CLOSED: Administration and Communications Assistant, National Community Land Trust Network

Why join us

Would you like to work in a dynamic organisation that is behind a growing movement of people building genuinely and permanently affordable homes and is part of a cutting-edge collaboration to scale up community-led housing?

Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are a vital force for social good. They are local organisations set up and run by local people to develop and manage homes as well as other assets important to that community, like community enterprises, food growing or workspaces. The CLT’s main task is to make sure the homes are genuinely affordable, based on what people actually earn in their area, not just for now but for every future occupier.

CLTs are part of a wider community-led housing movement that has gained momentum over recent years, particularly following the commitment from Government to invest £60 million a year in the sector. The sector is now on the cusp of significant expansion and there is real potential to move it from a niche emerging market into the mainstream. To achieve that, the National CLT Network, as well as delivering its own strategic plan, has entered into a strategic collaboration with UK Cohousing and CDS Cooperatives on joint projects to scale up the community-led housing movement, and that includes rationalising and bringing together some of the back-office functions of the organisations to work in a smarter and more efficient way.

About the National CLT Network

The National CLT Network was established in 2010. As the national charity for CLTs in England and Wales, it represents and supports 225 CLTs nationwide and is a membership body. The National CLT Network provides funding, resources, training and advice for CLTs and works with Government, local authorities, lenders and funders to establish the best conditions for CLTs to grow and flourish. In the short time that the organisation has been around it has achieved a significant amount and it is known as one of the most effective lobbying organisations in Westminster.

Comprising a small, dedicated and ambitious team, the National CLT Network is now poised to begin a period of growth. It has an ambitious strategy to scale up the CLT sector and to develop the organisation into a strong, viable and resilient social business. It has recently secured funding from two major trusts to help achieve that goal.

About the role

This role will be central to the collaboration between the three organisations and will be essential to its success. It will play a key role in communicating with and supporting members, potential members and people interested in community-led housing, ensuring that they get helpful information and advice. It will provide essential administrative functions, including financial administration, and play a leading role in bringing together and rationalising the back-office functions of the organisations involved in the collaboration. The challenges and opportunities are manifold, including:

Providing an information hotline, ensuring all enquiries are dealt with professionally;
Working closely with colleagues to develop and deliver communications tools, such as newsletters, websites and social media platforms.
Providing administrative support for members, the office generally and for effective financial management;
Supporting the Boards, ensuring that meetings are well-administered and taking minutes;
Taking the initiative, making recommendations and delivering ways to bring together and rationalise the administration of each organisation to ensure they are efficient and run smoothly.

About you

This is an exciting and career-enhancing role. It could be the right opportunity for a range of potential candidates. Your motivations might be many and varied – from wanting to develop your career in communications and/or administration, to having a passion for housing or communities, or because you want more responsibility and the opportunity to work in a growing organisation where you can use your initiative and develop your potential. Whatever your motivations the National CLT Network would like to hear from you. Particularly if you: enjoy a variety of tasks and challenges; are a team player, a strong communicator, flexible and organised; enjoy improving systems and processes and have a strong attention to detail. You will also feel strongly about the importance of social justice and the difference that CLTs and community-led housing can make.