Location: Message Trust Northeast Hub, Message Community Groceries
Hours: Full time (35 hours per week)
Closing Date for applications: Friday 22nd July 2022
Start date: As soon as possible
Responsible to: Operations Manager
Primary internal working relationships: Regional Community Grocery Manager, Message Community Grocery Managers
Primary external working relationships: External Grocery Managers, Food Suppliers
Main purpose of the job
The post-holder will be responsible for collecting regular and ad-hoc donations from our food partners and delivering them predominantly to our Teesside s hops. Alongside that they will bring support as a shop assistant across various shops at times of high work load & sickness cover
History of The Message Community Grocery
In April 2020, the national lockdown meant the café and kitchens at our Manchester Message Enterprise Centre had needed to close, but as we saw families in need of food on our doorstep we decided to repurpose this and reach out to the local community. Using our facilities, we cooked, prepared, and delivered thousands of food parcels and hot meals to residents across the local area throughout lockdown.
As our meal delivery programme came to an end in September there was still great need, so we set up The Message Community Grocery as a way to support people across Wythenshawe, Manchester that were feeling the financial impact of Covid-19 through a membership scheme. Through the Grocery we are able to offer a range of food options fresh from local supermarkets, at a fraction of the cost. All our members also have access to a range of free support services including job clubs, debt relief support, mental wellbeing courses, exploring Christianity courses, voluntary work placements and more. Within just a few weeks we had 500 families signed up to the Grocery, many joining the various courses and the success and need has opened doors for us to launch more groceries around the UK. We launched several Community Groceries around the UK with five in the North East and more to come. We established a North East distribution Centre in Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees to support the North East Community Groceries. Find out more about how our Community Grocery works at
Specific duties and responsibilities
Person Specification
Essential
Desirable
The post-holder will be expected attend annual monthly prayer days and the annual Message Conference. They will also be an advocate of The Message and help recruit donors to support the ministry
Notes All Message staff are set a personal fundraising target. We ask that the successful applicant has a minimum of £75 per month of regular financial support before commencing employment, increasing to £125 per month by the end of the three-month probation period and aims to add one supporter a month after that. Training and support will be given to help you achieve this.