and ensure a weekly schedule for pantry opening hours is maintained.
- Support development of the day-to-day operations of the Community Pantry
- Liaise with the staff team and volunteers to ensure customer demand is met
- Support the Pantry food supply chains with the Foodbank warehouse team
- Act as a key point of contact for service enquiries a customer membership
- Coordinate the supply of fresh foods, chilled and frozen stock and its labelling and storage is in accordance with recommended food safety and environmental hygiene standards.
- Collect donated food for the Pantry in collaboration with the Pantry Manager
- Ensure delivery of donated food to Pantry sites and deliver daily operations at community venues in keeping with shop rotas for volunteers and staff
- Use a computer to record stock flow and assist with monthly stock takes
- Drive the Pantry van and set up and dismantle the Pantry shop as required
- Work with community centre volunteers to manage membership, cash handling and oversee the display and issue of fresh fruit, veg and meat
- Participate in training volunteers to undertake Stock and Pantry duties, mentor volunteers on a day-to-day basis, to ensure a quality customer focused service
- Ensure health and safety standards are met adopting safe working practices within the Pantry and warehouse environment. This includes food safety, manual handling, environmental awareness and waste reduction
- Promote continuous service improvements
- Provide the Pantry Manager with accurate records, receipts, stock and supporting documents, to support detailed accounting
- Use IT software for the efficient administration and reporting of Pantry activity
- Implement best practice procedures and risk management protocols to maintain a safe and healthy environment for staff, volunteers, and customers
- Use social media, marketing and publications to promote the Pantry service to customers and stakeholders
- Identify and implement appropriate systems and protocols for managing payments used by similar charity-based initiatives.
- Ensure that all Pantry equipment and vehicles are fit for purpose, regularly maintained and their use is compliant with legal requirements
- Adhere to the Charity’s values of social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion and ensure these are applied within the work context at all times
- Any other reasonable duties as specified by the C.E.O in relation to the development and implementation of the Pantry and related activity of the Charity, including occasional weekend and evening duties.
- **Person Specification**

**Skills Requirements**

**Essential**

A track record of successfully delivering, and maintaining a business, retail project or communit