Could you be the spark that’s needed to create change within a community? Do you want to inspire and motivate others to make a positive difference in their area? If yes, then you could find great satisfaction in a role as a Member Pioneer.
Member Pioneers are responsible for supporting and bringing communities together. They listen to local people, identify their needs, and try to work out how to make a community a better place to live, play, and learn. By introducing local people to local projects, charities, and causes, Member Pioneers are able to help improve lives.
In every community, there are things that can be done to make a difference, but the job of the Member Pioneer is to uncover these things and support people on their journey to making that difference.
What does a Member Pioneer do?
Typical tasks include:
- Identifying key themes and areas for improvement within a community.
- Developing an action plan that’ll improve community wellbeing.
- Making connections with community forums – or establishing and running your own.
- Building strong local contacts and using social media to get involved with community conversation.
- Encouraging people to get involved with activities whilst supporting these activities to get off the ground.
- Prioritising your time and focusing on opportunities to make the biggest difference.
What skills do I need to become a Member Pioneer?
The right person will:
- Be enthusiastic and have the ability to get things moving.
- Have a strong interest in all things community-focused.
- Inspire and motivate people through their communication style.
- Love working with and connecting with people.
- Be able to prioritise their time and remain focused on a long term goal.
- Be confident using different social media platforms.
- Have good basic IT skills – ideally with experience using collaborative tools like the Google suite or Zoom.
- Have commitment and dedication.
What will I love about being a Member Pioneer?
- Creating a sense of community spirit amongst people living in an area.
- Seeing a community start to thrive as you bring people together.
- The social aspect – working closely with people from all different walks of life.
- Making a difference to people’s lives by supporting local project, causes, and charities.
Are there opportuities to progress?
Once you’ve gained experience as a Member Pioneer, you may want to move on to a Coordinator role where you will lead and support a team of Member Pioneers, helping them to plan and coordinate activities in their local communities.
What's life as a Member Pioneer really like?
“There are so many reasons to become a Member Pioneer but for me, it was to be part of my community and help make a difference. It makes me feel proud to help my community in a grassroots way to achieve what they want by co-producing projects that make a difference.”
Fiona Mac, Member Pioneer for Coop
How do I get started?
You don’t need any formal qualifications or previous experience to apply for a role as a Member Pioneer – just the capability and passion to do a good job.
Co-op is currently looking for a range of Member Pioneers to support different communities across the UK. You’d be bringing together Co-op members, colleagues, local causes, and charities to make your community a better place to be.
So if you’d like to help people make the most of their local area, then why not search for available opportunities near you?
Did you find this page helpful? We always love to hear from you. Join the conversation over on the Rest Less community forum or leave a comment below.
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