We’re seeking a Community Organiser
We’re seeking a highly self-motivated and well-connected Community Organiser based in Glasgow, to join our team in developing the Glasgow Community Energy project over the coming year.
Community Organiser
8 month contract (with potential to extend to 12 months)
Commencing January 2019
£6,400 fixed fee (with potential to extend to £9,600)
Working on a freelance basis (averaging 1-2 days per week), plus £400 towards travel/expenses across the year (fee paid on a weekly/monthly basis as preferred)
Working from home or at shared premises in Glasgow/Easterhouse area (TBC)
• Are you passionate about the transition to a low carbon economy in order to fight climate change?
• Do you understand the interconnectedness of social, environmental and economic problems across our city?
• Do you want a join a small team developing an exciting new initiative for Glasgow which aims to address all three at once?
• We want to hear from you!
Glasgow Community Energy
We’re seeking a highly self-motivated and well-connected Community Organiser based in Glasgow, to help us build an ambitious new community-owned renewable energy project for our city. Glasgow Community Energy was founded in 2018 with plans to install renewable energy generation on vacant and derelict land and the roofs of public buildings across the city. We intend to use proceeds from the sale of our energy to help inspire and sustain community activism in Glasgow.
We have secured funding from Local Energy Scotland to begin exploring the feasibility of several sites in the Easterhouse area. Alongside this technical work, we are seeking a Community Organiser to help build relationships with residents, community groups, associations, businesses and public bodies across Glasgow (with a specific focus on the Easterhouse area) and to encourage their active involvement and support for the project as it develops.
You will be working alongside a small voluntary board, including artist and activist Ellie Harrison, Jim Lee from our partner Energy4All, as well as the renewable energy consultants undertaking the feasibility work. You will largely be working independently and will report to Ellie Harrison with weekly/bi-weekly meetings.
Your Key Objectives
• To hit the ground running; quickly catching up with the development of the Glasgow Community Energy project to date and building on and developing our existing relationships with Glasgow City Council, the Seven Lochs Wetlands Park and other key partners in the Easterhouse area
• To amass widespread support across the city, by:
o building a communication strategy to raise awareness of the project over the contract period (activities will include coordinating social media campaigns, hosting community engagement events and developing membership schemes and ‘community share offers’ with our partner Energy4All)
o meeting regularly with residents, community groups, associations, businesses and public bodies across Glasgow to develop the project and increase ‘energy literacy’ amongst communities
o building a network of local supporters engaged in popular education and creative activism addressing social, environmental and economic issues
• To meet with local credit unions to develop affordable plans for local people to invest in the Glasgow Community Energy project and become actively involved our renewable energy co-operative
• To recruit relevant people – community activists and renewable energy experts – to the Glasgow Community Energy Board
• To work with our team to develop a Project Plan for delivering our Easterhouse pilot and identifying new sites to expand to in other parts of the city over the coming years
• To fundraise for a continued programme of community engagement events and the continuation of the Community Organiser role beyond the end of the contract period
• To attend Board meetings every 2-4 weeks and report on a weekly/bi-weekly basis to members of the Glasgow Community Energy team
Person Specification
Organisational skills and literacy
• Self-organised and with high level of self-motivation;
• Flexible. Available to manage own time effectively and work anti-social hours (evenings, weekends) as necessary;
• Functionally literate, able and willing to keep written and electronic records;
• Financially literate, with ability to read, write and understand complex budgets and investment plans;
• Competent computer user including email, word processing, social media and Excel spread sheets;
• High attention to detail.
Communication skills
Maturity and emotional intelligence
• Ability and desire to learn by listening deeply for facts and feelings, empathising with others and identifying verbal and non-verbal communication cues;
• Able to create and sustain meaningful conversations with those you might not usually speak to from a wide spectrum of backgrounds and perspectives: gently leading, encouraging and uncovering feelings and opinions;
• Respectful, open, and sensitive to others’ history and experience. Sensitive to local cultures and languages. Positively committed to anti-discriminatory practice and social justice;
• Able to develop an understanding of power and influence and willing to explore the root causes of (dis)empowerment issues in communities;
• Has personal integrity. Willing to be accountable and adhere to code of conduct, understanding confidentiality and Data Protection issues.
Enterprising mind-set
Strategic awareness and behaviour
• Dynamic, motivated, energetic and creative with a can-do approach to problem-solving;
• Able to motivate and inspire. Enjoys and values helping others achieve and develop their potential;
• Able to understand and deal with competing agendas;
• Understands the context and practice of community action.
A commitment to reflection – action
Relationship building
• Willingness to develop an awareness of own power and ego and able to put aside their own agenda to listen without prejudging;
• Reflective and self-aware: to be alert, adaptable and responsive and focussed in the moment; to reflect both in action and on action;
• Committed to self-development and learning: able to apply, transfer and build on what they do. Willing to support the learning of others – including the wider community;
• Able to work constructively in team situations;
• Able to relate to and connect with a wide range of different people
Resilience and robustness
Streetwise
• Able to take challenge and criticism;
• Able to overcome negative and apathetic attitudes.
• Shows persistence and tenacity to achieve outcomes
• Able to deal with setbacks
• Has a versatile and flexible approach to the work
• Demonstrates shrewd awareness, experience and resourcefulness
Useful Experience and Skills
Please tell us in your Covering Letter if you have skills or experience in any of these areas, which will be useful in undertaking this role:
• Being from or based in Glasgow/Easterhouse area or one of the city’s other peripheral housing schemes
• Knowledge and understanding of the local area and its complex interconnected social, environmental and economic problems
• Interest in and concern about climate change and the urgent need to transition to a low carbon economy
• Knowledge of and belief in the principles of the co-operative movement
• Knowledge of the privatised UK energy sector and where community-owned renewables sit within this
• Existing networks of contacts engaged in popular education, creative activism and campaigning in Glasgow and beyond
• Group facilitation
• Community development and social enterprise
• Project planning, development, budgeting and fundraising
• Negotiation or mediation (within voluntary, public and business sectors)
• Customer and public relations (social media expertise)
• Marketing experience (photo editing/design/video making skills)
• Social and market research
• Journalism and media
How to Apply
We are committed to equality of opportunity and encourage applications from women; black, Asian and minority ethnic people; people who identify as having a disability; people from the LGBT+ community; and people from working-class backgrounds.
Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK and registered as self-employed in order to make necessary income tax and National Insurance contributions through self-assessment.
To apply, please email Ellie Harrison at info@RRAAFund.org, marking the subject ‘Community Organiser’.
Your application should include:
• A Covering Letter explaining why you’re interested in the role and how you meet the person specification, giving examples of your previous experience and skills
• Your CV
• The names and contact details of two referees
Closing date: Friday 16 November 2018, 5pm
Interviews will be held in Glasgow on Wednesday 28 November 2018
For an informal chat about the role, please call Ellie Harrison on 07929 565 855 (Wednesday – Sunday afternoons)
