Interim Senior Events Fundraising Manager

Supporting over 750 children and nearly 1,000 families annually, Acorns Children’s Hospice is a vital lifeline for families across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire during unimaginably difficult times.

Palliative care for children aged 0–18 is delivered at Acorns’ hospices in Birmingham (serving Birmingham and Warwickshire), Worcester (serving Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire), and Walsall (serving the Black Country and parts of Staffordshire and Shropshire), as well as in family homes and other community settings. Acorns’ holistic, tailored approach is designed to meet each child’s clinical, emotional, cultural, religious, and spiritual needs.

From charity walks and running events to sponsored skydives and overseas challenges for the more adventurous, Acorns offer many unique experiences throughout the West Midlands and further afield to raise funds for their vital work.

This is a critical interim role combining operational delivery with a strategic review of their events fundraising programme. You will lead both delivery and transformation across owned and third-party events, ensuring income, return on investment and supporter experience are maximised.

As Interim Senior Events Fundraising Manager, you will:

• Lead a team of two Event Managers and two Event Officers, managing £400k income and £164k expenditure
• Oversee delivery of the Glow Walk, a flagship in-memory event with significant untapped potential
• Review the third-party challenge events portfolio (e.g. Great Wall, Sahara) and assess current formats such as Bubble Rush to decide where to invest, optimise or withdraw
• Work with the Associate Director of Fundraising to identify opportunities for growth, particularly in challenge events
• Manage relationships with agencies and suppliers
• Oversee use of their events platform (Enthuse) and CRM integration, recommending changes or alternatives if needed
• Provide monthly reporting to the Executive Leadership Team on income, KPIs and supporter engagement

Ideal skills and experience: 

• Experience leading teams delivering third-party, in-aid-of, challenge and owned events
• Line management experience, including managing managers
• A track record of reviewing and improving event portfolios for income, ROI and supporter journeys
• Experience working with agencies and suppliers to deliver high-quality events
• Familiarity with event platforms such as Enthuse and CRM systems
• The ability to balance strategic priorities with hands-on delivery, including attending and supporting events

Benefits include:

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (5 days holiday buyback scheme starting from April 2026)
• 7.5% employer pension contribution
• Life assurance scheme (2 x annual salary)
• Retail discounts (including the Blue Light card)
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted gym membership
• Access to expert financial health and wellbeing support