Project Coordinator

Health and Local Food for Families (HALFF) was set up in 2006 with the following aims:

► To improve the health of families in East Devon, South Somerset and West Dorset particularly, but not exclusively, by the provision of appropriate education on healthy eating.

► To improve knowledge of good quality local food producers and suppliers.

► To improve access to good quality food – local where possible – particularly, but not exclusively, for low income families.

HALFF is a registered charity.

HALFF responds to requests from the community to help people to improve their skills around food, in order that they are better equipped to cook appropriate, healthy food from scratch, to understand the seasonality of food, thus helping them to cut costs of eating healthily, to understand the links between food and health and how to interpret food labels, in order that they can make healthier choices. In addition to this, HALFF emphasises the social context of food, so has additional goals of teaching life skills to young people through the cooking sessions that we run. HALFF particularly works with isolated groups in our local communities, namely, homeless teenagers in supported housing, 9-13 year olds living in deprived housing estates whose parents lack practical life skills to pass on to their children, parents of young children who find themselves excluded from their traditional support structures, carers, people with heart disease or other diet related chronic diseases, and older people living alone.

HALFF runs a range of hands-on cooking courses and regular cooking demonstrations in different towns in South Somerset and East Devon, as well as providing additional support between sessions, through newsletters and social media, and running a fruit and vegetable shop, food information centre and vegetable garden in the centre of Axminster. We provide our services for free, and enable people to drop in when convenient for them and so aim to break down some of the barriers which often prevent people from accessing local services.

Over the next 3 years we will develop a Sustainable Local Food Network in order that excellent quality local food, and in particular, fruit and vegetables, are more readily available in local retail outlets. This will be run from HALFF’s Food Hub shop - a fruit, vegetable and local produce shop, located in Axminster, in East Devon. We will build a strong network of local producers and community food initiatives. This portfolio of food producers will be used to stock our shop. Moreover this Local Food Network will allow producers to connect through social media, coordinate growing and distribution, reduce waste and help sell any surplus stock (due to a larger audience of customers).

The Food Hub is situated at the Somerset, Devon and Dorset borders and the Local Food Network has the potential to impact on three counties in the West Country. There are no very active local food networks is East Devon, but there are some in West Dorset and South Somerset. This project will broaden the current systems to include Devon within a 30 mile radius of Axminster and will have a very specific remit: to make local food more easily available at existing retailers. This project complements the governments Food 2030 strategy, which highlights a need to think differently about our food supply and the impact it has on the environment and wellbeing. Since climate change and obesity are among the biggest factors affecting society today, a sustainable diet could help both of these areas.

At present local fruit and vegetable producers, many of whom are organic, supply almost all of their produce to high end restaurants, some as far away as London, so that local people cannot access local produce. This project will aim to see if there is a cost effective method for getting local fruit and vegetables into more local shops. Not just as an add on, when someone has a surplus of produce, but in a systematic way so that local consumers can be confident that seasonal produce will be available at retailers for local people, and therefore increase demand for local produce (as it is more readily available).

Alongside building up a local food network, we will promote buying local produce and highlight the need for sustainable food systems through cookery demonstrations throughout the project area. These demonstrations will be delivered at the Food Hub and at existing community groups or events. We are well experienced in delivering cookery advice, improving confidence in preparing fresh foods, and emphasising the health and environmental benefits of having more fruit and vegetables in our diet. Moreover the demonstrations will be a platform to discuss and highlight food systems, how and why we should try to buy local and food produced in a sustainable way, and signpost individuals to shops selling local, seasonal produce.

Project Outcomes

  1. More local producers supplying local retailers.
  2. A sustainability plan developed for the local food network.
  3. Local people have an increased awareness of the benefits to the local economy and the environment of local, seasonal food.

Job Description

12 hours / week for 1 yearinitially £27,000 pa pro rata

The postholder will work from HALFF’s shop & office in Axminster, with the hour spread over 2 to 3 days but will be required to travel around the project area to meet retailers and producers, and may occasionally need to work outside the designated hours to attend meetings, fairs or training courses.

Continuation funding for the work for an additional two years is likely, subject to the submission of a satisfactory sustainability plan for the local food network

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities:

  • To coordinate the development of a sustainable Local Food Network within a 30 mile radius of Axminster
  • To develop a strong educational programme based on Cookery Demonstrations using local and seasonal food in order to inform local people, decision makers and young people as to the benefits of a sustainable food system.
  • To develop HALFF’s Food Hub so that it is a focus for local food – both in terms of stocking a greater range, and providing information for others as to the benefits of a sustainable food system and where they can buy local and sustainably produced food in the project area.
  • To embed information relating to the sustainability of food production into all HALFF’s work.

Principal Tasks –

Developing and Promoting the Local Food Network

  • Work with the project manager to identify the farmers, retailers and local groupsto contact for involvement in the Local Food Network
  • Ensure all promotional material – both printed and online – are user-friendly, accessible and produced in a timely fashion
  • Work with the project manager to carry out the agreed workplan.

Setting up and developing the cooking demonstrations and educational programme

  • Work with the project manager to identify the groups, schools and policy makers to contact for food demonstrations and educational work
  • Ensure all promotional material – both printed and online – are user-friendly, accessible and produced in a timely fashion
  • Deliver regular cooking demonstrations using seasonal and local food to groups, schools and policy makers throughout the project area.

Developing HALFF’s Food Hub

  • Supervise HALFF Food Hub Staff, so that they can develop the shop and stock a greater range of local food
  • Develop eye catching and informative point of sale and other display materials for the Food Hub clearly pin pointing the benefits of local and seasonal food – and some of the problems caused by an unsustainable food system.
  • Seek to stock food from at least 5 new local food producers at the Food Hub.
  • Develop material signposting people to other stockists of local and sustainably produced food.

Project coordination

  • Ensure that all project targets are met or exceeded, in line with delivery schedules.
  • Produce information for project progress reports for project manager
  • Deliver the project promotion and media strategy
  • Work with other project coordinators and cooks to embed information relating to the sustainability of food production into all HALFF’s work
  • Ensure clear project contribution to HALFF’s strategic plan: ensuring that all projects address the sustainability of food in their work.
  • Carry out monitoring and evaluation of the food network and educational programme
  • Develop excellent working relationships with all key stakeholders both internally and externally.

Financial monitoring

  • Keep records of and monitor expenditure
  • Devise key financial plans for the sustainability of the network
  • Assist with further fundraising related to the project as required

Practical project delivery

  • Participate in practical delivery project through liaison with farmers and retailers or policy makers, as necessary
  • Arrange delivery of local food to retailers, as necessary
  • Establish beneficial relationships with other relevant organisations
  • Participation in training events and study visits
  • Conduct cooking demonstrations and talks

External representation

  • Establish strong links with other local food groups
  • Represent the project at events, meetings and conferences, if required
  • Undertake speaking engagements and presentations
  • Ensure the Local Food Network is presented in an appropriate and professional manner to its stakeholders.

Person Specification

Essential

  • Sympathy with the aims of HALFF
  • Commitment to the sustainability agenda, particularly in relation to food.
  • A clear understanding of the barriers to a sustainable diet and the interests of key actors in the food industry
  • Experience of working inlocal food
  • An inspiring communicator able to adapt to different stakeholders
  • Experience of managing budgets
  • An in-depth understanding of the social relevance and health benefits of cooking, mealtimes and growing food.
  • A good knowledge of food policy and the reasons why many people’s diets are poor.
  • A good cook
  • Working knowledge of nutrition
  • Excellent written English skills
  • Ability to work unsupervised.
  • Someone who is energetic and willing and able to visit remote farms, and deliver produce direct from farm to retailer
  • Must be able to drive with their own transport. (A mileage allowance will be paid)

Desireable

  • A Degree or equivalent qualification in Food Policy or a related subject

Application Process:

To apply, please send a copy of your CV (including paid and unpaid roles) along with a covering letter (limited to 2 sides of A4) highlighting what you would bring to the job and a completed application form.

Closing date for applications 24th January 2016.

Interviews will be held on 28th/29th Jan or 1st/2nd Feb 2016.