Purpose of the Post:
Involve is the umbrella support charity supporting and facilitating community action and resilience. This post will use an Asset Based Community Development approach, to work with local communities, groups, and organisations in and around Crediton to identify and build solutions to unmet services and needs. The postholder will provide support to build capacity and skills, enable networking, collaboration, community engagement, and peer support, and influence positive change towards building stronger, healthier communities.
This role is a key part of our exciting new Big Lottery funded ‘Communities that Can’ project. The project is designed to connect residents, foster local engagement, and support local organisations through real-world interactions. By offering connections through events, groups support, local directories, and volunteer opportunities, we aim to create stronger, more vibrant communities across Mid Devon. We lead neighbourhoods into supportive, interconnected networks where everyone feels at home. You will be one of four community builders based in the main Mid Devon towns of Crediton, Cullompton and Tiverton with a focus on supporting rural communities. We are looking for a dynamic self-motivated person who loves the idea of working in and making a difference for local rural communities.
Key Outcomes
- Community activity and provision is mapped
- People are listened to and engaged
- Increased activity is happening within the community and as a result communities are inclusive, cohesive, and more resilient
- People, groups, and organisations are being linked creating a more connected community
- Learning from the co-design process and implementation informs changes in practice, where necessary.
- Personal, team and project objectives are met.
Responsibilities
- Map and maintain awareness of formal and informal community activity and provision; sharing this information within Involve maintaining currency of intelligence and locally to promote increased participation.
- Identify community assets and resources and makes the information accessible using wide variety of platforms.
- Listen widely to people/young people of all backgrounds within the community to understand more about their lives and how they feel about their community.
- Identify and encourage people who are natural connectors and natural leaders within the community.
- Support motivated individuals to transform ideas into action for the benefit of themselves and their community.
- Advocate for the community or underrepresented aspects of the community
- Maintain awareness of other initiatives and developments that present opportunities for community members to be more engaged and have influence over what happens in their neighbourhood.
- Encourage participation in such initiatives and/or enable for people to co-design their own initiatives including the set-up of new community groups and activities.
- Actively market and promote the project within communities.
- Collect evidence of outputs and outcomes, ensuring consistent implementation of the monitoring and evaluation process together with the Project Manager and Project Assistants.
- Be aware of and follow policies and procedures, with particular attention to safeguarding, health and safety, and equality and diversity.
- Support fundraising and income generation.
- Work closely with the Crediton and Tiverton community builders to identify and provide support for rural initiatives.