Children advocate jobs in Manchester

It's an exciting time to join Victim Support, as we prepare to begin delivery of the Witness Service from April 2026. We look forward to welcoming current Witness Service staff and volunteers to Victim Support -  and we're also now beginning recruitment for several new roles and to fill vacant positions. 

Victim Support are looking for a proactive and strategic Stakeholder Manager to join our Witness Service in this new role. The ideal candidate will be passionate about making a positive impact on victims and witnesses, and skilled at building strong, collaborative relationships across a diverse range of partners, including government agencies, justice sector organisations, community groups, and internal teams.

This role is full-time working 37.5 hours per week and is home-based with some national travel.

This is a home-based role, working Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Applications are welcome from candidates based outside Belfast, provided they are resident in Northern Ireland and able to commute to the Belfast office if required.

The External Affairs Manager plays a pivotal role in empowering people with sight loss to live the life they choose. This position leads the development of policy and campaigns within the country, aligning with Guide Dogs’ strategic objectives. Working collaboratively with the central policy, public affairs, and campaigns team, as well as the country leadership team, the role builds strategic partnerships with government bodies, local authorities, societies, and other key organisations. This ensures Guide Dogs remains informed and influential on all policy initiatives affecting the organisation and its stakeholders.

The post holder will be responsible for the day‑to‑day leadership, management and oversight of a team.

The post-holder is responsible for shaping policy positions, drafting responses to consultations from councils, combined authorities, and devolved governments, and driving impactful campaigns at a regional level. A key focus is increasing the involvement of blind and partially sighted people in advocacy and campaigning.

Additionally, the role leads the implementation of Guide Dogs’ regional marketing and communications strategy across the Devolved Nations. This includes raising brand awareness, engaging diverse audiences—service users, families, volunteers, donors, and the public—and delivering integrated communications plans that strengthen Guide Dogs’ presence and impact.

Key Responsibilities

Policy Development

• Lead the creation of country-specific policy and position papers, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy.
• Prepare responses to consultation papers from devolved administrations, local government, and regional bodies.
• Represent Guide Dogs on committees, working groups, and forums, staying informed on policy issues impacting the organisation and its service users.

Public Affairs

• Build and influence relationships with key stakeholders, including elected representatives and senior officials.
• Represent Guide Dogs at Government Scrutiny Committees and cross-party groups.
• Act as the primary liaison with local government and statutory agencies.

Campaigns & Influence

• Strategically lead and coordinate campaigns at a country level, ensuring alignment with devolved policy priorities.
• Develop and deliver campaigns addressing local needs of the visually impaired community.
• Foster partnerships within the Third Sector to build consensus and amplify Guide Dogs’ strategic aims. 

Leadership & People Management

• Provide strong leadership to local staff and volunteers, promoting best practice and knowledge-sharing.
• Oversee recruitment, performance management, and compliance with safeguarding policies.
• Ensure high levels of engagement through effective communication and leadership.

Financial Accountability

• Support fundraising initiatives and monitor operational budgets to ensure efficiency and compliance.

Diversity & Inclusion

• Champion Guide Dogs’ diversity agenda, ensuring services are inclusive and accessible.
• Work with external partners to create a more inclusive environment for people with sight loss.

How to apply 

Further details on the full role are attached below. When you are ready to apply, submit an online application form via this page.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, or require any accessibility support to apply, our friendly recruitment team is ready and waiting to help.

As part of your application ensure you provide evidence and examples of how your skills & experience meet the criteria as set out in the attached job description. You will also be asked to complete a few job-specific questions as part of this application process, so please be prepared to write your answers to these questions.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Guide Dogs welcomes applications from all sections of the community and actively encourages diversity to maximise achievements, creativity and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are proud, whenever possible, to offer an interview to all candidates that meet our selection criteria, and who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident interview commitment. For more details, visit our careers site.

If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier; in addition, we cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time.

Safeguarding

Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk of harm with whom we work. We expect all our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment.

At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually, taking into account the nature of the offense, its relevance to the role, and the time that has passed since the incident. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly.

Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service.

For high volumes of applications, we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than advertised.

Salary: £25,630 - £28,000 per annum

Hours: 35 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Wakefield -Working flexibly across the county and home working

Job Reference Number: 1664

A unique and exciting opportunity to join Cranstoun’s team to deliver our specialist perpetrator interventions, in Wakefield.

Cranstoun provides a range of interventions to perpetrators and victim/survivors affected by domestic abuse.

We are looking for motivated and dynamic individual to be a part of the team. Experience of working within the health and social care sector, group work experience would be advantageous.

The successful applicant will be working as part of the Wakefield domestic abuse service (DASS). The service offers a range of interventions to perpetrators, victims and children and young people.

The postholder will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check against relevant barred lists.

For more details and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button.

Closing date: Sunday 15 March 2026.

We are an inclusive employer, committed to promoting equality and diversity in all areas of our work. 

Registered Charity No: 1061582

Do you want to work for a dynamic, creative, fast-paced charity?

At Action Together we see the amazing things people achieve when they work together to make the lives of others better. If you share our values: believe it’s possible, strengthen others, and be true, we’d love you to consider joining our team.

Operations Director

The ideal candidate

We are looking for a values‑driven operational leader with significant experience in senior operations, systems, or transformation roles. You will bring strong technical capability in designing and embedding systems and processes, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to produce high‑quality management information for senior leaders and Boards.

You will be an influential communicator who can lead through change, build strong relationships across the organisation, and support others to work in consistent, effective, and collaborative ways. With a strong grasp of governance, risk, compliance, and organisational assurance, you will balance strategic vision with hands‑on delivery. Above all, you will share Action Together’s commitment to social justice, equity, and strengthening people, places, and partnerships

The role

The Operations Director will lead the development, optimisation, and continuous improvement of Action Together’s systems, processes, and organisational infrastructure. Working as part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will co-design, develop, and maintain internal systems and processes that enhance operational delivery and organisational efficiency, ensuring they are fully embedded into day-to-day use with clear ownership, guidance, and effective performance monitoring.

You will oversee core central functions including HR, Communications and Impact, Data Protection and Information Management, and Health & Safety. You will play a key role in internal digital transformation, policy development, risk management, and organisational compliance. You will produce high‑quality management information that supports strategic decision‑making, work closely with Locality Directors to standardise and enhance delivery models. In addition, with reference to our constitution and Scheme of Delegation you will be responsible for supporting governance at Board meetings, and the AGM.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Action Together we value diversity, promote equity and challenge discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We are committed to ensuring that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race.

In order to ensure that our workforce reflects our communities across all levels of seniority, Action Together is offering a guaranteed interview to any candidate who meets the essential criteria listed in the person specification and who is also:

• A disabled person and/or
• A member of a community experiencing racial inequality

Action Together is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We expect all of our employees to demonstrate this commitment.

Right to work

We do not hold a Sponsor License and are unable to accept applications which require sponsorship to work in the UK

Please note, the successful candidates will be required to undertake a basic Disclosure and barring Service (DBS) check. A positive Disclosure of Offences will not automatically bar an applicant from being appointed and suitable applicants will not be refused employment because of offences that are not relevant.

Do you want to work for a dynamic, creative, fast-paced charity?

At Action Together we see the amazing things people achieve when they work together to make the lives of others better. If you share our values: believe it’s possible, strengthen others, and be true, we’d love you to consider joining our team.

Finance Director

The ideal candidate

We seek a finance leader driven by values, with extensive experience directing finance operations and delivering top-tier financial planning, reporting, and governance. This role requires strong technical accounting abilities, exceptional communication skills, and the talent to explain complex concepts to diverse audiences.

You should be a collaborative, inclusive leader who excels at developing team members, managing risks, negotiating effectively, and guiding the organisation through periods of change. Most importantly, you must be committed to Action Together’s mission of social justice, equity, and community empowerment.

The role

The Finance Director will play a pivotal role in ensuring Action Together remains financially robust, sustainable, and compliant as a charity and employer. As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will partner closely with the CEO and Board to shape a resilient business model, strengthen financial governance, and provide strategic direction that supports our mission and values.

You will lead and develop a high performing finance function, oversee annual budgeting and long‑term financial planning, and ensure high‑quality financial insight is available to the CEO, SLT and Board. The Finance Director has responsibility for the production of monthly accounts package, annual audit and statutory accounts, risk management, payroll assurance, investment strategy, and organisational compliance with Companies House, the Charity Commission, and all financial governance requirements.

You will play an integral role in supporting strong governance, working closely with the Treasurer and Board to provide clear, timely, and insightful financial performance updates, forecasts, and risk assessments.

You will also work with the Treasurer to shape investment strategy, strengthen financial controls, and uphold governance across all statutory, regulatory, and organisational requirements

Equality , Diversity and Inclusion

At Action Together we value diversity, promote equity and challenge discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We are committed to ensuring that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race.

In order to ensure that our workforce reflects our communities across all levels of seniority, Action Together is offering a guaranteed interview to any candidate who meets the essential criteria listed in the person specification and who is also:

• A disabled person and/or
• A member of a community experiencing racial inequality

Action Together is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We expect all of our employees to demonstrate this commitment.

Right to work

We do not hold a Sponsor License and are unable to accept applications which require sponsorship to work in the UK

Please note, the successful candidates will be required to undertake a basic Disclosure and barring Service (DBS) check. A positive Disclosure of Offences will not automatically bar an applicant from being appointed and suitable applicants will not be refused employment because of offences that are not relevant.

Family Education Trust is recruiting a Development Manager to turn evidence-led research into real-world impact for families across the UK. This is a rare opportunity to build a fundraising function from the ground up inside a respected policy organisation - with the autonomy to do it your way.

About the role

You will build and lead FET's income growth function, securing near-term unrestricted income while developing durable fundraising capacity. Your core focus is establishing a new major donor and mid-value programme and delivering a high-performing trusts and foundations pipeline.

We have streamlined administrative responsibilities so you can concentrate on what matters: income growth and donor relationships. You will work closely with our Communications Manager, who produces copy and assets for your fundraising brief.

What we are looking for

We need someone with recent, hands-on fundraising experience in a mission-led organisation who has built income, not just maintained it. Experience building a major donor pipeline is essential, along with trusts and foundations competence. You must have genuine personal alignment with FET's mission and established public positions on family policy.

The details

Salary: Up to £40,000, with flexibility for an exceptional candidate Location: Home-based, with UK travel as required Contract: Full-time, permanent Hours: 37.5 per week Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays Pension: 5% employer contribution via salary sacrifice Closing date: 9am Monday 16 March 2026 

How to apply

Please read the full job description and person specification (attached) and send a CV and covering letter by 9am Monday 16 March 2026. Your covering letter should explain how you meet the essential criteria set out in the person specification.

About UP
UP is the only UK charity solely dedicated to improving the lives of adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Our mission is to empower the 130,000 adults in the UK living with CP to lead full, active lives, with equitable access to healthcare, community support, and meaningful opportunities.

About the Role
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth of a national, inclusive community and shape the future of adult CP support in the UK. 

With the launch of our Community Support Programme, we are creating a “virtual community centre” to reduce social isolation, promote health and wellbeing, and strengthen the collective voice of the adult CP community.

As our new Community Manager, you will be at the heart of this programme, helping to grow, support end empower our community, through connection, education and advocacy. You will be working to help create a programme aimed at reducing social isolation, fostering peer support, and empowering the community through education, connection, and advocacy. This role requires active travel and presence at regional outreach events, where you will build direct relationships, listen to lived experiences and represent UP in community settings. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a national support network from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities

Community Engagement & Growth

• Manage and grow our online and offline CP community, fostering a sense of trust, connection, and belonging.
• Design and manage communications with members across platforms and mailing lists.
• Travel to and engage with regional hubs, community partners and peer network to build visibility around the UK.
• Build relationships with allies, other charities, allied organisations and service providers to enhance collaboration and outreach.
• Develop and implement strategies to attract and retain members, ensuring broad
• reach across geography, gender, ethnicity, and access needs.

Programme Delivery & Events

• Lead the delivery of our Midweek Matters series and new virtual community offerings as well as design and launch new virtual initiatives to support mental health and wellbeing.
• Coordinate virtual and in-person community events, including content planning, logistics, and speaker outreach.
• Develop a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive virtual community culture.
• Liaise with community members to ensure our offering reflects their interests, voices, and needs.
• Champion the use of lived experience in shaping activities.
• Track participation, feedback, and community satisfaction and use surveys, case studies, and en-gagement data to report on programme progress and impact.

Who We’re Looking For

Essential

• Event planning experience, online or in-person.
• Experience in community engagement, support work, or programme delivery.
• Excellent communication skills—verbal, written, and digital.
• Highly organised, with ability to manage multiple tasks and projects.
• Tech-savvy and comfortable with remote tools (Zoom, social media, basic content management).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small, dedicated team.
• Empathy and understanding of the lived experience of disability (lived or learned).
• Passion for equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Desirable

• Experience working with or within the disability community.
• Experience facilitating support groups or community-led initiatives.
• Knowledge of Cerebral Palsy or long-term health conditions.

Why Join Us?
You’ll be joining a small, passionate, and growing team making a big difference. We are grassroots, community-led, and driven by the belief that adults with CP deserve visibility, voice, and choice. This role offers a unique opportunity to build something truly impactful from the ground up.

Closing date for applications is 20th of March with interview dates on 30th and 31st March

The National Youth Agency is looking for a Learning & Development Officer.

Learning and Development Officer
Contract: Fixed-term, 6 months
Hours: Full-time – 37 hours per week
Salary: £36,050 per annum
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

This role sits within the team responsible for the professional, statutory and regulatory elements of youth work. You will support delivery of youth work curriculum projects, learning activity, and development of high-quality practical tools and materials that help create the conditions for great youth work.

The role exists to provide operational delivery and coordination, enabling the National Curriculum & Learning Manager to focus on strategic development, leadership and quality assurance.

You will be joining an agile, flexible, and collaborative team who work at pace, engaging partners and stakeholders to support youth work across England. Your role will contribute to the improvement and development of learning resources and approaches.

Key Responsibilities

As a Learning & Development Officer, you will support:

• Delivery of local youth work curriculum commissions, from inception to completion.
• Coordination of curriculum-related events and training, including train-the-trainer sessions and stakeholder workshops.
• Development, adaptation and refinement of learning and development tools, templates, and materials.
• Gathering and organising insight, learning and feedback to inform curriculum improvement.
• Drafting, adapting, and maintaining curriculum content aligned to national standards and local context.
• Preparing agendas, notes and follow-up actions for workshops, inception calls and meetings.
• Supporting approaches to demonstrating and evidencing impact.

Note: This role does not hold budget, strategic ownership, or line management responsibility.

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-focused organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

Closing date: 11.59pm on Friday 20th March 2026
N.B. Please apply ASAP as we may close applications early once we have a substantial amount of suitable applicants.

Interested?

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website. 

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.

Refuge is one of the UK’s largest and most experienced specialist providers of services for women and children experiencing domestic abuse. For over 50 years, Refuge has been at the forefront of delivering life-saving and life-changing services, supporting thousands of survivors every day through safe accommodation, community services, independent advocacy and their National Domestic Abuse Helpline.

Behind every service they deliver is a strong, resilient organisation. High-quality financial management is critical to ensuring their resources are used effectively and in ways that maximise impact for survivors. Refuge is transforming the way they manage their finances by implementing new technology to modernise financial management and deliver high-quality, timely insight to support decision-making across the organisation.

As the Senior Finance Business Partner, you will work closely with the Head of Finance, the wider finance team and colleagues across the organisation to deliver expert business partnering. You will combine strong financial expertise and analytical insight with a collaborative, supportive approach.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of timely, accurate and insightful internal and external financial reporting.
• Drive in-year forecasting, annual budgeting cycles, and longer-term financial planning and modelling.
• Provide high-quality business partnering across directorates, constructively challenging assumptions and strengthening financial capability.
• Support the implementation of our new finance system, Sage Intacct, ensuring stakeholders fully engage with new processes.
• Develop clear, compelling financial reports and dashboards within the system to improve financial understanding and enable effective management.
• Manage, coach and develop a team of four direct reports, empowering them to perform at their best.

About You

We are looking for a strategic and hands-on finance leader who thrives in change environments and is motivated by purpose as well as performance. You will bring:

• A relevant professional qualification (ACA, CIMA, ACCA)
• Significant experience in senior finance business partnering roles in the Not-for-Profit sector
• Strong financial modelling, forecasting and budgeting expertise
• Experience leading teams and developing high-performance cultures

Working at Refuge

Refuge undertakes basic DBS checks for all roles in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice.

Refuge recognises that talented people deliver their best work when they can balance their professional and personal responsibilities. They are proud to be a genuinely flexible employer.

This role can be fully remote, with only occasional travel to our Vauxhall Head Office if required. We are also open to discussing part-time arrangements, condensed hours, and other flexible working patterns to support the right candidate.

Recruitment Timetable

Application deadline: Sunday 15th March
Interviews: 23rd March

To apply please submit your CV via the link. For an informal conversation about the role, please contact our exclusive partner, Beth Young, via the Allen Lane website.

TRC Sexual Abuse & Rape Support Greater Manchester is seeking an experienced and committed professional to join our team as our Services & Operations Manager.

Based across our sites in Trafford, you will provide clinical and operational oversight of TRC’s service areas (counselling, ISVA, helpline & digital, and Pathfinder) and provide direct day-to-day service management. You will lead on safeguarding, act as a line of support between the client-facing services and the CEO, line-manage our service coordinators, lead on triage meetings and coordinate TRC's centre.

This job would be ideal for someone who is passionate about supporting survivors of sexual violence, has line-management experience and has case management experience in a specialist support service.

Join the Fire Fighters Charity as our Volunteering Manager and lead the development of a dynamic, inclusive volunteering programme that supports the wellbeing of the UK’s fire services community.

You’ll shape and deliver our national volunteering strategy, design an exceptional volunteer journey, build strong relationships, and ensure volunteers feel supported, valued and inspired. Working across teams, you’ll embed volunteering into our services, champion best practice and use insight to drive continuous improvement.

We’re looking for someone who:

· Has strong experience in volunteer management and volunteer strategy implementation

· Brings strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery

· Builds great relationships and influences at all levels

· Understands safeguarding, data protection and inclusive practice

· Is passionate about creating positive, impactful volunteer experiences

If you want a role with purpose and the chance to make a genuine difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and help us grow a thriving volunteer community.

We’re recruiting an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to work with Platform Places and Footwork over the next 10 months – to develop our bold narratives and inspiring content that help drive locally-led neighbourhood transformation.

• Target start date: 11th May 2026 
• Time input: 3 days per week (0.6 full-time equivalent), with flexibility for up to 4 days per week in certain busy periods, by mutual agreement
• Remuneration: £55,000-£61,500 per year (pro rata) depending on experience
• Flexible working: Work hours can be flexible as long as role objectives are met
• Location: Hybrid, remote or in-person (option to work from our London office). Monthly in-person team days in London, plus occasional trips to partners in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol and London and learning gatherings (expenses covered). 
• Contract type: PAYE employment contract. 10 months fixed term.
• Eligibility: Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

About us

In 2025, Platform Places integrated with Footwork Trust, becoming what we call ‘civic partners’. Together we facilitate locally-led neighbourhood transformation – so people have the power to live affordably, sustainably and together. 

About Platform Places

Platform Places is a national cross-sector collaboration and not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to unlock town centre buildings for amazing ideas that help us live affordably, sustainably and together. We convene councils, community leaders and asset owners around the country to build powerful partnerships, to unlock buildings for local benefit. We support these Partnerships with access to funding, technical expertise and networks.

Our deeper intention is to localise and democratise who owns, controls and transforms town centre and neighbourhood buildings, so that communities can:

• design spaces to meet local needs – whether affordable space for arts, music, healthcare, local food, housing, nature connection, reuse & repair, childcare etc
• retain and reinvest the wealth generated by these buildings.

We’re inspired by pioneers like Hastings Commons, Stour Trust, SAFE Regen, Civic Square, Nudge Community Builders, Makespace Oxford and other members of the Mycelial Network.

About Footwork Trust 

Footwork (UK charity Footwork Trust) supports local people to transform their neighbourhoods for the better and builds alliances to make this possible.

Since 2022, Footwork’s ‘People and Place’ programme has supported over 50 community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change, in response to a local social or environmental challenge. Often reviving land and buildings for community use, they are part of a growing force for fairer, locally-led regeneration, making the places they call home more resilient and equitable. 

Through national and local events, Footwork creates spaces for peer support and shared learning, showcases inspiring examples, and convenes built environment practitioners to enable true collaboration with community partners. 

Together, Footwork and Platform Places co-facilitate the Mycelial Network for Community Asset Developers.

About the Local Property Partnerships pilot, 2024-2027

Thanks to National Lottery players, Platform Places and partners have received almost £2.5 million over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The funding is being used to enable communities to come together and secure long-term spaces for the activities and services that they need the most.

This fund and programme resources local leaders in neighbourhoods in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool City Region, Bristol and London – working towards shifting multiple buildings into long-term local ownership. We’re also supported by our national partner organisations Architectural Heritage Fund, Power to Change and Social Investment Business. Our intention is that this work will lay the groundwork for a larger follow-on funding programme, which catalyses England-wide adoption of this approach.

The role

We’re looking for an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to join our small team and network of local and national partners.

The Communications Lead will focus on our key programmes, with the below time distribution. The challenge and opportunity is to hit the ground running and drive communications across our key channels – to help attract allies, funding and support, and inspire replication of these approaches in neighbourhoods around England.

2 days per week, ‘Local Property Partnerships’: 

• You’ll lead on promoting, and sharing learnings from, Platform Places’ exciting pilot programme (funded by National Lottery Community Fund) – which is localising and democratising who owns, controls and transforms town centre buildings in five neighbourhoods across England. 

0.75 days per week, ‘People and Place’: 

• You’ll promote, and share learnings from, Footwork Trust’s ‘People and Place’ programme – which supports community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change for their place. 

0.25 days per week, Wider movement building: 

• You’ll work on ad hoc broader communications opportunities that support our mission and the programmes – for example, creating a content piece with local or national partners from our wider network, or pitching a media story that cuts across all our programmes.

This involves the following areas of responsibility: 

1. Build on our working communications strategy
2. Work with co-directors to develop our bold, inspiring core messaging, and update our boilerplate narratives
3. Manage digital channels for Platform Places and Footwork: a) plan and create regular social media content; b) write newsletters (approx. quarterly); c) upload and edit website content, on Squarespace (drag-and-drop editor) and occasionally Wix (guidance available).
4. Strategic media relations: build journalist relationships and pitch stories (local or national), op-eds and comments
5. Work with local and national partners to share inspiring and compelling stories
6. Develop practical how-tos and templates, together with partners (you'll have support initiating partner relationships)
7. Provide comms guidance to local programme partners
8. Support co-directors and partners with speaking engagements and event opportunities

You’ll start from a strong foundation of communications activities, along with our established tone, visual identity and branded templates – with lots of freedom for new ideas. 

About you

• You’re as comfortable with creative storytelling as you are with practical resources
• You’re a campaigner for systems change – experienced in attracting allies and creating communications for diverse audiences
• You make it sing – you turn dense or complicated materials into clear and effective narratives to shift opinion and action
• You’re a collaborator – you can effectively hold relationships with local and national partners to plan and deliver coordinated communications 
• You can ‘wear all the hats’: you get stuck in on strategy and roll up your sleeves on delivery; you know when to pitch to media and when the tactic is digital; you can knock up great copy or quick Canva graphics without aiming for perfection
• You’re efficient and resourceful, comfortable leading on comms in a small (and collaborative) team, and know how to make things happen on a small budget (and when to seek external specialists)
• You’re passionate about community-led places and social and environmental justice – and you’re knowledgeable about at least one of: high streets, property, retrofit, community business, heritage buildings, cultural venues, town planning, neighbourhood governance

We know you likely have a particular comms specialism, with more strengths and experience in some areas than others. We’d love to hear about this, and about your approach to getting stuck into the rest. 

Our team & culture 

You’ll be joining our small, agile team of six people across Platform Places and Footwork. We meet in-person on a monthly basis to have lunch together and plan ahead, and have weekly online huddles to check-in and discuss priorities.

We work flexibly around our needs, whether a caring responsibility or otherwise.

Our culture is driven by our values: generous sharing, diverse perspectives, active listening and curiosity, staying networked and joy.

The National Youth Agency is looking for a Head of Business Development.

Head of Business Development
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time – 37 hours per week
Salary: £53,000 – £59,000 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

The Head of Business Development will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the organisation’s Business Development Strategy, leading the Business Development team to secure new opportunities, and ensuring the sustainability and growth of NYA’s income streams.

Key Responsibilities

As Head of Business Support, you will:

• Lead, motivate, and support the Business Development team to deliver ambitious growth targets.
• Develop and implement business development strategies to secure new commercial opportunities and funding from public, voluntary, and private sector partners.
• Spearhead new strategic initiatives for business development, identifying and pursuing innovative opportunities for growth and diversification.
• Build and maintain high-value relationships with clients, funders, and stakeholders, ensuring NYA’s offer is visible and compelling.
• Oversee the development and management of the sales pipeline, ensuring targets are met or exceeded.
• Work closely with the Director of Growth to align business development activities with NYA’s strategic objectives.
• Engage directly with trustees, including managing the relationship with the Finance and Growth Committee, preparing reports, and presenting business development performance and strategy.
• Lead on market research, business planning, and the development of commercial proposals and pitches.
• Represent NYA at meetings, events, and conferences, promoting the organisation’s reputation and offer.
• Support the Director of Growth in reporting to the CEO and Board on business development performance and strategy.

Why Work for NYA?

• NYA operates as a people-focused organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
• NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
• A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
• NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
• We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.

Closing date: 5pm Wednesday 18th March
Interviews: Monday 23rd March (subject to change)

Interested?

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website. 

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.

Help shape the future of income generation at Alopecia UK. This newly created role offers a rare opportunity to build and lead fundraising at a small but ambitious national charity.

We are looking for a strategic and hands-on Senior Fundraising Manager to lead our next phase of income growth. As our first dedicated fundraising leadership role, you will develop and deliver a multi-year income strategy, strengthen existing income streams, and identify new opportunities to diversify and grow our fundraising.

Working closely with the CEO and colleagues across the organisation, you will play a central role in helping Alopecia UK reach more people affected by alopecia and ensure the charity’s long-term sustainability. This role offers the chance to combine strategy with delivery, innovation with implementation, and to see the direct impact of your work.

If you enjoy building, testing and growing income in a collaborative and mission-driven environment, we would love to hear from you.

Why this role matters

This is more than a fundraising leadership role. It is about shaping the financial sustainability of Alopecia UK, embedding a confident and ambitious income culture, and ensuring our impact is communicated with clarity, integrity and inspiration.

The successful candidate will help ensure that more people can access support, that our voice grows stronger, and that our mission is sustained for the long term.

Role description: Senior Fundraising Manager  (Full recruitment pack and application process is attached below.)

• Salary: £45,000 per annum, pro rata.
• Hours: Part-time (22.5 hours per week, flexible, during normal UK working hours we would consider a contract with fewer hours for the right candidate.  All of our team work Monday mornings to ensure connectivity.)
• Contract type: Permanent
• Report to: Chief Executive
• Home-based: This role will include occasional national travel for team meetings.

Strategic leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of a multi-year income generation strategy aligned to Alopecia UK priorities.
• Work across the organisation to ensure fundraising activity is fully integrated with operational delivery, partnering closely with the finance, communications and delivery managers to align plans, resources and messaging, and to ensure shared initiatives are realistic, coordinated and achievable.
• Translate insight from your experience and our recent fundraising strategy review into clear, achievable plans.
• Set and monitor ambitious yet realistic income targets across income streams.
• Responsibility for achieving the fundraising targets and other fundraising-related performance indicators.
• Embed a positive fundraising culture across the organisation.
• Manage and review all fundraising income and expenditure budgets.

Income growth & diversification

As a part-time role within a small charity, the postholder will need to carefully prioritise income-generating opportunities alongside stewardship and relationship management. In year one, a key focus will be establishing effective donor pathways through the rollout of our new CRM, ensuring supporters experience clear and meaningful journeys with the charity. Alongside this, the Senior Fundraising Manager will assess and determine which early opportunities for growth should be prioritised. While areas such as community fundraising, digital campaigns and regular giving are likely to offer early potential, the postholder will lead decisions on where to focus effort and investment to generate the strongest returns.

• Leverage and optimise existing community and public fundraising activity to increase income and supporter numbers.
• Develop and grow new revenue streams, to potentially include digital fundraising campaigns, regular giving, trusts and grants, and legacy giving.
• Lead creatively and intellectually on compelling campaigning initiatives that drive engagement and income.
• Provide excellent stewardship to ensure funders and partners feel valued, engaged and motivated to continue their support.
•  Widen our existing corporate partnerships programme by building mutually beneficial partnerships to deliver income, awareness, and engagement opportunities.

CRM

• Support the design and rollout of our first CRM system, working closely with the Finance & Operations Manager to design fit-for-purpose donor journeys and pathways, establish meaningful reporting frameworks and ensure data supports excellent stewardship and strategic decision-making.
• Use CRM data and financial information to track performance, analyse trends and adjust strategy as required.

Data & impact

• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, including ICO guidance, GDPR and the Code of Fundraising Practice.
• Work closely with the Finance & Operations Manager to ensure our data meaningfully represents organisational outcomes.
• Translate impact data into powerful, succinct and persuasive communications or compelling cases for support.