About The Connection at St Martin’s
We believe that no one should have to sleep rough on London’s streets, and that everyone should get the support they need to find a place to call home. We get to know every person we work with, understanding what they need to recover, helping them build on their strengths, and supporting them to find their own way home. Help us make London a city where no one sleeps rough on our streets.
London’s diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London’s diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.
We particularly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience of homelessness who we believe are an essential asset in our sector.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and welcome the opportunity to consider flexible working arrangements.
About the Role
At The Connection Community, just off Trafalgar Square, we provide a safe and welcoming space where people can find respite from street homelessness, build social connections, and access vital support. Our multi-disciplinary team is dedicated to reducing the harms associated with rough sleeping, fostering inclusion, and empowering individuals to move towards stability and independent living.
As part of our creative and committed team, you’ll play a key role in:
• Building trusting relationships with people facing multiple exclusion.
• Understanding peoples’ needs and providing harm minimisation support.
• Helping individuals take steps towards securing a place to call home.
• Contributing to a pioneering new approach to homelessness support in Westminster.
We see relationships as the key tool for change. As a Community Practitioner you will build relationships of trust and solidarity that will help people to access our comprehensive professional support network, including NHS health services, DWP benefits advisors, migration specialists, and drug and alcohol support teams – all offering their services inside the Community.
Together we are piloting a psychologically-informed, trauma-responsive model with an embedded specialist NHS psychology team. This means you’ll receive high-quality training, 1:1 consultations, and reflective practice to enhance your skills, and to support you and your team to pioneer best practice in homelessness services.
Salary: £36,380
Closing Date: 18th January 2026
Interview Date: 26th January 2026
This is a fixed term contract until 31/12/2026.
Our Benefits
· 30 days holiday plus bank holidays
· Generous training budget, plus an annual personal training budget
· Enhanced Sick Pay Policy
· Enhanced family friendly policies
· Day off for moving house
· Hybrid working (depending on role requirements)
· Pension – 5% Employer, 3% Employee
· Cycle to Work Scheme
· Season Ticket Loan
· Employee Assistance Programme
· Reward Gateway (access to discount vouchers and cashback at the UK’s favourite retailers)
We are a London Living Wage employer
Registered Charity 
51 - 100
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Benefits: 39 days annual leave (including bank holidays), company pension
Lead. Inspire. Serve. Transform Lives.
Are you a Christian leader with a heart for young people and a passion for community transformation?
Do you believe in the God-given value and potential of every person?
Are you ready to guide one of the country’s oldest and most trusted Christian youth movements into its next chapter?
YMCA North Staffordshire is seeking an exceptional Christian Chief Executive Officer to lead our mission, embody our values, and continue shaping a movement that is transforming the lives of thousands of young people and families.
With a proud 160-year history and an award-winning campus at the heart of Stoke-on-Trent, this is a rare opportunity to lead a charity that is deeply rooted in Christian faith, committed to radical inclusion, and driven by a vision where all young people can belong, contribute and thrive.
Our Christian Vision and Values
YMCA North Staffordshire is an inclusive Christian movement.
Our mission flows directly from our faith and is grounded in four core values:
PROTECT
We provide sanctuary and safety, ensuring every young person feels seen, valued, and respected.
HOPE
We see young people not through the lens of their past, but their God-given potential.
PERSEVERE
We walk with young people through challenges, setbacks, and breakthroughs.
TRUST
We act with integrity, accountability, and belief in the dignity of every human being.
Because these values are Christian in origin and practice, and because the CEO is the guardian of our mission, this role has a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) for the postholder to be a practising Christian.
About the Role
Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the CEO will lead an organisation of 130 staff, a £5m+ budget, and a £35m estate, helping strengthen community through youth development, education, housing, healthy living, and social responsibility.
The next CEO will:
- Provide strategic leadership to deliver the 2026–2029 Business Plan
- Champion youth voice and empowerment in all areas of work
- Sustain and grow financial strength, partnerships, and social enterprise
- Uphold and deepen our Christian identity, ensuring values-led practice
- Drive innovation, digital transformation, and organisational development
- Represent YMCA NS locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally
- Be a visible advocate for young people in Stoke-on-Trent
- Strengthen our “village” culture: welcoming, relational, rooted in Ubuntu and Asset-Based Community Development principles (ABCD).
Purpose of the Role
To lead YMCA North Staffordshire in fulfilling its Christian mission, as described in the Associations charitable objectives
We develop young people; they develop their world.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic leadership in alignment with Board governance
- Upholding Christian ethos, values, and culture across the organisation
- Financial stewardship, compliance, and sustainability
- Community development and partnership building
- Youth advocacy and empowerment
- Oversight of housing, programmes, and impact measurement
- Staff leadership, pastoral care, and organisational culture
- External representation and communications
Person Specification – Summary
Knowledge
- Housing, youth services, and community development
- Charity law, governance, safeguarding
- Understanding of Christian ministry, mission, and values
- Organisational development and change leadership
Experience
- Senior leadership in values-led or Christian settings
- Track record of strategic development and organisational growth
- Experience working with young people, housing, or community sectors
- Experience nurturing Christian ethos across a diverse organisation
Skills & Abilities
- Inspirational leadership and people development
- Strategic planning and delivery
- Excellent communicator and ambassador
- Partnership building and stakeholder engagement
- Ability to articulate and embody Christian faith
- Deep commitment to Christian values and the Aims & Purposes of the YMCA
The Leader We Are Looking For
The landscape for young people is changing — and so must we.
We need a CEO who is:
- Faith-filled and prayerful
- Values-driven and courageous
- Relational, compassionate, and community-minded
- A champion of excellence, innovation, and good governance
- Grounded in Christian mission and committed to radical inclusion
- Able to inspire hope, build trust, and persevere through challenge
As George Williams, YMCA’s founder, said:
“You are not alone, and you can be more.”
Our next CEO must believe this not only for themselves — but for every young person we serve.
How to apply
An application pack can be found at the YMCA North Staffordshire website. This role is subject to enhanced DBS and reference checks.
Key Recruitment Dates
- Closing Date: 18th January 2026
- Interviews: Week commencing 9th February 2026
We are a safe recruitment Organisation and an Equal Opportunities Employer, we run the disability confident guaranteed interview scheme.
We are an organisation with Christian values, committed to Equality and Diversity in the Workplace. YMCA is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.