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National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF) is looking for a new Director to lead our national network and champion rural arts across the UK. We’re seeking an inspiring leader with a collaborative approach to advocate for our members and sector, to strengthen partnerships and support a vibrant network that ensures creativity and culture thrive in every community.
About NRTF
NRTF is an Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) within Arts Council England’s (ACE) National Portfolio. As a national membership and strategic organisation, we unite and champion the diverse parts of the rural touring sector. We advocate on behalf of our members, offering up-to-date information, advice, guidance, professional development and networking opportunities. By sharing news, stories and opportunities, supporting rural touring-focused projects and initiatives, and through our Annual National Rural Touring Conference, we raise the profile of rural touring, embedding its value in the wider cultural landscape. We celebrate the work and achievements of the volunteer promoters, professional artists and organisations who make culture accessible for rural communities. This is an exciting moment to join NRTF as we enter our third decade as an organisation and continue building the profile and impact of rural touring across the UK, while supporting the passionate and committed members at the heart of our network.
Main Purpose of the Role
The Director is the strategic and operational lead of NRTF, responsible for the organisation’s vision, management, performance, and long-term sustainability. They ensure delivery against NRTF’s mission and business plan, champion rural touring at a national level, and act as the primary liaison with Arts Council England, stakeholders, and the wider sector. Working closely with a proactive Board of Trustees, the Director provides leadership on governance and compliance in line with UK Charity Law and NRTF’s Articles of Association, ensuring the organisation operates with transparency, accountability and good practice. The Director is a visible ambassador for rural touring, building strong relationships across the cultural sector, advocating for members, and promoting the role of rural touring in ensuring that creativity and culture thrive in every community.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
● Lead and implement NRTF’s Business Plan and strategic objectives.
● Oversee the delivery and evaluation of all funded programmes and initiatives.
● Develop and sustain relationships with our members, including the rural touring schemes, national and regional stakeholders, funders, and policy-makers.
● Ensure alignment with ACE’s Investment Principles and “Let’s Create” strategy.
● Ensure long-term sustainability through innovation, partnerships, and appropriate diversification, ensuring the organisation remains relevant and forward-thinking.
Finance and Fundraising
● Lead financial planning, budgeting, and reporting in collaboration with the Finance Officer and Treasurer.
● Ensure ACE and funder reporting is accurate and timely.
● Lead on developing new funding opportunities, working with colleagues and freelance support to secure income from trusts, foundations and diversification streams.
Membership and Sector Support
● Foster strong relationships with membership, particularly scheme members.
● Understand and respond to member needs, ensuring services and benefits are relevant.
● Foster a strong member community through events, forums, and networking opportunities.
● Together with the NRTF team, design and deliver initiatives to grow, engage, and retain members.
● Represent NRTF and advocate for member interests at national and international events, conferences, and sector forums.
Project and Event Delivery
● Provide strategic oversight of all NRTF projects, ensuring they are well-managed, impactful and aligned with the business plan.
● Lead and represent NRTF at the Annual National Rural Touring Conference and other national events, with project managers and freelance teams responsible for delivery.
● Foster partnerships with schemes and sector organisations to co-create and deliver events and projects that serve members and raise the profile of rural touring.
Communications and Advocacy
● Provide strategic leadership for NRTF’s communications and advocacy, ensuring consistency of voice and alignment with the business plan.
● Lead sector advocacy and act as spokesperson and ambassador for rural touring.
● Maintain and develop national visibility for rural touring through partnerships, media opportunities and press engagement (with support from NRTF’s freelance press agency).
● Oversee delivery of marketing and communications, working with the Marketing & Digital Coordinator to manage campaigns, content and social media.
● Build strategic partnerships with other organisations, funders, and influencers.
HR and Operations
● Lead on recruitment, contracting, staff management, and HR policy implementation.
● Line-manage employed staff, ensuring fair and effective working conditions.
● Manage Contracts for Services for freelance teams and contractors
● Maintain organisational infrastructure, including IT, office resources.
Governance and Legal
● Support and develop the Board of Trustees, ensuring sound governance practices.
● Organise and service Board meetings, the AGM, and working groups.
● Act as Company Secretary: ensure compliance with charity and company law, maintain registers, and submit returns.
Person Specification
Essential
● Proven senior leadership within arts or cultural organisations.
● Commitment to rural/community engagement.
● Strong understanding of the UK arts funding landscape, especially ACE.
● Demonstrable experience in finance, HR, governance, and fundraising.
● Experience in project delivery.
● Strategic thinker with exceptional communication skills.
● Experience of working and engaging with key stakeholders.
● Experience working with or supporting a Board of Trustees.
● Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
● Evidence of original thinking, idea making and bold ambition.
● Caring and positive leadership style.
Desirable
● Awareness of the ethos, principles and practice of rural touring.
● Knowledge of community arts and engagement, and/or cultural networks.
● Experience in legal compliance and company secretary responsibilities.
● Understanding of contemporary cultural policy and advocacy.
● Experience in digital communications, social media, and PR.
● Experience in event management and programming.
If you are excited by this role but are not sure if you fully meet the person specification, we encourage you to reach out to our Interim Head of Operations, Jo Purseglove to discuss further.
Please complete our equal opportunities form here: http://bit.ly/4gss9vB
If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please reach out to NRTF directly via their website.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Unfold
We are a bold, growing local charity powered by volunteers and dedicated staff who support young people and families to set and achieve goals that matter most to them. Through mentoring, peer groups, and specialist programmes for people seeking asylum and refugees, we are creating opportunities for growth, belonging, and brighter futures. Last year, we supported over 350 people, and we’re growing.
The Role
We are seeking a Funding and Impact Manager to help us achieve our ambitious growth plans. This is a pivotal role where you’ll blend strategic fundraising with impact storytelling, ensuring our programmes remain high-quality, sustainable, and far-reaching.
You’ll be working closely with our CEO, Deputy CEO, and Programme Managers to:
- Secure sustainable income streams through grants, trusts, corporate partnerships, and individual giving.
- Strengthen our impact measurement, analysing programme data to tell powerful stories of change.
- Support our fundraising strategy, from opportunity spotting to proposal writing and reporting.
- Build and maintain relationships with funders, partners, and supporters.
- Use and improve our CRM (Beacon) to manage funding pipelines and track programme outcomes.
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is proactive, innovative, and passionate about making a measurable difference.
About You
To be successful in this role, you'll be:
- Experienced in third-sector fundraising and income generation.
- Skilled in monitoring and evaluation with the ability to turn data into insights and impact stories.
- A strong communicator with the ability to write compelling bids and reports.
- Collaborative, yet confident working independently.
- Aligned with our values of trust, compassion, and empowerment.
Experience with CRM systems and/or data visualisation (e.g. Power BI) would be an advantage.
Why Join Us?
- Holidays: 25 working days (along with additional Christmas closedown days)
- Pension: We offer a generous pension provision. New staff are automatically enrolled for a pension after three months, and after six months, we will match your contribution up to a maximum of 8%.
- Team working: We are a small but brilliant team: we're supportive, diverse, and we help each other out. There are always opportunities to get involved in different aspects of the organisation, or lead on new initiatives.
- Training opportunities: We want to ensure that our team is continuously learning and building expertise in their field. For this reason, we offer each team member two days per year dedicated to professional development and training opportunities.
- Wellbeing - How we feel matters: Staff have access to a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, and our staff Wellbeing Champions are leading on the design and delivery of our wellbeing strategy, including the review of our quarterly wellbeing survey. Staff have regular supervision sessions to encourage reflection and discussion on our work and wellbeing. Additionally, we’re excited to introduce three days a year dedicated to team-building activities. These days are an opportunity to build skills, foster connections, and recharge as a team!
- Flexible working: We're happy to consider flexible working arrangements in line with the requirements of the role.
- Working Environment: We work in a beautiful, accessible, eco-friendly co-working space with a number of other charities, with plants, a leafy roof terrace and free hot and cold drinks. With comfortable spaces to read quietly or talk in a group, our workspace is somewhere you'll want to be.
Registered Charity
11 - 20
Unfold supports families and young people in London, helping them get where they want to be through mentoring powered by volunteers and support groups
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Salary: £27,007.50 FTE (£10,803 pro-rata) per annum (London Living Wage)
Hours: Part-time, 15 hours per week (0.4 FTE), preferably worked over 3 afternoons/evenings (Tue – Thu)
Location: On site at London Projects, and remote working as needed
Contract: Fixed-term Employee contract for 6 months
Do you want to work with multiple-award winning charity, FoodCycle? Our vision is to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community – including our school communities!
We’ve partnered with 4 schools across London to bring our free community meal to their families after school hours, with the additional goal of helping connect families with each other and the school and introducing kids to new healthy food.
We’re looking for some additional help over the next 6 months to support the volunteer teams on site and make these meals happen. You’ll need to have an interest and experience in working with kids and families!
By joining us you’ll gain an understanding of different aspects of local project delivery for a national charity. You’ll be hands-on and have an immediate impact each day, leading small teams of volunteers who cook in the kitchen and host our guests to create a positive and welcoming environment and a nutritious vegetarian meal.
Our school meals happen on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and we would ideally like you to work your hours across these three afternoons/evenings. You’ll be supporting 2 meals per week on average, with around 5 hours required per meal. That leaves 5 additional hours to join team meetings and complete other duties.
You’ll be supported by our experienced operational team, and we will equip you with a package of training and shadowing, including specific training around food safety, safeguarding and working within the lively environment of schools!
Benefits: We offer 26.5 days holiday plus bank holidays for full-time employees (pro-rata for part-time). Our healthcare package allows staff to claim money back on healthcare bills and includes access to telephone counselling and online GP appointments.
How to apply:Please upload a CV of no more than two sides, and a covering note/letter of no more than two sides explaining why you are suitable for the role, via our vacancy website.
Deadline for your application:11.59pm on Tuesday 30th September
Inclusivity: FoodCycle is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.
Safeguarding: Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – FoodCycle is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare / wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk. This role will therefore require a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check.
Please note that you will need to have existing Right to Work in the UK to apply for this role. We are unable to provide visa sponsorship.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.