Children jobs in ickenham, greater london

Job purpose

As part of our new strategy, we aim to grow our income significantly over the next five years. Our current income is £12.4m per year. We have strong and realistic foundations for this aim and a secure base of income from long-term committed funders including Arts Council England, Mohn Westlake Foundation, Waterstones, The Julia Rausing Trust and the Welsh and Northern Ireland governments. These funders enable us to reach children through our flagship programmes, but with a huge amount of new work in development, securing new income from trusts and foundations is a high priority for us. 

This is an exciting role at BookTrust that will challenge and provide excellent career development opportunities for the successful candidate. This role will deliver essential stewardship to our growing portfolio of warm trust supporters, engaging with them to provide inspirational impact reporting to secure continued funding. Our new colleague will gain exciting CV enhancing experience through working cross-organisationally to support the reporting of BookTrust’s multi-million-pound Arts Council England grant.

You will support BookTrust to develop its presence in the trust and foundations world, by working to agreed new business targets and contributing to the creation of a high-quality pipeline of new trust and foundation opportunities.  

About the postholder

We believe there is considerable potential for this role to significantly increase the number of trusts BookTrust partners with and offers a fantastic opportunity to work across the organisation and develop skills and experience. We want to hear from ambitious fundraisers who want to make their mark and create a lasting difference to the lives of children and families.

Our ideal candidate will be confident and outgoing with experience of personally developing multiple four and five figure funding relationships from trusts and foundations. We are seeking someone with great communication skills who can write with flair to develop compelling applications and reports and speak passionately and articulately about BookTrust’s work to the staff and trustees of trusts and foundations.

Please read the attached Job Description for more info.

Playskill is a Hertfordshire based charity supporting pre-school children with physical disabilities & delays and their families. Across two sites in Watford and Hemel Hempstead, our work helps to build family resilience in the pivotal early years of a child’s life. Our specialist early intervention work delivering multi-disciplinary therapeutic play sessions, parent training/modelling, family social respite events and family support provides holistic family centred work aiming to build foundational skills for life

The Family Support Lead will coordinate our Family Support service across all locations providing holistic support to families of children with a physical disability/delay living in Hertfordshire, always keeping close adherence to best Safeguarding practice and procedures.

The role involves working with the Head of Family Service and Operations and Head of Development to develop the Support Worker team to deliver high quality family support. This may mean supporting families in group settings, family centres or in the home and holding caseloads with a holistic view in how to best meet need. Working closely with local stakeholders (including but not limited to schools, family hubs, social care, health and other voluntary sector organisations), the wider Playskill team and families, this role will deliver family-centred practice, ensuring positive outcomes for families.

We are looking for someone who has an understanding of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and the challenges to navigate education, welfare and health systems. They will need to understand the needs of families and be able to work collaboratively.

The role will be responsible for the integration of our Support Worker team and family support services, ensuring best practice and identifying training needs as they arise.

You must be well organised and able to demonstrate the ability to develop strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. As a self-starter, you will be able to use your own initiative, can problem solve and prioritise, with good planning and organisational skills. You will be expected to manage your weekly diary ensuring you are offering timely, quality support across our sites and within the community. You will be expected to have a positive, resilient attitude, be able to work under pressure, meet deadlines and be flexible and adaptable.

All employees will be expected to make a commitment to Playskill’s core values of Respect, Compassion, Collaboration, Whole Family and Support.

What we can offer you

• Wellbeing support

• Supportive colleagues

• Pension

Diversity statement: 

Playskill is an equal opportunities employer and has a high number of team with caring responsibilities and is keen to encourage applicants from a diverse number of backgrounds.

Safeguarding statement:

Playskill is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment. Playskill has a full safeguarding policy and expects all staff to undergo safeguarding training.   

Closing Date:  5pm, Wednesday 17th December 2025

Interview date: Tuesday 6th January 2026

Interview location: Hemel Hempstead

Reg Charity no 1198233 (formerly 1122745). Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.in

Location: Enfield (with a co-location across LBE Safeguarding Team)

Salary: £29,923 - £32,623 per annum (with an accredited VAWG /domestic abuse qualification)

(Please note that applicants are usually appointed at the bottom of the relevant band)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week 

Contract: Fixed Term Contract (Until January 2027)

Closing Date: Wednesday 17th December 2025

Closing Time: 00:00am

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as an Child Service IDVA at Solace Women's Aid.  

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has saved the lives of thousands of women, men and children in the capital. We are looking for friendly and diligent individuals to join our services and help us make a difference.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Service

The Enfield SASS team provides advocacy and support to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse living in Enfield. An exciting opportunity has arisen in this busy team for an IDVA within the Domestic Abuse team to be collocated across the LBE Children’s Services.

About the Role

The successful candidate will be responsible for risk and needs assessing and safety planning with survivors of domestic violence. They will hold a caseload of service users identified as requiring crisis intervention, advice, advocacy and onward referral where appropriate. You will be the first point of contact for social care professionals providing training and upskilling as part of the LBE Children Services Domestic Abuse team.

About You

We're looking for highly organised and self-motivated applicants who are passionate about ending gender-based violence. You will have a “can-do‟ approach and demonstrable commitment to Solace’s feminist approach to supporting women and their children to be safer. You will receive training and support for this role as necessary.

Successful applicants will have in-depth knowledge of domestic abuse and its impact on service users and their children. You will have experience in crisis risk management and safety planning. Experience working within safeguarding procedures is essential as it needs to promote a strong partnership approach to service provision.

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferrable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:

• Values, Behaviours & Competencies
• Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.

No agencies.

This exciting new project has emerged following consultation and engagement work in 2025 across central government, Local Authorities, regional London-wide partners, Young Camden, Young Brent and Young Westminster Foundations, and the local voluntary sectors.

The result is an innovative, co-funded project, seeking to work in new ways for the benefit of young people at risk of serious youth violence in this part of NW London. This role will coordinate all aspects of the management of this programme, driving high quality delivery and outcomes. 

The focus of this collaboration is to tackle Serious Youth Violence and promote youth safety across the stretch of NW London from Kilburn High Road (Brent & Camden), through Queen’s Park (Brent & Westminster) which covers three boroughs. This part of London has been a hotspot for serious youth violence for many years, for young people both based in these communities and passing through. Tackling the issues in this part of North West London has always been a challenge, as the area is split across Local Authority lines. The area also features high levels of serious violence involving young people, both committing offences and also being victims of them (often interlinked). This is coupled with high levels of poverty and inequality, and also features relatively fewer youth opportunities than elsewhere in these boroughs.

As part of the project, the Local Authorities of each area are contributing funds over the next three years to fund collaborative and cross-borough projects that will support the safety of children and young people in this community. The project is funded by John Lyon’s Charity.

The project recognises that many of the challenges in this part of London are structural, but is motivated by the hope that key partners working together in new and different ways can help to breakdown some of the barriers that interrupt effective intervention and prevention.

The project does not seek to reinvent the wheel, and instead seeks to leverage the existing connections, expertise, partnerships and projects already happening within local areas.

Please see summary details below: 

Job title: Programme Director, Youth Safety Programme (NW London)

Location: YCF office, with travel across central and North West London

Reporting to: CEO, Young Camden Foundation  

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week), with some out of hours work / visits occasionally required, at least 3-4 days pw required in person

Salary: £46,000-£46,000 p.a. (depending on experience)

Start date: ASAP, ideally January 2026

Contract type: Fixed term (three years)

Please download the application pack for full details of this role. 

Jigsaw4u’s Piece of Mind Service helps 11 to 25 year-old young people in SW London overcome depression and/or anxiety. We are seeking 1 full-time counsellor, or 2 part-time counsellors, to support 15 referrals over 3 months, in the London Boroughs of Kingston and Richmond. 

There is the potential for this fixed-term contract to become permanent. 

Each young person receives 6 to 16 targeted, evidence based therapeutic support sessions.  Support sessions will be delivered at our Kingston-Upon Thames hub, at school, home or in the community where appropriate. The counsellor will liaise with parents/carers, and referrers and partner agencies as appropriate. They will evaluate the interventions through use of Outcomes Star and other agreed measurement tool.

Jigsaw4u is a community charity that helps children, young people and families across South West London put the pieces back together following social and emotional difficulties.

 We have a multi-disciplinary team of Specialist Support Practitioners and Therapists, with a proud 27-year history and values that are informed by our shared experiences and feedback from our service-users.

 We work with community and statutory partners to deliver over 24 services, including support for pre and post bereavement, depression and anxiety, young people in the care system or leaving care, domestic violence, young victims of crime, prisoners’ families and parenting programmes.

Circa £47,000 per annum

Full-time, Permanent

Part Home/Part Office based

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is a great opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as the Events and Experiences Lead, leading the Events and Experiences Team.

The role is responsible for delivering an exciting programme of in-person touch-points that engage multiple targeted audiences to steward existing partners and reach new audiences to inspire with UNICEF’s work. The role will also manage two members of the Events and Experience team directly to nurture talent and lead by example. Ideally the candidate will also have a solid understanding of creating and maintaining income-generating partnerships.

The successful candidate will have experience of delivering income and end-to-end large event management. They will have proven experience in innovating in-person engagement offerings that deepen and lengthen donor/supporter engagement. They will be able to evidence effectively working in large complex organisations delivering across multiple projects and events. An innovative, creative approach is desired and an ability to work in a collaborative environment is essential.

Act now and visit the website via the apply button to apply online.

Closing date: 9am, Wednesday 7 January 2026.

Interview date: Thursday 15 January 2026 via video conferencing (MS Teams).

In return, we offer:

· excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)

· outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role

· impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

· an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.

· the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

Our application process: We use a system called "Applied" that anonymises your responses and focuses on your actual skills that are relevant to this role. This benefits you by giving you a greater chance of expressing your skills in this objective selection process.

We anticipate most colleagues will work one or two days a week in the office on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and the rest of the time from home.  We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights.

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact the Supporter Care line during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)

Are you passionate about children’s literacy? Do you want to use your skills and experience to enable opportunity for children living with little or no access to books and reading? Can you help create a home environment where reading for pleasure is part of the fabric of family life? If so, read on - we may have just the job for you here at Doorstep Library!

We are looking for a Reading Project Leader, to deliver some of our reading projects in London, in the community and online, on a part-time, term-time only basis. You will lead a team of volunteers on three projects per week, being present at a community base/online while your volunteer team visits local families and reads with children. You will also have the opportunity to read with families yourself.

You will be a resourceful, confident decision maker able to operate independently to support your team and be able to engage with our community partners and beneficiaries.

Make a Real Difference to Local Families

Home-Start Barnet, Brent and Harrow is a dynamic local charity supporting families with young children through challenging times. Our volunteers and staff offer emotional and practical support to help parents build confidence, strengthen relationships and give their children the best start in life.

We’re looking for a Family Engagement Coordinator to join our School Readiness project in Grahame Park, Barnet. You’ll be part of a friendly team at Home-Start Barnet, working closely with colleagues and partners at Barnet Mencap to support families who are just starting their journey with the education system.

In this role, you’ll help us reach families who may be facing extra challenges or need more personalised support. You’ll spend time building strong, trusting relationships with local primary schools and become a familiar, welcoming presence within their school communities. Your work will help ensure that parents feel informed, supported and ready to help their children thrive as they start school.

The common thread throughout the project is the engagement of families and the parent volunteers, who widen the supportive “community” around the families, and connect the school to the home, and the partners to each other. Approximately 70% of this role will be based in local schools in Grahame Park.

As our Family Engagement Coordinator, you will:

• Build strong relationships with primary schools in Grahame Park, in Barnet.
• Promote Home-Start’s services through school and community events.
• Support communication between schools, families and partner agencies.
• Share updates through newsletters, WhatsApp, email and community channels.
• Signpost families to local services and activities that support wellbeing.
• Receive referrals and assess family needs.
• Deliver school-readiness workshops and parenting groups.
• Liaise with schools, health and community services

About You

We’re looking for someone compassionate, proactive and highly organised, with a genuine passion for supporting families.

You will have:

• Experience working or volunteering in schools, nurseries, family support or similar settings.
• Parenting experience or experience caring for young children.
• Understanding of early years development and primary school systems.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities.
• The ability to engage with families facing complex challenges.
• Experience of delivering workshops or groups.
• Understanding of neurodiversity and SEND support.
• Knowledge of legislation relating to children and families.

What We Offer

• A supportive and collaborative team environment
• Opportunities for training and professional development
• A role where you can directly improve the lives of children and families
• Term-time only working arrangements can be considered

Note: This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 due to the nature of our work.

In2research Alumni Officer

Job Description 

Reports to: Head of Programmes 

Part Time (0.6) - £27,675 per annum FTE (9 month fixed-term contract)

In2research is a high impact and evidence informed social mobility programme for socioeconomically disadvantaged people to access and progress in postgraduate study. Our mission is to drive sector change across institutions towards an inclusive research culture. We strongly believe that it is not enough to guide underrepresented people into postgraduate study, but to ensure that the culture they are entering is inclusive and a place where they can thrive. Over a year, we support participants to gain vital access to both knowledge and opportunities including a paid 8-week research placement and subject specific mentoring. 

As the In2research Alumni Officer, you will deliver a programme of continued support for the In2research participants increasing their ability to apply and be admitted to postgraduate research degrees and opportunities, as well as supporting our mission to foster an increased sense of belonging within the research community for individuals from minority groups. The post holder will have strong knowledge and understanding of the barriers facing young people from low socioeconomic and minority backgrounds accessing postgraduate research degrees and research opportunities.

The post holder will be someone who thrives working with young people and is passionate about supporting them progress to postgraduate research opportunities as well as supporting to achieve the In2research vision of creating a more diverse culture in academia.

In2scienceUK is a remote-based organisation, that requires occasional travel across the UK for events, internal & external meetings and staff co-working days.

Your specific duties will include:

•  Delivering a high quality programme experience to support In2research alumni, aligned with learning objectives, beneficiary insights, our theory of change and resource.

• Develop and deliver engaging alumni communications e.g. newsletters, email updates, linkedin group posts, to keep In2research alumni informed of relevant news, opportunities and events.

• Maintain and develop new relationships with relevant partners to secure deliver online and in-person workshops and events aligned to In2research alumni progression milestones. e.g. "What is a viva and how to prepare for one" & PhD retreats.

• Work with our delivery partners to provide students application support e.g. application clinics.

• Support the delivery of one off in person events, e.g. the In2scienceUK celebration event.

• Maintaining up to date alumni records, in accordance with data protection, as well as working closely with the Data, Impact and Evaluation Manager to evaluate and report on In2research participant progression.

• Support with the collection and creation of case studies and alumni stories to promote alumni achievements and strengthen the community.

• Support the planning and delivery of organisational in-person events e.g. celebration days/conferences.

• Work closely with the In2research programme, fundraising teams and wider organisation to ensure funder requirements are met, and activities communicated.

• Support the wider In2research team with the current programme, and development of future aspects of the programme, where relevant.

As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post holder. The post holder will carry out any other duties that are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job as requested by the line manager. All staff must undertake all mandatory training, checks and compliance as instructed by the organisation.

Essential: 

• Prior experience managing alumni communities.

• Prior experience of working with students transitioning from higher education to postgraduate research degrees and detailed understanding of PGR pathways.

• A clear understanding of the social and economic barriers that prevent individuals from progressing into postgraduate research opportunities.

• Excellent organisational skills, able to multitask and manage a varied workload while paying attention to the details.

• Experience developing and maintaining strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at various levels.

• Experience designing and delivering events, both online and in-person, such as workshops and networking events.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong presentation skills and an ability to adapt to a range of audiences.

• Flexible and adaptable, with an ability to pick up new tasks quickly, showing resilience when faced with challenges.

• Knowledge, understanding or experience of programme or project evaluation. 

• Working collaboratively and supporting fostering a collegiate workplace environment.

• Upholds the values of our code of conduct and is respectful to all.

• Competent user of Google Suite, Canva, email marketing software.

Desirable: 

• Prior knowledge or experience of GDPR and safeguarding.

• Experience of using task/project management software and databases.

• Experience delivering programmes and/or projects within the education and academic sector.

Benefits: 

At In2scienceUK we practise what we preach by giving all staff opportunities to progress in their careers. You will have the opportunity to develop your career with guidance from your line manager to get you to the next level from day one. 

Although we take our career development seriously we also value work life balance. You will have the opportunity to work flexibly from home, balancing your caring responsibilities, volunteer commitments, hobbies and anything else that makes you happy. 

In2scienceUK offers a Pension Salary Sacrifice Scheme along with other staff benefits. These include financial and wellbeing support through our employee assistance programme (EAP) and 100’s of retail and high street discounts.

You will have 28 days of annual leave per annum (pro rated to 0.6 FTE equivalent), plus bank holidays. 

Commitment to Safeguarding: 

In2scienceUK is committed to our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults as outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children. We are committed to recruiting candidates who share this commitment to safeguarding, and therefore we apply robust recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that the people selected are right for the job, and that all candidates are appropriately screened prior to appointment. 

The following pre-employment checks will be undertaken as applicable:

• References 

• DBS check and/or Overseas criminal records check where applicable

• Self-Disclosure 

• Identity check 

• Right to work in the UK 

• Evidence of qualifications applicable to the role 

• Confirmation of registration with applicable registered body where applicable 

Many of our roles involve working with children and we will therefore take up references prior to your appointment. You should provide details of referees including your current and previous employers, covering the last 5 years. Your current or previous employer will be asked about disciplinary offences relating to children, if the role involved working with children, including any in which the penalty is time expired. We will also ask if you have been the subject of any child protection concerns and if so, the outcome of any enquiry or disciplinary procedure.

Ygam is seeking panel members to join our Lived Experience Advisory Panel. We are looking for individuals with either direct or indirect experiences of gambling harms to provide the organisation with an increased knowledge on the issues that children and young people face in today’s society.

We are particularly keen to hear from individuals who can bring a range of skills, knowledge and experience to the panel, including the ability to communicate clearly, reflect thoughtfully, and contribute respectfully to group discussions. Experience of engaging with education, safeguarding, treatment, peer support, research or policy is valuable, as is an understanding of the wider impacts of gambling harms on young people, families and communities. Above all, we are looking for people who are motivated to use their experience to help shape meaningful change for children and young people.

Role Requirements

Duties will include but not be limited to:

· Contributing to panel discussions and activities

· Sharing knowledge and areas of expertise

· Keeping up-to-date with current developments in the risks and emerging themes surrounding young people’s exposure and experiences with gambling.

· Submitting expenses

· Reading through minutes

· Completing any relevant actions pre and/or post meeting

· Declaring conflicts of interest whilst participating on the advisory panel

Person Specification 

Essential

· Demonstrable experience and knowledge in the fields of education, safeguarding and lived experience

· Understanding of issues related to gaming and gambling harms among children and young people

· Excellent communication skills

· Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of stakeholders

· Passionate about safeguarding children and young people from gaming and gambling harms

· Ability to commit time to attend regular meetings and contribute to the panel

· Open-minded and respectful of different perspectives and experiences

Desirable

· Previous experience serving on advisory panels or boards

· Knowledge of the charity sector

Duration: Fixed Term (Maternity Cover for 12 months)

Salary: £56,000 per annum

Hours: 35 hours per week (other flexible arrangements will be considered)

Location: Working from home and at 1 Westfield Avenue, London E20 1HZ

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is a great opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as Finance Business Partner (early moments leave/maternity cover for 12 months).

This role provides the main Finance point of contact across relevant teams and senior stakeholders and is expected to support various teams, including the Marketing Team that generates a significant portion of UNICEF UK’s income, and the Information and People Teams, amongst others.

Reporting to the Head of Finance Business Partnering, you will work directly with budget holders in your dedicated teams, supporting financial planning and performance reporting with analysis, insight and constructive challenge to support decision making and strategic financial planning, driving positive outcomes for UNICEF UK.

The ideal candidate would be someone that’s analytical and highly numerate, able to identify key performance and financial drivers and convey complex information with clarity. Experience in finance business partnering is key with experience specifically in digital marketing being desirable.  The role entails building strong relationships with senior stakeholders and being able to both challenge and support.

Act now and visit the website via the apply button to apply online.

Closing date: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026.

Interview date: TBC in January.

In return, we offer:

· excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)

· outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role

· impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

· an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.

· the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

Our application process: We use a system called "Applied" that anonymises your responses and focuses on your actual skills that are relevant to this role. This benefits you by giving you a greater chance of expressing your skills in this objective selection process.

We anticipate most colleagues will work one or two days a week in the office on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and the rest of the time from home. We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights.

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact the Supporter Care line during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)

Home-Merton is seeking an inspiring and strategic Director to lead our trusted local charity through its next stage of growth and innovation. 

This is a rare opportunity to make a tangible difference for children and families — by strengthening our community presence, driving income generation, and ensuring every child gets the best possible start in life. 

 About Home-Start Merton – Making a difference to young families

We believe strong families make strong communities. 
Our trained volunteers provide emotional and practical support to parents of young children, helping them navigate the challenges of early childhood and family life. 

Operating across London borough of Merton, we are a small but vibrant, values-driven charity and part of the wider Home-Start network — one of the UK’s leading family support movements. 

Our Charity Director Role

As Director, you’ll be both strategic leader and hands-on advocate, driving our fundraising and partnership agenda while overseeing operational excellence. 

You’ll lead our talented team of employees, work closely with trustees, and represent our charity with energy and passion — ensuring we remain a visible and trusted voice for families across Merton. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead and inspire staff and volunteers to deliver high-impact family support services. 
• Oversee service delivery, safeguarding, and operational compliance. 

• Develop and implement a bold, diversified fundraising and income generation strategy. 

• Build and nurture relationships with funders, corporates, philanthropists, and community partners. 

• Act as a confident ambassador, raising the organisation’s profile locally and regionally. 

• Work closely with the Board of Trustees on governance, strategy, and long-term sustainability. 

About You 

You are: 

• Experienced in charity governance, financial management, and service delivery. 
• A proven fundraiser and relationship builder who can secure sustainable income across multiple sources. 

• A confident and inclusive leader who inspires and empowers teams. 

• Skilled in partnership development and community engagement. 

• Deeply committed to safeguarding, equality, and family wellbeing. 

Why Join Us? 

• Lead one of London’s most respected family charities. 

• Shape our strategy for growth and sustainability. 

• Join a passionate, values-led team and supportive board. 

• Enjoy flexible, hybrid working. 

How to Apply 

If you meet most but not all of our criteria and are passionate about giving children the best start in life we'd still like to hear from you.

Apply via CharityJob or reach out to our Chair for an informal conversation. 

Closing Date: Friday 12 December 2025

Home-Start Merton is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. 

About Us

Literacy Pirates’ vision is for every child to have the literacy skills, confidence and perseverance to succeed at school and beyond. We provide free, after-school literacy support to children who are falling behind in class and who have fewer opportunities for additional support due to their personal circumstances than others. Founded in East London, Literacy Pirates’ programme now runs online and serves children anywhere in the United Kingdom.
 
Literacy Pirates is on an exciting journey of growth, rolling out our innovative learning programme to reach more children than ever before. An ambitious, fast-growing charity we have set ourselves a goal of reaching 3,000 children a year nationally, by 2030 compared with 650 this year. To support this, the fundraising team must double the charity’s revenue over the next four years, from £1million to £2million annually. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious Trust and Foundation specialist with a keen interest in developing strategy and a flair for building strong relationships with funders. You will be excited to play a pivotal role in the growth of this charity, knowing the huge impact every new grant will have on the number of disadvantaged young people we are able to support. You will have significant freedom to design and execute a strong growth-oriented trusts strategy.

What we're Looking for

• Proven track record of securing significant multi-year grants from trusts and foundations. 
• Strong grant-writing skills with the ability to produce clear, persuasive, and tailored proposals. 
• Experience using AI to generate proposals and grant reports time-efficiently. 
• Excellent relationship building and management skills, with experience engaging funders and external stakeholders. 
• Strong track record of prospect research using a mixture of techniques and strategies 
• Experience representing an organisation at events and conferences.  
• Strong numeracy and experience in preparing budgets for funders. 
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities. 
• Familiarity with Salesforce or other CRM systems. 
• Commitment to safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people. 
• Commitment to the mission of improving outcomes for children from less advantaged backgrounds. 
• Knowledge of the education sector a plus, but not essential. 

Responsibilities

• Research and identify trusts, foundations, and other funding opportunities to grow Literacy Pirates’ funding base. 
• Develop a pipeline of high-quality funding applications to meet agreed income targets. 
• Write or generate compelling funding proposals and grant applications, drawing on organisational impact data and stories
• Place AI tools at the centre of routine content generation for applications and reports. 
• Build and maintain excellent interpersonal relationships with funders, ensuring effective stewardship at all stages. 
• Attend conferences and networking events, and arrange funder visits, meetings. 
• Track progress against targets and provide regular updates to the Head of Development.
• Provide support and leadership to the broader fundraising team 
• Contribute to the development of the charity’s wider fundraising strategy, ensuring trusts and foundations income complements individual giving, corporate partnerships, and community events. 
• Work with the Education and Comms team to ensure the right impact data and case studies are available to strengthen proposals and reports and contribute to organisation’s marketing work 
• Ensure accurate and up-to-date records of applications, grants, and funder communications in the CRM system. 
• Monitor sector trends and share insights on funding opportunities and best practice. 

Role

In this exciting role, you’ll lead the charge in identifying and securing new corporate partnerships across a diverse range of industries. You’ll focus on spotting opportunities, building strong relationships, and opening doors to collaborations that deliver real impact for our cause.

You’ll be part of a team that turns strategy into action – researching prospects, crafting tailored proposals, and negotiating with key stakeholders to bring partnerships to life. You’ll also support high-profile events and initiatives that strengthen our corporate network and showcase the value of working with us.

If you’re a confident communicator with strong writing skills, highly organised, and thrive on managing multiple priorities, this is your chance to make a real difference while growing your career in the charity sector.

What we’re looking for

• Creative and innovative approach to developing new partnership
• Experience with relationship management and partnership development
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work quickly, accurately and independently, using initiative.
• Negotiating and influencing skills
• Skilled at building collaborative relationships internally and externally.
• Fast learner with strong prioritisation and evaluation skills.

What we offer

• Hybrid working between home and our Head Office in Holborn (3 days a week in the office)
• Flexible working around our core hours of 10am to 4pm
• 25 days annual leave rising with length of service
• Closure at Christmas (additional 3 days)
• Training, support and development opportunities
• Access to discount scheme 
• Range of wellbeing initiatives including access to an employee assistance programme (WeCare) designed to save money and improve your physical, financial and mental health and wellbeing and free eye tests and contribution towards any glasses required for work purposes