Grant manager jobs in manchester

At Bluesci, we believe that everyone deserves good mental health and wellbeing. Our staff and volunteers, many of whom have experienced our services, collaborate with individuals and their communities to help them achieve their aspirations and wellness.  

Bluesci operates across the borough of Trafford from four Wellbeing Centres, offering arts, cultural and volunteering opportunities, social prescribing, talking therapies, and group support. We partner with Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust (GMMH) to deliver Trafford Living Well and with Trafford Libraries to co-deliver library services from two of our centres. Bluesci at Night offers a safe, welcoming space for people 365 nights a year, and we also provide Smoking Cessation Support.  

We are recruiting for a Wellbeing Practitioner to join our specialist Smoking Cessation Service to help people on their journey to reducing and/or quitting smoking. Experience of smoking cessation is desirable, but what's more important is an understanding of social prescribing and a commitment ot empowering inidviduals and communities.

Bluesci is an inclusive employer, and we welcome applications from people with lived experience and from people from diverse backgrounds.

What We Offer:

· 33 days holiday a year

· A supportive, values-driven team

· Flexible working arrangements

· Ongoing training and development

· Opportunities to shape innovative mental wellbeing support

Be part of a team that changes and saves lives. Design and deliver creative events that support military families caring for injured loved ones.

This is a demanding but deeply rewarding role that combines service delivery, engagement, and emotional resilience. As Events & Engagement Officer, you will work closely with our Operational Support Team to design and deliver a varied programme of online and in-person events. These will support the wellbeing of our Members (adult family members of injured veterans and serving personnel), reduce isolation, and build understanding of the challenges faced by military families.

The Ripple Pond is a UK-wide charity that supports the adult family members of physically or psychologically injured Armed Forces personnel and veterans. We provide peer support, structured guidance, and signposting to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation for families who often carry complex emotional burdens in silence. Our work is rooted in lived experience and built on a foundation of inclusion, compassion, and community.

The Operational Support Team lies at the heart of our frontline service. It delivers one-to-one support, coordinates safeguarding and triage, and ensures Members are connected to the right pathways at the right time. It is a trauma-informed, emotionally intelligent team that works with care and professionalism, ensuring that no one caring for an injured veteran or serviceperson feels alone.

You will start your time with The Ripple Pond by embedding into the Operations Team for approximately two months. This will give you a firm grounding in the lived experiences of our Members and ensure you’re fully trained to act as Duty Officer. As Duty Officer, you’ll receive and respond to referrals and enquiries, complete needs assessments, carry out risk assessments, and navigate Members to appropriate internal or external support. This may involve responding to distressing and traumatic situations, including domestic abuse, suicidal ideation, addiction, and other complex issues. You will also be expected to attend (online) multi-agency meetings.

This role requires emotional resilience, sound judgment, and exceptional communication skills. You will need to work flexibly, including some evenings and occasional weekends, and travel to a limited number of face-to-face events and meetings throughout the year. In return, you will be part of a supportive, values-driven team making a real and lasting difference to people’s lives.

Key Responsibilities

• Working with your colleagues to design and deliver an engaging and inclusive programme of digital and in-person events that support Member wellbeing, build confidence, reduce isolation, and encourage peer connection.

• Co-develop activities such as themed discussion groups, creative and recreational workshops (e.g. book clubs, craft groups, quiz nights, art workshops, journaling, fitness, etc.), and skill-building sessions.

• Plan and lead external engagement sessions for professionals and stakeholders to improve understanding of the Armed Forces family experience.

• Manage the full event cycle, from concept and scheduling to promotion, delivery, and evaluation.

• Work closely with the Operational Support Team to ensure all activities reflect Member needs and organisational aims.

• Act as Duty Officer on a rota basis, including during periods of staff leave or absence. This includes responding to new enquiries, completing needs and risk assessments, and triaging Members into appropriate pathways of support.

• Respond sensitively to Members disclosing trauma or distress and act in line with our safeguarding and escalation procedures.

• Attend virtual joint-agency meetings when required to support Members or represent the charity.

• Use digital tools to promote and deliver content (e.g. Zoom, Canva, Transpond, Eventbrite, CRM systems).

• Collect and evaluate Member feedback to help refine services and contribute to reporting and development work.

• Support cross-organisational projects and team-wide initiatives as needed.

Terms and Conditions

• Hours: Part-time, 21 hours per week

• Schedule: Three days per week, 9 am to 5 pm (1-hour unpaid lunch break)

• Flexibility: Some evenings and occasional weekends will be required to support Member activities or represent the charity. Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) will be provided

• Contract: Fixed-term, 18 months (extension subject to funding)

• Location: Home-based

• Travel:
  ˃ Expectation to attend up to 8 in-person events or meetings per year
  ˃ All travel time and reasonable expenses are reimbursed
  ˃ Depending on your location, some travel may involve overnight stays, which the charity will fully fund
  ˃ The ability and willingness to travel and stay overnight is essential

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience designing and delivering events (in-person or online)

• Strong interpersonal skills with empathy and emotional resilience

• Excellent written and verbal communication

• Ability to manage sensitive conversations and disclosures appropriately

• Familiarity with digital tools (e.g. Zoom, Canva, Eventbrite, CRM systems)

• Excellent organisational and time management skills

• Ability to work flexibly, independently, and as part of a team

• Commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, and person-centred support

• Demonstrates emotional resilience and works confidently with individuals facing trauma, distress, or complex challenges

• Maintains strong professional boundaries and self-awareness, with a clear understanding of when to seek support

• Manages workload effectively under pressure, staying focused and prioritising in emotionally demanding situations

• Shows a consistent commitment to personal wellbeing and self-care when working in high-pressure or emotionally complex environments

Desirable

• Knowledge of or lived experience within the Armed Forces or veteran families

• Experience working in the charity sector

• Familiarity with trauma-informed approaches or peer-led initiatives

Other

• Full UK driving licence and access to a roadworthy, insured vehicle

• Willingness to travel across the UK and stay overnight where required

• Commitment to professional development and learning

Benefits

• 30 days annual leave (pro rata) plus your birthday off

• 6% employer contribution to your workplace pension scheme

• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme offering:
  ˃ Discounts and rewards on popular brands
  ˃ Free access to fitness and wellbeing apps
  ˃ Free legal, financial, and family advice

About NZF

National Zakat Foundation (NZF) gives Muslims around the UK a way to bring their Zakat to life.

It is the only organisation with a nationwide reach that helps Muslims calculate and give Zakat or apply for Zakat.

This is an exciting time to join NZF. With over ten years’ experience in collecting and distributing Zakat in the UK, NZF seeks to help as many people in need as possible with an experience that makes them feel valued members of the Muslim community.

How this post supports NZF’s vision and mission

The post-holder will be responsible for offering support to the Director of Finance and Governance to ensure effective outputs within a high-performance environment, adhering to the highest standards of corporate governance.

The main responsibilities of this role include tracking, collating, and recording essential performance information; providing administrative support for the Board meetings, sub-committees, working groups, senior leadership meetings and team meetings; maintaining governance procedures and ensuring their adherence; and managing and maintaining risk registers.

To succeed in this role, you will have a passion for the non-profit sector. You will be highly organised and diligent, showing great attention to detail. You will be proactive and possess excellent oral and written communication skills. You will have excellent people management skills with the ability to build effective, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ranging from senior managers, directors and external stakeholders. You will be highly motivated, versatile, empathetic, and have a good eye for detail. You will ensure that policies and processes are being implemented effectively across the organisation.

 

Typical Accountabilities of position:

Board and Senior Leadership meetings:

· Maintain a forward-looking calendar of Board, Board Committees and Senior Leadership Team meetings and agenda items and set up the meetings.

· Support line manager to prepare agendas, co-ordinate timely pre-read papers, write minutes, and track agreed actions.

· Maintain consistent Terms of Reference across all Board Committees.

· Provide administrative support to the line manager and Board with recruitment, induction, performance management and succession planning for the Board and Board committees.

· Manage and maintain Trustee documentation to ensure that information is transparent, up to date and readily accessible.

· Provide administrative support to the line manager and Board Chair with a periodic review of the Board, its value and behaviours, practice and operations.

Compliance:

· Ensure compliance with requirements and guidelines of Charity Commission, Companies House and other regulatory bodies.

· Coordinate the narrative, design and approval of the Annual Report and Accounts.

· Ensure appropriate governance information reflected in external communications.

· Ensure full and accurate reporting provided to grant funders.

Governance and risk management

· Support governance within the functions, and ensuring appropriate guidance and advice provided from those functions to the wider team.

· Manage and maintain risk registers across the departments.

Approach

· Comply with relevant legislation and regulation ensuring that good practice is observed.

· Understand and support the vision, mission and aims of NZF.

· Adhere to and champion NZF’s policy and practices on safeguarding.

· Ensure the approach is coordinated with key stakeholders across the organisation.

· Undertake any other duties requested by the line manager commensurate with the role.

Relationships and Stakeholders

· Executive Team, Trustees, Advisors and other staff across the organisation

· External consultants, freelancers, and partners

Why work with NZF?

• Flexible working 

• Enhanced Maternity / Paternity pay 

• Ethical pension 

• Health cash plan (Medicash) 

• Days off for religious holidays 

+ How to apply

Please send a cover letter with a CV. 

The cover letter must show why you are a suitable candidate, demonstrating any relevant knowledge and skils, experience and behaviours that match the requirements for the post. The cover letter should not exceed 2 sides of A4.

 Applications close – Friday 27 June 2025.

Interviews expected – Week Beginning 30 June 2025.

For more information about the role or how to apply, you can click on the job pack Governance Officer Job  on the website ( NZF) under vacancies. 

Note: an application for a DBS certificate wil be submitted in the event of the individual being offered the position. A copy of the Charity’s ‘Hiring policy -ex offenders’ is available on request. 

Venn Group are delighted to be working with a brilliant Charity with a mission to tackle social injustice, to recruit for a new Finance and Fundraising Administrator. This role will be working closely with the Head of Finance in a small team and carry out various accounting and fundraising income administration duties.

 

Key responsibilities of the role:

• Process and record donations received via donor platforms into Beacon and Xero.
• Conduct a daily review of bank transactions to ensure prompt and accurate coding.
• Process and pay supplier invoices, ensuring compliance with the procurement policy and scheme of delegation.
• Process and pay staff expenses, participant payments, pensions, and PAYE.
• Reconcile bank accounts weekly and assist with month-end tasks, including journals and accruals and ensure monthly bank reconciliation sign-off.
• Review and submit monthly Gift Aid submissions and prepare relevant journals.
• Prepare monthly journals and reconciliations for prepayments, accruals, amortisation, and depreciation.
• Assist with financial reporting and record-keeping, including preparing financial documents and reports.
• Support payroll and tax processes, including completing and submitting VAT returns and pension contributions online.
• Assist with year-end preparation and the audit process.
• Support cash flow monitoring and generate routine internal finance reports.
• Maintain accurate financial records for audits and funder reporting.
• Track contract and grant payments, ensuring compliance with financial terms.
• Record and reconcile income from fundraising platforms and grants in Beacon and Xero.
• Assist with financial reporting for funders, ensuring the timely submission of accurate data.
• Support Gift Aid claims and maintain donor records.
• Liaise with the Partnerships and Programmes Manager to track income allocations and grant deadlines.
• Review financial terms in funding contracts and agreements.

 

Ideal candidate profile:

• At least 3 years’ experience in a finance role for a Charity
• Strong Excel skills and experience using Xero.
• Experience using Beacon fundraising system.
• Ability to reconcile income and manage financial data across systems.
• Understanding of Gift Aid, restricted/unrestricted income, and grant compliance.
• Knowledge of charity finance operations and funder reporting.

Agency reference number: J89512

Duration: 6 months FTC with chance to move to permanent

Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 per annum + benefits  

Working hours: Full time

Working pattern: Fully Remote  

Start date: ASAP

This vacancy will be actively shortlisted so early applications are encouraged to avoid missing out.

Venn Group is an equal opportunities employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates.

Trusts and Philanthropy Fundraiser

Salary: £34,835 - £38,706 per annum (DOE) + benefits 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week + Hybrid working 

Type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Cheadle Hulme, SK8 6RQ

Closing date: Monday 14th July

Are you an experienced Fundraiser looking for a new and exciting opportunity? Here at Seashell, we are looking for a talented individual who is passionate about making a difference to the lives of others…

About Seashell Trust

Originally founded in 1823, Seashell Trust is a nationally recognised and registered charity based in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport. The Trust comprises of the Royal School Manchester, the Royal College Manchester, bespoke Residential Care Homes, Outreach Health and Family Services that support over 8,000 people a year. We provide expert education and residential care for children and young adults with multiple complex disabilities including, profound learning difficulties,

multi-sensory impairments, mobility issues and neurological disorders like severe autism. Our fantastic services are based all on one-site, which deepens our sense of community for our children and young adults and the Seashell team.

We are currently in the midst of the largest fundraising appeal in our 200-year history which will see our campus become the national centre of excellence for the education and residential care of children and young adults with the most complex disabilities.

In 2015 we raised £10 million to build our residential care facility Sir Norman Stoller Way and in 2023, opened The Moulding Foundation building, a £25 million home for Royal School Manchester. We are now turning to the next phase of the campus development, to build a new £30 million home for our Royal College Manchester. The Ged Mason building is due to open in early 2026.

About the role

Your role will contribute to Seashell’s ambitious plans to grow income over the next five years, so that we can deliver the very best education and care for our children and young adults.

Key Responsibilities

• Raise income in line with agreed personal and team fundraising targets
• Develop and prepare bespoke funding applications for capital, restricted and unrestricted projects
• Maintain and develop existing relationships with small and medium-sized trusts and foundations and support  prospecting to grow the portfolio.
• Record financial and other data relating to trusts, foundations and major donors on our CRM, in line with GDPR guidelines.
• Maintain accurate income records and ensure donations are acknowledged in a timely and appropriate way.
• Share project information, budgets and statistics gathered for appeals with the wider fundraising team.
• Ensure student information in funding appeals is appropriate and consented for use.
• Work with the fundraising team to support tours of the campus and host supporters at Seashell fundraising events on occasional evenings and weekends.

What you will need for the role: 

• Previous experience in a fundraising role for a charitable organisation.
• Demonstratable track record of income generation through trust and foundation fundraising.
• Knowledge of technology and IT Systems, including Microsoft Office and CRMs.
• Experience of financial management including developing income spreadsheets and raising invoices.
• Excellent communication and relationship development skills.
• Enthusiasm and commitment to giving the children and young adults at Seashell the best opportunities.

What we can offer you:

Our detailed 2-week induction program ensures that all Seashell employees gain the essential knowledge to work within our amazing setting. With our commitment to ongoing training and development through appraisals and supervisions we encourage career progression and development throughout the business.

Other benefits include:

• Use of our on-site gym, fitness classes, and state of the art swimming pool
• Employee discounts
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free on-site parking
• Employee recognition and reward Summer and Winter events.
• Paid Enhanced DBS

If you have any questions about the role or would like to speak to a member of our Recruitment team before submitting your application, please get in touch! 

This is a brand new role with Action Duchenne, leading our new Fundraising and Communications team. This role is part of the Senior Leadership Team.

Applications close at 9am on Monday 21st July 2025, with interviews likely to take place in the weeks commencing 28th July and 4th August 2025. To apply, please click 'Apply', where you will be redirected to our application form.

Main Purpose of the Role:

To manage, lead and support the Fundraising and Communications Team to retain donors, increase income and provide clear direction for our communications. This role will involve supporting relationships with sponsors of Action Duchenne’s International Conference, developing and implementing the fundraising and communications strategy, and reviewing our case for support for our core work and projects.

Specific Tasks:

The focus areas and key deliverables of this role are as follows:

• Develop and deliver on a clear fundraising and communications strategy, with annual action plans and clear objectives and KPIs for team members.

• Understand and keep abreast of sector trends and compliance updates relating to fundraising and communications

• Develop and maintain oversight of all budgets, targets, forecasts and processes relating to fundraising and communications

• Co-ordinate the prioritising of income streams, including community, individual giving, corporate, legacy and trust and grants

• Research, identify, and where there is capacity, pursue income generation opportunities that match the objectives of Action Duchenne

• Ensure Action Duchenne is compliant with all applicable elements of the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice, law, and the Charity Commission relating to fundraising

• Research, identify and apply to Trusts and Foundations with a clear pipeline

• Prepare reports for Trustees either for the full Board, or where required, to sub committees, which will include fundraising and communications progress against objectives.

• With a team keen to learn, provide leadership and hands on support to ensure objectives are achieved

• Undertake a review of all Communications materials, including social media and website

• Lead by example across the team and organisation

• Be part of, and therefore contribute towards and prepare for Senior Leadership Team meetings

• Identify existing or potential events to develop relationships with funders, including Action Duchenne’s annual international conference

• Feed in to the development of the international conference, led by the Head of Operations & Events

• Work with staff across the organisation to ensure all elements of work are collaborative, specifically when submitting funding bids or developing the annual international conference

• To maintain the contact database, keeping it up to date and accurate

• Continue to invest in professional development in yourself and your team, including safeguarding

• Identify opportunities, alongside the team, for cross team working - including residentials; family events; Science Educations workshops with regional meetups and education visits to schools and local authorities.

• Obtain, decipher and provide training to the Support Team on new updates relevant to Duchenne families, such as DLA, EHCP and more.

• Work closely with your team, to ensure that each family receives the best support possible, and that long-term support is provided.

• Lead on the development and delivery of monthly reporting of engagement and support contact, which will feed into the wider All Through Support journey. 

• To work with the Head of Operations and Events to contribute to Agenda topics and speakers from the community; assign roles for the conference to the Support Team.

• Establish a database for external stakeholders also supporting those living with Duchenne on a national basis, fed in to from the Support Team.

• To develop a triaging and caseload process for the Support Team, and how best to regularly monitor this.

• Be involved in the recruitment, selection, and induction of volunteers appropriate to your area of work. 

• Coordinate cover for the Support Team when there is sickness or leave.

Further details can be found on the person specification attached.
Action Duchenne is committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills and experiences. We encourage applicants from all sectors of the community and are especially keen to encourage candidates with relevant lived experiences and those from under-represented groups to apply.

• Drive a climate action movement influencing institutional investors
• Support interconnected organisations to create powerful change
• Remote in Europe - United Kingdom, France, Brussels, or Germany preferred

The Sunrise Project

The Sunrise Project is a global network of independent organisations, that has adopted a unique model of combined strategic grant-making and campaigning, with a common mission to scale social movements to drive the energy transition beyond fossil fuels.

The Sunrise Organising Labs (SOL) is Sunrise's movement-building engine, powering all global programs to scale power in service of our goals while also nurturing long-term ecosystem development. SOL equips our teams and partners to map power, recruit influential constituencies, and build organising capability. SOL also informs and strengthens partnerships and grantmaking: analysing ecosystem capacity and designing targeted interventions to strengthen it. By investing in recruitment, leadership, collaboration, and learning, SOL ensures our movement is equipped, connected, and resourced to win systemic reforms.

Benefits & Culture

Sunrise has a dynamic and nimble organizational culture that supports its people to thrive, believing that diversity of experiences and perspectives builds stronger strategies, teams, and movements. The following benefits are in place to help achieve that;

• Generous package in line with experience and with international expectations
• Liberal annual, parental, birthday, solidarity, and cultural leave
• Commitment to professional development planning
• Coaching, performance reviews & management feedback
• Intermittent travel with advance notice may be required

Indicative salary ranges: £79,230 - £82,277 (UK); €92,376 - €97,850 (France); €120,000 - €124,062 (Germany)

The Role

This role serves as the strategic lead of the European ecosystem, including the UK, overseeing strategies to ensure this powerful movement is growing, is supported, and is being nurtured across communities, countries, leveraging and building power with key actors.
This role understands the nuance of targeted campaigns, how to win them, the context of the big picture, and then designs strategies to intersect the short and long term to build actionable plans for maximum impact.

Working collaboratively across Europe and globally, you will lead the development and implementation of Europe's movement strategy – understanding our campaigns, leading power mapping, understanding constituency and context needs, running experiments, and distributing grants. You will create and recruit new partnerships and groups from new and diverse constituencies, growing their skills and capacities.

Skills Required

You don’t need experience in fossil finance or climate – you can be a leader in your own field of environmental or social justice, such as trade unions, faith or youth groups, community organisations, worker bodies, etc. You’re a strategic, experienced, and collaborative campaign leader and relational organiser, with a passion for winning campaigns and growing regional movements. You have a nuanced understanding of how systemic change happens and can take a long-term view of power and power building in order to deliver short term wins. Your career includes creative corporate and political regional and local campaigns, including winning or iterating on campaigns through diverse stakeholder strategies.

You enjoy working across the political spectrum, or different theories of change, and understand what it takes to build trust, nurture creativity and unleash the potential of individuals and groups. You are adaptive, flexible, and respectful and highly self-driven. You definitely have the following:

• Demonstrated experience building a movement or organisation which has influenced systemic change
• Leadership experience in a similar role and an understanding of the European political landscape
• Project management, training, facilitation, and coaching expertise
• Demonstrated experience in organising and developing leaders in constituency-based organisations
• Strong and evidenced relationships with European power building organisations and other influential groups
• Your own working rights for your European location

 

If you meet all or some of the requirements, or are unsure, please submit an expression of interest as The Sunrise Project values diversity and recognizes lived experience. Your expression of interest should include a cover letter, responding to the skills required above, and a resume. Please quote #1352163. Alternatively, contact Lois Freeke from NGO Recruitment in Melbourne, Australia to request a full information pack at: +61 (0) 3 8080 8978. 

Fundraising Officer – North of England

Job description

A fantastic permanent opportunity has arisen for a part-time Fundraising Officer to join our dynamic, friendly and supportive fundraising team. This is a home-based role and will suit an individual living in the North of England. You will be reporting to the Corporate & Regional Fundraising Manager and working in a very varied and exciting working environment.

The perfect candidate will enjoy forging positive and robust relationships with supporters including corporate partners, small businesses, philanthropic groups as well as supporting community fundraisers across the North of England, to raise vital income for our Association.  

You will use your creative and professional skillset to provide high-quality account management, stewardship, and growth across all managed income streams. No two days are the same and we are looking for someone who can be flexible in their approach and able to multitask effectively.

Blesma is a unique membership Association as well as a charity. Our Members (limbless veterans) are at the heart of all our work – therefore, the impact of our fundraising is clearly visible in the experiences of our inspirational injured veterans.

We would love to hear from talented individuals who want to help us raise the funds that we need to support limbless veterans. If you would like to apply for this exciting role, please read the attached Job Description and apply with your C.V. and a Covering Letter detailing why you’d be an ideal candidate for the role and how your experience and skills match those detailed in the Person Specification.

If you are uncertain about your suitability for this role, we encourage you to apply and allow us to assess your fit.

Please note that we may close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of applications.

 We look forward to hearing from you.

Want to help unlock life-changing projects through compelling, strategic fundraising? This is your chance to play a key role in securing income that directly supports children and adults with complex disabilities.

Sense is hiring a Trusts Officer (maternity cover) to join their Philanthropy and Partnerships team. You’ll manage a mixed portfolio of funders, write engaging bids and reports, and work closely with colleagues across programmes and finance to deliver meaningful, fundable projects.

• Job title: Trusts Officer
• Salary: £40,906 per annum
• Contract: Maternity cover (12m)
• Location: Remote First– circa monthly visits to office in London, perhaps more at the start. (Pentonville Road, N1)
• Working pattern: Full time

Why this role stands out:

• You’ll join a team with a strong track record—six-figure and multi-year grants already secured
• There’s space to grow your own pipeline and contribute to ambitious plans to reach 50,000 people by 2026
• You’ll support funding across a range of services—from arts and sports to capital projects and children's support
• The team culture is collaborative, experienced, and focused on doing work that matters

What you’ll be doing:

• Researching and identifying new trust funding prospects
• Writing persuasive, well-budgeted applications for a wide variety of projects
• Stewarding a portfolio of funders with tailored reports, updates and occasional visits
• Working closely with programme and finance colleagues to align proposals with organisational priorities
• Tracking progress via the CRM and contributing to shared team goals

What you’ll bring:

• Experience building and managing relationships with trusts and foundations
• Confidence writing applications, reports and updates with clarity and purpose
• An eye for detail with numbers and narrative, plus the ability to manage a busy pipeline
• A collaborative mindset and genuine commitment to the mission: that no one is left out of life

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key member of the senior 
leadership team, responsible for overseeing the operational and 
financial management of the charity. 

As a Chartered Accountant, the COO will bring strong financial 
expertise and strategic insight to ensure the charity’s resources 
are efficiently and effectively used to deliver its mission. 

This includes managing the day-to-day operations, ensuring 
financial health and compliance, driving operational efficiency, 
and working closely with the CEO and Board to implement the 
charity’s strategic vision.

At Young Sounds UK our mission is to help musically talented young people from low-income families fulfil their potential. We're seeking our first Evaluation Director to join a small, thriving organisation and lead our evaluation strategy. Working collaboratively with colleagues, you will generate insights that strengthen programme delivery, and how we understand and share our impact.

For full information on this role, including key responsibilities and person specification, please view the job pack.

The closing date for applications is Monday 14 July 2025 at 12 noon.

About Young Sounds UK 

Young Sounds UK exists because musical talent is everywhere but opportunity isn’t: family finances and other obstacles too often get in the way. We’re here to change this in two key ways:

• We support young musicians from low-income families with funding and other help 
• We support music education through training, advocacy and research.

Established in 1998 we work across genres and across the UK. Our four programme areas are: 

• Discover: training teachers in how to spot young people’s musical potential 
• Connect: targeting and sustaining young people’s emerging talent through strategic support
• Thrive: funding young talent UK wide through annual grants and tailor-made help for individual musicians
• Innovate: leading new thinking and action on talent development

Role overview 

Young Sounds is a reflective organisation. We’ve always invested time and effort in seeking out, understanding and demonstrating the difference our programmes are making. We believe in learning from experience. This is what we mean by evaluation.

We have recently secured funding to build on our evaluation work to date, and it is a priority for us to more fully embed evaluation throughout our work – the Evaluation Director will be critical to us achieving this. The Evaluation Director is a new role and will lead the development and implementation of Young Sounds’ evaluation strategy, ensuring that our work is evidence-based and impactful.

Key areas of responsibility 

• Evaluation strategy and organisational learning 
• Programme evaluation 
• Organisational capacity and culture 
• Research and policy engagement 
• Quality assurance and reporting 

This new role at Young Sounds UK will provide a wide range of support across the organisation, managing the logistics for our events, assisting our Development team with vital fundraising tasks, and handling a wide range of organisational administration.

You'll need to be proactive, highly organised, and looking for a busy role within a passionate team. With at least 3 years experience you'll be keen to use your strong communication skills and attention to detail to provide high standards of administrative support.

For full information on this role, including key responsibilities and person specification, please view the job pack.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 15 July 2025 at 12 noon.

About Young Sounds UK 

Young Sounds UK exists because musical talent is everywhere but opportunity isn’t: family finances and other obstacles too often get in the way. We’re here to change this in two key ways:

• We support young musicians from low-income families with funding and other help 
• We support music education through training, advocacy and research.

Established in 1998 we work across genres and across the UK. Our four programme areas are: 

• Discover: training teachers in how to spot young people’s musical potential 
• Connect: targeting and sustaining young people’s emerging talent through strategic support
• Thrive: funding young talent UK wide through annual grants and tailor-made help for individual musicians
• Innovate: leading new thinking and action on talent development

An exciting opportunity to be involved in the development of a growing adult literacy charity as it expands across Central England

One in 20 adults in the UK has never learnt to read at all. This can have a serious impact on their confidence and wellbeing, limiting access to training, employment, and everyday opportunities that many take for granted. Being unable to read as an adult can be isolating and dangerous, reinforces social inequality, restricts economic growth, and worsens intergenerational disadvantage - but it is never too late to learn.

Read Easy helps adults transform their lives by learning to read. It does this by supporting its growing network of locally run, volunteer-led affiliated groups that offer free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching—both in person and online to adults - aged from 18-88. 

With its free, flexible, confidential approach, Read Easy encourages people who are too embarrassed to join a class to come forward for one-to-one support. Each new reader is provided with their own personal Reading Coach, so that they can learn in private and at their own pace. Learning to read transforms their lives in many other ways as well, including enabling them to support their children’s and grandchildren’s reading, and so transfers the benefits to the next generation.

There are currently 80 affiliated Read Easy groups across England, together involving more than a thousand volunteers. Read Easy UK is the registered charity and umbrella organisation which supports this network of affiliated volunteer groups and provides the structure, training and support to enable volunteers to establish groups in new areas.

As our Central Regional Adviser, your role would be to provide strategic leadership, guidance, and oversight to ensure that all volunteer groups consistently deliver high-quality services aligned with Read Easy UK’s strategy.

You will support local volunteer leaders to strengthen group performance, and foster collaboration across affiliated groups, so that that they deliver coaching to Readers with consistent quality, and a positive and worthwhile experience is had by all.

You will also find volunteers to ‘pioneer’ three new groups in the counties where there is no Read Easy presence in the East and West Midlands and East of England and provide them and our 29 existing groups and pioneers in the region, with high-quality support. Your quality support will ensure that they provide the same for their volunteers and new Readers. From meeting (mostly online) with Team Leaders to provide one to one support, and hosting online and annual in-person volunteer forums, to delivering presentations and occaisonal training for small groups of volunteers, this is a dynamic and rewarding role.

This is a home-based post requiring flexibility, some early evening working and occaisional travel to visit groups. The role is available on either a full or part time basis (min 32 hours p/w, 85% of 37.5 hours p/w FTE).

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Live within one of the following areas: West Midlands (Defined as the 7 metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton), Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire or Rutland;
• have been employed to work with volunteers for at least two years;
• have strong people management and interpersonal skills; excellent communication skills; and the confidence to run meetings and deliver presentations.

Salary & Benefits 

• Annual Salary £25,075 (85% FTE) -£29,500 (100% FTE)
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and Christmas closing and 2 days volunteering leave – pro-rata for part time roles
• Company sick pay to financially support you when you are unwell (above statutory upon completion of probationary period) 
• Support when extending your family – company parental and adoption pay (above statutory after 12 months service) 
• Access to RewardHub – which gives retail discounts and has a ‘Wellbeing Centre’ with tools, tips, recipes, workout videos and guides which will help you to reach your own wellbeing goals 
• Training and Development opportunities and resources – we are developing personal plans in this area to enhance employee experience and opportunity 
• A collaborative, creative and inspiring working environment full of committed and passionate employees and inspirational volunteers 

We strive to ensure our recruitment practices are fair, open, easy to access and as inclusive as possible. We aim to recruit a team which broadly reflect the local communities which we serve; to work with and learn from each other to continually improve the service we deliver to our Readers. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Group is actively promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion, ensuring a culture where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We welcome you to apply and be your authentic self.

When applying for a job with us, if an applicant has a disability covered by the definition outlined within the Equality Act 2010 and can show that they meet the ‘essential criteria’ described in the person specification for the role being applied for, they are guaranteed an interview for the job for which they are applying through our Disability Confident scheme.

If you need any support with your application, please contact us,

The closing date for this post is 10:00 Tuesday 15th July 2025. Should you be shortlisted, the first round of interviews will take place online on Wednesday 23rd July, with in-person interviews, being held in Gloucestershire or West Midlands, on Tuesday 29th July 2025. 

The successful candidate will be invited to meet the team on 31st July in Birmingham, should they be able to do so.

Salary: £36,910 - £44,160 per annum, dependent on experience, plus excellent benefits package

Hours: 35 per week

Contract: Permanent

Based: Home based with some travel to services required (estimated to be 1-2 days per month)

Ref: 1566

Cranstoun is a social justice and harm reduction charity, working in the areas of substance use, domestic abuse, criminal justice, housing and young people. We deliver world-class services that rebuild lives. We’ve been making a difference since 1969 by combining our expertise with new, innovative approaches, and putting people at the heart of everything we do.

The Bid Writer will work in our Business Development Team, planning, developing and writing high quality bid submissions that convey the organisation’s mission, values and expertise to commissioners and funders.

You will be responsible for coordinating strong tender submissions, resulting in successful outcomes. You will help ensure Cranstoun retains all existing contracts and wins new business, in line with the organisation’s strategic plans and targets for growth.

Within this role, you will work collaboratively with a variety of internal stakeholders, using exceptional writing and interpersonal skills to capture and convey Cranstoun’s approach to delivering services across a variety of areas.

We are seeking a confident self-starter, with demonstrable experience of high quality writing and clear evidence of successful outcomes in a business development context (70% success rate). The successful candidate will welcome the opportunity to tackle challenges and adopt a solutions-focused approach.

Above all, you’ll be interested in becoming part of a diverse, energetic team, committed to delivering innovative, person-centred services that make a tangible difference to people’s lives.

This post is subject to a Standard DBS Disclosure.

To download an application pack, please visit the website via the apply button.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept CVs.

Closing date: Sunday 3 August 2025.

Anticipated first interview date: w/c 11 August 2025.

Anticipated second interview date: w/c 18 August 2025.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Registered Charity No. 1061582.