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Are you a skilled relationship-builder with corporate fundraising experience? Do you love spending time in the outdoors and want to help young people from Somerset? Join the Youth Adventure Trust's small but mighty team and use your skills to help transform the lives of vulnerable young people.
The Role
Having launched our Youth Adventure Programmes in Somerset in 2024, we are now looking for somebody who wants to take the next step in their fundraising career to build on the foundations of the last two years and significantly increase our presence in the county.
As our Regional Corporate Fundraiser, you'll be the driving force behind our local business partnerships, working with both large companies operating in the region and smaller local businesses looking to support their communities.
Your role will encompass:
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Relationship building: Identifying and securing new corporate partnerships while providing high-quality stewardship to our existing Somerset-based supporters.
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Community Engagement: Championing our work in Somerset by giving engaging talks to community groups and networking with local businesses.
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Event delivery: Playing a key role in delivering local fundraising challenge events, the bi-annual Somerset Adventure Dinner and developing new opportunities to unite the Somerset business community behind our mission.
You'll work closely with the Corporate Partnership Manager and the Director of Fundraising and Communications to ensure each proposal is bespoke and every corporate partner understands the impact of their support on local young people. You must live in Somerset, have a good local awareness and be willing to travel around the county and beyond to nurture long-lasting, strategic relationships.
About You
We are looking for a people-person, who is self-motivated and highly organised. You are as comfortable in the board room engaging business leaders as you are standing on a mountain side in your waterproofs! You will be:
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Experienced: A proven track record in building successful corporate partnerships and achieving income targets;
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A relationship fundraiser: building long-lasting meaningful relationships should be at the heart of every single corporate partnership;
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An inspiring communicator: You will be telling our story in a variety of different ways to inspire support and grow our networks;
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Self-motivated: You are comfortable working from home but eager to be ‘out and about’ in the business community;
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Pro-active and creative: No corporate partnership is the same, so you will be proactive in understanding a corporate partner’s motivation and coming up with creative ideas to build successful relationships;
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Local: You must live in or near Somerset to maximise local networking opportunities, attend regular in-person meetings and events and confidently talk about local issues facing both businesses and the young people we support through our programmes;
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Outdoorsy: A genuine love for the outdoors, comfortable in wellies and waterproofs with an understanding of 'the power of the outdoors'.
The Charity
At the Youth Adventure Trust, we use outdoor adventure to empower vulnerable young people from Swindon, Wiltshire and Somerset to fulfil their potential and lead positive lives in the future. We work with them to build resilience, develop confidence and learn skills that will last a lifetime, helping them to face the challenges in their lives. Dedicated support, guidance and mentoring from our staff and volunteers ensures young people receive the maximum benefit from our long-term intervention. Our aim is to make a lasting improvement to the lives of vulnerable young people. All our services are provided completely free of charge to the young people who are nominated by schools and other youth organisations to take part.
We’re proud to offer our programmes completely free of charge to participants which means the fundraising team is crucial. With ambitious plans to help more young people from Somerset over the coming years, our Regional Corporate Fundraiser role is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference for local young people. Whilst you will have the flexibility of a 21-hours-per-week role, this could increase as more corporate partnerships are secured. You’ll be part of a small fundraising team with a big heart, with plenty of opportunities to visit our programmes and see the tangible impact of your work.
Safer Recruitment
The Youth Adventure Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and requires all employees to share this commitment. The suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment and in compliance with current employment legislation, and relevant safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.
We use outdoor adventure and one-to-one support to empower young people to fulfil their potential and lead positive lives in the future.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Our focus is on creating libraries of tomorrow with children and young people today.
We want all children and young people to feel at home at the library, to be understood, empowered and inspired. Our collaborative network is made up of member, partners and supporters. We believe in the need for safe spaces and real-life connections to support the demands of modern life. Together, we’re creating change, and you can be a part of it.
This is a pivotal moment of growth and development for Libraries Rising as a young charity. We’re seeking a passionate, skilled manager to join our team. We’re looking for someone to bring the energy and expertise to help us develop and grow over the next 12 months.
We’re looking for:
An experienced project manager who enjoys a flexible and iterative approach.
A proactive leader who is energised by variety, and able to work effectively across diverse topics and themes.
A values led bid writer who has experience of co-creating successful grant funding bids.
A creative thinker who enjoys a productive and responsive environment.
An enthusiastic collaborator who will build strong relationships with our team, members and partners.
We’re looking for someone who lives our values - progressive, collaborative, kind, aspirational and inclusive.
What’s important to us needs to be important to you too. We want to focus on impact, to work openly, to collaborate with and learn from others, to take the time to care for ourselves and each other, and to have fun together. We want to build an environmentally sustainable charity, and we want to be celebrated as an inclusion changemaker in the sector.
About the work
We are an Arts Council England Investment Principles Support Organisation. Our members are leaders in children and young people’s public libraries and schools library services (SLS).
The Development and Delivery Manager (Projects) is a new role for the charity. You will work with a small and growing team, who are passionate about our mission and vision. You will also work with our members (leaders of children’s public library and School Library Service leaders) and sector partners.
We are in the final stages of creating our strategy for the future. You’ll be supporting us with organisational and sector development across all pillars, with a particular focus on our Thriving Charity goals.
Job purpose
To lead and deliver a range priority projects and funding bids for the charity.
The purpose of the role includes:
- To scope and deliver a range of projects to support both organisational and sector developments.
- To convene members and young people to participate in events and workshops, ensuring projects and developments are co-created with stakeholders.
- To compile reviews, reports and options appraisals to aid effective decision making.
- To lead the development and submission of grant and trust funding opportunities.
- To support the shaping, and delivery, of a funding plan to enable delivery of our new charity strategy.
- To ensure creative and flexible use of resources.
What you’ll bring to the role
- Strong project management skills, with experience delivering complex, multi-stakeholder work.
- Track record of delivering to achieve strategic goals and outcomes.
- Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise, plan and manage risk.
- Ability to negotiate and influence.
- Experience of identifying funding opportunities and successfully bidding for grant funding.
- Able to work on own initiative and collaborate within a team.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Excellent listening skills with the ability to take diverse opinions into account.
- Digitally literate and technologically curious, with experience of Microsoft Office and project software.
- Experience managing and monitoring budgets.
- Experience of facilitating events and workshops.
- Committed to engaging and co-creating with children, young people and families.
- Understanding of the role of libraries within communities.
- Experience of managing partnerships, subcontractors or commissioned work.
- Awareness of GDPR implications and requirements.
Personal qualities
- Empathetic, able to understand a variety of viewpoints that are different to their own.
- Calm under pressure and able to manage multiple priorities while maintaining quality.
- Confident in building relationships and constructively challenging where needed.
- Thrives when working collaboratively and taking responsibility for delivery.
- Trusts others and inspires trust.
- Ambitious for our charity, the library sector and for children and young people.
- Strategic thinker who can also absorb and analyse detailed information.
- Entrepreneurial, with the ability to spot opportunities and develop them.
- Asks for feedback and is able to accept and act on it to improve their own performance.
- Understanding of inclusion and its importance within a diverse society.
- Commitment to own continued professional development.
Our application process is open to everyone and anyone with the experience we’re looking for. We have a diverse board of trustees, but we know our staff team is not as diverse as we need for the future, as we grow. We particularly welcome applications from people from racialised communities, men, trans or non-binary individuals, and those with hidden or visible disabilities.
Employee benefits include:
25 days annual leave (pro rata) plus Bank Holidays
5% employer pension contribution
Employee Assist Programme – including 24/7 counselling, health support and legal helpline.
A range of discounts on retail, entertainment, travel and wellbeing.
If you have any questions about the role, or want to chat Tabitha, Chief Executive before applying, please get in touch.
All applicants must have an existing Right to Work in the UK. Please also note that appointment will be made subject to collection of two references and a satisfactory DBS check or evidence of a current DBS certificate.
Please submit your CV and a covering letter OR answer the questions by clicking on Apply Now.
If you would prefer to submit a video (up to five minutes), outlining your experience and what you’ll bring to the role please get in touch.
• Applications close: Wednesday 8th April (9am)
• Interviews: Tuesday 21st April (online)
• Start date: as soon as possible, to be agreed with the successful candidate
Creating libraries of tomorrow with children and young people today
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We’re recruiting an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to work with Platform Places and Footwork over the next 10 months – to develop our bold narratives and inspiring content that help drive locally-led neighbourhood transformation.
- Target start date: 11th May 2026
- Time input: 3 days per week (0.6 full-time equivalent), with flexibility for up to 4 days per week in certain busy periods, by mutual agreement
- Remuneration: £55,000-£61,500 per year (pro rata) depending on experience
- Flexible working: Work hours can be flexible as long as role objectives are met
- Location: Hybrid, remote or in-person (option to work from our London office). Monthly in-person team days in London, plus occasional trips to partners in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol and London and learning gatherings (expenses covered).
- Contract type: PAYE employment contract. 10 months fixed term.
- Eligibility: Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.
About us
In 2025, Platform Places integrated with Footwork Trust, becoming what we call ‘civic partners’. Together we facilitate locally-led neighbourhood transformation – so people have the power to live affordably, sustainably and together.
About Platform Places
Platform Places is a national cross-sector collaboration and not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to unlock town centre buildings for amazing ideas that help us live affordably, sustainably and together. We convene councils, community leaders and asset owners around the country to build powerful partnerships, to unlock buildings for local benefit. We support these Partnerships with access to funding, technical expertise and networks.
Our deeper intention is to localise and democratise who owns, controls and transforms town centre and neighbourhood buildings, so that communities can:
- design spaces to meet local needs – whether affordable space for arts, music, healthcare, local food, housing, nature connection, reuse & repair, childcare etc
- retain and reinvest the wealth generated by these buildings.
We’re inspired by pioneers like Hastings Commons, Stour Trust, SAFE Regen, Civic Square, Nudge Community Builders, Makespace Oxford and other members of the Mycelial Network.
About Footwork Trust
Footwork (UK charity Footwork Trust) supports local people to transform their neighbourhoods for the better and builds alliances to make this possible.
Since 2022, Footwork’s ‘People and Place’ programme has supported over 50 community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change, in response to a local social or environmental challenge. Often reviving land and buildings for community use, they are part of a growing force for fairer, locally-led regeneration, making the places they call home more resilient and equitable.
Through national and local events, Footwork creates spaces for peer support and shared learning, showcases inspiring examples, and convenes built environment practitioners to enable true collaboration with community partners.
Together, Footwork and Platform Places co-facilitate the Mycelial Network for Community Asset Developers.
About the Local Property Partnerships pilot, 2024-2027
Thanks to National Lottery players, Platform Places and partners have received almost £2.5 million over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The funding is being used to enable communities to come together and secure long-term spaces for the activities and services that they need the most.
This fund and programme resources local leaders in neighbourhoods in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool City Region, Bristol and London – working towards shifting multiple buildings into long-term local ownership. We’re also supported by our national partner organisations Architectural Heritage Fund, Power to Change and Social Investment Business. Our intention is that this work will lay the groundwork for a larger follow-on funding programme, which catalyses England-wide adoption of this approach.
The role
We’re looking for an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to join our small team and network of local and national partners.
The Communications Lead will focus on our key programmes, with the below time distribution. The challenge and opportunity is to hit the ground running and drive communications across our key channels – to help attract allies, funding and support, and inspire replication of these approaches in neighbourhoods around England.
2 days per week, ‘Local Property Partnerships’:
- You’ll lead on promoting, and sharing learnings from, Platform Places’ exciting pilot programme (funded by National Lottery Community Fund) – which is localising and democratising who owns, controls and transforms town centre buildings in five neighbourhoods across England.
0.75 days per week, ‘People and Place’:
- You’ll promote, and share learnings from, Footwork Trust’s ‘People and Place’ programme – which supports community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change for their place.
0.25 days per week, Wider movement building:
- You’ll work on ad hoc broader communications opportunities that support our mission and the programmes – for example, creating a content piece with local or national partners from our wider network, or pitching a media story that cuts across all our programmes.
This involves the following areas of responsibility:
- Build on our working communications strategy
- Work with co-directors to develop our bold, inspiring core messaging, and update our boilerplate narratives
- Manage digital channels for Platform Places and Footwork: a) plan and create regular social media content; b) write newsletters (approx. quarterly); c) upload and edit website content, on Squarespace (drag-and-drop editor) and occasionally Wix (guidance available).
- Strategic media relations: build journalist relationships and pitch stories (local or national), op-eds and comments
- Work with local and national partners to share inspiring and compelling stories
- Develop practical how-tos and templates, together with partners (you'll have support initiating partner relationships)
- Provide comms guidance to local programme partners
- Support co-directors and partners with speaking engagements and event opportunities
You’ll start from a strong foundation of communications activities, along with our established tone, visual identity and branded templates – with lots of freedom for new ideas.
About you
- You’re as comfortable with creative storytelling as you are with practical resources
- You’re a campaigner for systems change – experienced in attracting allies and creating communications for diverse audiences
- You make it sing – you turn dense or complicated materials into clear and effective narratives to shift opinion and action
- You’re a collaborator – you can effectively hold relationships with local and national partners to plan and deliver coordinated communications
- You can ‘wear all the hats’: you get stuck in on strategy and roll up your sleeves on delivery; you know when to pitch to media and when the tactic is digital; you can knock up great copy or quick Canva graphics without aiming for perfection
- You’re efficient and resourceful, comfortable leading on comms in a small (and collaborative) team, and know how to make things happen on a small budget (and when to seek external specialists)
- You’re passionate about community-led places and social and environmental justice – and you’re knowledgeable about at least one of: high streets, property, retrofit, community business, heritage buildings, cultural venues, town planning, neighbourhood governance
We know you likely have a particular comms specialism, with more strengths and experience in some areas than others. We’d love to hear about this, and about your approach to getting stuck into the rest.
Our team & culture
You’ll be joining our small, agile team of six people across Platform Places and Footwork. We meet in-person on a monthly basis to have lunch together and plan ahead, and have weekly online huddles to check-in and discuss priorities.
We work flexibly around our needs, whether a caring responsibility or otherwise.
Our culture is driven by our values: generous sharing, diverse perspectives, active listening and curiosity, staying networked and joy.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Are you a highly organised project leader with a track record of developing rigorous and impactful processes? Do you want to lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation transforming mental health in higher education? This could be the role for you.
We’re looking for a methodical and strategic Programme Manager (Award) to manage the end-to-end delivery of University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) Award and act as key spokesperson for the programme.
You’ll play a vital role in ensuring that the Award upholds its standards and values, and continues to develop and scale, supporting positive change for staff and students at universities across the UK.
About the role
- Lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation for mental health in higher education: the University Mental Health Charter Award.
- The UMHC Award recognises universities that promote the mental health and wellbeing of their university communities and supports them to continually improve.
- You will own the end-to-end management of a complex, high-profile and impactful programme, balancing administrative excellence and strategic development.
Key responsibilities
- Drive the Award lifecycle, from onboarding universities, coordinating our network of assessors and managing the Award panel.
- Scale and continually improve the Award process, ensuring it remains rigorous, impactful and values-led.
- Act as key spokesperson and point of contact for universities and other stakeholders.
- Responsible for budget, risk and line management.
What we’re looking for
- Proven track record of managing complex projects.
- Experience developing, maintaining and improving robust systems and processes.
- A rigorous approach to accuracy and quality control.
- Comfortable holding difficult conversations with stakeholders at all levels.
- A commitment to co-production, equality, anti-racism and an interest in mental health.
Find out more about the essential criteria for this role by downloading our Recruitment Pack from the documents section.
What you will gain
- The chance to contribute to a high-impact national programme supporting better mental health for university communities across the UK.
- Experience in a varied role with opportunities to learn and develop.
- A supportive and collaborative workplace culture that values wellbeing.
- Flexibility in how and where you work.
How to apply
If this sounds like a good fit, we’d love to hear from you!
- Click “Redirect to recruiter”, then scroll to the 'Vacancies and volunteering' section of our 'Join our team' page to access the job listing.
- Download the recruitment pack in the document section at the bottom of this page, where you’ll find more information about the role including responsibilities and person specifications.
- Download and complete our application form - instead of collecting CVs, we use an application form to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all.
- Please refrain from including any identifying details in your application answers.
- Upload your completed application form as a word document.
- Please note that once you start your application on our portal, you will have 24 hours to upload your completed form. Before clicking 'Apply' and beginning the application process, make sure your form is fully completed and ready to upload.
- Complete the Equality Monitoring Form.
Student Minds is committed to building an inclusive team and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and walks of life.