The Pantry Volunteer

University of the Arts London; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking enthusiastic volunteers for 'The Pantry' project, a weekly food bank aimed at supporting individuals in need. This role offers a unique opportunity to engage with the community, develop essential skills in communication and organization, and gain hands-on experience in a supportive environment. Volunteers will assist in various activities, including food collection, guest interaction, and event setup, all while making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. Join this rewarding initiative and help foster community connections while enhancing your personal and professional growth.

Benefits

Free food and non-food items

Community engagement experience

Skill development opportunities

Qualifications

• Skills in communication and organization are essential for this role.
• Flexibility in handling various responsibilities is important.

Responsibilities

• Setting up the room and welcoming guests at the food bank.
• Assisting with data collection and translating for guests.

Skills

Written and verbal communication skills

Organisational skills

Flexibility and adaptability

Job description

Hours: 9:30am - 1:30pm (Tuesday) and/or 9:30am - 10:30am or 9:30am - 12:30pm (Wednesday)

Closing Date: 22 July 2025

Benefits: Food and non-food items can be collected for free

Volunteering Location: South London Mission, Bermondsey Central Hall, 256 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UJ

Volunteering Length: Minimum 3 months (during the school term dates)

Supervisor Job Title: Projects Coordinator

Are you interested in supporting our ‘The Pantry’ project?

The Pantry is a weekly food bank provision for people in need across Southwark. It comprises of food and drink items that are both ambient and fresh – these are collected from Morrisons (264 Walworth Road), Lidl (2 Massinger Street), and are also delivered by The Felix Project. Not only does this address food insecurity, but it encourages an improvement in mental health and wellbeing and provides opportunity for people to connect more with their local community.

THE PANTRY VOLUNTEERING SCHEDULE

RESPONSIBILITY / HOURS / DAY

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

NON-FOOD ITEMS COLLECTION – FELIX MULTIBANK DEPOT (4 HOURS) 9:30AM – 1:00PM

FOOD COLLECTION – LIDL (1 HOUR) 9:30AM – 10:30AM

THE PANTRY ACTIVITIES* (3 HOURS) 9:30AM – 12:30PM

FOOD COLLECTION – LIDL AND THE PANTRY ACTIVITIES (3 HOURS) 9:30AM – 12:30PM

You will volunteer on a Tuesday for the Non-Food Items Collection (once a month), and/or weekly on a Wednesday – this will be either for the Food Collection, *The Pantry Activities, or for the Food Collection and The Pantry Activities. Regarding the latter, you will collect the food first and then assume with The Pantry Activities upon your arrival. You can collect at an earlier time (8am onwards), but this would need to be discussed. Your specific volunteering responsibility will depend on your preference and availability.

Please note – your volunteering hours may be shortened, lengthened, or reallocated, depending on the needs of the project.

To deliver this project, you will work closely with the Projects Coordinator, Food Projects Coordinator, as well as other SLM Staff and Volunteers.

Location: South London Mission, Bermondsey Central Hall, 256 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UJ.

*The Pantry Activities will also involve setting up the Over 55’s Exercise Class, which starts at 1:15pm. More details can be found under the ‘main duties of volunteer role’ section.

Main Duties

• Setting up the room, hall & kitchen with tables, chairs, food (ambient and fresh), and other necessary items (Set Up & Stock Assistant)
• Welcoming guests in and directing them to sign in and collect their number (Maître d’hôtel)
• Preparing light refreshments for the guests (such as teas, coffees and biscuits) (Refreshments Host)
• Guiding guests around the room to collect their food items (Pantry Host)
• Packing food items for the elderly not in attendance
• Assisting with any necessary data collection, such as distributing forms
• Selling various non-food items to raise money for the SLM
• Translating for guests when necessary (including Spanish, Arabic, Turkish and Farsi)
• Cleaning up the room, hall & kitchen, ensuring that tables, chairs, food and other necessary items are put away
• Collecting non-food items from the Felix Multibank depot in Greenford, monthly & packing away (only if you are interested, are able, and are assigned, this responsibility) (Items collector)
• Collecting food items from the Lidl in Walworth, weekly (only if you are interested, are able, and are assigned, this responsibility) (Food Collector)
• Setting up for the Over 55’s Exercise Class, which includes putting out chairs, logging into the online Zoom class, and directing guests to sign in. If time permits, setting up will also involve distributing data collection forms

Please note – this is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities. You will be required to undertake any other work that is in line with your abilities and with delivering this project.

What will the volunteering role offer the student and what will they learn while they are with you?

Skills you can learn or develop:

• Written and verbal communication skills
• Organisational skills
• Ability to be flexible or adaptable

Experience you can gain:

• Community engagement experience
• Experience supporting a food-focused project / programme