Community equalities coordinator jobs

Be part of something transformative Join Rape Crisis South London (RCSL) at a time of significant change and growth from our current base of around £4 million. With a new CEO, Senior Leadership Team and a bold, inspiring new vision, this is a pivotal moment for our organisation as we lay the foundations for our next organisational strategy and continue to transform how we support survivors. We are looking for a Group Coordinator, London Survivors Collective to join our team and play a vital role in shaping and delivering trauma-informed peer support and wellbeing programmes for survivors of sexual violence across London. RCSL forms part of the London Survivors' Collective. The Alliance brings together 225 years of expertise and experience and represents a bold, visionary and survivor-centred resource. The Alliance consists of eight members. Seven are organisations that have historically, and or currently, provide support for victims/survivors. MOPAC is the eighth member, primarily sitting at the oversight and leadership governance level.
 
About Us
RCSL is a specialist charity supporting survivors of sexual violence across twelve South London boroughs. We provide counselling, group therapy, advocacy, prevention education, and training for professionals. We are proud to be a member of Rape Crisis England & Wales and a partner in the London Sexual Violence Alliance, a collaboration of eight organisations representing over 225 years of collective expertise in supporting survivors. Our work is underpinned by feminist principles, trauma-informed practice, and a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and survivor-centred approaches.

About the Role As Group Coordinator – London Survivors' Collective, you will: Create, coordinate and facilitate peer support, psychoeducational and wellbeing groups for survivors of sexual violence. Support group delivery across Alliance partners, ensuring consistency and quality. Collect and input feedback to strengthen service delivery and co-production. Develop new group models from pilot through to evaluation and launch. Champion survivor participation and trauma-informed practice throughout.

About You You’ll bring: Experience supporting survivors of sexual violence or working in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector. Confidence in group facilitation and collaboration. Strong organisational and communication skills. A commitment to feminist values and survivor-centred practice. Relevant qualification within the VAWG sector (ISVA, IDVA, or similar) are desirable but not essential. 

The post-holder will share responsibility for promoting and upholding the organisation’s safeguarding standards. This includes ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children, young people, and adults at risk; recognising and reporting concerns promptly; following all safeguarding policies and procedures; and contributing to a culture in which everyone feels safe, respected, and supported.
 
Please apply with an up-to-date CV and cover letter (of up to 1000 words) identifying how you meet the essential and any desirable qualifications, skills and experience set out in the role description  by Friday 5 December. Interviews will take place Friday 12 / Tuesday 16 / Thursday 18 December and 19 December.
 
 

Our Vision: A UK where “No good food goes to waste”. 

We are UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 18 independent organisations. Together, we take good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to approximately 8,500 frontline charities and community groups.  Every week we provide enough food to create almost a million meals for vulnerable people.

There has never been a more exciting time to join an organisation at the heart of public consciousness

The Role

This role is about more than just driving it is about sharing FareShare Merseyside’s mission that” no good food should go to waste”.

As a collection & delivery driver for FareShare Merseyside you will deliver / collect food from our partners across the region.  You will be the face of FareShare Merseyside, being a regular point of contact with our local and diverse range of member charities receiving food.  In addition, you may also act as a host for volunteers who may join as van assistants.

Main areas of responsibility

As a van driver:

Before you leave the FareShare Merseyside warehouse: 

• Load the van and check the van for roadworthiness
• Understand the schedule and route that has been planned and calculated for you
• Have a smart clean appearance, ready to meet our food partners and charities
• Support warehouse staff with any other duties required

On the road you will be representing FareShare Merseyside

• Drive safely, responsibly and within the law
• Be courteous to all road users

In the van you may be joined by volunteers wanting to support the FareShare Merseyside team to ensure no good food goes to waste. 

• Get to know your van team and respond to questions about FareShare
• Be courteous and demonstrate FareShare’s equality and diversity policy
• Take responsibility for the safety of volunteers who join you

At our food partners and charities:

• Greet the food partner or charity with a smile and get to know them by name
• Take care of the food you are collecting or delivering as if it were your own
• Complete all relevant paperwork and checks to ensure the safety of the food

On return to FareShare Merseyside:

• Unload and clean the van ready for the next driver
• Report any incidents that may affect the vans roadworthiness
• Complete all paperwork relevant to the food collected or delivered
• Support warehouse staff with any other duties required

When you are not on the road:

• Get to know your team and respond to questions about FareShare’s mission, the food partners who support us, charities who receive food and the planned activities for the day
• Work as a team with the Warehouse Manager, warehouse colleagues and volunteers to ensure all shifts are well planned, supervised and meet daily operational needs
• Ensure compliance with all FareShare policies and procedures and industry standards as required by food partners and regulators and that all staff, volunteers, food suppliers, charities and visitors adhere to them
• Support the Warehouse Manager in managing the office, responding to emails and taking phone calls
• Support the Warehouse Manager in organising food distribution using the FareShare food management systems and training volunteers as required
• Maintain excellent relations and communications with volunteers, staff, food suppliers and charities

Like the supply of surplus food to FareShare no two shifts are the same. Every day new food arrives and your team will include new people who want to get involved in the FareShare mission. You will be part of a small staff team responsible for ensuring the safe and effective distribution of food each day.

Experience required

• Experience of driving vans / medium sized vehicles
• Experience of multi-drop deliveries
• Experience of working within a food distribution and/or warehousing operation
• Experience of using Sat Nav to navigate & plan routes
• Experience of working on own initiative, able to manage own workload and prioritise tasks to meet objectives
• Experience of working in a team with evidence of demonstrating a flexible approach to team working
• Safe and courteous driver

Skills, Abilities and Attributes

• Safe and courteous driver
• Personable with excellent communication skills
• Able to take initiative
• Can stay clam under pressure
• Team player willing to adopt a flexible approach to daily tasks and activities
• Commitment to FareShare’s Equality & Diversity ethos

Essential Criteria

• Driver must be aged 21 years
• Have held a full UK driving licence
• Eligible to work in the UK
• Commitment to gain Level 2 Food Safety Qualification

About SafeLives

We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good. 

Last year alone, 14,000 professionals received our training. Over 80,000 adults at risk of serious harm or murder and more than 100,000 children received support through dedicated multi-agency support designed by us and delivered with partners. In the last six years, over 4,000 perpetrators have been challenged and supported to change by interventions we created with partners, and that’s just the start.

Together we can end domestic abuse. Forever. For everyone.

About the role

As a Training Coordinator for SafeLives, you will provide effective and efficient co-ordination of resources and support for the Training team, commissioners and learners across all SafeLives’ training programmes.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week.

Location: Hybrid - Attending the Bristol office on a Thursday at minimum.

Benefits

• 34 days' holiday incl. public holidays
• Flexible working e.g. compressed hours
• Cycle to work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Pension scheme with 4% employer contribution
• Childcare vouchers
• Employee assistance programme
• Clinical supervision
• Holiday purchase scheme to buy up to an additional 5 days
• Enhanced family leave policies
• Enhanced sick pay
• Professional development fund
• Individual learning budget
• Restorative practice training
• Time off in lieu 

If this challenge sounds as exciting to you as it does to us and you believe you have the qualities we have described, please take a look over the job description and submit a 500-word cover letter and CV.

Closing date: 9.00am on 5th December 2025.

SafeLives is a committed provider of equal opportunities for all; please see our job description for full details.

No agencies, please.

Research Coordinator

Location: London. Hybrid

Hours: Full time/ 35 hours per week

Contract type: Fixed term – 6 months

Salary: £27,000 - £30,000 per annum

Annual leave: 25 days per year + bank holidays

Tommy’s Research Team is small but has a big impact on the delivery of the charity’s strategic ambitions. We need a highly organised and proactive individual to support the administrative functions of our team.

The Research Coordinator will pay a key role in ensuring the smooth running of our research funding activities, through maintaining accurate records, coordinating meetings and communications, supporting the expert peer review process, and assisting with governance and reporting requirements. The post holder will have strong organisational, time management and interpersonal skills, and confidence in managing multiple priorities and multi-tasking.

If you have experience providing administrative support in a fast-paced professional environment and would like to play a key role in the funding of groundbreaking research in the field of pregnancy and maternal health, apply now.

Candidates should apply via Charity Job and include a CV and cover letter (max 2 sides) explaining your motivations for applying to the role and skills that you would bring to it.

Closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 7th December and interviews will be held online w/c 15 December.

Community Events Coordinator

The Volunteering & Events team at KCLSU are looking for a Community Events Coordinator. To ensure that our students thrive and enjoy the best possible experience at King's College London, the focus of this role is to connect students through a diverse range of events across the academic year. 

Partnering with over 300 KCLSU student groups, this role is one of two Community Events Coordinators who deliver: 

• The KCLSU Community events programme; overseeing the successful delivery of Welcome & Social Connection Events (Freshers), Liberation Events and Faith & Culture Events. 
• The KCLSU Reach events programme, which offers bespoke activities for students identified as harder-to-reach, such as postgraduates, online learners, or those who study at our Denmark Hill campus. 
• KCLSU flagship events, such as the Welcome Fair and KCLSU Awards. 

To apply for this role, please complete an application form and include a personal statement detailing how you meet the person specification. 

To be eligible for this role, you must:

• Be eligible to work in the UK and provide proof of this (i.e. a passport or visa) when asked to by KCLSU. Please note that KCLSU is unable to offer visa sponsorship. 
• Have a National Insurance number, or be in the process of applying for one. 
• Not be a trustee of King's College London Students' Union. 

REF-225 152

High Trees Community Development Trust is seeking a collaborative and organised Lambeth Community Research Network (LCRN) Coordinator to play a pivotal role in the growth and coordination of a borough-wide partnership driving change in how research is designed and delivered. 

This is an exciting opportunity to support a dynamic, cross-sector network that connects community organisations, researchers, and public institutions to ensure that research in Lambeth is fairer, more inclusive, and community-led. 

You’ll help coordinate the network’s programme of events and projects, strengthen member engagement, and lead on communications that celebrate and share learning. Working within High Trees’ Research and Impact team, you’ll ensure the LCRN continues to thrive as a collaborative and well-connected space that champions community voice and knowledge. 

If you’re a strong communicator with excellent organisational skills and a passion for community-led research, partnership working, and social impact –  we’d love to hear from you. 

About High Trees 

High Trees Community Development Trust has been rooted in Tulse Hill, Lambeth, for over 27 years. We deliver services in education and training, employment, youth and family work, community action, and research and capacity building, working alongside local people and organisations to create meaningful change. 

We are recognised for our collaborative and place-based approach, our long-term partnerships, and our commitment to equity, participation, and community leadership. 

At High Trees, you’ll join a supportive, values-driven organisation that places community at the heart of decision-making. You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to innovative and meaningful work that strengthens the influence of communities in shaping research, policy, and practice across Lambeth and beyond. 

About the Lambeth Community Research Network (LCRN) 

The Lambeth Community Research Network (LCRN), hosted and led by High Trees, brings together community organisations, research institutions, funders and public bodies to create a more equitable research ecosystem. 

The network aims to rebalance power in research, ensuring that communities – particularly those often underrepresented –  have genuine ownership and influence over how research is designed, delivered and used. 

Through collaboration, learning, and shared accountability, LCRN members are shaping a model for community-led research that leads to stronger insights, better decisions and more equitable outcomes for Lambeth residents.

Job Title: Volunteer Co-ordinator – Sanctuary Citadel 
Hours: 35 hours 
Term: Fixed Term until 5th May 2027 with potential for extension beyond this dependent on funding. 
Location: Home-based, with regular travel to Cardiff and Newport, and occasional full-team meetings in England.
Reports to: Sanctuary Manager 
Salary: £35,137 

Housing Justice unites diverse communities to build personal connections, help people out of homelessness, and create justice in the housing system. Our vision is of a community where everyone has a safe and stable home, and a feeling they belong. We run projects throughout England and Wales.

The role of the Volunteer Co-ordinator is to lead the Sanctuary Citadel project in Cardiff and Newport. This will be at a key time for the project - adapting and expanding from an existing Citadel volunteer model to support Newly Granted Refugee’s transition from Home Office Accommodation or alternative accommodation into permanent homes.

Working with the Sanctuary Manager and a team of volunteers, you will ensure this support is upheld to a high standard. You will be responsible for a variety of tasks to facilitate this, including recruitment and training of volunteers. Maintaining clear communication with internal teams and external stakeholders, you will ensure project coherence and impact, and promote awareness of the project and its impact within the community.

Please see attached job description for further information.

We are recruiting for a Community Engagement Coordinator join our team in the Community Engagement team. 

Job Title: Community Engagement Coordinator

Location: At least once a week in our head office in Vauxhall, weekly visits to our refuge’s (travel expenses will be covered) and homeworking
Salary: £28,857.12 per annum(Inclusive of London Weighting, which may not be applicable depending on your home location and any agreed permanent homeworking arrangement)
Contract type: Full Time, Permanent 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

We want kind and empathic people to work at Refuge, who believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion, are experts in their area of knowledge, want to make a positive difference and improve the lives of the women and children we support.

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a community engagement coordinator who is passionate about supporting women and children impacted by domestic violence and other forms of abuse. The community engagement coordinator will work as part of a team of the community engagement service working across East, West and South London. The key aims of this new service are to build relationships with specialist providers across south, west, and east London, where our services are clustered, to develop a menu of enhanced support opportunities to meet survivors’ social, health and financial needs.

This is a very important role in Refuge, which will make a real difference to the lives of the women and children that Refuge supports every day. Together as a team, you will create pathways to decrease social inclusion, increase participation in community activities, employment, education and training. You will be skilled at working with a diverse range of audiences and will be adept at creating and developing new partnerships and pathways that improve the lives of survivors of domestic abuse and gender-based violence.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 27 November 2025

Interview Date: 10 and 15 December 2025 (In-person at our head office in Vauxhall, London)

Job Title: Communications Coordinator

Hours: 28 hours per week               

Salary Scale: £30,892 – £33,672 pro rata*

Duration: Permanent

Pension: 6% employer pension contribution

Holiday: 26 days plus bank holidays pro rata 

Reports to: Digital Communications Manager

The appointment is subject to a satisfactory DBS check 

We particularly encourage and welcome applications from people from backgrounds which are underrepresented in museums and galleries, including people from low-income backgrounds, people from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds and disabled people.

*Appointments are made at the start of the salary scale, with annual pay progression based on satisfactory performance. In addition, the salary scale is reviewed annually in the light of cost of living and operational budgets.  

About the Role

The Communications Coordinator contributes to the planning and delivery of all communications and digital activities for the South London Gallery. Working alongside the Head of Communications and Digital Communications Manager, the Communications Coordinator supports the implementation of the SLG’s communications strategy, reaching new audiences, creating engaging digital content, and enhancing visitor experience online and on site.

The role involves the full range of communication channels including print marketing, signage, press, digital, audio-visual interpretation and social media to profile the SLG’s programme, Communities and Learning activities, bookshop and café. The Communications Coordinator also provides administrative support and assists at special events as necessary.

Community Engagement Coordinator – North Region, England

Location: This post is home-based, working within BookTrust’s Northern England region, which covers the North West, North East, and Yorkshire & the Humber. The role requires flexibility and travel across the region and to other BookTrust offices in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Contract: Permanent, full-time

Salary: £30,000 per annum

BookTrust is the UK's largest reading charity, and we reach millions of children every year with books, resources and support to get every child reading, regularly and by choice. We are national in scale and operate in every region in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. We work through every local authority, via children’s centers, schools, libraries and health professionals, to reach families. Our England Partnerships Team supports our wide range of partners in a place-based way, working in and with local communities and the children and families most in need of support.

As a Community Engagement Coordinator, you will work within the regional partnerships team.  You will manage a caseload of community work to support programme delivery, partnership network development and bespoke learning and development with the BookTrust partner network. You will create excellent links into communities and develop relationships with stakeholders in order to support BookTrust delivery and development, and place-based, community-led initiatives.

We are looking for a positive and enthusiastic, credible ambassador with a demonstrable ability to make connections across a wide range of people and groups in order to deliver ambitious projects. You will have great communications skills with the ability to engage effectively with a diverse range of audiences, in writing and in person. You may have worked within or across a local authority provider or network, in outreach or in a project within a local community or the third sector. You may have experience working with children and families experiencing deprivation, or in children’s reading. You will be highly motivated with the ability to work unsupervised across multiple projects in disparate locations simultaneously, and to work at pace, often to tight deadlines.

Development Coordinator

Fixed term until February 2027

Part time – 22.5 hours per week

Support Staff Spine Point 16 (£33,232 FTE): £20,208 per annum pro rata

Hills Road Sixth Form College is looking for a proactive and versatile Development Coordinator to support the Development Director in fundraising for the College.

The Development office was established in February 2025 in order to raise funds for facilities and activities which are over and above what is possible through state funding alone. The Development Director has begun building relationships with alumni, parents, companies and Trusts/Foundations and this is a fantastic opportunity to join the team in a new role in order to further grow fundraising for the College.

We offer a wide range of competitive benefits including a generous pension scheme, free use of the College sporting facilities, free on-site parking, cycle to work scheme, discounted local train travel, as well as discounts on all our Adult Education courses.

The College is committed to carefully considering all flexible working requests. For this role in particular, we are open to discussing the possibility of a term-time only contract, and flexible working days. Please wait until the job offer stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what would work best in this role.

Closing date: Monday 8 December 2025 at 9am

Interviews: Thursday 18 December 2025

Details and an application form for the above post may be obtained from our website by clicking apply 

The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its students and staff and expects all members of the College community, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment. The College actively promotes equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 100 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with work across various football facilities across London.

The role is a full time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury and UCL East campuses with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office). We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible, and job share basis wherever possible. 

Do you have experience in co-creation and co-production between universities and the wider community? Are you passionate about coordinating engaging opportunities for students to dive into the world of engaged research? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you!

Our ideal candidate will have excellent project and event coordination skills, strong communication and campaigning abilities, and a good working understanding of the life cycle of a research project.

CPAG is seeking an AI Coordinator for a two-year fixed term to support our work in the responsible use of AI. In this role, you will lead on planning, delivering, and monitoring AI projects in collaboration with our partner organisations. This work involves the ongoing protection of CPAG's intellectual property and reputation as a sector leader. You’ll carry out regular evaluation of each project and regularly update stakeholders with performance metrics, user feedback, and impact assessments.

This new role also involves developing training materials and delivering sessions to upskill CPAG staff in AI technologies, with tailored materials for the needs of different teams. You will ‘own’ and maintain the relevant internal policy documents and processes for AI use and will oversee the use and optimisation of AI tools across the organisation. Alongside colleagues, you’ll manage risk and compliance (including legal and ethical standards) to ensure responsible AI adoption that is fully compatible with CPAG’s mission. You’ll monitor developments in AI, assessing new products for risk and opportunity, and share lessons learned across the charity.

We’re looking for someone with strong project coordination skills, experience of managing multiple stakeholders, and a keen interest in and experience of AI and emerging technologies.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape CPAG’s AI work, helping the organisation innovate and support the sector responsibly while building practical AI capability across teams.

We welcome applications from individuals with the skills and experience outlined and we can be flexible about working arrangements. We operate a hybrid working system and would be happy to discuss any flexibilities required. CPAG is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion which you can read more about in the job pack.

For more information about this post and to apply, download the AI Coordinator job pack.

If you have questions or need specific arrangements or reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process please contact us.

Closing date for applications: Monday 1st December 2025 (midnight)

Interviews will be held on: Wednesday 10 December 2025

Community Action Redbridge is a local infrastructure organisation working to create a fairer Redbridge where everyone and every community thrives. Our mission is to support strong and resilient communities where people lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. 

Do you believe in the power of social prescribing to create more connected, resilient, and thriving communities?  

Are you an experienced project manager who is passionate about collaboration, inclusion and skilled at demonstrating impact? 

Community Action Redbridge is looking for a Project Manager to lead our Connected Communities Project, a successful social prescribing initiative that helps people build resilience, reduce loneliness, and connect with the support they need to improve their wellbeing. 

In this pivotal role, you’ll lead the day-to-day delivery and ongoing development of the project, guiding and supporting a small, dedicated team. Working in close partnership with voluntary and community organisations, the NHS, and other local agencies, you’ll help strengthen Redbridge’s community support infrastructure. You’ll champion person-led, strengths-based approaches, ensuring our work remains inclusive, responsive, and firmly grounded in what truly matters to the people we support. 

We’re looking for someone who is organised, compassionate, and skilled in partnership working; confident in leading teams and managing projects; adept at maintaining and developing project systems and processes and committed to tackling inequalities and promoting wellbeing across diverse communities. 

Prior experience in social prescribing, project coordination, or health and wellbeing initiatives will be especially valued. 

This role is offered on a hybrid basis, with a requirement to work three days per week in our Gants Hill office. 

What it’s like to work at Community Action Redbridge 

We are committed to creating a truly inclusive workplace culture that embraces and celebrates difference. Building a team that reflects the diversity of our communities and brings together a range of experiences, backgrounds and perspectives is essential to the work we do. 

We want Community Action Redbridge to be a safe space for everyone to bring their whole selves to work, where all our employees have the opportunity to thrive and feel recognised and valued for the work they do. 

We offer some great benefits including 28 days annual leave plus public holidays, a free and confidential employee helpline, face-to-face and telephone counselling, and a travel loan and cycle to work scheme.

How to apply 

Please submit your CV and a covering letter answering the following 4 questions (no more than 500 words each): 

1. Please tell us about a community-based project, activity, or initiative you have been involved in that supported people’s wellbeing, independence, or connectedness. What approach did you take to make sure it was inclusive and person-led, and how did you help shape or measure the difference it made? 

2. This role involves coordinating multiple workstreams and partners to deliver a complex, evolving project. Can you share an example of a time when you had to balance different priorities, organise people or activities, and keep things on track to achieve positive results? Please include the tools or systems you used to manage the work, how you maintained progress, and how you addressed any challenges along the way. 

3. The Connected Communities Project, which includes the Community Connectors (previously known as Social Prescribing Advisers) is rooted in collaboration and partnership. Please describe a time you built or strengthened relationships with community organisations, local groups, or other stakeholders to achieve shared goals. What helped make that partnership effective, and what did you learn from the experience? 

4. Community Action Redbridge’s work is driven by values of social justice, equity, and community-led change. What do these values mean to you personally, and how would you bring them into your approach as a leader within the Connected Communities Project? You might want to reflect on how you’ve championed fairness, inclusion, or empowerment in your past work or life experience.

We will be reviewing applications and interviewing candidates on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged.