Community Development Worker

Community Development Worker | Wealden District, East Sussex | Remote Working | Part Time – 21 hours per week | £19,475 pro rata (£34,314 FTE)

We are the Voluntary Action for Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden. We enable and support community groups, voluntary organisations and individuals across East Sussex to improve quality of life and equality of opportunity for everyone. We represent and advocate for the voluntary and community sector with local government and other statutory authorities.

3VA is looking for aCommunity Development Workers to develop, support, facilitate a vibrant, dynamic and connected voluntary and community sector in East Sussex, building capacity in individuals and groups to support local activities and initiatives which benefit the community; and alongside colleagues delivering Beachy Head Ambassadors, Homes for Ukraine, Wealden Food Partnership and Lewes District Cost of Living programmes.

Manage the disbursement of £10,000 annually in each of Eastbourne and Wealden, the three areas, to support the Key Deliverables set out in Appendix 1.

As a key member of the community development team, you will work with the Community Development Team, individuals, groups and communities in facilitating 3VA’s community development offer. You will actively engage with individuals, groups, partners and stakeholders to make sense of the issues and barriers that affect their communities and support them to bring about change.

Your key activities are:

• Intelligence gathering
• Foundation building
• Community asset identification and development
• Gap identification
• Relationship building
• Facilitating engagement opportunities

Are you the right person for the job?

• Knowledge of third sector trends, relevant policy, and legislation
• Experience managing diverse projects and successful community development
• Supporting specialist groups, delivering engagement activities, and developing networks
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing, data management, and presenting complex information clearly
• Strong interpersonal skills: influencing, negotiating, facilitating meetings, and balancing competing demands with pragmatic decisions
• Able to work independently and collaboratively within a team
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret data
• Proficient in relevant software applications
• Relevant professional qualification or ability to demonstrate equivalent knowledge
• Resilient, customer-focused, and able to build rapport with stakeholders; diplomatic, innovative, decisive, responsive, and change-oriented
• Committed to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices
• Full clean driving licence and access to a car

What will your role look like?

• Maintaining effective service delivery in the context of local need and 3VA programmes, ensuring communities are well served
• Supporting Community, Stakeholder and Member engagement, using 3VA membership as the tool for continuing engagement
• Developing and delivering general and thematic Community Networks (digitally and face to face) in response to community needs
• Developing and delivering (with support from the Data and Delivery Manager and Senior Management Team) training, including constitution, funding, evaluation, and volunteering
• Supporting a collaborative partnership approach with other VCSEs and statutory partners
• Preparing reports for appropriate funding contracts as agreed with commissioners 
• Continuing to raise 3VA’s profile and the VCSE
• Supporting the strategic development of 3VA and its membership, including consultations, member surveys, project development and funding

What can you expect in return?

• 25 days pro rata
• 3VA will match contributions of up to 6% of annual salary Nest pension scheme
• Remote working
• Opportunities for growth and support aligned with business needs

Interview Process

Candidates will be required to complete an application form. Shortlisted applicants are then invited to attend an interview.

What’s next? It’s easy! Click “APPLY” now! We can’t wait to hear from you!

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