Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity. We represent around 100 organisations working internationally, nationally, regionally and locally.
Sustain seeks a
Children’s Food Campaign Coordinator
£14,347 gross salary for 2 days a week (effectively £35,867 0.4 FTE), with potential to increase to more days a week, subject to fundraising. Sustain matches pension contributions up to 5% of gross available after probationary period.
About the Role
The Children’s Food Campaign project officer will be responsible for maintaining the Children’s Food Campaign’s current momentum and co-ordinating supporters to increase pressure on the food industry and Government to take steps to improve children’s dietary health. Activities will be based on the Campaign’s strategy of holding companies to account for irresponsible and unethical advertising or marketing practices; applying pressure on the Government to limit the involvement of the food industry in developing public health policy; and putting pressure on the Government to maintain current food standards in schools and cooking lessons on the curriculum.
The Children’s Food Campaign is one of the most widely endorsed campaigns in the UK, currently supported by over 150 national organisations and thousands of concerned individuals. The Campaign aims to improve children's health and well-being through better food and food teaching in schools, and protecting children from junk food marketing. We have already had many successes, including helping to bring about some of the strongest legislation in the world to protect children from junk food advertising on television, and helping to secure nutritional standards for school meals and practical cooking lessons for school children.
Sustain is an unusual organisation – small, creative, friendly, supportive, responsive and highly effective. We are frequently complimented for “punching well above our weight”. We value our staff and pride ourselves on creating an organisational culture that focuses on good relationships and working together to achieve ambitious change.
Tasks and Responsibilities
You will be expected to set priorities in a large and varied workload, which may change as the campaign’s strategy develops according to the external environment, but is likely to include:
Developing and implementing the campaign strategy, including:
- Identifying opportunities to increase pressure on the food industry to be ethical when marketing to children, and to secure Government statutory measures
- Defending / promoting school food standards, and food education, including practical cooking and food growing in schools, and increasing entitlement for free school meals.
- Initiating and developing creative campaign ideas to achieve the campaign’s aims.
- Providing the secretariat for the Children’s Food Campaign Working Party
Building the campaign’s number of active of supporters, including:
- Using appropriate methods and communications, including social networks, to increase the number of campaign supporters
- Developing methods to facilitate and support local campaigning
- Preparing campaign newsletters and e-mail bulletins
- Working with Sustain’s IT officer to develop the campaign website
Lobbying Government to adopt policies to improve children’s health, including:
- Lobbying MPs to support the campaign and its policies
- Meeting with key civil servants as and when necessary
- Preparing relevant consultation responses, reports and briefings
- Preparing materials and generating support effective Early Day Motions and other Parliamentary campaigns
- Attending stakeholder meetings
Raising public awareness and support for the campaign, including:
- Preparing and distributing campaign materials and reports
- Responding to requests for information from journalists and giving interviews
- Preparing effective media releases and other media stories
- Developing relationships with key journalists
- Writing articles in support of the campaign
Maintaining and building professional support for the campaign, including:
- Liaising as appropriate with specific organisations to increase political pressure
- Approaching new organisations to secure their support
- Presenting / speaking about the campaign at national and international conferences
Fundraising
- Identifying opportunities for raising money for the campaign
- Preparing and submitting funding applications / requests
The post holder will also undertake any other responsibilities in connection with the project which may arise from time to time.
Personal Specification
We are seeking a creative and experienced campaigner with good team working skills who shares our commitment to improving children’s food environments, and who has the following skills and experience:
Essential:
- Track record of running successful campaigns
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with strong attention to detail
- Good relationship building and team working skills
- Ability to work independently, with high levels of self-motivation
- Good project management, time management and organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
- Experience of working with the media, including ability to give clear and convincing media interviews
- Energy, enthusiasm, creativity and tenacity.
- Entitlement to work in the UK (Sustain is not able to assist with applications for work permits).
- Availability to commence work promptly following the recruitment process.
- Knowledge of issues surrounding healthy food, children’s food and junk food
Desirable:
- Co-ordination and motivation of networks and coalitions
- Digital campaigning and social networking skills
- Knowledge of UK and EU decision-making processes
- Experience of parliamentary campaigning, including lobbying politicians and decision makers
- Good public speaking skills
- Experience in the fields of food and/or public health
- Commitment to sustainable food and farming
- Successful track record in fundraising
- Experience of volunteer management
This post will report to Sustain’s Deputy CEO, Ben Reynolds.
How to Apply
CV and covering letter addressing the person specifications set out in the job description above. Applications by email to Ben Reynolds (ben@sustainweb.org).
Closing date for applications: 10am, 4 December 2017.
Successful candidates will be notified by 7 December. Interviews will take place on 12 December in Sustain’s offices. Unfortunately, we are not able to respond to those who are unsuccessful in getting an interview. We encourage applications from anyone with relevant skills and interests, but regret that we are unable to assist with finding accommodation or with visa applications. We envisage this work to start in January 2018.
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Animal RightsFoodHealthInequalityPolicy & AdvocacyRightsSocial InnovationSustainabilityYouth Sustain Seeks a Children’s Food Campaign Coordinator Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals. English Sustain www.sustainweb.org
Non-profit Job (Part-Time) Project ManagementCommunity ManagementCommunicationsCampaigning 1514761200 1512342000 London, UK Environment & SustainabilityfoodhealthjobseekerLondonpoliticsSocial WorkUKAdvocacyCampaigningEnvironmental ProtectionFoodHealthProject ManagementSustainabilityYouth ben@sustainweb.org 1512428400 Default Image 3 Premium Ben Reynolds ben@sustainweb.org Koordinator*in der Kampagne Essen für Kinder London, England