We are looking for
people like you

Position: Support Worker / Van Driver (Part-time)

Location: Newbury, West Berkshire

Hours: 4 hours per week

Sessions: Wednesday 5.30pm–7.30pm and Saturday 4.30pm–6.30pm

Salary: Competitive, based on experience, paid on an hourly rate

Are you calm, confident and able to take the lead when situations become challenging?

Newbury Soup Kitchen is looking for a reliable and experienced Support Worker / Van Driver to lead our evening van sessions and support people experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping, sofa surf-ing, hardship and vulnerable housing.

Our converted Mercedes Sprinter provides freshly prepared hot meals, food provisions and a wel-coming, non-judgemental environment where people can access practical support, advice and sign-posting to other services.

This is an important role within our outreach service. As the lead worker, you will be responsible for ensuring the session runs safely and effectively, supporting volunteers and responding appropriately when situations become difficult or unpredictable.

Key Responsibilities

· Lead the evening van session and take responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of clients and volunteers.

· Drive our Mercedes Sprinter safely to and from each session.

· Set up and pack away the van and equipment correctly and safely.

· Welcome clients and build positive, respectful and professional relationships.

· Listen to people and identify where additional support may be needed.

· Provide practical information, advice and signposting to appropriate services.

· Take charge calmly and confidently in a crisis or challenging situation.

· Assess situations quickly and take appropriate action, including following safeguarding and emergency procedures.

· Manage challenging behaviour and maintain clear professional boundaries.

· Know when to seek additional support or contact emergency services.

· Support and reassure volunteers when dealing with difficult or challenging situations.

· Complete any required incident, safeguarding and session records.

· Report any concerns promptly to the wider Newbury Soup Kitchen team.

· Participate in debriefs and communicate relevant information following each session.

About You

We are looking for someone who is:

· Confident taking the lead and making decisions when situations become difficult or unpredict-able.

· Calm under pressure and able to remain professional in a crisis.

· Experienced in working with people who may be homeless, vulnerable or experiencing com-plex circumstances.

· Caring, approachable and non-judgemental.

· A good listener with strong communication skills.

· Able to maintain professional boundaries while building trust.

· Confident managing challenging behaviour and potential conflict.

· A confident driver with a full UK driving licence including C1 entitlement.

· Experienced driving a large van, or confident driving larger vehicles.

· Reliable and comfortable working independently as well as part of a team.

· Understanding of safeguarding and confidentiality.

· Able to complete basic paperwork and incident records accurately.

Experience in homelessness, outreach, support work, housing, health, emergency services or community services would be an advantage.

About Newbury Soup Kitchen

Newbury Soup Kitchen supports people experiencing homelessness, hardship and vulnerably housed in Newbury and West Berkshire.

We provide freshly prepared food alongside outreach, advocacy and practical support. Food is often the open door to building trust, allowing us to engage with people who may otherwise fall through the cracks and help them access the support they need.

Our van sessions provide a regular opportunity for people to have a hot meal, access food provisions, talk to our team and receive practical information and signposting.

This is a small part-time role, but an important one. You will be helping us provide much more than a meal, creating an opportunity for people to access support, build trust and move towards a safer and healthier future.

What We Offer

· A rewarding role within a growing local charity.

· The opportunity to make a real difference to people experiencing homelessness and hardship.

· A friendly and supportive team environment.

· The opportunity to work alongside experienced volunteers and partner organisations.

· Training and support appropriate to the role.

· DBS Enhanced for vulnerable Adults through West Berkshire Council Employment Check Service (Employment will only commence after this is back and clear)

How to Apply

If you are confident working with people in challenging circumstances, can take the lead when required and have the driving experience needed for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your CV and a brief cover letter or email outlining your relevant experience to vacancy@newburysoupkitchen.org.uk

Application Deadline: 5pm 23rd October 2026

Equal Opportunities Statement:

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received.

Newbury Soup Kitchen and looking to recruit a volunteer Trustee. Would you be interested?

The role would have the following responsibilities

1. Set an annual budget and forecast, monitoring monthly against actuals

2. Run forecast scenarios to support key decision-making

3. Review monthly management accounts (prepared by the external bookkeeper), reconciling to bank statements and payroll reports

4. Review and approve annual accounts for Charity Commission submission (prepared by the external bookkeeper)

5. Gift Aid claims to HMRC

6. Attend trustee meetings (every 6-8 weeks) and AGM, in person or on Zoom, providing financial updates and supporting the board of trustees with decision-making and strategy management

7. Trustee responsibilities as outlined in the attached

8. To become involved and attend some sessions to have a more in-depth knowledge of the charity