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Cerebra is the national charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with neurological conditions and their families. We provide vital research, support, and practical solutions that empower families facing complex challenges.
With an annual income of £3 million and a headcount of 68 employees, we have ambitious plans to double our income between 2025 and 2027, ensuring we can extend our impact, reach more families, and drive real change. To achieve this, we are investing in fundraising innovation, income generating ventures, and strategic partnerships, alongside enhancing our brand to increase our national recognition.
Our work is underpinned by our values ensuring that everything we do aligns with our mission to create a better world for children with neurological conditions.
This is an incredibly exciting time to join Cerebra, as we are preparing to launch our new strategy and brand. The COO is a vital leadership role that will support the drive towards even greater impact for children and families across the UK.
Our Services
Sleep Advice Service
Cerebra understands that if you have a child that doesn’t sleep, the whole family suffers. Many children with neurological conditions suffer from disrupted sleep. Our sleep advice service provides bespoke advice and support so that everyone can get a good night’s sleep.
Legal Rights Service
Our Legal Rights Service provides help and support to families of children with neurological conditions when they are faced with barriers and difficulties in accessing statutory support services they are entitled to. The service provides information on their legal entitlements.
Book and Toy Library Service
Our specialist postal lending library contains a wide range of books for both adults and children, plus a selection of sensory toys specifically chosen for children with a neurological condition.
Innovation and Product Design Service
Our Innovation Service designs and builds bespoke products that cater to the specific needs of children with neurological conditions. The aim of the service is to make products that are desirable and exciting, therefore promoting social inclusion, peer acceptance and enabling children to participate in everyday activities that are so often close to them.
Information Products
Cerebra publishes different information products to help families with a child with a neurological condition. Our information products offer comprehensive, up-to-date support and research-driven strategies to assist families with a wide range of issues.
Buzgi and Toy Adaptation Service
Cerebra designs and builds bespoke assistive equipment for disabled children, this includes creating custom mobility aids, switch‑adapted toys, and other innovative solutions to help children access play, learning, and independence.
The Bugzi - a mini powered wheelchair for children offers many children their first experience of independent mobility. It uses either a joystick or switches and adaptable seating for complex needs, and helps develop spatial awareness, confidence, and early mobility skills. The Bugzi is available through a national loan scheme.
Additionally, we operate commercial services (including a web shop) to supplement our income to support children and their families.
Our services are provided to families free of charge.
Job Title:
Chief Operating Officer
Reports To:
Chief Executive Officer
Direct reports:
3 senior managers (Finance (headcount of 3), HR (headcount of 1), IT (headcount of 5))
Purpose of the Role:
The Chief Operating Officer will play a vital role in supporting the Chief Executive Officer, Board and Leadership Team to deliver Cerebra’s vision and ambitious strategic aims. The Chief Operating Officer will provide strategic leadership and operational management across key areas within Cerebra including:
This is a pivotal executive leadership role, responsible for driving organisational performance, sustainability and growth. The COO will translate Cerebra’s strategic ambitions into effective operational delivery, ensuring robust governance, financial stewardship and a high-performing, values-led culture.
As a trusted advisor to the CEO and Board, the COO will lead core operational services and commercial activity, enabling the charity to maximise impact and generate sustainable income in support of its charitable objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic & Executive Leadership
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications
Director of Research and Support Services
Finance, Commercial & Sustainability
Operations & Infrastructure
People & Culture
Digital & Technology
Governance, Risk & Compliance
Leadership & Management
Key Attributes
Please see attached job description for the Person Specification.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Job Title: Communications & Engagement Officer
Reports to: Senior Communications Manager
Location:Contracted to Breaking Barriers’ office in London, with some expectation of travel
Terms:22.5 hours per week over 3 or 4 days – open to flexible working arrangements
Contract:Permanent
Salary:£30,500 - £33,500 (inclusive of London weighting), pro-rata
Purpose of the Role
The Communications & Engagement Officer is a key role within Breaking Barriers’ Income and Engagement Directorate. It helps refugees find meaningful employment through communications and fundraising activities that maintain and grow relationships with partners, funders, supporters and relevant influential organisations and individuals.
The post holder reports to the Senior Communications Manager, and works closely with the Head of Public Engagement, Senior Digital Marketing Manager and Fundraising & Partnerships Officer. They also lead or participate in activities involving colleagues across Breaking Barriers’ teams and our refugee clients.
This role contributes to the implementation of our communications, engagement and fundraising strategies, and is closely involved in team planning – including input into operational plans and communications campaigns to steward and inspire key audiences.
The Communications & Engagement Officer is responsible for the planning and creation of day-to-day communications across our owned channels, with a particular focus on social media. They are also responsible for managing social media interactions and outreach, and for creating selected content for Breaking Barriers’ website.
The post holder helps the Senior Communications Manager to ensure that organisational content complies with brand guidelines. And they play a key role in data management – maintaining our multi-media asset bank and the storytelling data within our Salesforce CRM.
This role will suit a team player who is able to build strong relationships across Breaking Barriers to support content creation, ethical storytelling and impact. The post-holder should be comfortable in a fast-paced environment, solution-focused and creative, whilst having a good eye for detail. And, of course, they should have a passion for stewarding, inspiring and mobilising audiences through high-quality, engaging communications.
Key Responsibilities
1. Communications planning and delivery (60%)
· Work with the Senior Communications Manager to manage the communications calendar.
· Collaborate with colleagues across Breaking Barriers, especially the Income & Engagement and Services teams, to source content that reaches, engages, stewards our key audiences – including partners, funders and individual supporters.
· Plan, create and schedule written and multi-media (graphics, videos, photos) content on social media platforms.
· Plan and create or coordinate longer-form content, including case studies, articles and blogs.
· Contribute to the delivery of integrated communications campaigns that support income generation, brand awareness and positioning amongst key audiences.
· Support the continual improvement of our communications by monitoring and evaluating their own work and implementing recommendations.
· Support the development of communications, engagement and fundraising strategies and input into team planning.
2. Community and supporter engagement (30%)
· Manage and engage with our organic social media communities.
· Pro-actively engage with relevant organisations and individuals via social media, in line with agreed strategies.
· Help develop and manage our growing community of storytellers with lived experience of life as a refugee.
3. Other responsibilities (10%)
· Update storytelling data in the Salesforce CRM, and undertake other administrative tasks.
· Take responsibility for maintaining Breaking Barriers’ asset bank of photographs, videos and graphics.
· Advise and support colleagues on compliance with brand guidelines, and create brand resources.
· Represent the Public Engagement team at selected events, including photographing or filming key moments and activities.
· Support other teams with ad-hoc requests for communications support.
· Take a proactive approach to professional development.
· Take on other marketing and communications tasks as required.
Person Specification
Essential
· Demonstrable knowledge of and/or interest in refugee, employment or migration sectors
· Experience in a communications or fundraising role (this doesn't have to be in the UK)
· A demonstrable understanding of key communications and fundraising principles, whether through direct experience or study, and including:
o Understanding audiences
o User journeys
o Developing key messaging
o Audience stewardship
o Working with brand guidelines
· Experience of creating high quality campaigns or content to inspire or drive action
· Experience creating written and multi-media (photography/graphics/video) content for social media, websites and/or emails
· Strong copywriting, editing and proofing skills, and the ability to tailor content for different audiences and channels
· Excellent relationship-building skills, and confidence working with colleagues at all levels of seniority
· Ability to work on own initiative, take responsibility for work, and learn from challenges and successes
· A proactive and creative approach to problem solving and idea generation
· Comfortable within a fast-paced team and able to prioritise multiple projects
· Ability to pay close attention to detail, to maintain communications quality and accuracy
· Experience with administrative, team communication and workload management applications, preferably including the Microsoft Office 365 suite.
· Experience with one or more of the following:
o Design tools such as Canva
o Photography and film editing
o Website CMS software
o Email broadcast platforms
o Social media scheduling platforms
Desirable
· Lived Experience of Breaking Barriers’ cause
· Experience using Salesforce, or another CRM system
· Knowledge of GDPR and data protection principles as they apply to communications and fundraising
· Experience of monitoring and evaluating communications or fundraising activities
Other considerations:
· Breaking Barriers is committed to protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect and for their views, wishes and beliefs to be fully taken into account when deciding action.
· We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.
· Breaking Barriers particularly welcomes applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background.
As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we are committed to offering an accessible recruitment process and guarantee an interview to all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
Breaking Barriers exists so that every refugee can access meaningful employment and build a new life.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Events Co-ordinator has a pivotal role in coordinating and executing various events and initiatives to support the Charity’s objectives. This position demands meticulous planning, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to manage event logistics effectively.They will work as part of the Events Logistics Team, supporting the senior members of the team, and work with and manage a number of both internal and external stakeholders.
The Events Co-ordinator will work closely with the Head of Events and colleagues across the team to support the delivery of both the Events Logistics and wider Fundraising Team strategic plan, including:
Event Planning: Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to plan, organize, and execute a diverse and often complex range of events including Sponsored Walks and Challenge events such as Abseils, Charity Galas, Stewardship/Cultivation events and a range of charity engagement events.
Events Logistics Management: Coordinate all logistical aspects of events (venue booking, supplier co-ordination, transportation, accommodation, catering, equipment, and staffing requirements); and liaising and negotiating with external stakeholders to ensure our charitable ROI target is achieved. Possess specialist knowledge regarding events policies and procedures including complex event planning, risk assessing and mitigation/emergency planning contracts, manage deliveries, and ensure timely and cost-effective services for events.This includes ensuring compliance with legal, health, and safety obligations, including acquiring necessary permits and licenses for events.
Budget Oversight: To ensure events are delivered in line with specific delegated expenditure budget, and achieve the key objectives established at outset.Develops, manages and tracks delegated budget for own events with input into the overall budget across the year, to assist the Head of Events with budget planning, cost estimation, ensuring events are executed within the allocated financial parameters.
Volunteer Management: Recruit, train, and supervise volunteers, ensuring their roles and responsibilities are clear and well-coordinated during events.
Event Evaluation: Supports, facilitates and monitors progress of each event and initiates and supports performance improvement.Conduct post-event evaluations to assess the success of each event, collect feedback, and implement improvements for future initiatives.
Stakeholder Management & Communication: Collaborates with the marketing and communication team to create promotional materials, advertising campaigns, and social media content to maximize event attendance and support; and the wider income generation teams to create event working groups with shared responsibilities to deliver successful outcomes.Additional stakeholders that would be communicated with on a regular basis include; charity supporters, event attendees, Trust Staff, Charity Board Member and general members of the public.
Sector Insights : To scope and research potential new event opportunities across the region/UK/Internationally as well as keep abreast of sector trends and opportunities.
Personal Attributes: Passionate about the Charity; Proactive, resourceful, and able to solve problems independently.An excellent team player with strong interpersonal skills who is adaptable and open to learning and implementing new strategies.
What we offer:
Flexible and hybrid working to support work-life balance
Generous annual leave entitlement with additional leave for long service
Enhanced sick pay
Enhanced Maternity Pay
Employee Assistance Program and Lifestyle Savings
Free flu jabs
Cycle to work scheme
Charity events throughout the year
Employer enhanced auto-enrolment pension scheme with 8% employer contribution
Ongoing commitment to education and professional development
The Charity is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
Successful candidates will have access to vulnerable beneficiaries therefore the role is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.
This role is for a 12-month fixed term contract for maternity cover.
If you think you have the qualities we are looking for and the desire to contribute, please download the Job Vacancy Pack and then send us a CV and covering letter explaining how you meet the criteria for the role and making clear why you would like to be considered for it.
Interviews will take place on 9th July, applications will close as soon as we have enough viable candidates so please apply early to avoid disappointment.
Making A Difference

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The National Youth Agency is looking for a Business Development Manager
Business Development Manager
Contract: 12-month fixed term (Maternity leave cover)
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £43,054 per annum (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Location: Home-based in England with occasional travel for meetings, workshops, and team activities. Head Office is in Leicester.
What we do
As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work
About the Role
We are looking for an entrepreneurial and proactive Business Development Manager to develop relationships and opportunities with new clients, drive income generation and to grow the reach of the charity.
This role leads on securing new business opportunities across tenders, grants, consultancy, training, and government contracts, managing the process from initial research through to submission and handover. It focuses on building and maintaining relationships with partners across the public, voluntary, and private sectors, while promoting the NYA’s services and quality framework.
Key Responsibilities
As a Business Development Manager, you will:
Why Work for NYA?
Closing date: 5pm Friday 26th June 2026
Please note: we reserve the right to close this vacancy early
Interviews: Week commencing 6th July 2026 (subject to change)
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.
We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.
Please note: We use AI detector software, so applications or CV’s with high levels of AI generated content may be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance.
No agencies please.