Advocacy advocate jobs in chelmsford, essex

We are looking for someone who cares deeply about what we do and the people we serve and will be driven, as we are, to radically change people’s lives for the better.

Job title: Head of Finance and Resources
Hours: Full-time 37 hours / week
Location: Flexible working between home and a London office base (if reinstated). The organisation currently works fully remotely with occasional travel to London for meetings, as required.
Travel required: Occasional, quarterly travel to London for all staff away days, attendance at in person Trustee meetings (c.2-4 per year currently), and attendance at in person Senior Management Team meetings (c.4-6 per year currently).
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £55k - £60k
Benefits: 25 days annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays, 6% pension contribution
Reports to: CEO
Direct Reports: Finance Officer

Are you looking for a new challenge and want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people with a visible difference?

Changing Faces are looking for someone with a strategic mindset, who will be a key member of the Senior Management Team and delivering on our two strategic goals:

• Everyone across the UK with a visible difference or disfigurement will have access to the support they need
• We will significantly increase everyone’s understanding and acceptance of visible difference and disfigurement, and reduce prejudice and discrimination

The new Head of Finance and Resources will have responsibility for a high-quality finance and business support service including managing HR, IT and facilities. We are a small organisation so you will need to be prepared to be operationally “hands-on”, and to work collaboratively and flexibly across the whole organisation to help enable our success. We are also always looking to improve our systems, and so the right candidate will also be passionate about continual development of processes to best meet the needs of the organisation and those we support.

Overall Purpose of the Role

• Responsible for leading and managing a high-quality finance and business support service encompassing IT, HR, and Facilities.
• To play a leading role as a member of the Leadership team to ensure Changing Faces achieves its strategic goals and vision.
• To continue the improvement in processes and systems within the Finance and Resources function to increase effectiveness, improve reporting, add value, and thereby reduce manual processes.

About Changing Faces

Changing Faces is the UK’s leading charity for everyone who has a mark, scar or condition that makes them look different (a visible difference). Being different in a society where there is such pressure to look a certain way is extremely difficult.

We provide unique practical, social and emotional support for people affected by visible difference; we challenge discrimination and campaign for a world that respects difference.

Our services build confidence and resilience – giving people the tools to manage their feelings, cope in different social settings, handle other people’s reactions or deal with life, education, work and relationships.

We won’t stop until everyone with a visible difference or disfigurement is supported and respected.

Equality and inclusion are at the heart of our mission and we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are always looking for talented people from all backgrounds, including those with a visible difference or disfigurement, to join us. In line with our commitments to equity, we are particularly seeking applications from People of Colour / BAME and LGBTIQA+ people. We have a flexible working culture which, as a member of the leadership team, this role will play a leading role overseeing. We are open to conversations about how this could apply to this role.

If you share our commitment, bring the skills and leadership qualities we are seeking and are excited by our vision we’d love to hear from you.

Application Timeline:

• Closing date: 11th August 2025
• Short-listing: 12th August 2025 – 15th August 2025
• Interview dates: TBC

Please note that the above timelines may be delayed depending on the number of applications received.

Interested? 

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position. 

No agencies please.

Job title: Professional Communities Manager

Reporting to: Director of Membership

Line Manager Responsibility for: Professional Communities Co-ordinator

Location: This is a remote UK-based role with regular travel to CST’s national and regional events, mainly in Birmingham and London. Candidates within reasonable travel distance to these locations are preferred.

Salary: £41,603 - £45,470 a year.

Pension: We offer a workplace pension and life assurance scheme. CST makes contributions equivalent to 10% of your gross salary.

Annual leave: Initially 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with an additional two days leave after three years’ service.

Working hours: Full-time 37.5 hours.

Application Closing Date: Wednesday 27th August 2025, 12 noon.

Interview Date: First stage interviews will be conducted on Tuesday 9th September 2025, second stage interviews will be conducted on Thursday 11th September 2025.

Job overview

The Professional Communities Manager leads the development, content curation, and operational delivery of CST’s 11 Professional Communities. These networks, events, and forums are a core benefit of CST membership and are provided free of charge to members.

This is a proactive, member-focused role that blends operational excellence with strategic content oversight. The postholder will work directly with community chairs, subject experts, community supporters, CST platinum partners and members to ensure that all communities are vibrant, professionally hosted, and deliver high-quality, relevant content.

The role also plays a key part in ensuring a joined-up approach to content across CST’s full range of activities, working closely with the professional learning and conference teams and partnerships to ensure alignment and maximise value for members.

Key responsibilities

 Strategic Development and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and implement strategic plans to strengthen the value, engagement, and content of CST Professional Communities.
• Set clear objectives and KPIs to monitor success and drive continuous improvement of community services.
• Regularly evaluate community activity, identifying ways to increase engagement, relevance, and impact for members.

Community Content Curation and Management

• Oversee the quality, consistency, and relevance of content across all 11 Professional Communities, ensuring alignment with member priorities and organisational objectives.
• Work in partnership with community chairs, subject experts, community supporters and CST’s platinum partnerships to proactively commission, curate, and quality-assure community content (e.g., webinars, blogs, resources, discussions).
• Work closely with the professional learning and conference teams to ensure a joined-up, coherent approach to content across CST activity, avoiding duplication and enhancing overall member value.
• Identify content gaps and work creatively, including drawing upon resources and contacts within the policy and partnership team to address them, ensuring a balanced and evolving programme across the communities.

Community Engagement and Facilitation

• Lead and facilitate virtual and in-person community events, ensuring professional delivery and high-quality member interaction.
• Support and brief speakers, chairs, and contributors to ensure a consistently excellent experience for members.
• Actively promote member engagement through community platforms and other channels, driving participation and interaction.

 Stakeholder Relationships

• Build and maintain strong relationships with CST members, community chairs, speakers, and supporters.
• Collaborate with internal colleagues across membership, communications, professional learning, policy, and conference teams to maximise the impact of community activities.
• Manage relationships with sponsors where appropriate, ensuring alignment with CST values.

Digital Platform and Event Management

• Oversee the effective use of digital and platforms (including CiviCRM and Hivebrite,) to host communities, deliver events, and share content.
• Manage operational aspects of events and online communities, ensuring smooth logistics and excellent user experience.

Data, Insight, and Reporting

• Monitor and report on community engagement, content performance, and member feedback, using data to guide improvements.
• Lead the ongoing development of data processes for the communities, ensuring accurate insights are captured and shared.

Team Leadership and Development

• Manage, develop, and support the Professional Communities Coordinator, fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Encourage learning and development across the team to ensure consistently excellent member service.

Adaptability and Wider Contribution

• Contribute to broader membership engagement strategies and initiatives.
• Undertake any other duties as required by the Director of Membership to support CST’s mission

About us 

We are an independent charity that supports, promotes and represents public libraries. Our work is driven and led by our membership, which includes almost every library service in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man).  

Across the areas we serve there are 176 individual library services with around 3,000 library branches serving over 61 million people. 

Our unique approach is to bring these services together to share experience, expertise and evidence – driving innovation and impact across the public library sector.

While senior library leaders sit on our board and committees, we work with library staff at all levels.

As well as providing practical support, training and advice to libraries, we represent them to government and raise their profile in the media. We also develop and lead national library projects with cultural, academic and corporate partners.  

We work to a strategic plan that runs until 2027, organised around four themes: drive, grow, connect and engage.  

We generate income from membership subscriptions, commissioned services, events and grants. As an Arts Council Investment Principle Support Organisation, part of our core funding in England comes from the Arts Council to help embed their Investment Principles across the library network.   

Our values 

• We are supportive. We respond to the varied, emerging needs of our members and their communities to enable libraries to learn from each other, and other sector leaders, so that they can safeguard and improve their services.  

• We are inclusive. We work with our members and partners to design and deliver our work and to determine our strategic priorities because we are committed to representing the diverse communities and libraries which we serve.  

• We are open. We are in constant communication with our members and partners on all levels to learn from their experiences, reflect on our practice and develop our services. We welcome challenge and new directions for our work.  

• We are ambitious. We believe that libraries are an essential part of the solution to a range of society’s needs. We promote innovation and collaboration to ensure that libraries are recognised locally and nationally.  

Working at Libraries Connected 

We are a friendly, collaborative team of around 20 staff based all around England and Wales. 

We value diversity and are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment. We strongly believe that inclusive and diverse organisations are not only better places to work, they are more innovative, make better decisions and are more successful. We value people who bring unique perspectives and knowledge to our team. 

We want to make our recruitment process as fair as possible. To reduce bias, we shortlist candidates based on their responses to up to six application questions. These are designed to tell us about your values, experience, attitudes to work, and transferable skills. We do not ask for a separate cover letter or supporting statement. 

We offer flexible working as standard, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities. Many of our staff work their hours in different ways, including flexi time and compressed hours. We are open to discussing what would work for you and be possible for the role. 

All roles are remote and are open to applicants who live anywhere in the UK. We provide staff with a home office set-up including laptop, monitor and phone. There is the option to work from our central London office or use a co-working space if it is not possible to work from home. 

We welcome requests for adjustments to our standard recruitment processes for anyone who needs them. 

Our Commercial Team 

We have a small commercial team with big ambitions for the sector.

Currently, we hold a single commercial contract worth around £3m per year delivered through 12 libraries. Our aim is to reach a point where we have a menu of commercial contracts that all of our 176 member library services can choose to benefit from according to the skills and assets of their service, their focus and strategy and of course the needs of their communities.

In the current funding climate for local authorities and local government services, these contracts are not just about the income and the services they can provide but about demonstrating nationally the power of the library sector, and how national services can be delivered locally through library services and the communities they serve.

Our approach is to identify and secure contracts procured by national government – either directly or with partners to extend the libraries’ capabilities – with an eye to local delivery through the library services. This allows us to centrally hold and manage the risk of the national contract, leaving the library services to deliver themselves.

We see libraries as a solution to many of society’s challenges and this is one route we use to bring the libraries into that solution.  

This area is part of our long term strategy – we are seeking to build the commercial team with this role and while it is initially a 12-month contract, our hope is that with the role in place we can generate the income to sustain and build on it.

Unseen is a UK charity with its head office in Bristol. We provide safehouses and support in the community for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery and operate the UK wide Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline. We also work with individuals, communities, business, governments, other charities and statutory agencies to end slavery for good.

Purpose of the role:

You will help form part of a UK-wide team of remote Helpline Advisors operating the only modern slavery specific helpline in the UK. Answering incoming calls, making callouts, sending emails, drafting referrals to external agencies, and maintaining accurate data will be your day-to-day responsibilities. You will contribute to a service that as well as providing information, advice and guidance to our service users, also helps create one of the largest non-governmental bodies of data on the scale of modern slavery in the UK which is used to influence strategy and policy at local, national and international levels. You will provide trauma informed and person-centred information, advice, and guidance to a variety of caller types, including people in and out of exploitation, professionals, members of the public, and businesses.

To apply: 

1. Complete Unseen’s Helpline Advisor application form, and;

2. Send a copy of your CV to jobs @ unseenuk. org.

The deadline for applications is midnight on the 17th August, but we reserve the right to close early if sufficient applications have been received.

We receive high volumes of applications for this role and as such, we encourage motivated candidates to apply early.

As an organisation focused on equality and diversity, we welcome applications from all sections of the community and all backgrounds, including those with a lived experience of modern slavery, those from ethnic minority groups, those with disabilities and those from the LGBTQ+ community. 

Any questions, please contact jobs @ unseenuk. org. 

Reference Number: V550

Job Title: Communications Officer

Location: Remote with travel around the UK required   

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)

Salary: £30,000 

DBS/PVG: Basic 

Job Family: 4 

Line Manager: Head of Brand and Communications 

Closing Date:   12 August 2025

Start Date:        As soon as possible subject to notice periods  

Interview Dates: Week commencing 25 August 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications 

Volunteering Matters  

Who we are
At Volunteering Matters, we believe people have the power to create change. Whether through volunteering by helping others and giving time, or through social action such as speaking up, campaigning, or leading change, everyone can make a difference. We bring people together to build stronger communities across England, Scotland and Wales, making sure everyone has the chance to get involved and create real change.

 What we do
We help people of all ages and backgrounds get involved in volunteering and social action. We focus on making sure that everyone, no matter their situation, has the chance to take part. We work with local people.

 How we do this

We support people to share their time and skills to help others and tackle big challenges in their communities.

· We remove barriers to volunteering and social action, making it easier for people who don’t always get the chance to take part.

· We listen to and amplify voices that aren’t always heard, helping volunteers and communities influence change.

· We help volunteers beyond their first experience, offering training, support, and pathways to new opportunities.

· We connect businesses with communities, creating meaningful employee volunteering projects.

· We show the impact of volunteering and social action, proving how it changes lives for the better.

 Our promise to volunteers

We are always looking for new ways for volunteers to make a difference. We bring people together across generations and backgrounds to learn from each other and create change. At the same time, we make sure that all our volunteers are trained, supported, and valued, so they feel confident in what they do.

It’s a brilliant time to join us. We’re evolving, growing our impact, and shaping a future where everyone can take part and feel they belong. We’re looking for a creative and people-centred Communications Officer.

About the role

We are looking for a creative and proactive Communications Officer to join our small but dynamic Brand and Communications Team. This role requires a basic DBS/PGV check. Our team plays a key role in supporting the work of Volunteering Matters across the UK, ensuring that the impact of our projects, staff, and volunteers is shared widely with both internal and external audiences. This role is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys storytelling, engaging with diverse audiences, and amplifying the voices of communities and volunteers. 

A core focus of this role will be getting to know the incredible work happening across the UK, collecting updates from our projects, and sharing these stories with key stakeholders. As part of our friendly team, you will also have a specific focus on supporting internal communications and content creation to ensure our messaging is clear, inspiring, and reflective of our mission. Our volunteers and the people we support are at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking for someone who shares our strong commitment to these values. A belief in the power of communities and a desire to champion volunteers of all ages and backgrounds is essential for this role. 

Key tasks include:

• Support the development and execution of a comprehensive internal communications strategy that drives colleague engagement and strengthens a unified organisational culture aligned with strategic objectives. 

• Develop and disseminate impactful, timely, and relevant internal communications content that resonates with colleagues across the organisation. 

• Provide operational and administrative support to the Brand and Communications Team to enhance our efficiency and reach. 

• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of internal communications efforts through rigorous analysis of feedback, metrics, and data insights, leveraging findings to refine and optimise strategies at a national level. 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure all internal communications initiatives reflect and reinforce the organisation’s core values, mission, and strategic vision. 

• Provide guidance, training and support to various departments in crafting effective internal communications materials, ensuring consistency in tone, style and branding.

• Create inspiring and straightforward stories with a focus on powerful imagery and video content. 

• Work closely with communications colleagues in the #iWill Movement to champion youth social action.

About you
You’ll be a creative and thoughtful communicator who enjoys working collaboratively and is passionate about people’s stories. You’ll bring a strong visual eye, great interpersonal skills, and a commitment to ethical storytelling.

Our Values & Way of Working

In all that we are guided by our values: Empowering, Inclusive, Compassionate, Positive & Straightforward. 

Diversity & Inclusion

Volunteering Matters welcomes all applicants and are keen to ensure our team reflects the diversity of the UK and the communities we serve. We encourage applications from disabled, LGBT and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, along with candidates with any protected characteristics and from disadvantaged groups.

Disability Confident & Reasonable Adjustments

We guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the role. Please provide evidence in your application, which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required in the Job Description under skill and experience. To be considered for a guaranteed interview or to discuss any reasonable adjustments during the process, please state this in your cover letter. 

Benefits

Our employee benefits reflect our culture which is built on an approach of full flexibility with accountability, and designed to let you make your most positive contribution; we offer:· Flexible Working by Default (re hours & place of work) 

· Unlimited Annual Leave 

· Employee Pension scheme 

· Life Assurance 

· Cycle to Work Scheme 

· Season Ticket Loan 

· Employee Assistance Programme 

· Enhanced sick and family leave.

· Lifestyle Discount Scheme

We are also open to discussing job share applications.

GDPR Statement

If you apply for a role with us, we will retain your contact details including your name, address, email address and phone number to help us manage your application for up to six months.  We will not use your personal data for any other purpose or share it with any third party. You can contact us at any point to update your personal information or ask us to delete it from our records.

Policy on AI-Generated Applications 

Applications are accepted on trust, and we expect all submissions to reflect the applicant’s own words, experiences, and motivations. While tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) may support the application process, applications should not be generated wholly by AI. 

To Apply

Please send an updated, complete CV and cover letter via the Charity Job Apply button above. In your application clearly state which role you are applying for. In the cover letter please demonstrate how you would fulfil the role requirements, what previous relevant achievements you have (both in life and at work), what skills & experience you can offer, and what you believe you can contribute to Volunteering Matters.

Please note that all applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to progress applications that don’t meet this requirement.