Location: London – in person at Plateful Café events and activities, with some remote work
Commitment: Flexible, typically 2–4 hours a week plus agreed attendance at selected events, including occasional evenings or weekends
Reports to: Plateful Café communications lead / designated coordinator

Purpose of the role

We are looking for a proactive, creative volunteer to tell Plateful Café’s story as it happens. The priority is to attend our catering events, community meals, markets, pop-ups and training activities; capture strong short-form video and photographs; interview people involved; and turn that material into timely, engaging social media posts. The volunteer will also spot relevant news, cultural moments and conversations and suggest content that connects these thoughtfully to our mission.

Main responsibilities

Attend, film and publish: Attend agreed activities regularly; capture authentic footage and photos and create short videos, reels, stories and posts that show our food, people and impact. Produce and publish content promptly after events, in line with agreed access and approvals.
Interview our community: Arrange and conduct short, respectful interviews with chefs, cooks, volunteers, trainees and partners; draw out their skills, experiences and perspectives; turn interviews into video clips, quotes and stories.
Suggest topical content: Follow relevant news and conversations about refugees, hospitality, employment, community, food and local London events. Propose creative, accurate posts and campaigns that fit Plateful Café’s voice and avoid politicising or misrepresenting anyone’s story.
Plan and manage posts: Contribute to a shared content calendar; suggest a mix of event coverage, behind-the-scenes material, impact stories, training updates, community meals, catering promotion and fundraising calls to action. Draft captions, select images, edit video and schedule/publish approved posts.
Work collaboratively: Coordinate with event organisers, the training and catering team and other communications volunteers to know what is happening and what needs coverage. Share usable content files, captions and permissions records in the agreed shared folders.
Monitor and improve: Review basic engagement metrics monthly; highlight posts that perform well and recommend practical improvements.

Safeguarding, consent and editorial standards

Always ask for informed permission before filming, interviewing or publishing identifiable people, and follow Plateful Café’s safeguarding, privacy and photo/video consent procedures. Participation must be voluntary; do not assume refugees or people seeking asylum are comfortable sharing names, faces, immigration status or personal histories. Avoid publishing sensitive personal information or location details without approval. Check quotes and factual claims, use respectful language, and obtain coordinator approval for sensitive or potentially controversial posts. Use charity accounts and equipment/access only as authorised.

Skills and qualities

Confident filming and editing short-form videos using a smartphone; comfortable creating posts for Instagram, Facebook and/or LinkedIn.
Good storytelling, interviewing, writing and interpersonal skills; able to put people at ease.
Awareness of relevant media and social trends, paired with good judgement and sensitivity.
Reliable event attendance in London and ability to work independently to agreed deadlines.
Commitment to Plateful Café’s mission and respectful representation of refugees and people seeking asylum.

Desirable: experience with Canva, CapCut or similar editing tools; content planning and analytics; photography; community or charity communications.

What success looks like

Regular coverage of agreed events; timely reels and posts; a growing bank of consented interviews and usable footage; a steady flow of topical ideas; and content that helps more people discover, support and book Plateful Café. Specific activity targets will be agreed with the volunteer according to availability and the events calendar.

What you will gain

Practical experience in video, interviewing, storytelling and charity communications; portfolio-worthy work subject to permissions; the chance to meet talented people from many backgrounds; support and learning opportunities within a collaborative volunteer team.

Expenses and application

Reasonable pre-agreed travel expenses are reimbursed in line with the current volunteer expenses policy. To apply, please email a short introduction, your CV or relevant experience, and examples of social media posts/videos (if available) to [email protected].

This is an unpaid volunteer opportunity, not an employment position. Activities and availability will be agreed flexibly.

About Plateful Café

Plateful Café is a refugee-supporting charity that helps refugees and people seeking asylum develop hospitality skills, confidence and connections through training, catering and community food events. We bring people together through food and share the talents and experiences of the people involved in our work.

Social Media & Content Creator (Volunteer)