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Vacancy: Organiser in Lewisham

Do you have roots or strong connections in Lewisham? Do you want to help stop renters from getting ripped off by dodgy landlords and estate agents, or getting priced out of the borough all together? Do you believe in the power of community to get organised and create change?

We know that landlords are raking it in while gentrification is changing our borough. Lots of us are angry about how areas like Deptford and Lewisham Town Centre are changing and the way that people are being pushed out from their communities. Council houses are impossible to come by. 

Would you like to be an organiser with the London Renters Union? 

We’re hiring two organisers to support our branches to develop and build their power. For the first year at least, one of these organisers will be working mainly to support our Lewisham branch. After 3 months or so, both organisers will also support one other group. The branches and/or groups that each organiser is supporting will be reviewed and may be changed each year. 

Ideally, you’ll have some experience helping people get inspired and involved in issues that matter to them, you’ll know the ins and outs of Lewisham  and be comfortable building new relationships and helping people feel stronger by coming together for a cause.

Above all else, we’re looking for people who believe in the power of community to get organised and create change and who can inspire and empower our members to organise collective struggles. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you, even if you’ve never done this kind of job before.

The deadline for applications is 8pm on February 4. Ideally, successful candidates will be available to start in March.

We’re currently recruiting for three positions. Read more info about the LRU and the other roles here.

Main responsibilities

  • Supporting the emergence, growth and collective leadership of one LRU branch and according to a democratically agreed plan.
  • Providing some support to one other London Renters Union group or branch.
  • Supporting renters to take action against estate agents, landlords and other power holders who profit from the housing crisis.
  • Recruiting renters to join the London Renters Union and supporting others to do this.
  • Ensuring the Branch is reaching a wide range of renters through street outreach and other methods and is rooted in the community.
  • Empowering renters facing marginalisation and deprivation to participate and lead the branch.
  • Contributing to the union’s collective management processes (25% of time).

Who we’re looking for


We’re not expecting anyone to meet all of these criteria, but the ideal candidate will have a good mix of the following:

Essential

  • Ability to empower people to participate in and lead collective struggle, including people who face oppression.
  • Understanding how to organise people in a community towards a shared goal.
  • Passionate about the London Renters Union and building the power of private renters to win better housing conditions.
  • Active involvement in movements or community campaigns for social justice. 
  • Ability to speak and build trust with people in the area and different organisations. 
  • Understanding of the housing crisis in London and its impacts on people and communities in Lewisham.
  • Commitment to working with honesty and integrity and to equal opportunities and opposing oppression.
  • Self-motivation and ability to prioritise tasks and work to urgent deadlines in an unstructured environment and able to work independently as well as in a team.
  • Ability to keep boundaries and help look after yourself and those you’re organising with, when doing stressful work.

Desirable

  • Local connections and excellent knowledge of Lewisham
  • Understanding of different approaches to organising and building power. 
  • Experience of supporting others to get involved and take on leadership in groups or issues.
  • Experience of coaching others to carry out organising work. 
  • Experience of supporting people and groups to make plans together and get organised around shared concerns
  • Facilitation skills. 
  • Experience of developing and giving training or sharing learning with others. 
  • Strong social media experience.

Terms and conditions

  • The pay is £24,277 per year. The post is 30 hours per week usually spread over 4 days. LRU workers are expected to be available to work some evenings and weekends. 
  • This position fixed term for 2 years, with the intention of the role becoming permanent depending on the union’s financial situation.
  • There is a 6-month review period.
  • Workers receive 23 days of paid holiday each year plus bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year. Sick pay is provided. 
  • The LRU provides its workers with up to £100 per month towards counselling. 
  • A phone and reasonable expenses are provided. 
  • Membership of the LRU is not open to landlords or people who carry out evictions. 
  • The LRU provides a 3% pension contribution. 
  • The post is based at the LRU office in Liverpool Street with frequent travel around Lewisham and elsewhere in the city. 

Full job description

All the information you need to apply on is on this webpage. If you’d like more detail about what the role involves, you can download the full job description.

How to apply

The application form for all positions is here: https://londonrentersunion.org/job-application-form/

The deadline for applications is 8pm on February 4. Interviews are scheduled to take place during the week starting February 10. 

We know that applying for jobs can be stressful so we want to do everything we can to support people to apply and to reduce the burden on applicants. Please contact us using the address workwithus@londonrentersunion.org if you have any questions or if we can support you to apply in any way. 

To apply, please provide a CV and a covering letter explaining why you are applying for the role(s) and how you feel you meet each of the points of the “Who we’re looking for” section of the job advertisement. The cover letter shouldn’t be longer than two pages of A4.

If you’re worried that you might not be able to get across your motivation or experiences well in a letter, you can send a short video instead if that’s easier. Please make sure you still try to explain how you feel you meet each of the points in the “Who we’re looking for” section of the job ad. Please still do send through a CV. 

Please upload your CV and covering letter or video using the application form. It is okay to apply for more than one position. If you are applying for more than one position, you are welcome to upload different cover letters or videos but this is not necessary.

LRU aims to recruit people based on the merit of their application. Where two people are equally qualified for a position, we try to give preference to applicants who come from communities that are less represented in the union or most directly affected by the housing crisis. 

Please contact us using the address workwithus@londonrentersunion.org if you have any questions or would like any support to apply for the roles we’re currently advertising.

JOIN THE LONDON RENTERS UNION

We’re a members-led, campaigning union and we’re taking action to make sure all Londoners have a decent, affordable and secure home. Join our community today and become part of the movement to transform the housing system.

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