Welcome, and thanks for your interest in the role of Chief Operating Officer at Trussell.
Trussell is an anti-poverty charity and community of food banks. We work together to ensure no one in the UK needs a food bank to survive, while providing emergency food and practical support for people left without enough money to live on. We are in 1,400 food bank locations, supported by 40,000 volunteers, 12,000 churches, 100,000s of community groups and schools, some of the UK’s biggest companies, and millions of people around the UK.
The work of food banks is inspiring, but it shouldn’t be needed.
It isn’t right that anyone should experience hunger or poverty, and we all have a responsibility to stand alongside people in financial crisis. Our staff, volunteers, and the community of food banks that we support are galvanised by this responsibility, and by our values of compassion, justice, community and dignity.
We are approaching the end of our current 5 year strategy, and despite the extraordinarily challenging context in which we’ve been operating, we’ve been able to deliver incredible impact, including:-
- Unlocking around £500m in income gains and debt managed for people experiencing hunger and hardship;
- Securing a manifesto commitment to end the mass dependence on food parcels from the UK government, and shaping the Scottish Government’s plan to end the need for food banks in Scotland;
- Spearheading a shift in attitudes and awareness amongst the public, so that 87% now believe that the social security system should ensure that everybody can afford the essentials; while
- Ensuring that people in crisis today are supported, enabling the distribution of over 13 million 3-day emergency food parcels.
So much of this work is underpinned by an outstanding team of staff and volunteers at Trussell, who are passionate about delivering our mission alongside the food banks we serve. As Chief Operating Officer, you’ll play a vital role in making sure that as an organisation, we’re able to be as effective and impactful as possible – leveraging all of our resources and ensuring that Trussell remains a fantastic, values-driven place to work.
From October, we’ll be moving into our new 5 year strategy, and we’ve got ambitious plans which span 8 programmes of work. As part of our Executive Team, you’ll be working with our Chief Programme Officer, our Board of Trustees and us as Co-CEOs to bring strategic leadership and oversight of the realisation of this strategy, shaping its internal and external delivery, so that together, we can make maximum progress towards our strategic vision of a UK without the need for food banks.
Working with Trussell means you’ll be making a real difference to the lives of millions of people across the UK. If you have the passion, drive and skills to help us continue our vital work and achieve our vision please get in touch.
Emma and Matthew
Co-CEOs