Corporate Partnerships Volunteer

Location: Hybrid (London SE1 and remote)
Time Commitment: Flexible, approximately 2 plus hours per week
Reports to: Founder / Board of Trustees

 

About Plateful Café

Plateful Café is a registered charity (1202710) that empowers refugees and people seeking asylum to rebuild their lives through hospitality training, work experience, employment opportunities, and community connections.

 

Using food as a tool for inclusion, we provide accredited training, paid employment opportunities, community meals, and catering services that showcase the skills, cultures, and talents of people who have sought sanctuary in the UK.

 

As we enter an exciting period of growth, we are seeking a Corporate Partnerships Volunteer to help us build meaningful relationships with businesses that share our commitment to inclusion, opportunity, and social impact.

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience in business development, corporate partnerships, account management, sales, CSR, philanthropy, or fundraising to use their skills to make a tangible difference in the lives of refugees.

 

You will play a key role in helping Plateful Café develop relationships with local and national businesses, generating support through corporate donations, sponsorship, employee volunteering, catering contracts, and long-term strategic partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Corporate Engagement

• Identify and research prospective corporate partners aligned with Plateful Café’s mission.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of potential supporters and business contacts.
• Introduce Plateful Café to local businesses, corporate foundations, and employers.
• Arrange introductory meetings and networking opportunities.
• Support the development of corporate partnership proposals and presentations.

 

Income Generation

• Help secure financial donations, sponsorships, and in-kind support.
• Identify opportunities for corporate grant funding and charitable giving programmes.
• Promote employee fundraising opportunities and workplace giving schemes.
• Explore sponsorship opportunities for training programmes, events, and community activities.

 

Catering and Enterprise Development

• Promote Plateful Café’s corporate catering services to local businesses.
• Identify opportunities for meetings, events, lunches, conferences, and hospitality catering.
• Support the development of long-term catering relationships and repeat customers.
• Help position Plateful Café as a preferred socially responsible catering supplier.

 

Employee Volunteering and Skills Sharing

• Develop opportunities for corporate volunteering.
• Encourage businesses to provide mentoring, employability support, and workplace visits for our trainees.
• Build relationships that create pathways into employment for refugees completing our training programmes.

 

Strategic Support

• Provide advice on corporate engagement and relationship management.
• Help strengthen our corporate partnership strategy.
• Support impact reporting and stewardship of existing partners where required.

We Are Looking For Someone Who Has

Essential

• Experience working in a corporate environment, business development, account management, sales, marketing, CSR, partnerships, fundraising, or a related field.
• Excellent networking and relationship-building skills.
• Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders and business leaders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and proactively.
• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and supporting refugees.

 

Desirable

• Experience within the charity or not-for-profit sector.
• Knowledge of corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG, or social value initiatives.
• Experience securing sponsorships, partnerships, or fundraising income.
• Existing business networks in London.
• Experience developing corporate volunteering programmes.

 

What You Will Gain

• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of refugees and people seeking asylum.
• Experience supporting a growing and ambitious social enterprise charity.
• The chance to shape and influence our corporate partnerships strategy.
• Opportunities to meet business leaders, charity professionals, and community partners.
• A reference and recognition for your contribution.
• The satisfaction of helping create employment opportunities and brighter futures for people rebuilding their lives in the UK.

Our Values

At Plateful Café, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to contribute, belong, and thrive. We celebrate diversity, value lived experience, and use food to bring communities together.

 

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from individuals with experience of migration, displacement, or supporting diverse communities.