NORTH LONDON CARES

PROGRAMME
COORDINATOR
(Love Your Neighbour)
PERMANENT, FULL TIME POST (40 HOURS PER WEEK)
LOCATION: CAMDEN TOWN
SALARY: £25,000 (PLUS TRAVEL)

To apply please send a CV and covering letter telling us why you’re right for this
role to Laura De Souza at laura.desouza@northlondoncares.org.uk.

Applications should be received no later than 9am on Monday 8th July 2019.

First round interviews will take place on Friday 12th July 2019.
Second round interviews will take place on Thursday 18th July 2019.

Please read the full job description below for further information.
THE CHARITY
North London Cares is a community network of young professionals and older neighbours
hanging out and helping one another in our rapidly changing city.

Our objectives are to tackle the growing plight of isolation and loneliness not just amongst
older people but amongst younger Londoners too; to help improve the connection, confidence,
belonging, purpose and power of all participants so that older and younger neighbours alike
can better navigate our rapidly changing world; and to bring people together to bridge social,
generational, digital, cultural and attitudinal divides.

We do this because while our capital is one of the most amazing cities on earth – full of
culture, business and people from all over the world – it can sometimes also feel anonymous,
lonely and isolating. Globalisation, gentrification, digitisation, transience and rapid community
change have made our city a place of extremes – one in which some of the best connected
people live directly alongside some of the most isolated, with particular challenges to do with
loneliness and disconnection.

The result is that many older people (over 65) have deep roots in their communities – from
Archway to Arsenal, Camden Town to The Cally – but few connections, while many young
professionals (aged 21-35) can have hundreds of connections across the world but fewer roots
in their communities. This disconnect wastes human potential, perpetuates social division,
entrenches isolation and is ultimately corrosive for our society. In an ever-changing city like
OUR PROGRAMMES
ours, these two groups, living side-by-side but seldom interacting, have so much to gain from
one another in shared time, laughter, new experiences and friendship.

North London Cares seeks to mobilise a new generation of young professionals to build
relationships and share experiences with older neighbours in a variety of authentic ways. We
speak the language of younger and older people alike – and make interaction on a personal
level mutually accessible, sociable, enjoyable and fun.

As part of the wider ‘Cares Family’ of local branches that includes South London Cares,
Manchester Cares and Liverpool Cares – with additional arms to follow – North London Cares
is built on a strong national model, infrastructure, experience and funding.

But North London Cares is also uniquely ‘north London’. Our programmes centre on the
inspiring past, present and future of our great neighbourhoods – and the history, diversity and
people that make this place so special. So from Kentish Town to Kilburn, the network helps
older and younger people to feel part of their changing world, rather than left behind by it.
OUR PROGRAMMES
North London Cares runs four core programmes. Our Social Clubs are group activities that
bring younger and older people together in cafes, pubs, parks, community centres and big
businesses to share time, laughter and new experiences. Regular clubs include dance
parties, film nights, choirs, new tech workshops, ‘back to work’ business visits and themed
get-togethers. Activities take place up to seven times a week.

Meanwhile, our Love Your Neighbour programme matches young professionals and older
people to build friendships one-to-one, often in people's homes and community locations, to
improve the life experiences of all parties and to help bring a little of the outside world in for
those who can struggle to get out. Neighbours build relationships on their own terms, enjoy
meals together, and often become long-standing friends.

Our proactive Outreach identifies isolation where it occurs. We place ourselves in GP

surgeries, pharmacies, supermarkets, post offices and betting shops and strike up
conversations with the older people we meet to tell them about out how to get involved. This
work intensifies with our Winter Wellbeing initiative, through which we help neighbours to
stay warm, active, healthy and connected through the most isolating time of the year.

This role focuses on our fourth, key, programme, Community Fundraising – which offers
another exciting way for younger and older people to share time and camaraderie and to
contribute to the network that they value so much. From individual challenges including
marathons, long walks and obstacle courses, to creating engaging digital campaigns, to
inviting regular donations and building corporate and other partnerships, local people support
North London Cares in a variety of ways.

“North London Cares gives me something

to live for. I understand the world more and
relate to younger people better. I used to
not have a family in London, but now I do.”
Joan (83)
THE ROLE
You will work closely with our Head of Programmes and our Programme Coordinator for Love
Your Neighbour in Islington, to develop, deepen and expand our Love Your Neighbour
programme in Camden specifically. You will meet hundreds of older people and young
professionals, create friendships across the generations, support those friendships to deepen
and thrive, and ensure our safeguarding, records and storytelling procedures are upheld to
the highest standards.

You will be introducing yourself to older neighbours in various circumstances – from the most
active, outgoing fun-loving 90-somethings to people with huge and complex challenges
navigating complicated situations. You will need to diligently and warmly articulate North
London Cares’ vision and the aims and objectives of our Love Your Neighbour programme so
that all participants – including older and younger neighbours, family members, health
agencies, councils and other partners – understand the role we play.

And you will need to support those neighbours to get the most out of their mutually beneficial
relationships – through our check-in processes, regular reviews, informal encouragement,
digital storytelling and other reporting requirements, so that North London Cares continues to
grow and the relationships we build continue to thrive.

This is a special post in a special charity. We are a young and rapidly developing organisation
with the benefits of the security, support and platform provided by major backers including
Nesta and the Big Lottery, Ageing Better in Camden, international corporations and our
partner councils.

When you join our team, you will work predominantly from our private office in a vibrant,
shared office complex in the heart of Camden Town. But you will also regularly be out in the
community, meeting older neighbours joining the network for the first time, hosting evening
inductions for new volunteers, making matches in people’s homes, working with colleagues
across North London Cares and South London Cares too, and holding meetings with various
referral organisations and other partners key to the successful delivery of the Love Your
Neighbour project and our overall vision.

We therefore need someone who understands and is motivated by the demographics and
social challenges of our home boroughs and the issues we work on – and in particular who is
passionate about people and can clearly promote our vision for building friendships across
traditional divides in order to tackle isolation and loneliness in those boroughs.

We are looking for someone who can talk to and relate to people from all backgrounds, no
matter their circumstances – someone equally comfortable discussing illness and isolation
with a 95-year-old housebound older neighbour as they are talking about work and weddings
with a 25-year-old volunteer.
 ABOUT YOU
The ideal candidate to join North London Cares as Programme Coordinator (Love Your
Neighbour) will have a track record and a great manner working with people. You will have
experience working in the community and dealing with multiple tasks, sensitivities and
challenges at the same time.

You will also be diligent with procedures – ensuring vital records are kept up-to-date, reviews
are conducted and stories of the power of the relationships you create are widely shared.

We are therefore looking for a creative, enterprising individual, with a natural confidence with
people combined with resilience and focus. You will be outgoing, full of energy and
determination; professional with an organised approach, a clear, authentic communication
style and an intrinsic understanding of the power of networks and community in all their
forms, including digital media. The stand out candidate will also have deep knowledge of and
a passion for the unique communities and culture of North London’s neighbourhoods.

Crucially, we need a real people-person: someone who can build authentic relationships
across our network of young professionals and older neighbours, whilst also working with
health agencies, councils and other groups vital to the success of the Cares vision. We also
need a numbers person: someone who is methodical, target focused, organised and
unwilling to give up.

And we need a self-starter: someone committed, tough, and focused working alone as well
as in teams; who is passionate about further developing and improving North London Cares’
Love Your Neighbour programme over the coming years. You should be adventurous,
creative and keen to implement new ideas.

In return, you will be trusted to work dynamically and independently in this exciting young
charity, with a growing profile and backing from major local and national partners. You will
also be provided with development challenges and opportunities, professional support from
our Head of Programmes and ever-growing networks to play a lasting, transformative role in
the development of the “Cares” vision and family.

This is a varied and fast-moving role, the success of which will depend on your tenacity,
passion and empathy – and your ability to support multiple relationships at the same time.
We are therefore looking for a true people-person with strong organisational skills who will
welcome a challenging and flexible role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Working directly with North London Cares’ Head of Programmes, and also with our other
Programme Coordinators, Development team, Director of Programmes and Chief Executive,
you will: 


Be responsible for delivering and sustaining North London Cares’ Love Your Neighbour
programme in Camden;
Induct, prepare, assess and safeguard both older neighbours and young professional
volunteers interested in having a Love Your Neighbour friend;
Communicate professionally and warmly with our third party referral partners in local
authorities, health agencies, community organisations as well as with members of the
public;
Connect new Love Your Neighbour friends during regular working hours, and also during
evenings and weekends (with time off in lieu);
Manage the creation and distribution of our monthly email communications with regular
Love Your Neighbour volunteers in Camden;
Communicate regularly with our older neighbours, on the telephone, in writing and in
person, including in people’s homes and in the community;
Communicate regularly with volunteers, on the telephone, in writing and in person,
enabling and encouraging them to feel engaged, committed and supported;
Support older neighbours with ad hoc tasks to enhance their wellbeing and prevent further
isolation, including liaising with statutory and health services to gain access to specific
support where required;
Keep our databases, records and CRM tools constantly up-to-date;
Support the delivery of our regular volunteer inductions and social gatherings, to make our
network as inclusive and welcoming as possible;
Create colourful, powerful communications – digital content including blogs, YouTube
videos, Instagram images, diary pages, Facebook and Twitter posts, case studies and
blast emails; as well as content such as posters, newsletters, programmes and flyers – to
facilitate the delivery of Love Your Neighbour;
Present on North London Cares’ purpose and core activities to existing and potential
partners in the community – including to potential new groups of older neighbours and
volunteers; 

Be agile to the dynamism required of a fast-growing charity, seizing new opportunities to
further our reach and impact as they arise.
REQUIRED SKILLS
You are outgoing and confident working with a full spectrum of people – and you
encapsulate the “Cares” ethos by relating to young professionals and older neighbours
simultaneously;
You are professionally agile, and able to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of a small but
growing charity operating in a volatile time;
You have high quality written and verbal skills, and are confident creating important
materials to promote North London Cares’ work externally;
You have the flexibility to work an average of six evenings a month and occasional
weekends in order to deliver your work, with time off provided in lieu;
You are able to obtain a clear DBS certification (provided).

DESIRABLE SKILLS
You are charismatic, fun, warm, approachable, self-starting, confident, outgoing, creative,
sensitive, determined, ambitious, flexible, resilient, discreet, organised and professional;
You have experience working in a small or medium sized organisation and are comfortable
working alone as well as in a team;
You’re an authentic, high-quality communicator and storyteller – with the ability to build
relationships with diverse groups and individuals effectively and appropriately, from young
professionals to older neighbours, and key local and national partners (through written as
well as verbal communications);
You have a good understanding of the culture and socio-economic challenges facing North
London – and can relate to and build relationships with people from all backgrounds;
You have excellent skills and knowledge of using various common online and office tools to
enhance efficiency and improve results.

ROLE FEATURES
26 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
Staff counselling service
Travel covered
We seek to live our values in everything we do. We are actively seeking candidates
from diverse backgrounds who represent the communities we work in