Community Cafe Assistant

IHours per week: 12 hours inc rota’d weekend work

Rate of Pay/Salary: £12.60 per hour (& Benefits)

Type of Contract: Permanent

Imagine being part of a global movement that’s transforming lives right here in North Tyneside, Teesdale and RAF Leeming. At YMCA North Tyneside, we’re more than just an organization – we’re a community. We believe in the potential of every individual, and we’re dedicated to creating spaces where everyone can hope, belong, contribute, and thrive. Join us and be a part of something truly meaningful.

Step into a legacy of positive change. YMCA North Tyneside is part of a powerful global network, with roots stretching back to 1844. We’re proud to be part of the world’s largest and oldest youth movement, impacting 64 million lives annually across 119 countries. Here, you’ll be part of a team driven by strong values, working to build a brighter future for our local communities.

The Role

Overview:

Join our dedicated team at the heart of the community, where every cup of coffee and meal served helps people thrive! Our Community Café at Lipscomb Hall, Cockfield, Teesdale, is more than just a place to eat; it’s an inclusive hub that provides healthy, delicious, and incredibly affordable food (from breakfast and lunch to barista coffee and cakes) while fostering hope, connection, and growth.

As a Community Café Assistant, you’ll be key to ensuring the experience for every customer, volunteer, and learner is truly exceptional. You will work alongside and inspire learners pursuing catering and hospitality qualifications, volunteers, apprentices, and those gaining work experience. This role isn’t just about technical skills; it’s about using your passion for food and people to serve with love and empower others to believe in their potential.

Who are we looking for:

We’re looking for an authentic and compassionate individual who is ready to serve with love and help our community thrive! You’ll be a warm and trusted friend and an encouraging mentor rolled into one, dedicated to using food and connection to inspire positive change.

Core Qualities:

• A Passionate & Skilled Cook: You should have experience working in a respected café or catering environment and possess the ability (or a strong willingness to learn) to prepare and cook meals from scratch. You should hold a relevant food hygiene certificate (or a strong willingness to achieve this).

• A Warm Communicator: You possess excellent communication skills that are calm, relaxed, encouraging, and supportive. You have the natural ability to talk to people from all walks of life —from community members to visiting partners—making everyone feel seen, respected, and welcome.

• Customer Service Champion: You have a genuine desire to deliver excellent customer service and are committed to ensuring every interaction is friendly, open, and genuine.

• Flexible & Willing to Grow: You have a willingness to develop and learn new skills, reflecting our forward-thinking spirit. You also need to be flexible around days of work, including weekend shifts on a rota basis, and be prepared to cover staff absences.

You’ll be the person who helps everyone—customers, volunteers, and staff—to feel hopeful, connected, and empowered to make a difference.

Key Details:

• Create a Warm and Welcoming Environment: Use your friendly, approachable nature to make our Community Café the go-to place for quality food and customer service, ensuring it’s a safe, clean, and attractive space to visit and belong.

• Deliver Exceptional Food Service: Prepare, cook, and present food in the highest possible way. We aim to offer more than just a hearty meal—we want to inspire joy and positive well-being through the look, feel, and taste of every item served.

• Champion Our Team and Community: Show a caring, compassionate attitude towards volunteers and community members so they feel valued. Your support will help them respond positively to the work environment, enabling them to grow and succeed in what they do.

• Build Connections and Customer Trust: Actively build relationships with our customers, ensuring they receive a consistently high standard of service and feel connected and happy.

• Innovate and Grow: We are forward-thinking! Review and make suggestions for new and improved ways to get the most out of the experience for both volunteers and customers alike.

• Live Our Values: Demonstrate the values of Thrive, Believe, Inspire, and Serve at all times, and cross-promote our other services to show the work we do to transform lives holistically.

• Support Day-to-Day Operations: Work closely with the team to deliver food and drink, upholding exceptional standards of cleanliness, quality, and availability of food and drink, cashing up, record keeping, and other essential tasks (e.g., stock taking, preparing food, banking) to keep the café thriving.

• Ensure Safety First: Work in a way that prioritises the Health & Safety of everyone within our café environment.

To Apply: Visit this link below for our online application form

http://bit.ly/YMCAonlineapp 

Closing date: please apply online by 12th December 2025

Interviews: if you are successful interviews will be week commencing 15th December 2025

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We strive to create a safe and supportive environment where everyone feels protected from harm. We have robust procedures in place to prevent and address any concerns about abuse or neglect. All staff and volunteers have a responsibility to report any concerns about the safety or welfare of children, young people, or vulnerable adults. We have clear reporting procedures and we will take all concerns seriously. 

As part of our commitment to safer recruitment, all roles that involve working with children, young people or vulnerable adults will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at the appropriate level including checks against the relevant Barred Lists. We are committed to thorough background checks to help ensure that those whom we employ are suitable to work with these groups.

Equal Opportunities

YMCA North Tyneside is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst the workforce. We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.  Flexible work is supported, and applications from people with disabilities are encouraged. We strive to create local employment opportunities for all

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

We believe in providing equal opportunities for all qualified individuals, regardless of their background. We recognise that people can change and we are committed to giving individuals with criminal records a fair chance to demonstrate their skills and abilities. 

We assess each applicant based on their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the role, taking into account the nature of the offense, the time elapsed since the conviction, and any evidence of rehabilitation. 

We are dedicated to creating a workplace that fosters inclusion and supports the successful reintegration of individuals into the workforce. We comply with all relevant legislation and guidelines regarding the employment of ex-offenders and we are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful work environment for all employee