Communications and media officer jobs in Glasgow
Volunteer and community involvement is a core part of what we do here at Sands. From Sands United Teams, Support Groups, knitters, Parent Speakers and event volunteer, volunteers are at the heart of Sands delivering peer support, and building a local community for bereaved parents.
Sands Groups are volunteer led, and community driven.
Sands has a vision to grow community-based peer support, community activity and volunteer involvement across the organisation. This requires an investment in enabling, innovation in peer support and volunteer involvement and partnership working.At the heart of this is our Befrienders.
Befrienders are in every Group across the UK and enable online support groups too.
This post is all about developing, delivering and managing our fantastic volunteer befriender programme across Sands. Ensuring that Sands befrienders are enabled to provide warm, supportive, evidence-based and values-driven peer support to bereaved families across the UK.
This maternity cover post will have two key focus areas
- Maintaining key components of the befriender programme, including regular communications and meeting with Befrienders, driving recruitment opportunities, supporting innovation in Befriending and troubleshooting in partnership with volunteers.
- Deliver a fixed timeline project focused on developing the Befriender programme.
Responsibilities
Best practice in peer support and befriender programmes
- Manage the direction and growth of the Befriender programme
- Work with the Development Leads and Community Development Officers to create plans for regions to support existing Befrienders and grow the peer support offer across the UK
· To engage, inspire and support existing Sands befrienders, providing a positive volunteer experience from recruitment to saying goodbye
- Be the point of contact for Befriender safeguarding issues. Be proactive in addressing and be an escalation point for challenges, risks and safeguarding issues.
- Practice and support excellent standards in all aspects of inclusion and diversity, particularly in reaching marginalised groups in recruitment and enabling volunteers to provide inclusive support spaces.
- Lead on development of processes, guidance and resources, ensuring good governance and risk management of the Befriender Programme
- Work with the Volunteering Coordinator to ensure delivery of key processes, process development and improvement to enhance the volunteer experience.
· To identify learning and development opportunities for befrienders and create a culture of continued learning for all Befrienders
Develop and innovate
- Be an opportunity spotter, picking up innovation opportunities to grow and develop the Befriender programme, alongside relevant Sands’ staff teams.
- Manage short- and long-term projects and where appropriate join cross organisational working groups to represent the Community and Volunteering Team. Including projects that may have budgets.
- Advocate the voices and needs of Befrienders, bringing in knowledge and feedback to enable good decision making and volunteer participation in new ways of working
- Through supporting approaches to recruitment and partnerships, ensure that individuals with a wide range of bereavement experiences are at the heart of Sands’ volunteering
· Build a data driven understanding of gaps in service and representation, and make promotion and recruitment decisions to support growth for under-represented towns/regions/groups
· Support continuous improvement and accurate delivery of processes in the welcome journey for new befrienders, including in recruitment, on-boarding and off-boarding processes in partnership with the Volunteer Coordinator
· Use the CRM to record accurate information and help make data informed decisions
Internal and external partnerships
- Work with the Bereavement Support Services Team (BSS) to ensure collaboration across the Befriender programme and national BSS support groups and ensure the Befriender programme continues to be rooted in trauma-informed practice.
- Work with the Training Team to ensure that training and learning experiences for Befrienders are up to date, relevant and accessible.
- Work with the Philanthropy and Partnerships team and the Head of Community and Volunteering to maximise compelling cases for support, storytelling and funding opportunities at a national and local level.
· Work with the Engagement Team to ensure Sands befriending is represented in an engaging and positive way across Sands social media and the media
We are here to support everyone touched by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. Always.


The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This is an exciting new role with the UK’s leading public mental health charity. The Senior Research Manager role is a fantastic opportunity focusing on producing research, analysis and insights that support our UK prevention mission. The role can be based in either our London or Glasgow office and will report into our Head of Research.
What does the role involve?
•Write compelling insight reports for internal and external audiences.
•Generating evidence, insights and research, including analysis of existing data (evidence reviews, secondary analysis), primary quantitative research & comparative research between nations.
•Developing policy-facing briefings, gathering relevant public mental health evidence and statistics.
What skills, knowledge and experience are we looking for?
•Strong understanding of quantitative research and statistical analysis
•Significant experience in a relevant organisation (e.g. public health, university, research organisation) and area (e.g. epidemiology, mental health, economics, policy)
•Team player with a track record of working collaboratively and cross-organisationally
Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – Mental Health Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all its beneficiaries, those who surround them, its staff, volunteers, and anyone else who comes into contact with its services and expects all trustees, staff, and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to appropriate vetting procedures (proof of eligibility to work in the UK, proof of residency and satisfactory employment screening, including a Disclosure check and two most recent references) along with 3-year renewals of Disclosure checks. We are unable to provide sponsorship for this post, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the UK.
How to apply
If you think your skills match and you’d like to be part of a dynamic and growing organisation, please complete and submit your application on our website. Please ensure you attach an up-to-date CV and statement of suitability answering all points of the person specification. Applications will close at 5pm on Tuesday 19 May and we are unable to accept late applications. Interviews are planned for 27 / 28 May and 2 June.
We believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. Diversity and inclusion is a strategic priority for us as an employer and mental health charity, and we are proud to be signatories of the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter and the Disability Confident Scheme. Applications from under-represented sections of the community are actively encouraged.
If you have a disability, require any additional support or have any questions regarding the role, please contact us via our website. We make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and during employment. Disabled candidates who meet all the essential person specification criteria will be offered an interview. Therefore, please do ensure you tick the relevant box on the application form and clearly indicate in your application/covering letter if you consider yourself to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 / Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
We are currently operating mostly digital recruitment (including interviews via video conferencing). We have moved to a hybrid working model of a minimum of 2 days per week in the office and the rest working from home.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Our vision is good mental health for all.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Welsh Language Coordinator
We have an exciting opportunity for a Welsh language Coordinator to support early years, childcare and play work practitioners with Welsh language skills.
Position: Welsh Language Coordinator
Location: Home Based, Travel will be required to undertake this role.
Hours: Part-time, 22.5 hours per week
Salary: £27,500 - £29,000 pro rata (dependent upon experience)
Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2027, extension possible subject to funding
Benefits: Include pro rata of 26 days paid holiday (rising to 30 days with service increments) plus 8 bank holiday, Personal Pension Scheme, Healthcare Cash Plan, Online Discount Scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, Staff Awards Scheme, Company Sick Pay Scheme, Flexible working patterns
The Role
As Welsh Language Coordinator you will support early years, childcare and play work practitioners with Welsh language skills. Targets are agreed annually between the Welsh Government and charity partners. You will co-ordinate the charity’s Welsh language project, encourage Members to embark onto the online self-learning course, and provide ongoing support to practitioners on increasing their use of the Welsh language.
Main duties include supporting the wider organisation and our UK and international customers through:
- To establish and manage robust procedures and systems to support the co- ordination, delivery and monitoring of the Welsh Language project
- Identify settings and recruitment of practitioners for the delivery of training courses
- Promote the development of Welsh language skills by providing information on the online self-learning course, encouraging practitioners to sign up for the training
- Provide support to practitioners to ensure learning from the training is implemented in the workplace
- Development of resources to ensure training influences practice
- Delivery of live interaction sessions with practitioners and other partners
- Collection of data, monitoring and tracking the progress of participants
- Provide regular written reports identifying progress against targets
- Systematically gather and record sector intelligence and research
- Carry out visits within member settings in North Wales to identify settings which may want to transition to Bilingual or Welsh medium status.
About You
To be successful in the role you will need the following skills and experience:
- Effective communication skills - fluent in both English and Welsh
- Knowledge of the benefits and value of the Welsh language in the early years sector
- Experience of using a range of IT applications including Microsoft Office/ Excel
- Excellent administrative skills with attention to detail
- Able to build relationships easily and communicate at all levels, including the ability to use language and other communication skills that very young children can understand and relate to
- Enthusiasm for quality early years, childcare and play work opportunities
- Ability to meet deadlines and prioritise a busy workload
- An enthusiastic, self motivated, organised, team worker and networker
- Ability to work independently and use their own initiative
- Ability to organise and prioritise work with a minimum of supervision
In order to fulfil this role you must have the use of your own transport and the ability to travel as needed.
To apply you will be asked to submit your CV along with a covering letter detailing how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role.
About the Organisation
The organisation is a national charity and membership association specifically for nurseries. They work in partnership with nurseries, local authorities, national government and a range of partners to develop an environment in which early learning and care can flourish.
The organisation is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and is actively opposed to discrimination in society.
You may have experience in areas such as Welsh Language Support Officer, Welsh Speaking Project Manager, Welsh Speaking LSA, Welsh Speaking Teaching Assistant, Welsh Translator, Teacher of Welsh, etc.