Area fundraising manager east jobs

An exciting opportunity to be involved in the development of a growing adult literacy charity as it expands across Central England

One in 20 adults in the UK has never learnt to read at all. This can have a serious impact on their confidence and wellbeing, limiting access to training, employment, and everyday opportunities that many take for granted. Being unable to read as an adult can be isolating and dangerous, reinforces social inequality, restricts economic growth, and worsens intergenerational disadvantage - but it is never too late to learn.

Read Easy helps adults transform their lives by learning to read. It does this by supporting its growing network of locally run, volunteer-led affiliated groups that offer free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching—both in person and online to adults - aged from 18-88. 

With its free, flexible, confidential approach, Read Easy encourages people who are too embarrassed to join a class to come forward for one-to-one support. Each new reader is provided with their own personal Reading Coach, so that they can learn in private and at their own pace. Learning to read transforms their lives in many other ways as well, including enabling them to support their children’s and grandchildren’s reading, and so transfers the benefits to the next generation.

There are currently 80 affiliated Read Easy groups across England, together involving more than a thousand volunteers. Read Easy UK is the registered charity and umbrella organisation which supports this network of affiliated volunteer groups and provides the structure, training and support to enable volunteers to establish groups in new areas.

As our Central Regional Adviser, your role would be to provide strategic leadership, guidance, and oversight to ensure that all volunteer groups consistently deliver high-quality services aligned with Read Easy UK’s strategy.

You will support local volunteer leaders to strengthen group performance, and foster collaboration across affiliated groups, so that that they deliver coaching to Readers with consistent quality, and a positive and worthwhile experience is had by all.

You will also find volunteers to ‘pioneer’ three new groups in the counties where there is no Read Easy presence in the East and West Midlands and East of England and provide them and our 29 existing groups and pioneers in the region, with high-quality support. Your quality support will ensure that they provide the same for their volunteers and new Readers. From meeting (mostly online) with Team Leaders to provide one to one support, and hosting online and annual in-person volunteer forums, to delivering presentations and occaisonal training for small groups of volunteers, this is a dynamic and rewarding role.

This is a home-based post requiring flexibility, some early evening working and occaisional travel to visit groups. The role is available on either a full or part time basis (min 32 hours p/w, 85% of 37.5 hours p/w FTE).

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Live within one of the following areas: West Midlands (Defined as the 7 metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton), Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire or Rutland;
• have been employed to work with volunteers for at least two years;
• have strong people management and interpersonal skills; excellent communication skills; and the confidence to run meetings and deliver presentations.

Salary & Benefits 

• Annual Salary £25,075 (85% FTE) -£29,500 (100% FTE)
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and Christmas closing and 2 days volunteering leave – pro-rata for part time roles
• Company sick pay to financially support you when you are unwell (above statutory upon completion of probationary period) 
• Support when extending your family – company parental and adoption pay (above statutory after 12 months service) 
• Access to RewardHub – which gives retail discounts and has a ‘Wellbeing Centre’ with tools, tips, recipes, workout videos and guides which will help you to reach your own wellbeing goals 
• Training and Development opportunities and resources – we are developing personal plans in this area to enhance employee experience and opportunity 
• A collaborative, creative and inspiring working environment full of committed and passionate employees and inspirational volunteers 

We strive to ensure our recruitment practices are fair, open, easy to access and as inclusive as possible. We aim to recruit a team which broadly reflect the local communities which we serve; to work with and learn from each other to continually improve the service we deliver to our Readers. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Group is actively promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion, ensuring a culture where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We welcome you to apply and be your authentic self.

When applying for a job with us, if an applicant has a disability covered by the definition outlined within the Equality Act 2010 and can show that they meet the ‘essential criteria’ described in the person specification for the role being applied for, they are guaranteed an interview for the job for which they are applying through our Disability Confident scheme.

If you need any support with your application, please contact us,

The closing date for this post is 10:00 Tuesday 15th July 2025. Should you be shortlisted, the first round of interviews will take place online on Wednesday 23rd July, with in-person interviews, being held in Gloucestershire or West Midlands, on Tuesday 29th July 2025. 

The successful candidate will be invited to meet the team on 31st July in Birmingham, should they be able to do so.

Background

Medact organises with the health community to win a world in which everyone can truly achieve and exercise their human right to health. We cover some of the most pressing national and global threats to health and wellbeing including institutional racism, climate change, human rights abuses, violent conflict and rising inequality. We’re a member-led organisation, and our members are made up of a range of people who work in health including nurses, doctors, midwives and clinical researchers.

We take an organising-centred approach to our work. We build community power by working in solidarity with health workers and the communities experiencing harm from the unjust systems we challenge. We run national campaigns, use research to expose injustice and we support local organising groups across the country who lead most of our work.

Details

Salary: £30,501.83 at 0.8FTE (£38,127.28 full time equivalent) Note: We do not negotiate salaries, so please only apply if this is in line with your expectations.

Contract: 1 year fixed-term (parental leave cover)

Hours: 0.8 FTE – 28 hours per week

Location: Hybrid. Staff work remotely and from the Medact office in East London. London-based staff work in-person as a team one day per week, and staff based outside London come in at least once a month, with support for travel costs. Applications from outside London are encouraged.

Apply by: 9am, Monday 4th August

About the role 

The Campaign & Programme Lead: Climate & Health supports health workers to campaign for just and proportionate action on climate change, working closely with our Movement Organiser and other colleagues. Currently our work focuses on the intersection of climate and housing, working to end the public health crisis of fuel poverty and poor-quality homes. In particular this role is responsible for national advocacy and campaigning on fuel poverty and housing, supporting members to organise in their local communities, and being a key part in the Homes for Health campaign team.

The role involves holding Medact’s key knowledge base on climate and health issues. You will build relationships across the health community and wider climate movement, from establishment institutions to frontline workers and grassroots groups. 

About you

This is a skilled role but you don’t need to have had a job in an NGO before or be a professional campaigner to be right for it. You might have worked with your local community to campaign on a social justice or health issue that you care about. Or, you might be a health worker who has seen the impact of these issues on your patients and wants to challenge the systems that drive inequity and marginalisation. 

You’ll have a strong understanding of power and how to work with others to create pressure for change. You need to be a great communicator, able to build trusting relationships with Medact members, academics, partner organisations and community groups. You’ll have an understanding of how digital communications compliment campaigning and an eye for a good media story.

Key dates

Applications close at 9am, Monday 4th August

Interviews will be Wednesday 20th August

If needed, second interviews will be in the week of 25th August

Our recruitment principles

Medact aims to be an inclusive and supportive employer, and we recognise that recruitment processes don’t work for everyone. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in the NGO sector, and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of colour, people with disabilities, people who identify as being LGTBQIA+, people who have a mental health condition, and people who identify as working class or have a working class background. If you have any questions or uncertainties about this position and whether you are right for it, please do get in touch. 

Frequently asked questions

• Do I have to be a health worker to apply? No, and Medact staff are not all health workers.
• Can you sponsor my visa? We are unable to offer sponsorship for individuals without the right to work in the UK.
• How flexible are the working hours? Medact has a Flexible Working Policy which supports staff to adjust their hours around our core working hours (11am–4pm), and can accommodate periods of working abroad / in different time zones, compressed hours and other configurations.

Job Description: Peer Support Coordinator (Lotus Blossom Project) 

No recruitment agency applications - Individuals only please.

Are you passionate about recovery, empowerment, and the power of peer support?

Lotus is seeking a skilled and compassionate Peer Support Coordinator to lead our thriving Lotus Blossom Project, which provides online peer support groups for women recovering from domestic abuse. These groups are co-facilitated by trained Peer Support Mentors – all of whom are ex-clients.

This role is at the heart of what we do: championing trauma-informed practice, investing in our volunteers, and supporting women to rebuild independence, purpose and fulfilment after abuse.

Please note:

We are only accepting applications from candidates who complete an application form, the form can be found on our website.

Job Title: Peer Support Coordinator 

This post is open to women only under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1, Section 7 as a genuine occupational requirement.

Project: Lotus Blossom
Reporting to: Lotus Families Service Manager
Hours: 15 hours per week
Salary: NJC Scale Points 18-22: £30,559-£32,654 FTE (£12,389-£13,238 pro rata for 15 hours/week). Starting salary: £30,559 FTE (£12,389 pro rata) for an unqualified IDVA (Point 18); £31,067 FTE (£12,595 pro rata) for a qualified IDVA (Point 19) pay award pending.

Location: Primarily home based with occasional in-person meetings or training in Newhaven or East Sussex
Contract: Permanent although as with all posts, reliant on ongoing funding

Job Purpose:

To lead the co-ordination, delivery and ongoing development of a safe, inclusive and empowering peer support group for women recovering from domestic abuse through the Lotus Blossom Project. This role ensures that support is:

• Trauma-informed and grounded in the six principles of trauma-informed practice: safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration and mutuality; empowerment, voice and choice; and cultural, historical and gender awareness.
• Informed by the Investing in Volunteers quality standards.
• Delivered through a team of trained volunteer Peer Support Mentors, all of whom are ex-clients.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the Lotus Blossom Project, ensuring it’s trauma-informed, inclusive and responsive to client and volunteer needs.
• Recruit, train, support and supervise a team of Peer Support Mentors with lived experience.
• Co-produce themed peer sessions and use your IDVA expertise to guide safe, engaging group facilitation.
• Monitor, evaluate and evolve the project using client and volunteer feedback, and report on its impact.
• Act as an ambassador for Lotus and support wider organisational goals.

You’ll bring:

• IDVA qualification (or willingness to obtain one with support)
• Experience supporting victim-survivors of domestic abuse
• Understanding of trauma-informed approaches and barriers faced by marginalised groups
• Skills in leadership, reflective practice, safeguarding, and data/confidentiality management
• A deep commitment to inclusion, empowerment and collaborative working

Desirable:

• Lived experience of domestic abuse
• Experience in peer support coordination or volunteering roles
• Facilitation of group or online support spaces
• IDVA qualification (completed)

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check. The job description is not exhaustive and may be subject to change in line with service needs and strategic development.

Benefits

• Primarily home-based role, reducing the need for travel and supporting work-life balance (Safety; Trust).
• Flexible working: As a family-centred charity, we understand the importance of family life – whether it’s attending a school assembly or caring for a loved one. As long as service delivery is not impacted, we support flexibility (Empowerment; Collaboration).
• Regular quality supervision in line with SafeLives Leading Lights quality standards.
• Two-monthly clinical supervision, supporting emotional resilience and reflective practice (Peer Support; Safety).
• Access to a 24/7 employee counselling helpline for confidential emotional support (Trust; Safety).
• Salary aligned to NJC scale points 18–22.
• Pension scheme with employer contributions matched up to 6% (Trustworthiness; Empowerment).
• 25 days holiday per year (or pro rata for part-time roles), plus bank holidays (Empowerment).
• Travel to and from any work-related meetings, training, or in-person activities is fully reimbursed (Trust; Mutuality).

How to Apply

• Deadline 9am 14 July via Application Form
• Interview will be via Teams on 17 July