Engagement and student membership jobs in Lambeth, greater london

Head of Public Affairs

Over the past 2 years, GuildHE has been transforming into the voice for distinctive higher education providers, building our brand on the principle that diversity is necessary for a healthy and vibrant higher education sector.  We have a new look, a renewed energy, and a bold vision for the future of distinctive institutions. Now, we need the final piece of the puzzle: our first-ever Head of Public Affairs. 

This is a landmark appointment for us. As a newly-created role following our recent rebranding, you’ll be building our external presence, taking our fresh identity and the work we’ve undertaken so far to the next level as we seek to double-down on our high-impact advocacy and engagement work.

As our inaugural Head of Public Affairs, you will have a unique mandate to shape the way GuildHE interacts with the world, where you can:

• Own the Narrative: Take our new brand and shape the 'GuildHE voice' across Westminster, the media, and the wider HE sector.

• Build the Blueprint: You will have the autonomy to design our engagement frameworks from scratch—working with the Director of Policy and Strategy to decide how we influence policy and how we best champion the value of specialist education.

• Create a Legacy: Because this is a brand-new headcount, every success will be yours to claim. You are here to build a function that will help define our influence for the next decade.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who will champion diversity in higher education. From world-leading arts and agricultural institutions to large and distinctive HE providers who serve their students, industries and communities in innovative ways, you will find the common threads that bind our members and weave them into a compelling national story. You aren’t just representing institutions; you’re representing a vision of a more varied, vibrant educational landscape.

We’re looking for pioneers, who are energised by the phrase, “we haven’t done that before.” We’ve done the work on our look and feel—now we need you to provide the megaphone. If you’re a strategist who loves the 'start-up' energy of building and expanding functions within a respected, established body, we want to hear from you.

This this is the right job for you?  Please send a cover letter explaining that to us (max 2 pgs) and a CV by the deadline.

Application closing date: May 22

Interviews: June 3-4

About us

The Merchant Taylors’ Company dates from 1327, when it was formed as a social and religious organisation for tailors and linen-armourers dedicated to St John the Baptist. Today, it is a flourishing Livery Company whose members are dedicated to education, fraternity, and philanthropy.

Volunteering is important for the health of the Merchant Taylors’ Company, since the hands-on experience of volunteering binds members in an emotional commitment to what the Company stands for. Many of the Great XII Livery Companies prioritise volunteering, offering a wide range of opportunities from due diligence visits with grant applicant charities to longer term mentoring opportunities with our family of schools. 

At the heart of Merchant Taylors’ Company lie the concepts of ‘Fraternity, Philanthropy and Education’.  Volunteering is vital to each pillar, enabling members to give their time and talent alongside their treasure. 

The Company is now at an exciting juncture where the groundwork to embed a more systematic approach to volunteering has been completed and the appetite within the Company has started to grow particularly across the Company’s Education programme.

The team is conscious that managing volunteering takes time, diplomacy and interpersonal skills and this role is pivotal to the success of volunteering for both Company members and partner organisations. 

About the role

Reports to:Educational Grants and Relationship Manager

Direct reports:                None

Place of work:               The Hall (Bank, London)

Contract type:Fixed-term and part-time (0.8 FTE). 

The working days and times can be flexible and some hybrid working may be possible. 

Some evening work will be required as well as occasional attendance at events outside of the employee’s usual working hours (including at weekends).

Some travel may be required within Greater London in connection with various aspects of the role. Occasional travel may be required within the UK.

Overview of role:

With your experience in events / project management and excellent communication and diplomatic skills, you will be the interface between the membership, your colleagues at Merchant Taylors’ Company, our family of schools and our charitable partners. You will be responsible for developing and delivering an engaging, interesting and successful range of events for members to participate in.

Job Description:   

• Take a lead on the delivery and development of an annual programme of volunteering opportunities and education events aligned with existing initiatives and in collaboration with partner organisations and schools where appropriate. 
• Work with the EGRM to co-ordinate the Trust’s Livery Academy Award scheme: recruiting, training, and supporting member volunteers to ensure high-quality engagement. 
• Take a lead on promotion of volunteering opportunities through the members’ portal in good time, with appropriate explanation to encourage take up. 
• Proactively identify barriers to participation from the membership, and develop innovative, accessible volunteering opportunities and methods to engage new audiences. 
• Champion and promote the Company’s volunteering and event initiatives by working, both with the Communications Manager and independently, to promote opportunities through compelling articles, e-newsletters, social media outreach, public talks and by representing or supporting Company staff at events. 
• Take a lead on designing and creating appropriate training resources for all volunteer roles to manage expectations including, where appropriate, delivery of training. 
• Support members with any queries relating to volunteering opportunities, offering members the chance to talk to MT staff. 
• Ensure that all volunteer members have completed the MT safeguarding questionnaire before they are cleared for any opportunity and has been trained in appropriate MT policy areas (E.g. GDPR/safeguarding) 
• To actively liaise and respond to School requirements to ensure volunteer members deliver excellent support for students. 
• Collaborate closely with Company Schools and internal teams to identify opportunities and design high-quality, sustainable volunteering activities that support project goals and help achieve Company targets. 
• To use the Membership portal to capture and analyse data about Company volunteering in order to evaluate cost/benefit of volunteering efforts, and tell the story of MT’s volunteering impact to the MT membership. 
• Gather and act on feedback from volunteers and participants to inform and improve the Company’s volunteering and education strategies.
• Uphold the health, safety, and wellbeing of all volunteers and participants, following the Company’s Health & Safety policies.
• To take a lead on the administration of Company Volunteering activities including DBS checks, budgeting, database management, website administration, project reporting and meetings. 
• Work with colleagues to identify and co-ordinate other volunteering opportunities at the Company, including responding to enquiries, planning logistics, and delivering high-quality experiences.
• To undertake other duties as may be appropriate for the position to support the wider work of the Company. 

What we can offer you

• 25 days holiday per annum plus Bank Holidays
• An additional up to five days off over the Christmas / New Year period
• A generous employer pension contribution of 10% of salary
• Free lunch in the office when the kitchen is operational
• “Perkbox” discount app
• A monthly gym / wellbeing allowance of £70
• Private Medical Insurance
• Healthcare cash plan
• Electric Car scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection Insurance

Person Specification 

We are looking for:

Essential

• Proven track record of project/events management, including planning, delivery, reporting, evaluation, budgets, and partnership working.
• Proven track record of working meaningfully with different stakeholders ie in a public-facing role. An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal and public engagement skills.
• Good diplomacy skills with the ability to inspire, listen and find a solution for all stakeholders.
• A proactive approach to solving problems and the ability to keep going until a solution is found which works for all.
• A do-er and a thinker; someone who is able to approach situations imaginatively but also spot, and implement, practical and workable solutions. 
• Excellent organisational, planning and IT skills. 

Desirable 

• Experience developing and delivering volunteering and community programmes, working with a wide range of stakeholders. 
• Experience of interacting with or working for a membership organisation 
• Understanding of health & safety, safeguarding, and risk management in a volunteer setting. 
• Experience of being a volunteer yourself. 

Miscellaneous 

• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends

Interview dates and start date:

We are actively recruiting for this role and will consider and interview applicants in the order in which they apply.

The successful Candidate is to start as soon as possible.

We are recruiting a Sessional Counsellor to join the Children and Young People’s (CYP) Community Counselling service.

Do you want to support children and young people (CYP) with mental health concerns? Are you calm, non-judgemental and able to work effectively with people experiencing distress?

Can you demonstrate our values of Hope, Together, Courage and Responsive and want to be part of our vision to ensure everyone in Hertfordshire will feel supported with their mental health?

If the answer to all of these is yes, we want to hear from you.

Job title: Sessional Counsellor (CYP)  
Reference Number: 329
Reports to: CYP Senior Counsellor
Salary: £30 per clinical hour
Contract: Freelance / Contractor (Dependent on the schedule of services agreed)
Work Pattern: Variable - to be agreed based on the schedule of service being delivered by the Sessional Counsellor. Work will be completed within the service operational hours of: 7:30am-10:30pm (7 Days a Week, excluding bank holidays). 
Based: Counselling will be delivered from varied venues across Herts county (e.g. HMN wellbeing centres, community venues, schools). Some remote work from home is permitted and to be agreed with your line manager.

About the Project

The Children and Young People’s (CYP) Community Counselling service is a new Herts Mind Network service, whose aim is to provide accessible, timely and high quality countywide counselling to local children and young people. Our CYP Community Counselling Service will deliver a blend of face-to-face, online, 1:1 and group counselling to enable young people to obtain impactful therapeutic support for the mental health difficulties they are facing, in a way that suits them.

The objectives of the CYP Community Counselling Service are:

• To support the emotional wellbeing of children and young people experiencing mental health issues in Hertfordshire.
• To provide high quality counselling, both face-to-face and online that is tailored to the child or young person and incorporates all facets of their life.
• To promote early intervention and prevention through an accessible and flexible counselling service that champions the strengths and self-resilience of children and young people.
• To work actively, inclusively and collaboratively with local children, young people and their families.
• To be a key partner of the Hertfordshire CYP MHS system, offering and increasing access to community-based help regarding mental health and emotional wellbeing.

About the Role

The CYP Sessional Counsellor post is integral to the delivery of this new community-based clinical service, delivering needs-led, robust and flexible counselling to local CYPF. The postholder will work clinically within the service, delivering group and/or 1:1 counselling either in-person or online. The CYP Sessional Counsellor will deliver a minimum of one therapeutic group or 3 x 1:1 counselling sessions per week. The clinical work of the postholder may take place in varied formats/locations, meeting the needs, requirements and preferences of CYPF accessing the service. The postholder will keep timely, detailed and accurate records, following organisational processes diligently. They will also ensure any concerns regarding CYPF accessing the service are escalated and managed efficiently, keeping the CYPF at the centre of their decision making.

The successful candidate will have a Level 4 qualification diploma or above in counselling, psychotherapy or arts/play therapy AND current registered/accredited/full/qualified membership of one of the following relevant professional bodies (BACP, UKCP, HCPC, BAAT etc.), competency in working within a recognized theoretical framework or therapeutic modality and a minimum of 1-2 years experience working in a therapeutic or counselling capacity with children, young people and/or families.

Closing date: Ongoing. Please complete and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment
Interviews will take place on a rolling basis, on a first come first served basis.
N.B. Please quote reference number 329 when completing your application for this role. 

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position

We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.

Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. Our inclusive approach recognises the unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives that lived experience brings to our team.

No agencies please.

Group Head of Finance
Eltham College Family of Schools | South East London
Salary circa £75,000 + excellent benefits

A rare opportunity to join one of London’s leading independent school groups at a genuinely exciting point of transformation and growth.

The Eltham College Family of Schools — comprising Eltham College Senior School, Eltham College Junior School and Blackheath Prep — is a high-performing, values-led organisation with an outstanding reputation for academic excellence and a rich co-curricular offering. Named London Independent School of the Year 2024 by The Sunday Times, the group continues to thrive despite wider sector challenges.

This is a pivotal appointment.

The newly created Group Head of Finance role offers the chance to step into a business that is not only successful, but evolving — with significant change underway across systems, structure and ways of working. For a commercially minded and hands-on finance leader, this is an opportunity to truly get your teeth stuck into something meaningful.

The opportunity

Reporting to the Bursar and working closely with the Executive Team, you will act as the senior finance professional across the group, providing both strategic leadership and operational oversight.

Crucially, you will join at a time of real momentum:

• A new finance system is being implemented across the group, requiring leadership to embed, optimise and enhance reporting capability
• The finance function is undergoing restructure, offering the opportunity to shape team design, capability and future direction
• There is a clear mandate to modernise processes, strengthen controls and drive efficiencies
• Senior stakeholders are engaged and open to fresh thinking and improvement

This is not a role where you simply maintain — this is a role where you build.

You will lead financial planning, reporting and governance across all three schools, supporting key strategic decisions including investment, estates development and long-term financial sustainability. Alongside this, you will remain close to the detail, ensuring operational excellence across the finance function.

The environment

Set across a stunning 70-acre campus in south-east London, Eltham College combines heritage with ambition. The group benefits from strong financial foundations, high demand, and a clear vision for continued success.

It is a collaborative and values-driven environment, underpinned by a commitment to education, development and community. Staff benefit from excellent facilities, strong leadership, and a culture that genuinely invests in people.

The person

We are looking for a qualified accountant with strong technical grounding and proven experience operating in a senior finance role.

You will bring:

• Experience of leading finance within a complex, multi-entity or multi-site environment
• A track record of improving systems, processes and controls
• The ability to lead through change and bring teams with you
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the credibility to influence at senior level
• A proactive, hands-on approach with the ability to balance strategy and delivery

Experience within education or the independent school sector would be beneficial, but is not essential.

Why join?

This is an opportunity to join a thriving organisation that is not standing still — but actively investing in its future.

You will play a key role in shaping a modern, high-performing finance function, with the autonomy and support to make a real impact. For someone motivated by change, improvement and leadership, this role offers both challenge and reward in equal measure.

Shine supports a community of over 15,000 members living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus, including 5,000 children and young people (0–25).

You will be delivering high-quality support and creating opportunities for children and young people living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus and their families/carers. Supporting Shine members to lead healthy, independent, and fulfilling lives by improving condition management and fostering connections within the Shine community. 

This role will focus on children and young people (0–25), you will be primarily working within the Children, Young People and Families team. However, there will be occasions when you will work across age groups to ensure the best outcomes for our members. 

The role is home-based but you will be required to attend regular clinics in London including GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital). Other travel across Southern England including Bristol, Devon and Hampshire may be required. There will be occasional travel required across wider areas and nationally including attendance at events, conferences and meetings at our head office in Peterborough. 

Benefits: 

• Competitive salary: Review due April 2027 

• Regular working hours, and no shift work (some very occasional weekends or evenings)   

• 3% pension contribution 

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with additional discretionary leave between Christmas and New Year 

• Additional annual leave awarded for ‘long service’ 

• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave 

• Broadband allowance for home-based roles 

• Life insurance after 12 months’ employment   

• Access to our Employee Support Programme and Mental Health First Aiders  

• Support to learn and develop  

How to apply  

Shine is a Disability Confident employer and will offer guaranteed interviews if a disabled applicant meets the minimum criteria for the job.  

If you would like to discuss the role please email Gill Valentine, Deputy CEO, to arrange a convenient time for a call.  

To apply please submit your CV and supporting statement, which should outline your interest and explain how you meet the role criteria.

*Please note applications without a supporting statement will not be accepted* 

We understand that you may wish to use AI tools to help you with some aspects of your application, but we do expect tailored applications which are personalised to your experiences and not generic applications which are completely AI generated. We encourage candidates to be transparent about AI usage in their applications.  

Closing date:  Monday 17th May 2026 at 11pm  

Interviews:  Tuesday 26th May 2026  (Virtual) 

Please note: we reserve the right to interview suitable candidates before the closing date, therefore we encourage applications as soon as possible.  

Please see full details on the Job Description and Person Specification document below and on our website.

The Living Wage Foundation is seeking an experienced and driven Senior Media and Communications Manager to join our team for a 12-month contract. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly organised and proactive communications professional with a strong background in media relations, public messaging, and team leadership. The ideal candidate will be experienced and confident in working to tight deadlines, responding to last-minute changes, and prioritising competing demands in a high-profile environment. They will be motivated to amplify the Living Wage Foundation’s mission of tackling low pay and insecure work.

The postholder will lead all media, messaging, and external affairs work, developing and implementing a proactive media strategy that supports our mission and key campaigns, such as Living Wage Week and the annual Rates announcement. As a skilled media professional, you will oversee all communications outputs, ensuring consistency and strategic alignment, while delivering media training and refining key messaging to maximise reach and impact. 

In this role, you will be instrumental in advancing our political engagement efforts, building cross-party support and working with political leaders, mayoral teams, and other key stakeholders to promote our initiatives. You’ll manage two direct reports (Events Manager and Media Manager) who each hold line management responsibilities, and you will play a critical role within our Senior Management Team, collaborating closely with the Head of Communications to shape the overall direction of our communications work. This role will work closely with Citizens UK colleagues, including the Citizens UK communications team on cross-organisational priorities.  You will report to the Head of Communications.

As a senior leader, you will be responsible for managing and allocating part of the communications team budget, expanding team capacity, and driving the team’s effectiveness. In collaboration with other senior managers, you will help foster a culture that values creativity, innovation, and strategic impact.

Who we are

Every year, thousands of people in the UK face court alone. Often through no choice of their own, people must represent themselves at a moment that could have life-changing outcomes. This includes loss of access to children or homelessness. At the same time, people facing court alone may find themselves up against a party with legal representation. They are instantly at a disadvantage and overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges they are up against. We supported unrepresented litigants in the civil and family courts in England and Wales over 45,000 times last year.

We provide a safe space with volunteers who listen to each client’s individual story. Last year, over 1000 volunteers helped people to get their thoughts in order, problem-solve and decide next steps, source relevant and reliable legal information, explain complex procedures, complete court forms, and clearly present statements.

At a time when legal support is increasingly limited, we have a vision that no one should have to face court alone.

To make this vision a reality, we have a focused communications strategy to ensure the charity has the brand, reach and impact it needs to connect with unrepresented court users and engage supporters.

Who we're looking for

Ambitious, professional, committed and friendly. That describes us. If it also describes you and you have a passion for designing and iplementing volunteer training programmes, then we’re keen to hear from you.

We’re looking for a Training Project Lead to join our team on a 4-month contract. You’ll be leading on a project to improve our volunteer training programme, with a focus on supporting survivors of domestic abuse and incorporating a trauma-informed approach throughout the training package. 

The role

The Training Project Lead will be based in the service department, and you’ll be supported by the Head of Service Delivery. 

We’re open to applications from training professionals who are able to work remotely, and undertake some travel to our offices across England and Wales.

To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter about why you're the right person for the role via Charity Job.

Please note, that we have two roles advertised, both of which are short-term contracts and could be held by the same person, running the projects consecutively. You may wish to apply for both positions, and if that is the case please only complete one application, detailing clearly in the application that you are applying for both roles.