We can’t fix issues like poverty, climate change and ill-health alone. That’s why the School for Social Entrepreneurs exists.

We help 1,000 people a year develop the skills, strengths and networks they need to tackle society’s biggest problems. In turn, they help 3.4 million people in need.

We run courses that equip people to start, scale and strengthen organisations that make a positive difference. But we’re not a traditional school. Learning with SSE is inspiring, action-based and accessible. We support people in other ways too, such as funding and mentoring.

Lord Michael Young founded SSE in 1997. Today we work internationally, with teams across the UK, Canada and India.

Together, we’re changing lives and transforming communities.

The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) are looking for a Team Coordinator to take lead responsibility for the administration and coordination across both the Entrepreneurship and Development & External Affairs Teams.

You will provide administration and coordination to help the teams perform at their best. Your oversight and coordination of SSE’s national pool of administrators will ensure regular meetings are held to understand workflow, work collaboratively, and provide a space for the sharing of practice and learning and the effective allocation of workload.

This role will suit you if you have great organisational and project management skills, with experience of prioritising several concurrent projects and delivering to deadlines.

You will succeed in the role if you have excellent relationship management and communication skills, with the ability to relate to and support people at all levels and from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

However you identify, we would like to hear from you. In our commitment to continue to diversify our teams, freelance staff and programmes, we are particularly keen to hear from people who identify as:

• being from racialised and minoritised communities*
• and/or LGBTQ+
• and/or disabled, including learning and non-visible disabilities

If you require any reasonable adjustments during our recruitment processes, including assistance with reading this page or documents linked to below, please contact us.

London, EC1 + flexible working practices (currently working from home in line with Government guidance)

Closing date: 2nd February 2022 at 11.30 pm

Do you want to develop your career in Finance in a team that makes a real difference? Do you want to work with one of the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charities? Join Shelter as a Financial Control Coordinator.

About you

• You will have a can-do attitude, with a desire to continuously develop professionally.
• Part qualified in CCAB, CIMA or equivalent
• Demonstrable experience of performing balance sheet reconciliations to a high standard and resolving issues successfully.
• Excellent attention to detail, with a high level of numeracy and intermediate Excel skills.
• Strong time management skills, with the ability to balance multiple deadlines and changing priorities, prioritising work when required.
• Some experience of using accounting software, such as Unit4 Business World or a comparable system. 

About the role and team

The Financial Control Coordinator is responsible for performing reconciliations, posting journal entries and resolving any issues identified. You’ll also ensure accurate balance sheets are maintained by applying good financial controls and ensuring debts are collected on time. We’re keen to support your development so you will also support on risk management activities and financial controls testing and findings.

Shelter’s Finance team prides itself on working collaboratively and with great communication. We work to ensure Shelter’s resources are safeguarded and to support decision making organisation wide. This secures our financial sustainability that will enable us to achieve our vision of a home for everyone. The Financial Control team leads on monthly balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring accurate reporting across the board. The team also leads on effective credit control, allowing us to optimise cash flow.

About Shelter
A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent.

We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Training Coordinator
Aldgate, London
35 hours per week

As Training Coordinator you will be responsible for the monitoring and support of trainees including registration, the award of the CCT, CESR and CESR (CP) processes and  attendance at careers fairs.

In addition, you will deal with the quality assurance of pathology training programmes in the UK, including externality. From time to time, you will process subspecialty applications that are made against specialty entries on the Specialist Register.

The Training Coordinator is part of the Training Department in the Learning Directorate, and works closely with the Assessment, Examinations and International Departments that are within the same area. It is a part of the coherent stream of work that dovetails with related work in postgraduate assessment and examinations.

You will have relevant experience in a similar administrative role. You will be an effective communicator with good written skills and be able to work well as a part of a team. You are able to apply a high level of accuracy and the ability to prioritise your own workload and cope well under pressure.

Pathology is at the heart of modern healthcare. Pathologists work to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor diseases and are involved in the diagnosis of disorders affecting every organ of the body, from before birth to after death. The majority of tests requested by doctors will be performed and interpreted by a clinical scientist or medically qualified pathologist. 

The Royal College of Pathologists is a professional membership organisation with over 11,000 members who are doctors and scientists working in hospitals, universities and laboratories in the UK and overseas. We work with pathologists at every stage of their career – from setting curricula, organising training and running exams, to approving job descriptions, publishing best-practice guidance and providing continuing professional development. 

We offer attractive staff benefits including 25 days annual leave rising with length of service, enhanced employer contributions to pension scheme, an employee discount scheme, and season ticket loans, as well as a cycle to work scheme. The College values diversity, welcoming applications for all members of society.

The closing date for applications is 9am, 7 February 2022.

Opportunities:

*Children’s Residential Support Worker’s full time 37.5 pw – Newtown, Wales.

£10 to 11.28 ph. Annualised hours.

*Children’s Residential Support Worker’s part time, alternate weekends- Hampshire

£10 to 11.28 ph. Annualised hours.

*Children’s Service Leaders, with SEMH experience. Full time 37.5 hrs -Hampshire and Newtown, Wales.

£23,000.00 to £25,000.00 pa Annualised hours

*Roles plus overnight payments £55 per night. Estimated for full time team member at £3,500 p.a. when service is operating at full capacity.

Children’s Services Coordinator full time 37.5 hours a week- Monday to Friday Hampshire. £23,000.00pa to £28,000.00pa

Benefits: Uniform and meals (whilst on residential break), car parking, uniform, and fully supported training programme. 5 weeks holiday increasing with service years.

We are seeking exceptional candidates to join our Children’s Services team who are proactive, energetic and passionate about supporting young carers and vulnerable children, with a background of relevant professional experience.

Support Workers:

Like many charities, Honeypot has gone through a period of change as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic and is now emerging stronger than ever with a new range of services which means we are seeking to recruit suitably qualified and experienced people to this exciting role. Our team members need to be used to working in a fast-paced environment while being ready to change gear at any moment. Staff need to be comfortable wearing many hats – the cook, the cleaner, the administrator, the entertainer, the teacher, the parent, the good cop, and sometimes, the bad cop (putting in boundaries and having to say, No because ……. ). You will be part of a team where everyone needs to think on their feet while supporting each other. Flexibility, together with a ‘can do’ attitude amongst all staff is essential until we can finally emerge from the challenges that came hand in hand with Coronavirus.

Children’s Services Leaders:

An exciting opportunity for experienced Children’s Services Leader with relevant experience from an educational background with appropriate qualifications. You will inspire, supervise, guide, and set standards for a friendly team delivering our Wrap Round services to young carers. We are seeking an outstanding candidate with excellent creative skills and great enthusiasm, alongside exceptional professional standards, empathy, integrity, and a willingness to embrace change as we further develop our services.

*Roles plus overnight payments £55 per night. Estimated for full time team member at £3,500 p.a. when service is operating at full capacity.

Children’s Services Coordinator:

The Children’s Services Coordinator plays a central role in the delivery of all our services.  Under the direction of the Operations Manager, you will lead all aspects of scheduling, planning and coordinating respite breaks, SEAL breaks and outreach programmes, working closely with parents, referrers and others.

About Us

For 25 years, Honeypot has been working to enhance the lives of young carers and vulnerable children aged 5 – 12 years old. We are the only charity in the UK to provide holidays and wrap round support throughout a child’s formative years. Honeypot gives young carers and vulnerable children a break from demanding and stressful responsibilities at home and provides a safe, nurturing environment where children can develop their full potential and achieve the key outcomes needed for their well-being.

Annualised hours:

*In an annual hours system an employee works a certain number of hours over the whole year, but with a certain degree of flexibility about when those hours are worked. Normally, a period of regular hours or shifts forms the core of the arrangement, with the remaining time left unallocated and used on an 'as needed' basis. Source: ACAS

When the children are in residence, team members will sleep on site.  Staff bedrooms are close to, but separate from, children’s bedrooms.  Staff bedrooms have twin single beds; when possible, you will have a room to yourself, however there will be many occasions when you will need to share with a colleague of the same sex.

This post requires an Enhanced DBS and satisfactory references would be obtained prior to commencement of employment.

If selected you will be asked to complete an application form, equal opportunities forma and provide proof of identity.

Programme Coordinator 28-35 hrs per week

Salary £28,000 pro rata 

Home Based or Hybrid                 

Permanent

Annual Leave 25 days per annum pro rata

We are seeking an experienced, creative, and highly organised person able to lead on the development, delivery, design, and evaluation of our programme for girls and young women.

Our small staff team and national network of more than 160 volunteers deliver a variety of activities, services and support to girls and young women in a safe, single gender, non-judgmental environment throughout England and Wales. 

We deliver a preventative programme for GAYW and by the end of her time with us, we would like each girl to be able to say (to whatever degree is right for her):

I can speak up about things that matter to me

I am proud of who I am

I try again if I have a setback

I can try new or unfamiliar things

I believe I can achieve my hopes and dreams

I can enjoy friendships with all kinds of people

The role has three major strands:

• Design and development of GFS Programme
• Training of volunteers to deliver GFS Programme
• Monitoring and evaluation of the GFS Programme

You will also support and promote campaigns addressing issues affecting girls and young women.

You will have experience of; developing, planning and monitoring programmes for children; producing a range of high quality learning and development activities, and learning resources as well as the ability to manage projects efficiently with attention to detail.

You will also have experience of applying qualitative and quantitative impact measurement with a clear commitment to equality, diversity with and understanding of the need for gender based services.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference to girls and young women’s lives

There is a requirement for regular travel to groups and to meetings in London and regionally. Evening and weekend work will be required. 

To apply applicants must complete the GFS application form and submit by 12 noon on 11th February. Please note CV's are not accepted 

Bond is the UK network for organisations working in international development. We unite and support a diverse network of over 400 civil society organisations to help eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice. We strengthen and champion the sector to make international development more efficient and effective. We work to influence governments and policy-makers, develop the skills of people in the sector, share expertise, and build organisational capacity and partnerships. The safeguarding and HR adviser will lead the coordination and deliver Bond’s safeguarding work to secure sector-wide improvements in the quality and consistency of safeguarding in development assistance and humanitarian aid; and will be responsible for developing and delivering improvements to Bond’s internal HR policies and processes. Bond is looking for candidates with safeguarding and HR experience.

Closing date: 31st January 2022 at 11.30 pm

Are you an established Financial Control professional looking for the next step in your career? Do you want to work in a Finance team that makes a real difference? Do you want to work with one of the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charities? Join Shelter as Senior Financial Control Coordinator.

About you

You will be part qualified in CCAB, CIMA or equivalent, looking to develop your expertise in financial control. You will also have:

• Excellent attention to detail, with a high level of numeracy and intermediate Excel skills.
• Strong time management skills, with the ability to balance multiple deadlines and changing priorities, prioritising work when required.
• Experience of using accounting software, such as Unit4 Business World or a comparable system.
• The ability and willingness to provide cover for the Financial Control Manager when required.

About the role and team

The Senior Financial Control Coordinator is an exciting new role designed to grow the team and support the development of a Financial Control professional. The post holder will be responsible for preparing quarterly VAT returns and will come with expert knowledge to support VAT compliance. The Senior Financial Control Coordinator will also lead on updating and monitoring the Fixed Asset Register and filing returns to external regulatory bodies such as the Charity Commission, Companies House and HMRC. It is crucial that the post holder can provide oversight of the calculation of accruals, prepayments, and other adjustments, posting these into the finance system.

Shelter’s Finance team prides itself on working collaboratively and with great communication. We work to ensure Shelter’s resources are safeguarded and to support decision making organisation wide. This secures our financial sustainability that will enable us to achieve our vision of a home for everyone.

About Shelter
A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent.

We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.

Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

THE CHARITY

Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifical Foundation of the Catholic Church, supporting the Catholic faithful and other Christians where they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.

Each year we fund over 5,000 projects in more than 140 countries around the world, helping to support the Church in its mission, and bringing hope and solidarity to millions of people.

Due to the growth within our organisation, we are expanding our team and looking for an Office & HR Administrator to join us on a part-time permanent contract. This is a brand new role and the post holder will report directly to the HR Manager. The successful candidate will undertake a variety of front-of-house, admin and support office activities whilst also providing HR administrative support to the HR Manager.

We are going through an exciting period of growth with the talent acquisitions of brand new roles across the organisation. It is also a fantastic moment of change and transformation for our Charity. Therefore is a great moment to join Aid to the Church in Need UK!

MAIN PURPOSE & RESPONSIBILITIES

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced administrator who wants to start or continue their career in Office Administration and get exposure and experience in Human Resources.

Key areas of responsibility include but are not limited to:

Office Management

• Greeting visitors and informing the relevant colleagues that their visitor arrived;
• Managing the post and deliveries office-related;
• Being responsible for the purchasing process ensuring best value for money for office equipment, office stationery, office sundries and any other ad hoc purchases approved by the Charity;
• Make sure that there is a good level of office equipment and stationery stocks in the National Office;
• Being responsible for the office utilities management process (take and upload on the relevant website the monthly meter readings for our utilities providers (gas, electricity and water);
• Working closely with the HR Manager and the Senior Administrator for supporting Health & Safety aspects;
• Managing the office car park rota;
• Managing the meeting room booking system;
• Organising office or virtual social events, such as the Christmas Lunch;
• Ad hoc Office related projects on requests.

Human Resources

• Ensuring that the recruitment database (ATS), the HR System and the Learning Managing system are updated daily;
• Maintaining all employee benefit platforms updated;
• Scheduling interviews and sending invitations to candidates and hiring managers with the relevant documentation attached;
• Supporting the HR Manager to carry out the onboarding process for the new starters and carefully recording the documentation;
• Arranging ER’ meetings Plan ensuring all required documentation is completed;
• Assisting the HR Manager in analysing employees HR Data and preparing reports;
• Ad hoc support on HR related projects on request.

TERMS & BENEFITS

• The salary is up to £25,000 per annum (this is the full-time salary that will be pro-rated for 25 hours per week), according to experience.
• Part-time role 25 hours per week with the possibility to increase the working hours if needed/requested by the Charity;
• 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 30 days of annual leave plus bank holidays after five full years of employment.
• Time in lieu policy plus mileage and out of pocket expenses for working at ACN events.
• Auto-enrolment onto our pension scheme after three months of employment at ACN UK with 5% matched contributions.
• After probation, 50% funded further qualifications relevant to the role, plus paid exam days.
• Relevant annual professional memberships funded in full.

HOW TO APPLY

The closing date to apply for this job opportunity is 11.02.2022.

If you wish to apply for this exciting job opportunity, send a Cover Letter and your latest CV.

We will hold virtual interviews via Zoom with the shortlisted candidates.

We are looking for to hearing back from you!

About the Role

The Recruitment Coordinator is an exciting role at SDDirect which will lead recruitment for internal and international project-based roles. You will make a significant contribution to supporting the continued growth of the organisation through resourcing and contracting of consultants across our core thematic areas of gender equality and social inclusion. The ideal candidate will be someone who has experience working in a fast-paced recruitment environment and collaborating across different teams to deliver excellence.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Summary of role

Reports to: Talent Specialist

Location: This is a UK based role. You must have eligibility to work in the UK. Our London Head Office works on a hybrid basis – we are open to flexible working.

Appointment term: Permanent role

Remuneration Package: Circa £35,000

I have an excellent opportunity for an experienced Recruitment Manager to join an important charity who support victims of domestic violence.  This position will pay between £40,000 and £50,000 per year depending upon experience and will report to the Director of People & Transformation for a period of 6 months initially.

You will be able to work fully remotely in this role and you will need to be able to start by the end of January 2022.  This is a new, temporary role for the organisation and will require the post holder to take on all operational recruitment from the HR Managers.

This will involve managing a Recruitment Officer and a part-time Co-ordinator, ensuring that as a team, you manage the full recruitment process from identification of a vacancy to offer stage.  On-boarding and pre-employment checks will be handled by the HR Managers, but you and your team will advise managers, advertise roles, arrange interviews and deliver a better recruitment service.

This will be an autonomous role and you will be responsible for reviewing processes and advertising, streamlining recruitment of identical roles at the Head Office and regional locations, ensuring customer focus and leading on a review of the recruitment policy and guidance to managers.  It is essential that you support in delivering a modern and fit for purpose recruitment policy for the organisation, within the 6-month contract and support the delivery of training on this by working with the wider HR team.

If this sounds like the role for you, apply now.

Passionate about animal welfare, Wood Green, The Animals Charity is a leading organisation that's dedicated to improving the lives of creatures great and small.

We are looking for a People Coordinator to join our friendly and busy People Services team on a permanent, part time basis.

In this interesting and varied HR role, you will be working with an supporting the Head of People Services in providing a fantastic service to our employees, managers, volunteers and external candidates.

As the People Coordinator, you will be the first point of contact for general enquiries to the department, along with providing day to day generalist HR support.

You will be responsible for maintaining our HR systems and ensuring our employee data is a timely reflection of our workforce. You will support employees and manager with our policies and processes and provide effective and efficient HR administration. Supporting the People Services team with monthly payroll processing, you will ensure the accurate input of employee changes and help with the coordination of absences and one-off payments.

You will support our Talent Acquisition team with recruitment, liaising with candidates and supporting the new starter process. This includes producing contracts of employment, co-ordinating pre-employment checks and ensuring new starters have a great onboarding experience.

An interest in providing exceptional customer service will be critical in this role, along with a strong interest in HR and impressive organisational skills.

You will need:

- significant experience in all aspects of HR administration, including experience of working with data bases/cloud based systems.

- strong IT skills, particularly proficient in the use of Microsoft 365, Word, Excel and Outlook.

- to be detail orientated with the ability to accurately enter data and identify discrepancies.

CIPD level 3 (or equivalent) is desirable.

This is a part time role, working 24 hours per week over 4 days, based at our site in Godmanchester.

Salary - Up to £24,000 FTE, £15,360 pro rata (24 hours per week) depending on experience.

If this sounds of interest and you would like to apply please follow the link at the bottom of this page and send us a copy of your CV and additional supporting information. We look forward to receiving your application!

Join the Teaching School Hubs Council Central Team

In February 2021 the Department for Education (DfE) designated 81 Teaching Schools Hubs (TSHs) to join the 6 Test and Learn hubs and form a national network of 87 school-led centres of excellence for teacher and leadership training and development. TSHs are poised and ready to formally launch in September, playing a significant role delivering the Early Career Framework, reformed National Professional Qualifications, Initial Teacher Training, Appropriate Body services and curating other high-quality evidence-informed continuing professional development.

A new central team was added to the Teaching Schools Council (TSC) in January 2021 to support the setup of the TSH network. Following the success of the TSC TSH Support Programme during the setup phase, we are growing the central team to deliver the two functions of the newly formed Teaching School Hubs Council (TSHC) during the initial TSH designation period.

The Coordinator

We are recruiting a Coordinator to support our Strategy and Impact and Programme functions. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of customer service, administration and stakeholder management. They will be adept at data management and analysis and process improvement, and will operating in a customer facing role. They will be comfortable operating highly independently and as part of a dynamic team and will be flexible and able to respond to changing environments.

You will have excellent organisational skills and will enjoy building relationships internally and externally. You will thrive while working at pace as part of a close knit, dedicated team of optimistic and driven colleagues. There is considerable scope to develop a breadth of skills and experience in these roles, gain valuable insights into teacher and leader training and development policy and implementation and the education sector. There is scope to tailor these roles to the skillset of the successful candidates.37 hours per week, fixed term Contract until August 2024

Salary range: £24,000 - £28,000 per annum

How to Apply

To apply for the Coordinator role, please complete the ATLP application form and email it to the recruitment email address at ATLP including ‘TSHC Coordinator Application’ in the subject line by 9:00am on Monday 31st January 2022. We reserve the right to close applications before the deadline and encourage candidates to apply as early as possible.

Safeguarding Training and Volunteer Co-ordinator – 20 hours per week, including evenings and weekend work

The Diocese of Chester is seeking to recruit a part time Safeguarding Training and Volunteer Co-ordinator to support the delivery of safeguarding training.

The successful candidate will combine an understanding of safeguarding issues with the ability to manage training programmes and develop and deliver training events. They will have the interpersonal skills required to facilitate learning, and to coach and mentor people from a range of backgrounds.

They will hold a safeguarding qualification and the ability to deal with confidential information with complete discretion.

Salary: £25,034 - £27,122 pro rata dependent upon qualifications and experience. This post is offered for an initial, fixed term period of 12 months, with the possibility of being extended to 2 years.

Sympathy with the aims and objectives of the Church of England is essential.

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

The job description, person specification, background paper and application form can be downloaded from the Diocesan website.

Completed application forms should be returned to Mrs E A Geddes, Diocesan Director of Human Resources preferably by email.

Or by post to Church House, 5500 Daresbury Park, Warrington, WA4 4GE.

Closing date: Sunday 6th February 2022

Interviews: Monday 14th February 2022

PLEASE NOTE: APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE MADE THROUGH THE DIOCESAN WEBSITE USING THE DIOCESAN APPLICATION FORM

The Reader has received £243K funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for ‘Making Meaning at Calderstones’ – a two-year project that will help uncover and tell the stories of Calderstones as a significant place of meaning making.

The Reader is looking for an experienced literary reader who can research literary texts in order to find passages which illustrate, directly or indirectly, or by analogy, the history of Calderstones Mansion House, it’s estate and the people who lived and worked there.

Calderstones is a stunning 94-acre family park in South Liverpool boasting woodland, lake and fields, with botanical and historical interest and host to the Neolithic Calder Stones that give the site its name. The Reader reopened the Grade II listed Mansion House in September 2019 and will be launching a new programme of heritage activity across the site in December of this year.

This is a practical, hands on, creative role. As Heritage in Literature Research Coordinator you will be responsible for curating literature to illustrate diverse stories of human life at Calderstones, stories which bridge the gap of time to bring meaning and connection to those who inhabit and visit the park and its buildings today. Your readings in literature will be used to embed literary heritage into the day-to-day work of our organisation; to complement specific Heritage Programme strands (both Community and Storybarn); to inform and enhance the rolling programme of heritage activity and any specific project outputs that emerge from wider community, volunteer and staff consultation.

For example, in a heritage programme based on the park’s plants and trees, you would work with the rest of the Heritage team to inform yourself of the origins of those plants, and when they were first brought to the park, and then read widely among literature of that time to discover mentions of specific trees and plants which might enliven the historical facts – e.g. the shrubbery in the opening pages of Jane Eyre (1847), could be used to illustrate how the grounds of Calderstones might have looked in 1847. Or, for a different project, you would find the passages in Middlemarch by George Eliot which describe the collecting cabinets of a vicar who practises the (then) new science of natural history, to shine a light on a typical preoccupation of the day which mostly likely had a place in the life of the owner of Calderstones, Charles McIver. Again, in Jane Eyre, a description of two servants enjoying a roasted onion for their supper might be used in a Shared Reading group taking place in the room that was once the Mansion House kitchen. Or the Veneering’s dinner party chapter in Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens might help to bring to life the possible dinner parties hosted by the McIvers for Liverpool’s nouveau riche families. To a strand of heritage work about Calderstones’ connection to Liverpool’s mercantile past, you might bring passages in Herman Melville’s novel Redburn, which has extensive descriptions of the Liverpool docks, or Mrs Gaskell’s Cranford, where the beloved son Peter runs away to sea via the Liverpool Docks. These are a few examples from well-known Victorian novels which, used this way, can illuminate the lives of the Victorian-era inhabitants of the Mansion House and bring depth and richness our heritage programming – the Co-ordinator will be expected to search widely for such richly relevant material among pre-twentieth and early-twentieth century novels, poetry, short stories and narrative non-fiction.

The Heritage in Literature Research Coordinator will work alongside the Heritage Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator. You will report to the Head of Publications, as your discoveries will be woven into the literature resources created for Shared Reading across The Reader’s network of staff and volunteers.

The Publications department is part of the Literature Directorate at The Reader and this role will work under the guidance of the Director of Literature, while also drawing on the knowledge and experience of colleagues across the Literature Directorate. 

Knowledge and Skills

• We need someone who loves literature and is experienced in reading widely in the literature of the past.
• An experienced researcher, capable of organising your own work, with a willingness to spend time following clues and suggestions from book to book, author to author.
• Creative, hands-on approach to information gathering through reading and research.
• Experience of delivering or taking part in Shared Reading.
• This role will be key to delivering The Reader’s commitment to using literature as a tool to bring heritage to life.

Communication

• This role will report to the Head of Publications and provide regular updates on their research for the Heritage Fund project management group.
• This role will work closely alongside the Heritage Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator, responding to the evolving needs and discoveries made as the heritage project unfolds.

Liaison and Networking

• This role will liaise closely with all members of the Publications department, the Programmes department, and across the Literature Directorate, carefully curating literature that can bring all aspects of heritage to life, across all strands of the work of the Directorate.

Planning and Organising

• The Coordinator will need to be able to prioritise the different and developing strands of work in the heritage project and balance requests from colleagues for suitable literature to enliven those strands of work, whether finding literature for Shared Reading groups to take place in the Mansion House, adding to a database of publication dates to inform programming, or seeking out texts to bring a heritage element to The Reader Bookshelf.

Initiative and Problem Solving

• This is a highly creative role requiring the ability to problem-solve in a very particular way – to seek out the particular stories and poetry which will creatively demonstrate or bring to life the heritage of Calderstones, be of use in the development of displays or events, and be suitable for a rich and satisfying Shared Reading experience.

Decision Making and Freedom to Act

• You will be making independent decisions about relevance, use or meaningfulness of the literature you read, which will shape the programme of heritage activities, displays and events at Calderstones and throughout the organisation.

Team working and Collaboration

• This is a highly collaborative role, reacting to changing needs and priorities in the development of heritage programming and the publication schedule, welcoming new ideas and requests from colleagues.

Person Specification

• Experienced and confident in reading pre-twentieth century texts
•  Some research experience or able to work unsupervised on selecting passages from literary texts
• Excellent writing and presenting skills
• Experience of Shared Reading
• Self-motivated and able to work under minimal supervision
• Creative and inquiring, able to work positively and creatively to find solutions
• Ability to plan and prioritise work when resources are limited and manage varying timescales
• Able to work collaboratively with staff at all levels of seniority
• Excellent IT skills, including MS Word, Excel and Outlook. Must be willing to learn new IT skills, in particular, Windows-based software