Eat Smart and Education Champion

Join REfUSE and help young people lead the fight against food waste!

We’re looking for an inspiring educator to engage young people and deliver our award-winning Eat Smart programme in primary schools across County Durham and Sunderland.

• 30 hours per week
• £28,760 pro rata
• Contract to at least March 2028

If you are passionate about sustainability and empowering children to take action, this could be your perfect role.

REfUSE is an award-winning social enterprise based in Chester le Street, working towards a healthier, more sustainable food system. We intercept around 8 tonnes of food per month that would otherwise go to waste and turn it into healthy, accessible meals, served on a “Pay-as-You-Feel” basis at our volunteer-run community cafe. With a community of over 150 volunteers, we run regular restaurant nights, sell Waste Not Box food hampers, and run education and engagement projects including our Eat Smart programme which engages primary school pupils in the causes of and solutions to food waste in their schools.

We are raising awareness, inspiring, and empowering people towards community-led transformation of our food system in the North-East. Our vision is to reveal the true value of things, places and people that are unjustly wasted or overlooked.

Will you join us?

We are looking for an Eat Smart and Education Champion who will lead the delivery of our engagement with young people and who will also be responsible for delivery of the Eat Smart programme with primary schools in County Durham and Sunderland.

About our Engagement work

A key part of REfUSE’s five-year strategy is for young people to understand the issues in our community around food and food waste, that they are equipped with the skills to make change in their own lives, and that they have the confidence and capacity to advocate for change in their wider communities. To support this, we deliver engaging workshops and activities in the REfUSE cafe and warehouse for youth groups and other visitors, and take activities out to youth clubs and to other events.

About Eat Smart

Eat Smart is a successful primary school educational programme designed by BINDUK, delivered by REfUSE to inspire children and schools to reduce food waste and build sustainable food systems. We deliver engaging resources and learning experiences that empower schools and pupils to take action, have more ownership of their kitchens/dinner halls, improve student wellbeing, and have increased environmental awareness.

Since 2022, Eat Smart at REfUSE has enabled 20 schools in Durham and Sunderland to rescue their food waste by over 23%, equivalent to saving 2,400 meals worth over £6,000 per school per year and are working with our partners to affect school food procedure and policy on a regional and national level.

We have funding to work with our community and schools in County Durham and Sunderland until March 2028, with the option to extend beyond this subject to funding.

Role description

The purpose of the Eat Smart and Education Champion role is to lead on the delivery of REfUSE’s engagement strategy with young people; to raise awareness about food waste and to enable young people to take action to prevent food going to waste. Primarily through leading the delivery of the Eat Smart project in primary schools in Durham and Sunderland, this will also be achieved through leading REfUSE’s outreach programme for young people.

All REfUSE staff team members must work as part of the REfUSE staff team, attending team meetings, working in partnership with other staff members where necessary, and contributing to the development of REfUSE to meet its financial, environmental and social objectives.

We are looking for someone who can inspire others, communicate well, and bring strong organisation to their work. Because the role is supported but largely self-directed, you’ll need to be confident in managing your own workload and staying effective under pressure.

Main duties

• Responsible for leading the delivery of the Eat Smart project in County Durham and Sunderland, ensuring it meets its intended outcomes
• Recruiting primary schools to Eat Smart and arranging delivery of sessions
• Delivering assemblies, Food Awareness workshops and Waste Warrior meetings with primary school pupils to ensure their active participation in the planning and decision making process
• Holding meetings with senior school staff, teachers and kitchen staff to ensure the whole school is engaged in the project
• Generating and organising food waste data to produce bespoke reports for each school
• Co-designing interventions to reduce food waste with pupils and school staff
• Leading meetings with other organisations to make changes to school meals e.g. catering companies, local authorities, school trusts
• Delivering Eat Smart Plus, the legacy element of Eat Smart in the most engaged schools
• Liaising and managing partner organisations delivering elements of Eat Smart
• Delivering an annual Eat Smart celebration and awards event
• Training and managing Engagement volunteers to assist with delivery of Eat Smart and other engagement outreach activities
• Planning, promoting and delivering REfUSE engagement outreach programme for young people, including visits to REfUSE, with the support of a team of volunteers
• Supporting REfUSE engagement outreach at external public events
• Monitoring of programme performance and supporting reporting to our funders
• Promoting REfUSE engagement through social media channels
• Ensuring an excellent and professional relationship is maintained with schools, community groups and other organisations
• Attending regular REfUSE staff team meetings, monthly check-in with a member of the Senior Management Team, and twice termly Eat Smart meetings
• Undertaking any other tasks or duties that may reasonably be required

If you’re a committed and creative educator who believes in empowering young people to take action – and you’re excited by the idea of joining a team reshaping how we value food – this role could be a brilliant fit for you.