Community Development Worker

Are you passionate about supporting community groups and voluntary sector organisations to be the best that they can be?

If so, we want to hear from you!  

We’re looking for a Community Development Worker to join our team in Lewisham. Working closely with our Social Prescribers and Fundraising Development Manager, you’ll take the lead on our work strengthening local community groups and voluntary organisations who tackle loneliness and social isolation in the borough. 

This role requires you to spend a lot of time visiting community groups and activities in Lewisham. We’re looking for someone positive and proactive, who can build strong and trusted relationships with a wide range of community leaders and stakeholders. You will be a keen networker and excited by opportunities to connect people and resources together to build stronger communities. 

You’ll have the rewarding opportunity to work closely with community group leaders, providing motivational support to help them achieve their own development goals. There is also a lot of freedom and creativity to work with others to develop local partnerships and forums to strengthen the community.  

As someone who is naturally curious about what is happening in the local area, you will be on the lookout for new activities that tackle loneliness in Lewisham. Part of your role will be to collate this information into our SharePoint directory and newsletters to share with the wider team of Social Prescribers. You’ll also make a note of any gaps in community provision to compile into our annual Gaps Report. Therefore, it is important that you are well-organised, able to prioritise your time and make good use of our charity database to record group information.  

This is a busy and rewarding role giving you the opportunity to make a real difference to Lewisham’s thriving VCS sector. It is an exciting time to join Community Connections Lewisham. We currently support 200 community groups and we’re actively looking to expand and deepen the support that we offer. You’ll have the opportunity to contribute and shape our Community Development strategy going forward. 

If you believe this is a role that you’ll be excited to work in every day, if you want to be a part of a positive culture like ours and are passionate about strengthening community groups in Lewisham, we want to hear from you. 

Employee Benefits: 

• 26 days annual leave + bank holidays (pro rata for part-time) 

• Additional 1 day leave for Birthday 

• Access to Employee Assistance Programme, including access to helpline for partners and dependents 

• Flexi time scheme allowing the claiming back of additional hours worked (where appropriate to role) 

• Other flexible working options, including working from home (where appropriate) 

• Generous contractual sick pay scheme, allowing staff to recover without the worry of loss of income 

• CycleScheme members – enabling employees to save 25-39% of the cost of a new bike & accessories whilst also spreading the cost 

• TechScheme members – enabling employees to purchase tech through AUKLS and spread the cost from their salary 

Age UK Lewisham and Southwark is a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We are an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We strongly encourage you to apply if you are from a marginalized or underrepresented group. We encourage those with Lived Experience and Expertise to apply, appreciating the value of staff bringing their whole selves to the workplace. 

Some candidates may see a long list of job requirements and feel discouraged because they don’t match every single quality/experience point – we suggest getting in touch with us where we can answer questions and explain more about the role, to help you decide if you would like to apply. Our contact information is included in the Job Pack.  

We’ll also be holding a Facebook Live Q&A on Friday 9th February at 12:30pm, where we can answer any questions, you might have. 

For full details please download our Job Pack which includes a Job Description and Person Specification. 

Closing date for applications – 9am on 19th February 2024 

Interviews will take place on the Friday 1st March 2024