Children and families jobs in southport, merseyside

Job TitleHead of Communications

LocationHome based (Home working with regular meetings in London)

Salary£45,000 - £55,000

HoursFull Time, permanent 

Reports to                   Chief Policy Officer 

About Parentkind

As one of the largest federated charities in the UK, with arguably greater reach into the lives of families and educational settings than any other non-Government organisation, Parentkind is on a bold and urgent mission: to support, champion, and empower parents to be partners in their children’s education and wellbeing. 

Although best known for our support of almost 24,000 Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), Parent Councils, and Schools, helping them build strong school communities whilst they raise approaching £140 million each year to enhance children’s education, our work stretches far beyond the school gates. Parentkind is building a powerful movement that recognises parental engagement not as a nicety, but a necessity.

Supporting parents beyond the school gate

In recent years, families have faced a series of compounding challenges: the cost-of-living crisis, rising child poverty, and deepening educational inequality. These pressures have left many parents struggling to meet basic needs—let alone feel confident engaging in their child’s learning journey.  Parentkind has responded to this moment with compassion, agility and purpose, through a series of transformative campaigns, resources, and partnerships. 

Our No Cold Child initiative with FatFace stepped in to address a stark statistic: over 150,000 children in the UK do not own a winter coat due to poverty. Through our trusted relationships with schools we distributed 10,000 warm, high-quality coats worth £600,000 to the children who needed them most. Winning the Business Charity Awards ‘Fashion & Retail’ Award, and shortlisted for two further awards, the campaign has been praised not just for providing warmth, but for restoring dignity, inclusion, and school readiness to thousands of children.

The All Dressed Up campaign—developed with World Book Day and Rubies Masquerade—confronted the often-overlooked issue of financial exclusion on key celebration days. More than 100,000 free dressing up costumes worth £1.34 million were delivered to children from low-income families. By enabling participation in events like World Book Day, we helped spark imagination, joy, and belonging for children who might otherwise feel left out—boosting self-esteem and supporting a positive connection to learning.Furthermore, helping attract children into school on a day which often sees struggling parents keep their children at home.

Alongside these national campaigns, Parentkind supports families year-round through a growing suite of programmes designed to inform, prepare and empower parents. Our Be School Ready programme offers crucial guidance and confidence to parents preparing their children for the leap into primary education. With a mix of practical advice, developmental tips, and reassurance, through the distribution of 150,000 copies of Be School Ready and an online campaign, it supports families at one of the most formative moments in their child’s life.

We also deliver a wide-ranging series of live expert webinars and parent-friendly resources, covering topics such as managing anxiety, supporting special educational needs, navigating school transitions, and building home-school partnerships. These resources, developed in consultation with experts and rooted in lived parent experience, equip families to feel informed and empowered, no matter what challenges arise.

Our direct support of schools

Our collaboration with Asda on Cashpot for Schools is another example of unlocking support at scale. This innovative community-led funding model allowed shoppers to nominate and fund their local schools simply through everyday spending. This campaign has generated £5.78 million for schools during the past twelve months, supporting everything from basic classroom supplies to vital extracurricular programmes and pupil wellbeing initiatives. Also shortlisted for a Business Charity Award, it is already a model for community-driven philanthropy.

In April, we launched our Parent-Friendly Schools Accreditation Programme, designed to formally recognise schools that go above and beyond in fostering positive, inclusive relationships with parents. The accreditation celebrates schools that actively listen to parent voices, make engagement easy and accessible, and embed family partnership in their culture. It is a practical and inspiring tool to drive long-term change in the sector and offers a roadmap for schools wanting to strengthen their community.

Our focus on Policy & Research

Our work is grounded in evidence. Since 2023, we have conducted the UK’s largest annual parent survey: the National Parent Survey. With approaching 6,000 participants providing 130,000 bits of data to provide invaluable insights into the struggles, concerns, hopes and fears of parents. The findings are fed directly into government consultations and have already informed national debates on school funding, attendance, mental health support, SEND provision, and curriculum reform.

In each of the past two years the number of policymakers, educators, parents and researchers accessing the National Parent Survey exceeded seven thousand, and the survey featured in more than two hundred media outlets each year.Excitingly, the Times & Sunday Times are partnering with Parentkind to raise the profile even further in September 2025 and the survey will be launched at a lighthouse event featuring the Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson), the Ofsted Chief Inspector of Schools (Sir Martyn Oliver), the CEO of Mumsnet (Justine Roberts), the Children’s Commissioner (Dame Rachel De Souza), and our own Chief Executive (Jason Elsom). 

In addition to the National Parent Survey, Parentkind undertakes representative polling of parents throughout the year on a variety of important topics, which increasingly find exposure in the media and policy discussion.

Parentkind provides the secretariat for the Westminster APPG for Parents and the Stormont APG for Parental Participation in Education. Two very successful parliamentary groups bringing together policymakers and a variety of stakeholders to consider the challenges faced by parents and act as a voice for them through a variety of policymakers.

Our Media Engagement

Since becoming recognised as the UK’s largest parent charity, with likely more groups and frontline volunteers than the Scouts or Girlguiding, Parentkind has gained increasing prominence in the media.Beyond the reach of the National Parent Survey and our regular polling, Parentkind receives frequent requests for quotes of reflection and input by media in relation to their journalism and from Government and non-Government entities in support of policy announcements.

Beyond this, the Parentkind community of volunteers and PTAs share local or regional media announcements of their own.Whether or not it celebrating the completion of large projects they have invested countless hours and thousands of pounds into realising, or the community event they have worked into the night to deliver for their school communities.

It will be your role to take this much further, gaining increasing exposure for the work of Parentkind, its community, and parents more broadly. 

If you believe, like we do, that when parents matter, children succeed, we’d love to hear from you.

The role will involve:

· Promoting our parent polling data and work across social media platforms with eye catching content. 

· Providing comment on topical issues for social media so that we are part of the conversation. 

· Build the right relationships to dramatically increase the number of of media organisations seeking input and thought leadership from Parentkind.

· Build relationships with broadcast media so we get asked to appear on broadcast media more often. There’s a chance for you to be a talking head too.

· Help to draft parent polls and reports with a focus on compelling questions that will hit the front page. We need a brilliant writer, able to turn facts and figures into engaging narratives with bold headlines and strong messages that catch the eye. Boring writers need not apply…

· Draft eye catching press releases with bold headlines and a compelling narrative to promote the work we do across the charity. You’ll also place the press releases with national journalists leading to high profile coverage.

· Support the authoring of articles, op-eds and blog posts by members of the Executive Leadership Team.

· Be responsible for media monitoring, measuring our media hits, and reporting on coverage and interesting themes for the Executive Leadership.

Your mission is to massively increase our online, in print and social media presence to make us the highest profile parent charity in the UK. We don’t need you to be an education expert, we need someone to get us on the front page.

We have a huge amount of data on what parents think and we need you to get it seen. This is a great job for someone who wants to grab hold of a “comms” function and make it their own.

Parentkind is a UK wide charity, you will be expected to support our work in other parts of the UK where necessary.

For 'Person Specification' please see the job description

Liverpool Zoe’s Place provides respite, therapeutic and bereavement care to babies and children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families. Our hospice has been supporting the communities of Liverpool and the North West for more than 30 years and we are currently in an exciting season of growth and development. With a new Board of Trustees and a new building on the way, it is a really exciting time to join our team.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our friendly team of professionals - providing administration and database support to our fundraising and clinical teams. If you have strong administration skills, a working knowledge of databases, and a positive, friendly attitude then we would love to hear from you. You would be joining our team in a really exciting season, as we work towards a new, state-of-the-art hospice in West Derby.

Job Title: Experienced Associate Independent Investigating Officers (IOs) for Stage 2 Complaints (This role sits within our Independent Person for Complaints (IPC) service)

Contract: Associate

Hours: Variable, according to demand for services/caseload and role in investigation

Salary: £25.25 per hour

Location: Associate Independent Investigating Officers for Complaints primarily work from home. Some travel may be required as part of an investigation – location will vary according to the referral received from the Local Authority. Cases will be allocated to Associate IOs living locally to the referring authority, wherever possible.

About Coram

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.

We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity, founded by Thomas Coram in London, helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

About the role

We are seeking additional experienced Associate Independent Investigating Officers (IO) for Complaints, to increase our capacity to respond to referrals from Local Authorities to provide an independent element to the formal Stage 2 investigations under the Children Act 1989.

The IO will lead investigations, and will give the complainant (who may be a child, young person or adult) the opportunity to express their view, ensure the child or young person’s rights and best interests are at the centre of the investigation and that the investigation/review process is open and transparent. They write a report on the investigation/review, which is submitted to the referring agency.

The Job Description document sets out the expectations for an Associate Independent Person for Complaints (IPC) who is approved by Coram Voice. IPCs are independent, freelance and responsible for their own work. Nevertheless, IPCs are accountable to the organisation for their professional standards and are expected to comply with Coram Voice Code of Ethics and Practice Guidelines.

Please note: the nature of associate work means that we cannot guarantee a regular amount of work, and complaints will be allocated dependent on the associate’s availability, location and the needs and demands of the individual case. Investigation work takes place Monday to Friday within working hours. This position is not suitable for applicants who already work or have commitments more than two days within the working week.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing date: Please note this is a rolling recruitment campaign

Interview date: TBC

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from, Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBTQ+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

SOS Children’s Villages UK is part of a global federation, which exists to ensure that each child and young person grows up with the healthy relationships they need to become their strongest selves. We are the world’s largest non-governmental organisation focused on supporting children and young people who don’t have, or who are at risk of losing, parental care.

We are now looking for a capable Finance Officer to to support the effective running of our financial operations and ensure the accuracy and integrity of our financial processes.

• Managing the purchase and sales ledgers, including processing supplier invoices, preparing payment runs, raising sales invoices, and applying VAT as required

• Carrying out daily income and bank reconciliations, posting income to our CRM system (Salesforce), and monitoring Direct Debit payments

• Processing staff expenses and business credit card transactions, ensuring all costs are accurately allocated

• Supporting month-end tasks, including income reconciliations, credit notes, journal postings, and submitting Gift Aid claims to HMRC

• Preparing regular internal and external financial reports, including sponsorship and earmarked donation summaries for the International Office

• Assisting with the annual external audit and maintaining clear process documentation.

If you have strong numerical skills, excellent attention detail, and are looking for a pivotal finance role within a friendly, flexible, and supportive team, then this could be for you!

To Apply

Please read the full Candidate Pack attached which contains the entire job description and person specification, and submit a copy of your CV and a covering letter.

The deadline for applications is Friday 08 August 2025, 11.59pm UK time. 

Please note: 

• The post-holder must be UK-based and able to work on a permanent full-time contract. We are unable to provide employment sponsorship if required and unfortunately cannot progress applications without the required right to live and work in the UK on a permanent contract.

• No agencies please - We are managing this recruitment in-house and are not seeking assistance from agencies at this time. We have existing preferred agencies should the need arise.

Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.

We support children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. 

We provide training to professionals in health and social care, education, and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.

Would you like to bring your expertise, skills and experience to the third sector and contribute to a growing national charity? Are you passionate about supporting bereaved children, young people and families, and the professionals who work with them?

Bereavement Support Practitioner
Location: Hybrid working from Child Bereavement UK’s Centre in Widnes WA8 7Rd, 1 day a week Outreach Support in Liverpool and home
Hours: Full Time, 35 hours per week 
Salary: £28,000 per annum

The post holder will support the Bereavement Services Regional Lead in the provision and evaluation of a service that ensures families and professionals can access high quality bereavement support in situations where a baby or child of any age has died, or where children or young people up to the age of 25 are bereaved. To provide support to individuals, couples, families and in group settings. 

Applicants should have a recognised, health, social care, or counselling qualification, experience in working with children, young people and families, excellent communication skills and be passionate about supporting bereaved families and those whose roles bring them into contact with these families.

Child Bereavement UK offers a generous package of benefits including an employee assistance programme, 5% pension contribution and life assurance scheme.

Closing date: Thursday 21st August 2025
Interviews: Monday 1st September - in Person at Child Bereavement UK’s Centre in Widnes.

Applications will be reviewed, and interviews offered, on an on-going basis. We reserve the right to close the role prior to the closing date, should a suitable applicant be found, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

To Apply and for More Information:

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website. 

The Charity is committed to creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere for everyone, and one that challenges all forms of oppression or discrimination including those based on age, gender or gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity leave, disability, race (which includes nationality, citizenship, ethnic or national origins), religion/faith or belief, sexual orientation (collectively known in law as the ‘protected characteristics’), as well as any oppression or discrimination based on other physical characteristics or impairments, occupation, income, wealth, or unrelated criminal convictions.

The successful candidate will be required to complete a DBS check.

No agencies please.

Location: Remote (based in England & Wales with occasional travel required for biannual team days in London, termly Support Coach Team meetings in various locations, and twice termly vists to facilitators in various locations). Due to location of regional hubs, we would encourage applications from the Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester areas.

Salary: £28,665 - £30,765 pro rata (£22,932 - £24,612 actual)

Hours of work: 4 days a week (28 hours)

Contract type: Permanent

Why work for Kids Matter?

• Generous annual leave – 25 days (plus bank holidays) per year pro rata, with time off between Christmas and New Year's additional to this allowance.
• Remote working contribution – receive £26/month pro rata towards the costs of working from home and/or using a co-working space.
• Access to coaching sessions, training opportunities and our Employee Assistance Programme (a confidential support service for staff).
• Flexible working across weekdays to suit your schedule.

About us​

Kids Matter is one of the UK’s fastest growing children’s charities.

Our vision is to see every child in need raised in a strong family. Our mission is to reduce the impact of poverty on children through community-based parenting programmes.

Research shows that group-based early intervention parenting groups are the most effective way to support children in need. We train peer facilitators in local churches - the largest voluntary body in the country - to run our affordable, accessible and highly effective parenting programmes, written by Clinical Psychologists. They come alongside parents and carers, building long-lasting community in addition to encouraging confidence and learning positive parenting skills.

We value difference and diversity, and we want our workplace to be built on shared values of equality and mutual trust, with team members representing the wide range of backgrounds and experiences that exist within the UK. We therefore actively encourage applications from people of diverse backgrounds and varied experiences, particularly those who are African, Afro-Caribbean, Asian or part of other minority ethnic communities, who have lived experience of the impact of low-income/low-support circumstances, and who are living with a disability or identify as being neurodivergent.

About the role

The Support Coach role involves:

• Supporting volunteer facilitators by coaching them through the opportunities, challenges and obstacles of running a Kids Matter programme
• Training and upskilling facilitators by helping run events and develop new resources
• Working with the wider Kids Matter team to encourage and strengthen Kids Matter’s church partnerships

At Kids Matter, we are committed to delivering effective coaching. All Support Coaches are given the opportunity to go through the coaching accreditation process with ICF to become an Associate Certified Coach (ACC). Kids Matter provides the support and supervision for this to take place, and will cover the cost of the accreditation if the individual remains employed as a Support Coach for the two years following applying for accreditation. If the individual leaves before two years, a percentage of the accreditation cost will be required to pay back.

About you

Are you someone who enjoys coming alongside others, encouraging and challenging them as they learn and grow? Do you have a strong understanding of the disadvantages many families face in the UK? Can you sensitively and effectively communicate with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences? Are you a Christian with an active faith in Jesus? Do you have a passion for Kids Matter’s vision to see every child in need raised in a strong family?

Then we would love to hear from you!

How to apply

You can apply for the Support Coach position by clicking ‘Apply via Website’ and completing a copy of our online application form.

The deadline for applications is 4pm Monday 1st September 2025. All successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

We also ask for all applicants to submit an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, which will be sent to you to complete following the submission of your application. This form will be used for anonymous analysis to ensure our overall recruitment procedures are fair and transparent. It will never be viewed or used as part of the selection process. It is optional to submit this form.

If you would like any application/interview support or you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the application process, or if you would like an informal phone call to ask questions or discuss the role, please contact Katie Washington (HR & Systems Coordinator).

Please see the job pack for more details on the role and application process.

Imagine a role where your creativity and collaborative approach help connect supporters to a powerful mission, shifting the dial in the food and farming education sector so more children facing disadvantage can discover their connection with the land that sustains us all.

We’re seeking a skilled communicator and digital storyteller equally comfortable crafting social media posts, drafting briefing notes, or capturing and editing film content. You’ll be passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices and supporting social change through engaging communications that inform, connect and inspire.

You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation to drive engagement, raise our profile, and grow our digital presence through impactful multimedia storytelling. Your work will help bring the voices of children, families and communities to partners and supporters nationwide, placing The Country Trust’s mission at the heart of national conversations about wellbeing, education and tackling the poverty of opportunity.

This role involves travel and occasional overnight stays (with mileage reimbursed) across England and North Wales. While we prioritise public transport use, this is not always feasible. Therefore, a valid driving licence is essential.

Key Responsibilities:

Communications & Influence

• Develop and deliver strategic, multi-channel communications that translate complex ideas into compelling messages to increase our influence across media, policy, and partner networks.

Multimedia Storytelling

• Create and deliver impactful, accessible multimedia content that amplifies beneficiary voices, supports advocacy, and aligns with our brand and strategic goals.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships​

• Develop and tailor impactful communications and materials that strengthen partnerships, engage funders, and support collaborative initiatives with partner organisations.

Press, Media & Digital Oversight

• Support on press and social media communications by managing media relationships, crafting timely content, and optimising outreach to amplify our advocacy and campaigns.

About The Country Trust

The Country Trust believes every child should discover first-hand the connections between the food they eat, their own health and the health of the planet. We are the UK’s leading educational charity on a mission to connect children with the land that sustains us all.

When we don’t understand where food comes from, how it’s grown, or have the chance to spend time outdoors, there’s a significant knock-on effect for our health and the environment. Through nearly 50 years of programme delivery, we know children facing disadvantage often have the most to gain from this connection but are least able to access it.

Through food, farming and countryside experiences, our mission is to empower children to be confident, curious, and create change in their lives and the world around them — so that they and society thrive.

Are you passionate about inspiring a love of reading in children?

The Dollywood Foundation UK runs Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in the UK, the worlds largest book gifting programme. Over the last 30 years the Imagination Library has delivered nearly 300 million books to children globally. In the UK we support over 60k children a month, delivering them a free book sent to their house every month.

The primary purpose of this new role is to increase registrations for the Imagination Library initially across London. This role will support our Local Programme Partners to reach families with whom they are not currently engaging.

Background

We have a steadfast belief that inspiring a love of reading in children can bring joy, love, and measurable individual, family and societal benefits. We are driven by Dolly Parton’s mantra that you “can’t put enough books into the hands of enough children”.

It is an exciting time for the Dollywood Foundation. We have recently received a new investment to allow us to scale our Imagination Library programme across London. As families across the capital become eligible for free books, we need to make every effort to ensure families know about the programme and sign up.

This role is integral to that plan, working with local authority and community organisations to spread the word about the programme. The role holder will need to be passionate about books and supporting children’s development. They will hold brilliant relationship building skills to engage local communities and overcome any barriers to families enrolling.

We are a remote team with no fixed office. While this role will be based from home, regular travel across London will be required. The role holder will need to be based in London or surrounding areas to allow for the frequent travel.

This is an exciting new role, joining a passionate and growing UK team.

Job Title: Policy and Influencing Manager
Organisation: Kids
Location: Remote (with travel to London up to once a week for meetings)
Salary: £33,000–£35,000
Contract: Full-time or 4 days/week (Flexible working available)

Make change happen – for every child.

At Kids, we believe every child should have the opportunity to thrive – regardless of disability or circumstance. As our Policy and Influencing Manager, you’ll play a vital role in making this a reality. You’ll help shape policies that amplify the voices and experiences of disabled children and young people, turning insight into influence and ideas into action.

This is a unique opportunity to lead bold, evidence-based policy work that reflects the lived experiences of the families we support. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation and sector, you’ll inform decision-makers, respond to developments in the SEND landscape, and ensure that young people’s voices are at the heart of the change we seek.

We’re looking for a passionate and proactive policy professional who’s ready to help build something powerful – and lasting – at a critical time for SEND reform in the UK.

What you'll do

Policy & Influencing

• Develop accessible and compelling policy briefings, consultation responses, reports, speeches, and presentations for a range of stakeholders, including MPs, government officials, and sector partners.
• Translate complex ideas into clear, persuasive communications that support positive change.
• Collaborate with our Youth Voice Manager to ensure our policy positions reflect the real experiences of the young people and families we support.
• Help deliver and monitor our policy and influencing strategy in collaboration with the Head of Policy, Voice and Influencing.

Research & Evidence

• Carry out high-quality research and analysis from both internal and external sources.
•  Centre the experiences and insights of disabled children, young people, and their families in policy solutions
• Monitor policy developments across the SEND landscape and lead on timely, evidence-led responses.
• Track progress against our influencing goals and ensure our actions remain targeted and impactful.

Engagement & Relationship Building

• Build strong relationships with decision-makers across government and the public sector.
• Support the Head of Policy, Voice and Influencing to plan and deliver our strategic external engagement plan in order to focus and drive our wider influencing work
• Represent Kids at meetings and events, including engaging MPs, civil servants, and other key influencers.
• Work closely with internal teams and front-line colleagues to ensure our influencing work is grounded in practice and informed by those delivering services.

Collaboration & Strategic Partnerships

• Work alongside the Head of Policy, Voice and Influencing and Youth Voice Manager to deliver our external engagement strategy including deputising at meetings when required.
• Support collaboration across teams to bring in parent, carer, and young person voices.
• Contribute to external coalitions and alliances – attending meetings, aligning with others’ work, and championing Kids' policy priorities.

What you'll bring

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in a policy role and demonstrable experience of using policy and evidence to influence outcomes– ideally within the disability sector.
• Strong understanding of the SEND system and related policies and legislation (through lived or professional experience).
• Excellent writing skills – able to craft persuasive policy briefings, consultation responses, and reports with clarity and purpose.
• Confident communicator, able to engage a range of audiences in person and in writing.
• Strong research and analytical skills – able to sift through evidence and develop insight-driven policy recommendations.
• Ability to build and manage relationships with senior stakeholders and external partners.
• Highly organised, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Passionate about inclusion, equity, and social justice – with a strong motivation to elevate the voices of disabled children and young people.

Why work at Kids?

We’re a mission-driven organisation, building a fairer world where all children have the opportunity to flourish. You’ll join a growing team in a pivotal role, helping to shape the future of policy and advocacy at Kids.

We’re committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We’re especially keen to hear from people with lived experience of disability or SEND, either personally or within your family or community.

Ready to create change that counts?
Apply now and help us influence a better, more inclusive future for disabled children and young people.

Note: We may close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Please apply promptly

Job Title: Assistant Shop Manager 

Reporting To: Old Swan Shop Manager 

Salary: £25,570 - £27,401 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week 

Location: Old Swan, Liverpool 

About us: 

 
Alder Hey Children’s Charity raises vital funds to help make Alder Hey Children’s Hospital a truly world-class, patient-friendly hospital for the 450,000 patients and families we care for every year. 

The charity supports a wide range of life-enhancing projects that improve the experience of our amazing young patients. This includes funding specialist medical equipment to ensure our skilled surgeons and clinical teams have access to the most cutting-edge technology and investing in hi-tech distraction equipment proven to reduce pain and anxiety for children during their hospital stay. We also support innovative programmes such as ward musicians, our on-site magician, and dedicated play specialists on every ward. 

In addition, our charity retail operation plays a key role in raising funds and engaging our community. With a presence on-site at the hospital and across local areas, our retail outlets offer a variety of high-quality donated and new goods. Every purchase helps us continue to deliver exceptional care and fund critical projects, while also providing volunteering and community engagement opportunities that extend the impact of our mission beyond the hospital walls. 

About the role: 

We are looking for a passionate, ambitious Assistant Charity Shop Manager to join our successful team to help manage our charity shop in Old Swan. 

The Assistant Shop Manager will be an integral part of the wider Charity team.

Main Duties/Tasks: 

You will play a vital role in supporting the Shop Manager to lead, motivate, and develop a team of dedicated employees and volunteers, fostering strong community engagement and maximising the shop’s impact. This includes encouraging and harnessing the gifts of time from volunteers, goods from donors, and income from customers. As a visible and active ambassador for Alder Hey Children’s Charity on the high street, you will ensure the shop reflects the Charity’s values and purpose in all that it does. You will also support van collections and deliveries, helping to ensure the smooth and efficient transport of donated goods, while representing the Charity with enthusiasm and professionalism. 

Income generation: 

• Work with the Shop Manager to maximise sales and profits ensuring weekly targets are met. 

• Support the team to maximise income from Gift Aid on donated products. 

• Support the team to maximise income via our online platforms. 

• Support the team with arranging van deliveries/collections daily.

• Work with the wider Charity team to promote and support fundraising activities and events. 

• Explore ways to maximise sales via events, donation drives, pop-up shops etc. 

• Cash up the till at the end of shift and ensure banking documents are completed. Investigate any discrepancies and report them to the Manager. 

• Support with ensuring the money is ready and accessible for cash collection.

• Open and close the shop at the appropriate times.

Volunteers: 

• Support and management of a team of volunteers. 

• Utilise volunteer skill sets and motivate them to deliver great customer service and perform tasks in-line with charity standards. 

• Maximise the shop’s opening hours and ensure the shop is open and managed by the shop team in the absence of the Shop Manager. 

• Help to provide and support ongoing training and development for volunteers. 

• Work and treat employees, volunteers and stakeholders in accordance with the Charity’s values. 

• Health & Safety (in conjunction with Shop Manager) 

• Ensure the shop adheres to Retail Health and Safety regulations. 

• Implement good Health and Safety practices to help protect employees, volunteers, and customers. 

• Help to ensure employees and volunteers are trained in manual handling. 

• Help maintain the cleanliness of the shop and behind the scenes areas.

• Stock Control (in conjunction with Shop Manager) 

• Ensure continuous, sufficient levels of high-quality stock. 

• Be responsible for deliveries and stock controls. 

• Ensure stock is appropriate to the business and priced accordingly. 

• Maintain a rigorous process of stock rotation, ensuring rotation within expiry dates. 

• Ensure visual merchandising is a high priority, with products featured prominently in window displays. 

Customer Service: 

• Be professional, patient and have a ‘people-first’ approach to customer services. 

• Be committed to the principles of equality, diversity, and collaborative working. 

• Set high standards of cleanliness, display and merchandising. 

• Establish quality standards, consumer safety and ensuring continuity. 

• Play a key role in enabling the shop to represent the Charity’s values.

Other Duties: 

• Be an outstanding advocate for Alder Hey Children’s Charity in line with the core values of the organisation. 

• Any other reasonable duties as required by your line manager. 

The Charity retail team are currently conducting a four-day working week trial, due to end on 30th September 2025. This means that, for example, staff previously working 37.5 hours a week are now working 30 hours a week to enable a four-day working week. The trial is monitoring the benefits of a four-day working week against productivity. We are confident that by embracing a more flexible and balanced approach to work, we can continue to create a thriving and fulfilling work environment while driving growth and success for our charity. A decision will be made before the 30th September 2025 to agree the next steps, based on an assessment of the trial period; the four-day working week trial may be ended, extended or adopted permanently.

Our Values 

Here at Alder Hey Children’s Charity, our values guide the way in which we work. By being courageous, working together, being passionate about our work, and making sure that we are creative in what we do, helps us to deliver the support necessary so that our hospital can continue to deliver the very best care for our young patients and their families. Our values are:

Courage: we try new things and take risks to innovate and drive forward new ideas. We have the courage to speak up and take a stance. We are accountable, responsive and responsible. We are unstoppable.

Together: we work together as one team, sharing our knowledge and learning. We work in partnership with patients, families, supporters and colleagues. We are respectful, celebrate diversity and empower each other to achieve our aims.

Passion: we are passionate about what we do and why we do it.  We work together to share and grow. We inspire others.

Magic: we are fun, creative and child led. We create special moments, provide little extras and go further for our brave young patients.

How to apply 

You can apply by clicking the link below. Applications must include your CV and a covering letter which answers the following questions: 

• How do you meet the person specification? If you don’t exactly meet all of the role requirements but have transferable skills please do consider applying and provide details as part of your answer.

• Why do you want to work for Alder Hey? 

Additional information is included within the Job Description and Person Specification. If you have any questions about the role please contact the People Team.

Closing date: Sunday 10 August 2025 

Interview date (to be held at Alder Hey Children’s Charity Shop – Old Swan): Tuesday 19 August 2025

Alder Hey Children’s Charity will make every endeavour to make any reasonable adjustments for applicants who require assistance in carrying out their duties due to a disability. Alder Hey Children’s Charity is committed to equal opportunities and positively welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Alder Hey Children’s Charity is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. The post holder may be required to complete an enhanced DBS disclosure check.

Job Title: Peer Supporter, Lancashire

Salary: £11,111 pro rata (£22,222 FTE)

Contract: Fixed Term until 6th October 2026

Working Hours: 17.5 hours per week (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 09:00 – 15:00)

Location: Community based in East Lancashire with some limited home working

About us at the NCT

NCT is a charity with a clear mission: to support people as they become parents, through pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.

With a 65-year history of transformative change, we are a vibrant community of volunteers, practitioners, peer supporters, members and advocates. We are the largest parenting charity in the country and over the decades we’ve supported millions of people on their unique journey into parenthood.   

While many know us for our antenatal classes, we also do much more. We campaign on issues that matter to parents, provide infant feeding support, and run thousands of free community events and activities led by our amazing volunteers. We also support families facing challenges like social isolation, feeding difficulties, and poor mental health. We offer support in communities, in hospitals and online.

NCT is committed to social justice and equity. We are dedicated to being an anti-racist charity and believe that inclusion is everyone's responsibility. Being there for every parent requires bold action to challenge inequalities. By creating inclusive spaces and services that are built on collaboration and trust, we welcome and celebrate diversity and strive to meet the needs of the pregnant women, new parents, families and communities that we serve.

As the world changes and new challenges are thrown up for parents, our charity must change too. Join us now and be part of this journey, and ensure that every parent feels connected, confident and safe. 

About the role

Our Lancashire Infant Feeding Support project is commissioned by Lancashire Council, to offer infant feeding support across the region in both community and hospital settings. The support is delivered by staff and volunteer peer supporters.

You will be responsible for offering breastfeeding support for parents within East Lancashire Hospital Trust and the community.

Some of the key responsibilities of the role include:

• Providing Infant feeding support to families on the wards at the hospitals, in service user homes and community settings within Lancashire.
• Support in delivering inductions for volunteer peer supporters.
• To report any concerns or additional support needs of women to the NCT management team and/or Infant Feeding Lead for referral onto partner agencies as appropriate.
• To attend regular supervision/support sessions.
• Having a good working knowledge and understanding of the local demographics in the Lancashire area and ensuring all support is accessible and inclusive.
• Ensure that data collection and feedback is collected in a timely manner in an inclusive way.

You must have good communication skills and be able to build relationships and create a rapport with a wide range of people easily. This is a large project and covers multiple locations so you must be able to confidently prioritise your own work, be highly organised and able to work independently.

Being able to make decisions and respond appropriately to our staff, peer supporters and parents and other external stakeholders is essential, alongside good IT skills– including Outlook, Word and Excel – and you must have good attention to detail. It is essential for this post that you undertake the training to become an NCT Breastfeeding Peer Supporter. This requires breastfeeding experience of at least 3 months. The training can be undertaken within your working hours.

The role is 17.5 hours per week which will be worked Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 09:00 – 15:00. This will be split across the hospital, in service user homes and at community settings across Lancashire, however there is also some home-based working required.

About you

• Are you willing to undertake our Peer Supporter training? (Requires minimum 3 months Breastfeeding Experience)
• Can you work at pace and juggle a number of different priorities?
• Are you passionate about supporting families to reach their parenting and feeding goals and contribute to their positive wellbeing?
• Do you want to join an amazing Charity that supports parents across the UK?
• Would you like to be part of an amazing team of passionate staff?

If so, please don't hesitate to apply today!

What we offer

We are taking positive action to increase diversity throughout our organisation, at all levels, and to nurture a culture of inclusion for all our people and the parents and families that we support. 

We are committed to zero discrimination both internally and externally regardless of visible or invisible difference such as sex, sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity, disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, religion or belief, gender identity, economic class, marital/civil partnership, family status including single parents, socio-economic background and pregnancy and maternity.   We provide reasonable adjustments and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

We welcome and actively encourage applications from all candidates including those from under-represented groups within NCT such as individuals from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQI+ people and people with a disability.

The welfare and safety of individuals is at the heart of everything that we do. NCT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Closing date for applications: 14th August 2025

Are you a data-driven individual looking for a meaningful role where your skills can make a real difference? Join Barnardo's as a Data Analyst and help transform the lives of children, young people, and families across the UK. This is an exciting opportunity to turn complex data into valuable insights that inform strategic decisions and support our mission. If you're passionate about using data to drive positive change, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application. 

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in their place of education. We are currently reaching over 2.6 million children every school day, across 16 countries.

We are recruiting for a dynamic, visionary leader to join us as Director of Strategic Initiatives – a vital role in helping us grow our global movement. Reporting to our Chief Growth Officer, you’ll lead a talented team responsible for designing and delivering bold new strategies to increase revenue and build long-term, sustainable income growth and grow the strength of our National Affiliate network.

You will:

• Drive a programme of high-impact, global initiatives, from new fundraising products and digital solutions to youth and faith engagement strategies.
• Provide expert support and coaching to Executive Directors leading National Affiliates across the world.
• Guide strategic planning and change programmes with measurable outcomes, clear delivery plans and a deep focus on stewardship.
• Lead and inspire a high-performing team of specialists focused on audience insights, product development and market expansion.
• Collaborate closely with senior leadership across our global family to ensure alignment, shared learning and sustainable growth.
• Support the development of effective governance, technology and safeguarding practices across affiliates.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the MMI Executive Leadership Team and contribute regularly at the highest levels of decision-making.

About you:

You will bring significant senior-level experience in strategy, programme leadership, and/or business development – ideally in a global or multi-entity context within the charity sector.

• A strong track record of driving income growth and leading successful change initiatives.
• Experience working across cultures, with the ability to influence, inspire and build trust in diverse settings.
• A sharp focus on what works in fundraising, product innovation and audience engagement – particularly in the context of international development.
• Experience collaborating closely with technology teams to deliver digital and tech-enabled solutions.
• Proven leadership and coaching experience, with the ability to build high-performing teams and work with autonomy, agility and purpose.

Most of all, you’ll be motivated by our mission and ready to play a key role in helping us reach the next child waiting for Mary’s Meals.

About us:

We believe in the innate goodness of people, respect the dignity of every human being and family life and believe in good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. In line with our values, Mary’s Meals is fully committed to a culture of safeguarding. Mary’s Meals is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work and we expect all the Mary's Meals family to share this commitment and work in the best interest of the communities we serve. Our safe recruitment practices ensure that only those that are committed to our high standards join our movement.

Salary advertised is for UK based candidates, our salary philosophy ensures consistency across locations where Mary’s Meals operates, please reach out for more information on salary & benefits if you are based outside the UK. 

To apply:

If you are inspired to join our movement and our vision, mission and values resonate with you, we would love to hear from you. To apply, please click below to send your CV and a short covering note (no more than 1 page) telling us why you are a great fit for this role and why you would like to work for Mary’s Meals International.

A part-time role developing, curating, delivering and finessing training for two distinct audiences – training for those who have low digital confidence, as well as young people, in how to use digital devices effectively and efficiently; and also training for those who may come into contact with, or wish to learn about, digital poverty, including staff of corporates and community providers. 

The former audience – learning about digital skills – will need to gain knowledge and understanding about the foundational elements of using laptops, tablets and smartphones.  This includes Essential Digital Skills such as setting passwords, connecting to Wi-Fi and using keyboards, as well as soft skills such as staying safe online, critical thinking and recognising fake news or AI generated imagery.

The latter audience – learning about digital poverty – will need to learn about the causes and impacts of digital poverty, what impact digital exclusion has on families and communities, and how to understand if someone is digitally included.

There may be other training requirements as well – such as training external users of our systems, training corporate volunteers, or a train-the-train model of supporting young people to work with those in their communities.

Key responsibilities

• Work with CEO and SMT to gain a strong understanding of the content we wish to deliver.
• Design a range of standardised training materials, developing curriculum plans, which are able to be tailored easily for cohorts.
• Work with the Head of Development to ensure training meets the needs of potential partners.
• Work with delivery and project officers to understand training requirements as they relate to specific programmatic requirements.
• Deliver training as the lead trainer for the charity, usually in person but sometimes online.
• Work with partner organisations to build strong relationships, especially when working with corporate volunteers.
• Create and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the effectiveness of the training, gather feedback and finesse the training models you have created.
• Be able to run a train the trainer model for corporate volunteers, other staff, and young people on specific programmes, briefing them and ensuring consistency and quality.
• Work with the Head of External Affairs to produce high quality materials, including presentations, leaflets and other resources.
• Support marketing, project management, contract management and other functions delivered by other team members.
• Provide accurate reporting on the basis of feedback, participation and other indicators of current success.
• Take a self-sufficient approach to logistical management, whilst also working with colleagues where duties overlap.
• Keep up to date on developments in digital skills, maintaining subject matter knowledge.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the digital poverty landscape, including across policy, research and interventions, to inform training delivery.
• Work with colleagues to role model best practice in training.

The role is remote based - the whole team works from home - but you will need to be able to regularly travel across the UK including potential overnight stays and evening working.  You must feel comfortable being the person who sets up at a training event, and have a hands-on approach.  (The costs of travel are, of course, covered.)