Community Action Officer Contract

Community Fund

CONTRACT SPECIFICATION

PACT Community Action Officer

Penrith Action for Community Transition (PACT) is seeking a self-employed person / freelance contractor to help us deliver our annual plans of activities under the Zero Carbon Cumbria Programme, funded by the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund.  Our plans will include a variety of community-based activities.  You will also help us to meet our other obligations as a ZCCP Delivery Partner, including reporting and monitoring.

The contract is offered on a self-employed basis.  This document outlines the main responsibilities of the contract and the skills and experience needed to carry out the various tasks.  It also includes background information about PACT and the Zero Carbon Cumbria Programme.

The Contractor will report to the PACT Board, via our Lead Director for the Zero Carbon Cumbria Programme.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this contract, please complete and submit the application form, which you can download here.

Closing date for applications: 9 am, Monday 15 March 2021.

Selection for interview will be based on application forms only.  Interviews will be held by Zoom, provisionally scheduled for Wednesday 17 March 2021.

If you would like more information about this opportunity, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.  Please email: info@penrithact.org.uk.

ABOUT PACT

PACT is a community organisation that has been helping to bring about a more sustainable way of life in Penrith and the Eden Valley for more than a decade.  Our dedicated team of volunteers run projects and activities to inspire and motivate local people to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the environment, in a way that builds community connections and resilience.

We are committed to developing community-based responses to the climate emergency.  We are working alongside Penrith Town Council and Eden District Council to implement their Climate and Ecological Emergency Declarations, and we are part of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership working towards a goal of carbon neutrality for Cumbria by 2037.

To achieve these objectives, our principal aims are to:

  • Raise awareness of the climate emergency.
  • Reduce local carbon emissions towards the net zero goal.
  • Increase community resilience to cope better with the growing threats of extreme weather, scarcity of resources and economic instability.
  • Highlight and help respond to associated environmental challenges including widespread pollution, loss of habitat and loss of biodiversity.
  • Collaborate effectively with local governments, businesses, groups and individuals across Eden, harnessing the energies of our local community to achieve the above four objectives.
  • Add our voice to calls for bold and decisive leadership from the UK Government to respond to the global climate and ecological crisis.

PACT is registered in England as a non-profit Community Benefit Society (Registration No.  31972R).  For more details on PACT, please visit www.penrithact.org.uk.

BACKGROUND TO THE ZERO CARBON CUMBRIA PROGRAMME

£2.5 million has been secured from the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund for the five-year Zero Carbon Cumbria Programme.  The bid was led by Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) on behalf of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership (ZCCP), which includes more than 70 organisations spanning the public, private and third sectors with the aim of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.  Eleven of the organisations in the ZCCP will be involved in directly delivering elements of the Lottery-funded Programme, including PACT, and the whole partnership will be involved in wider decarbonisation programmes in order to reach the county’s zero-carbon goal.

People who live, work and study in Cumbria will be able to take advantage of a whole range of opportunities to cut their own carbon footprint and that of their communities, playing their local part in global actions to stop climate change.

The Programme will tackle some of the main sources of carbon emissions in Cumbria, with a particular focus on food, energy generation and the goods we buy.  The subprojects have been devised by a range of community organisations and chosen because of their wide benefits to local communities.

More information about the Programme is available here: https://cafs.org.uk/our-projects/zero-carbon-cumbria-programme.

CONTRACT SPECIFICATION

CLIENT:

Penrith Action for Community Transition (PACT)

LOCATION:

Principally home working with attendance at events and meetings across Eden and potentially in other parts of Cumbria when Covid-19 restrictions allow.

HOURS:

25 hours a month, worked flexibly in accordance with the delivery plan, which will be agreed by the Contractor and PACT at the start of each year.  Occasional evening and weekend working will be required as agreed.

RATE:

£14.50p an hour, to be invoiced monthly.

DURATION:

Initial 12-month contract from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, with the option to extend on an annual basis within the duration of the ZCC Programme, which ends on 31 December 2025.

REPORTS TO:

PACT Lead Director for Zero Carbon Cumbria.

CONTRACT RESPONSIBILITIES & TASKS

The services required are as follow.

Project delivery

  • To organise and assist in the delivery of community events, both online and in‑person when the Coronavirus situation allows. These could include talks, film screenings, a stall at festival days/shows, public engagement events, training sessions, information displays at public venues and supporting our Repair Cafés and Freegle Give and Take events.  These tasks may involve booking venues, arranging guest speakers, coordinating volunteers to help run events, managing bookings and enquiries, and setting up online events via digital platforms such as Zoom.
  • To assist with delivering our planned projects, such as the establishment of a Tool Library. Tasks could include: carrying out research into how similar projects have been run elsewhere and sharing options and best practice with the PACT board; carrying out audience research in Eden to assess the feasibility and popularity of different project options; assisting with recruiting volunteers for specific projects; and assisting in setting up and running projects.
  • To support PACT in its role in establishing a climate hub in a public/community building.

Communication & promotion of project activities

  • To generate written content about events and activities for the PACT Communications Officer to share via social media, our Newsletter and press releases.
  • To collect photographs and video footage at events (with due regard for GDPR) for subsequent publicity.
  • To support PACT in promoting the wider activities of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Programme, such as Citizens’ Juries and Assemblies.
  • To attend community events to promote PACT’s work and share knowledge about climate change action and science. (Training will be provided to the Contractor.)
  • To support PACT in utilising new and existing networks to attract and inspire new and different audiences to get involved.

Reporting, monitoring & evaluation

  • To assist in the collection, archiving and analysis of the information required for reporting to the National Lottery on PACT’s ZCCP activities, (whilst adhering to regulations and procedures relating to data protection and information security), and liaise as appropriate with the ZCC Project Manager and the Cumbria Sustainability Network Coordinator, (both based at Cumbria Action for Sustainability).
  • To gather and analyse participant feedback on PACT project activities to evaluate their success and potential for improvement.
  • To gather information for case studies showing the positive impact of PACT project activities.

Management & administration

  • To facilitate and follow up on a monthly ZCCP progress meeting with the PACT ZCC group.
  • To record project expenditures and support the designated PACT ZCC Lead Director in managing the budget.
  • To coordinate with the PACT Treasurer to ensure the timely payment of invoices.
  • Support PACT with our commitments to mentor newer community sustainability groups in Cumbria and to share learning with others.

 

CONTRACTOR SPECIFICATION

Below are the attributes that our ideal Contractor will have.

Essential skills and experience

  • Ability to carry out basic project and audience research and to analyse findings.
  • Ability to plan and deliver successful community activities and projects.
  • Proficiency in running events using online platforms such as Zoom.
  • Experience of recruiting, coordinating and retaining volunteers.
  • Experience of supporting the promotion of community events and other activities.
  • Ability to manage own time and workload with minimal supervision.
  • Ability to work within a set budget and record budget expenditures.
  • Ability to capture learning and use it to recommend improvements to project activities.
  • Ability to use common software (Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Drive) and access to own IT equipment and internet access.
  • Accuracy and attention to detail, with good written and proofreading skills and a good level of numeracy.
  • An understanding of the causes and impact of climate change and commitment to PACT’s aims and values.
  • Driving licence and access to a vehicle or ability to travel independently as required to carry out the duties of the role.
  • Working knowledge of GDPR and other relevant data protection/information security guidelines.
  • Strong existing networks in Eden and experience of working with communities in Cumbria.

Desirable skills & experience:

  • Experience of budget management.
  • Experience of working as part of a wider partnership programme.
  • Competence in basic photography and video capture.