Every grant you win becomes someone's first conversation in English, their first step into a job interview, their first time speaking up at a housing tribunal.
English for Action (EFA) is looking for a Partnerships Manager to grow the funding that powers our free, participatory ESOL classes for around 400 migrants across London. Our classes don't just teach English, they build the confidence and collective power people need to organise around housing and employment rights.
About the role
Working closely with our Fundraising Lead, you'll take real ownership of relationships with trusts, foundations and corporate funders, while helping shape how we diversify our income going forward. This is a role with genuine scope to bring your own ideas and see them through, not just execute someone else's plan.
You will:
- Write compelling grant applications, funding proposals and reports that win and retain funding
- Research and build a realistic pipeline of trusts, liveries and corporate foundations
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with existing donors and prospects
- Contribute to EFA's fundraising strategy, including newer income streams such as statutory, corporate, individual giving, membership and events
- Liaise with our Executive Team, Hub Leads and Project Managers so funding proposals stay grounded in what's actually happening in our classrooms and communities
- Maintain accurate donor and grant records on Donorfy, and support monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes
About you
You don't need a degree, and you're not expected to tick every box, nobody does. We're looking for someone with a track record of successful grant writing, strong research and relationship-building skills, and the organisation to manage multiple funding deadlines at once. Knowledge of the UK charity sector and UK trusts and foundations is essential; experience with public sector or EU education funding is a bonus.
If you have lived experience of migration and/or learning English as an additional language, we'd love to hear from you and how you'd like to draw on it in this role.
About EFA
English for Action provides free, participatory, empowering ESOL classes for migrants in London, spaces where students build community and organise collectively around issues like employment and housing rights. We're a national centre of good practice for a radical, participatory approach to ESOL, and we share this approach through training, research and partnerships. We're a team of 11 staff, a wider team of volunteers, and 7 trustees, run through shared leadership rather than a CEO, decisions are made collaboratively, and we aim for our structure to reflect that.
What we offer
- 22.5 hours (3 days) a week, mostly remote, with just monthly in-person meetings in London
- 28 days' annual leave (pro rata) after probation, plus bank holidays, plus a full week's paid closure over Christmas
- 6% matched pension contribution
- Enhanced sick pay, and enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental leave
- Wellbeing allowance and full entitlement to leave for sickness, including mental ill-health
- A genuinely flat, non-hierarchical culture with collaborative decision-making on strategy and practice
- Tech and cycle scheme, and actively encouraged continuous personal development
Equal opportunities
EFA particularly encourages applications from people of colour, who are currently underrepresented at EFA and across the charity sector, and from people who have experienced moving to the UK or have English as an additional language. Where two or more candidates are of equal merit, priority may be given to a candidate from a less well-represented group. Please let us know about any access or other requirements we can accommodate.
Closing date: 11.59pm, Wednesday 30th September 2026
Skills test: w/c 5th October 2026 (writing and budgeting)
Interviews: Friday 9th / 16th October 2026
Questions before applying? Email Gina Rodriguez (HR Lead)
.png)
Registered Charity
6 - 10
Learning language, making change - supporting migrant communities to learn English and take action for equality and social justice.
.jpg)
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Lloyds Bank Foundation
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales is an independent charitable foundation, backed by Lloyds Banking Group and the people within it. We want everyone to be in a good place - personally, in a home that’s a good place to live, and in a community that’s a good place to belong.
We play our role by connecting and catalysing community-led change, providing the money, time, tools and connections that build organisations’ capacity and capability, to make people’s lives better and their communities stronger.
We back people and communities across England and Wales, to make that happen, because when you back brilliant people, brilliant things happen. Our communities are full of ambitious, energetic and determined people stepping up to make their neighbours’ lives better and their communities grow stronger. Day in, day out.
About the Role
Contract:Full-time, permanent (we are open to conversations about flexibility so please ask)
Location:Remote, with significant travel across all corners the UK and monthly visits to our London office
This is an exciting new opportunity in the Strategic Communications Team at the Foundation.
You’ll play a key role setting up and organising a varied programme of visits, to engage more people in our mission and ultimately help more people in England and Wales to say “I’m in a good place,” “My home is a good place to live,” and “My community is a good place to belong”.
Bringing strong organisational, relationship-building abilities and creativity, you’ll arrange visits for senior stakeholders – MPs, philanthropists, trustees, partners, and executives from Lloyds Banking Group, to community-led groups we’re funding and local areas driving systems change.
Through thoughtful engagement, you'll build lasting relationships and raise awareness of social issues, to ensure visits generate meaningful impact.
You will support colleagues and partners to maximise opportunities, follow up actions, and effectively generate and use content, stories, videos and images to tell powerful stories.
Importantly, you’ll ensure community-led organisations experience these visits as supportive and beneficial, and that their voices are centred in all that occurs and follows, aligning with our mission to foster community-led change.
About You
You are highly organised, with experience coordinating events, or visits involving
multiple stakeholders.
Alongside strong communication skills, with an understanding of how to apply
organisational narratives to local activity, you’ll have the ability to balance competing priorities.
You will bring experience partnering across teams and directorates along with excellent
relational skills to build trust and rapport with internal and external stakeholders.
How to Apply
Please click ‘Apply for this job’ to be redirected to the application form.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We hold Disability Confident Employer status (Level 2) and are working towards full status by 2027. This means that if you're a disabled applicant and your CV and application answers clearly demonstrate that you meet the essential criteria for the role, we will invite you to interview.
More broadly, we are committed to building a diverse team that reflects the communities and people we work with. We believe that diversity of background, experience and perspective makes us stronger and helps us make better decisions. We actively welcome applications from people who are under-represented in the charity sector, including people from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities, disabled people, and those with experience of the issues our funded charities work to address.
Key Dates
Closing Date: Monday 21 September 2026, 12 noon
First Interviews: Tuesday 29 September 2026 (online)
Second Interviews: Tuesday 6 October 2026 (in person – London Office)
#Visits And Communications Officer #Visits Officer #Communications Officer #Visits Coordinator #Communications Coordinator #Visits And Communications
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We support small, local and specialist charities across England and Wales.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.