Youth trustees volunteer jobs in Birmingham

About Brum Unitarians

Brum Unitarians, in central Birmingham, is a growing and genuinely inclusive community in the Unitarian tradition of rational inquiry, freedom of belief and ethical action.

Our vision is to develop into a thriving community hub hosting a wide range of activities, including talks, music/dance events, death cafés, social justice events, a community choir and collaborative projects with local organisations. We are seeking someone who shares this vision and has the project management skills to help make it a reality.

The role combines project management, operations, administration, compliance and income generation, helping to strengthen our sustainability and enabling community growth.

Job Purpose

To support and grow Brum Unitarians through operational management, project delivery, administration, compliance and revenue generation. You will agree quarterly priorities with trustees, with early focus on increasing revenue, improving operational systems and supporting greater use of our building. Once these foundations are laid there will be a growing emphasis on managing community projects and initiatives.

You will oversee the day-to-day operation of our building (large hall, small hall, office, foyer and outdoor space), ensuring an excellent experience for hirers, compliance with relevant requirements and effective use of the premises. The role is partly site-based, with flexibility for some remote working. Some local travel required.

You will work alongside our Children's Lead and Social Media & Communications Lead, liaise with the district buildings consultant, and report to the managing trustees.

Job KPIs

• Meet or exceed revenue targets.

• Establish and grow a successful programme of community events.

• Develop effective systems that reduce trustee involvement in operational matters.

• Recruit and maintain an active volunteer team.

• Achieve positive feedback from hirers, volunteers and partners.

Key Responsibilities

Community Partnerships & Projects

• Lead the planning and delivery of community projects and partnerships.

• Build relationships with community, voluntary, faith and public sector organisations.

• Develop collaborative events and initiatives.

• Identify grant funding opportunities and support funding applications.

• Promote inclusive community use of the building.

• Represent Brum Unitarians at appropriate local meetings and forums.

Marketing & Income Generation

• Promote the building for hire through the website, social media, advertising and online booking systems.

• Build relationships with organisations and businesses to increase venue use.

• Identify opportunities to diversify income through hires, donations and grants.

Volunteer Coordination

• Recruit, induct and support volunteers.

• Develop clear volunteer roles for community activities and venue operations.

• Maintain volunteer records, training and safeguarding requirements.

• Foster a positive and inclusive volunteer culture.

Building Operations

• Ensure the building is safe, welcoming and well maintained.

• Oversee compliance with health and safety, safeguarding and other regulatory requirements.

• Maintain equipment inventories and coordinate repairs with district buildings consultant.

• Arrange room layouts and oversee opening and closing of the building where required.

• Liaise with cleaning contractors.

Customer Service & Lettings

• Act as main contact for bookings and enquiries.

• Manage bookings, scheduling and administration using booking and invoicing systems.

• Support hirers before, during and after bookings.

• Maintain high customer service standards and resolve issues promptly.

Administration & Reporting

• Maintain records of bookings, income, building use and project data.

• Prepare reports for trustees and funders where required.

• Support policies, procedures and compliance.

• Monitor performance and recommend improvements.

General

• Undertake other duties consistent with the role.

• Work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Person Specification

You will bring strong project management and organisational skills, enabling us to deliver creative, values-led community projects while ensuring our operations remain efficient, compliant and financially sustainable.

You may not have experience in every aspect of the role, but you will have strong transferable skills, enthusiasm for a growing organisation and the confidence to learn new areas as needed.

Essential Criteria

Experience

• Delivering events, coordinating community facilities or providing customer-facing services.

• Working towards financial, attendance or organisational targets.

• Delivering excellent customer service.

• Working with staff and/or volunteers.

Skills & Knowledge

• Strong organisational and time management skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities independently.

• Sound judgement in assessing and managing projects.

• Excellent interpersonal, written and telephone communication skills.

• Good IT skills, including email, spreadsheets and booking systems.

• Understanding of health and safety responsibilities.

Personal Attributes

• Proactive and self-motivated.

• Collaborative and community-minded.

• Friendly and approachable.

• Practical problem-solver.

• Flexible, including occasional evening and weekend working.

Desirable Criteria

• Marketing or venue promotion experience.

• Entrepreneurial experience or experience developing new projects.

• Knowledge of Birmingham's voluntary and community sector.

• Facilities or premises management experience.

• Safeguarding and regulatory compliance knowledge.

• Experience in a small charity or community organisation.

• Fundraising or grant application experience.

• Grant reporting experience.

• Experience using booking or scheduling systems.

Job Purpose

Sequence ME & Long Covid is one of the most ambitious whole-genome sequencing studies ever undertaken into ME and Long Covid, co-led by Action for ME. Building on the success of DecodeME, this proposed £20 million study will use large-scale, long-read whole-genome sequencing to analyse the entire genetic code of 9,000 people with ME and 9,000 people with Long Covid - making it the world's largest 'long-read' whole-genome sequencing study of any disease.

Current funding supports project mobilisation, partnership development, and the development of the Long Covid arm of the study, including agreeing case definitions and gathering expressions of interest from people with Long Covid. Phase 2 has recently been confirmed, backed by £4.75m from the UK government and a further £174,414 from the WE&ME Foundation, and will focus on sequencing 6,000 ME/CFS samples previously collected through DecodeME using Oxford Nanopore's long-read sequencing technology, running alongside Phase 1.

You will play a pivotal role supporting the Sequence ME & Long Covid project in several different ways. Working closely with the project's management team and other team members, you will help ensure the smooth day-to-day running of this landmark study, providing administrative support to the various people and partners involved in delivering it.

As a self-starter, you will manage a range of tasks including meeting scheduling, taking meeting minutes, preparing governance documents, event administration, and broader project support - no two days will be the same.

You will need to maintain a high level of confidentiality at all times, particularly when supporting governance meetings and handling sensitive project documentation.

As a team player, you will provide comprehensive, confidential and organised administrative support, developing a deep understanding of the project and building strong, effective working relationships with colleagues, researchers and external partners.

Remote working at home can be challenging for some and works incredibly well for others. You will need to be able to work independently, use your own initiative, and remain proactive in maintaining good levels of communication with colleagues.

Key Duties

• Help monitor inboxes and respond to routine project enquiries in a timely and sensitive manner, escalating more complex matters as appropriate
• Assist the project's management team and other team members with meeting scheduling and diary coordination
• Take accurate minutes at project, management and other project-related meetings, and follow up and track resulting actions to completion
• Prepare, format and proof-read governance documents and papers
• Maintain and update project databases including the Teams channel, ensuring documents are saved correctly, other management information/recording systems to ensure accurate and timely record-keeping. Help with the tracking of expressions of interest from potential study participants.
• Provide administrative support for project events - from planning and logistics through to on-the-day support
• Help prepare presentations, slide decks and briefing materials for internal meetings, funders, partners and participant-facing communications
• Support the drafting, formatting and coordination of project communications, such as updates for partners, funders or the wider ME and Long Covid community
• Support coordination between internal teams and external partners, including research and funding partners
• Maintain project files and documentation in line with agreed communication operating procedures with internal and external partners ensuring information is well organised, up to date and easy for the team to access
• Maintain confidentiality at all times and in line with relevant policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with GDPR and that all data consent processes have been followed in relation to data protection
• Positively promote the work of the Sequence ME & Long Covid project and Action for ME at all times
• Undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post, as requested by the CEO, Business Development & Partnerships Manager, Senior Research Manager or the project's Management Team

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

• Organisational skills - Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks across a fast-moving research project, with attention to detail and accuracy maintained under pressure
• Communication - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with diverse audiences including researchers, funders and people affected by ME and Long Covid
• IT literacy - Proficient with common office software, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint), and able to quickly learn relevant project management, database or communications systems as needed
• Problem-solving - A creative and solution-focused mindset to address challenges and find innovative ways to improve processes
• Adaptability - Capable of managing changing priorities, working flexibly, and adapting to the needs of a fast-paced, ambitious research programme
• Initiative - A proactive approach, with the ability to work independently and take initiative, while also following clear instructions when given
• Teamwork - A collaborative team player with a proven ability to work effectively as part of a team, including a remote-working team spanning multiple partners and stakeholders
• Interest in the sector - A genuine interest in health research, the Third Sector, and a desire to take action to improve the lives of people with ME and Long Covid
• Experience - Demonstrable ability to be an effective administrator, ideally within a charity, research, or project environment. Experience supporting governance processes, events, or communications would be an advantage but is not essential

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience providing administrative support for scientific or research-related projects
• Experience writing and communicating with non-specialist or general audiences

The Communications Manager provides operational leadership for CLAPA's communications delivery, ensuring communications and marketing activity is effectively planned, prioritised and delivered in support of the charity's strategic objectives. 

Reporting to the Head of Communications and Marketing, the postholder is responsible for translating the communications strategy into coordinated day-to-day delivery. They will oversee the planning, scheduling and operational management of communications activity across the organisation, ensuring work is appropriately prioritised, resources are allocated effectively and projects are delivered to a consistently high standard. 

The role directly manages CLAPA's Communications Officers, embedding effective planning, briefing and workflow processes that enable the team to deliver proactive, creative and high-quality communications.

Acting as the primary operational lead for communications delivery, the postholder will ensure colleagues across CLAPA receive responsive, well-planned communications support while maintaining clear priorities and protecting the team's capacity to deliver its best work. 

If you think you have the talent, passion and experience to help us ensure we can always meet the needs of the community we serve, we want to hear from you.