Director of supporter communities and groups jobs

Our University has a proud history of philanthropy stretching back to its foundation in 1900. With a clear vision to change the lives of the people of Birmingham, Joseph Chamberlain raised the funds required to build the University from citizens and corporations based locally and around the globe. Since then philanthropy has continued to play an important role in shaping the University. There have been a number of fundraising campaigns, including a £1m urgent capital appeal after the Second World War and a £1.4m campaign to fund the Vale ‘student village’ in the 1960s. In 2015 we closed the Circles of Influence Campaign, raising £193 million, making it the largest HE fundraising campaign outside Oxbridge and London.

The University has global reach, including several partnerships with other leading universities around the world, and is grounded in our local community, having opened the first fully comprehensive University secondary school in the country in 2015. We are an ambitious and successful research-intensive University (one of the top 100 research-led universities globally) and have produced 10 Nobel Prize winners, including three who received their awards in 2016. Academics here are exploring the impact of climate change, helping to address global health epidemics, and changing our understanding of Shakespeare. Our students come from nearly 150 countries and our flagship outreach programmes mean that almost 25% of our student population come from underrepresented backgrounds: one of the highest proportions in the UK.

DARO exists to support this academic and student community by engaging, inspiring, and celebrating alumni, individuals, and charitable funders who give their money, time, and networks to support the University’s strategic priorities. The Office, which is comprised of five teams, is focused on fundraising and volunteering from alumni, organisations and individuals who are passionate about changing lives, through funding various research projects, supporting student bursaries, mentoring students, and providing internships, as well as providing a versatile programme of engagement opportunities for our global alumni community.

As an office, we are committed to sustainability and value green working practices. The environment is an integral part of our campaign and we encourage eco-friendly ways of working in order to have a positive impact on our campus and global surroundings.

Role Summary

The Donor Experience Officer role is your opportunity to join our excellent team at an exciting time. Stewardship and donor experience are vital activities to the success of any philanthropic campaign. Donors of time and money need to be thanked and understand what their support has achieved, and how integral their gifts have been to making a positive and meaningful difference to the student community and to academic research. In doing so, donors are encouraged to continue their giving, and to increase and diversify their support.

The Donor Experience Officer will work with the Donor Experience Manager and second Donor Experience Officer, in a team of three. The Donor Experience Officer will be expected to manage and support with the stewardship activity for a number of our supporters, including our regular donors, legacy pledgers, volunteers, charitable and corporate organisations and major donors. The successful candidate will work with our Communications and Events Teams to deliver appropriate, meaningful and effective activities that express gratitude and communicate impact. They will work closely with colleagues in the Philanthropy, Charitable Partnerships, Volunteering and Regular Giving teams to build programmes to steward these key donor communities and will work alongside the Data team to help manage donor data and segmentation.

The successful candidate will have outstanding communication skills with experience in writing for impact, in creating digital content, and an understanding of the needs and expectations of different audiences. They will be able to balance creativity and imagination with a structured, thoughtful and organised approach to their work. They will be creative and conscientious programme deliverers who value integrity and sincerity, and who will demonstrate these qualities through their work.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.

10GM is a partnership that supports the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector right across Greater Manchester. It brings together four local infrastructure organisations — Action Together, Bolton CVS, Manchester Community Central and Salford CVS — who work closely together to champion local voluntary and community action and social enterprise, helping communities thrive across the city‑region.

While this role is based at Action Together, you’ll be working as part of the wider 10GM team, contributing to work that has a Greater Manchester–wide focus and impact across all ten boroughs

GM Head of Programme- Spaces of Hope and Connection 

The role

Thanks to National Lottery players, 10GM, on behalf of Greater Manchester Live Well, will receive £16.5 million over four years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the UK’s largest community funder.

This investment in Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection will create a network of 100+ inclusive, community-led and owned spaces across Greater Manchester where people can meet, belong and find everyday support.

The Head of Programme will lead and oversee delivery of this large-scale, multi-partner strategic lottery programme, ensuring delivery through funded partners is aligned to the programme’s mission, vision and values, while maintaining strong programme management, compliance and delivery of agreed outcomes.

Working in close partnership with the Strategic Director of 10GM, this role provides senior operational leadership—translating mission, vision and values into clear delivery plans, pace, coordination and assurance across the full programme lifecycle.

The ideal candidate

We are looking for a values‑driven programme leader with experience delivering complex, large-scale programmes through partnerships and/or multi‑stakeholder delivery models. You can translate strategic priorities into clear, accountable delivery plans that balance funder requirements with flexible, community‑led approaches. You will bring strong governance, budget and risk management skills, and are confident working across the VCSE, public sector and communities.

Equity and social justice are central to how you work. You will have experience embedding inclusive, community‑led approaches, using evidence and learning to reduce inequalities and improve impact. Comfortable with complexity and ambiguity, you can communicate clearly, build trusted relationships, and lead teams with a learning‑led, collaborative mindset.

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.

ABOUT THE ROLE

NOTE: The title has been changed to Education Project Manager.
This is very much a Project Manager role who would have also experience with events in Education.

Our UK education programme sits at the heart of BPNA’s charitable mission and is a significant source of income - delivering to over 1000 short-course attendees and over 700 conference delegates annually across virtual and face-to-face formats. We also run a distance learning programme and a support new course development, with faculty across the UK.

This is a senior, varied and highly rewarding role. The post-holder works closely with the Director of Education, Executive Director, education committees, and a wide network of faculty and external partners.

As a respected and growing organisation, BPNA is looking for a highly motivated individual who can use their dedication, attention to detail and reliability to help us develop further.
We are seeking to appoint a UK Education Manager to join our small team which is based across our Bolton and London offices. This is a full-time, permanent post based in Bolton, working 37.5 hours a week (7.5 hours per day x 5 days per week).

JOB PURPOSE

The UK Education Manager provides operational leadership and supports strategic direction for BPNA’s UK education portfolio. The role is accountable for the short-course programme (about 36 courses per year), the annual conference, distance learning support, Instructor Training Day, new course development and faculty development. The post oversees budget responsibility for UK Education and Conference income, which together represent a substantial proportion of BPNA’s annual turnover.

This role is based at the Bolton office, where you will lead two of the BPNA Education team while working and liaising with the Education Content Co-Ordinator, based in the London office

The post-holder is an active member of the BPNA Secretariat Management Team, and serves as Secretary to the Education, Quality & Standards Committee and related steering groups. The role requires leadership, sound judgement and a hands-on, highly organised approach to complex programme delivery.

ABOUT YOU

This role would suit an organised, efficient and practical person with excellent interpersonal and communication skills and a good deal of common sense.  You will also have diplomatic skills and the ability to build good relationships.  You will need to be flexible, have an ability to problem-solve on-site and online, organise highly educated people whilst remaining calm and maintaining a sense of humour.

We are looking for someone to join our team who will contribute to maintaining and developing our customer focused ethos.

While this role is primarily based in Bolton, there will be some UK travel with overnight stays to support in-person courses. We offer time off in lieu or overtime paid for additional hours worked.  

WHY COME AND WORK FOR US?

At BPNA, we value a supportive, collaborative, and inclusive work culture. The BPNA is a small organisation with big ambitions, and we work closely together to make an impact. You'll join a welcoming team that values mutual respect, flexibility, and work-life balance. We believe in continuous learning and career progression. As a member of BPNA, you'll have access to ongoing training opportunities and support for professional development, ensuring that you can grow both within this role and across future career aspirations.

We offer 25 days’ annual leave (excluding Bank Holidays) plus an additional day leave for birthday, rising to 30 days after 10 years of service and access to the Nest Pension scheme, with 7% employer contribution.

LOCATION

While this role is based in Bolton, BPNA offers hybrid working arrangements, enabling you to balance time between working from our office and from home.

With your line manager and the team you oversee, you will agree how much time you will be required to work in the office and how frequently, to achieve productivity and service levels. This could vary week to week. You should anticipate spending an increased amount of time in the office during your probationary period.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this role, please submit your CV and a covering letter (maximum 2 pages) through CharityJob. Your covering letter should detail how your skills and experience meet the person specification. You must have the right to work in the UK.

Closing date: 4 May 2026

Interviews aimed for: 11 or 12 May 2026 (please keep available). Please do clearly inform us if for some reason you can’t make that date in person in your application.
Aimed start date of this role will be as soon as possible.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For the full Job Description and Person Specification, see the attachment below

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a strategic, faith‑driven leader to shape and scale programmes that are transforming children’s lives across the UK.

Children and young people across the UK are facing a growing mental health crisis. At Transforming Lives for Good (TLG), we believe the local church has a vital role to play in responding - offering early, relational and therapeutic support that can fundamentally change life trajectories for children and families. Our vision is fullness of life for every child, no matter what struggles they face.

As Director of Programmes & Impact, you will be a key member of TLG’s Core Leadership Team, with responsibility for the growth, quality and impact of our UK‑wide programmes, currently supporting around 5,000 children in partnership with more than 220 churches. You will lead a talented senior team, pioneer new and existing models of support, and ensure everything we do delivers deep, measurable and meaningful change in children’s lives.

We are seeking a senior leader who can lead programmes at scale, use insight and evidence to drive impact, and navigate change and complexity with confidence. You will model prayerful, emotionally healthy leadership, with a deep commitment to therapeutic, trauma‑informed practice firmly rooted in the life and mission of the local church.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Hours: 30 - 37.5 per week (0.8 – 1.0 FTE)

Closing Date: Sunday 26th April

Initial Interviews: Friday 1st May – Online

Final Interviews: Tuesday 12th May – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

Head of Safeguarding 

Circa £55,000 pa 

Location: UK – flexible 

Flexible working arrangements considered 

WE STAND FOR CHILDREN, THEIR CHILDHOODS AND THEIR FUTURES - WILL YOU? 

Around the world hundreds of thousands of children struggle to survive on the streets. In many countries, they have become an accepted issue in society, deprived of access to the most basic services and they experience extreme harm before and during their time on the streets. Wherever they may be in the world, they face violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. 

With projects currently in the UK, India and Tanzania we work to ensure every child can thrive away from a life on the streets.

Safeguarding is pivotal to all that we do.We are proud of our safeguarding culture and the highest standards of practice that we have developed across the Railway Children Group.We are looking for a leader who is as passionate about the safety and well-being of children as we are to help us to sustain, but also to grow and develop our safeguarding culture and practice to even higher standards.

The role 
In this role you will provide strategic leadership and governance of a transparent safeguarding culture across all the Railway Children Group’s operations and support services. Overseeing all areas of safeguarding across our work, you will support colleagues to fully embed effective and robust safeguarding practice and compliance into our work.

About you 
With your extensive experience of leading on and working with safeguarding and child protection systems and a proven track-record of implementing safeguarding strategy, policy and practice you will recognise that your values-led management style will lead to the embedding of a safeguarding culture across all our work. 

For further information about this post and working for Railway Children, including how to apply, please visit our website.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates with a diverse range of backgrounds and lived experience. 

Railway Children is committed to safeguarding anyone who comes into contact with us and implements a range of policies to ensure only those suitable to work with vulnerable groups are employed. 

Closing date: 27 April 2026. 

First interviews will take place on Thursday 7th May 2026, with second interviews scheduled for Thursday 14th May 2026. 

Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy levels amongst people in the criminal justice system?

We’ve made substantial progress in recent years, with improvements and expansions to our delivery model and significant growth in our staff team. In Spring 2026, we will launch our refreshed organisational strategy, which will shape our work over the next three years and beyond. To support this growth, we are recruiting for a full time National Director of Operations to lead our delivery across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and emerging community settings, with an ambition to reach Scotland. This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in scaling our impact and strengthening our presence across the criminal justice system and beyond.

As National Director of Operations, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for our learning programmes in prisons and community settings. You will ensure high‑quality, consistent and accessible delivery, overseeing a team of six Regional Managers and a wider workforce of around 65 staff, volunteers and over 2,000 peer mentors trained each year.

Working closely with senior colleagues, partner organisations and national bodies such as HMPPS, you will drive programme excellence, innovation and partnership working. You will also play a key role in new business development, operational strategy, contractual delivery and ensuring we can reliably demonstrate the impact of our work.

The role requires an experienced operational leader with a deep commitment to improving outcomes for people facing disadvantage. You will bring:

• Senior leadership experience in a complex, multi‑site environment.
• A track record of delivering large-scale programmes and leading distributed teams.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem‑solving and relationship‑building skills.
• Experience working with statutory bodies or large public-sector partners (e.g. HMPPS).
• Excellent judgement, communication skills and the ability to influence at all levels.
• Understanding of the criminal justice system, safeguarding, or alternative education environments (desirable).
• A collaborative, inclusive leadership style aligned with Shannon Trust’s values.

We want to hear from applicants who are as committed to the cause as we are.

This is a home-based role but will require travel around the UK including overnight stays. This role is 5 days per week (35 hours) with working days/hours to be mutually agreed in line with business needs.

Employee benefits include a company contribution to pension scheme of up to 5%, 30 days holiday plus bank holidays, life insurance, paid volunteering days, discounts via Reward Gateway and an Employee Assistance Programme. The biggest benefit though is our culture – our people really want to work for the organisation.

We welcome job applications from people with lived experience of the criminal justice system and do not routinely ask for details of any criminal convictions. This role does require prison security clearance, so we will need to ask for details of any relevant criminal convictions before an offer of employment is finalised.

Interviews, which will be held online, are planned for the w/c 18th May.

The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for the right candidate to lead our Training Team on developing and delivering training for all of National Numeracy's programmes.

Our training team is absolutely central to the success of our mission at National Numeracy. In order to reach and support as many adults and children across the UK as possible, we take an online train-the-trainer approach, by training Numeracy Champions and Volunteers in different settings. We do not teach any maths - instead we train Champions to raise awareness of the value of numeracy, supporting others to overcome anxieties, build confidence, and feel better about using and improving basic maths. We do not work with children directly, but train teachers as Numeracy Champions to support children and their families.

This team of two therefore have a busy calendar of training delivery, as well as the admin associated with this and with the work around capturing the impact measurement of our training. We are looking for someone who is not only an excellent and empathetic trainer who can confidently and reliably lead this dynamic activity, but can also work strategically with our Programmes Director to develop our training further, while line managing and developing our Training Officer.

The successful candidate will work closely with the other Programme Managers to ensure smooth and successful delivery of our activity, as well as across our wider team, managing the training budget, and liaising with our External Relations and Operations & Impact teams. This role is important in collecting impact and case studies as there it has regular direct contact with our Champions and our beneficiaries. There will also be opportunities to keep the whole National Numeracy team and our Board of Trustees informed about our training programme.

We are open to applications from across the UK but a candidate able to easily travel, by rail, would be advantageous.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 

Quality assurance is central to this role – we want our training to be of a very high standard and constantly improving. The Training Manager is responsible for securing continuing CPD accreditation for our training and for ensuring that our workshops accommodate accessibility needs wherever possible.

We recognise that there is more to do to improve diversity across our organisation and we are actively working to make meaningful, long‑term change. We are committed to building a workforce that better reflects the communities we serve and to removing barriers that may prevent people from different backgrounds from joining, progressing and thriving with us. Through inclusive policies, flexible working, fair recruitment practices and ongoing learning, we aim to create a supportive environment where everyone feels valued, respected and able to do their best work.

We actively encourage applications from people from under‑represented and diverse backgrounds, as we know a more diverse workforce will strengthen our organisation and help us deliver our mission more effectively.

Villagers Connect Project – a great opportunity to join our team at Action in rural Sussex

Villagers Connect is a community development project which is working to sustain a strong and vibrant community in the villages of Colgate, Faygate and Rusper. It aims to build connections and relationships which increase confidence, independence and empowerment, particularly for the over 65’s.

We are seeking a part-time community development worker to work as part of a small team that is active in this rural location in the Horsham district. This role involves a good deal of community-based activity, engaging with older people and the wider community. This does therefore require someone who is understanding of older people and their interests, abilities and needs.

We champion an asset based approach to community development, which is about building on existing strengths and supporting local people to flourish; undertaking community led projects that create community cohesion and have lasting impact.

Key Objectives

· Support older people to access services and support locally that will meet their needs and improve their quality of life

· Improve the lived experiences for older people in these rural communities

· Build connections and relationships across and within the three parishes to reduce social isolation

· Develop new and support existing activities to enable a vibrant community

· Increase confidence, independence and empowerment amongst individuals, groups and community based organisations.

· Strengthen existing community assets, knowledge and skills in line with our asset based approach to the Villagers Connect Project

· Support community resilience by building community networks which are strong and sustainable into the future

Two years in, the project is well established and has gone from strength to strength. We are now seeking a new member of the team to help drive this project forward and enable this community to celebrate what can be achieved when people come together and support one another to age well and live full and active lives, despite the challenges of rural living.

St Pauls Advice Centre is a trusted, community-based charity providing free, specialist legal advice to people facing poverty, insecurity and injustice. We work across welfare benefits, debt, and immigration, supporting people to understand and exercise their rights.

We are looking for a thoughtful and committed Community Engagement Officer to join us on a maternity cover basis. This role is central to ensuring that the voices, experiences and insights of the communities we serve inform how our services are designed, delivered and improved.

About the role

Working closely with the Executive Director and wider team, you will coordinate our community engagement activity and help strengthen relationships with local communities and partners.

You will play a key role in maintaining and developing our engagement work, ensuring continuity while contributing to how we listen, learn and respond as an organisation.

Your work will include:

• Building and maintaining relationships with community groups, residents and partner organisations
• Coordinating engagement activities such as community events, conversations and feedback processes
• Supporting and facilitating advisory or user groups to shape services
• Gathering and organising insight from engagement activity to inform service delivery and development
• Working with staff and volunteers to ensure community voice is reflected across the organisation
• Contributing to accessible, community-facing materials and communications
• Supporting collaboration and partnership working across the local area

About you

We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience of community engagement, outreach or participation work (paid or voluntary)
• Builds trust easily and works well with people from a wide range of backgrounds
• Communicates clearly and sensitively, both verbally and in writing
• Is organised, reliable and able to manage their own workload
• Is interested in how community insight can shape services and improve outcomes
• Shares our commitment to equity, dignity and social justice

Experience in the advice or charity sector is helpful but not essential.

Why join us

This is an opportunity to contribute to an organisation working at the intersection of advice, health and justice. You will help ensure that services are shaped by the people who use them, and that community voice is central to how we work.

We offer:

• Salary: £27,254 FTE (Actual £10,901.60)
• 14 hours per week (flexible working)
• Fixed-term 9-month maternity cover contract
• 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• Additional 3 days leave between Christmas and New Year
• 5% employer pension contribution
• A supportive and reflective team culture

Apply

We welcome applications from people with lived experience of the issues our clients face, and from communities underrepresented in the advice sector.

To apply, please complete the personal application form, the competency application form and the equal opportunities monitoring form and email them to us.

Closing date: Monday 27th April, 10:00 am
Interview date: Tuesday 5th May

Please note: we do not accept CVs. No agencies.

Are you passionate about building meaningful relationships, using creativity to solve problems, and delivering engaging experiences for our supporters and volunteers?

Here at Rainbows Children’s Hospice, we provide specialist palliative care and end-of-life support to over 750 Babies, Children, and Young People living with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, as well as approximately 3,000 people, including families, siblings, and carers, across the East Midlands. Simply put, we’re here to brighten short lives and support families, wherever they are.

We are currently seeking a Volunteer Coordinator to join our dedicated Volunteering Team at Rainbows. Volunteers play a pivotal role in supporting every aspect of our vital work – from fundraising and events, to our retail shops and the hospice itself – with over 350 individuals generously volunteering their time, skills, and passion.

We are looking for a positive and enthusiastic individual who will help ensure volunteers feel welcomed, supported, and confident, enabling them to make a meaningful difference to children, young people and families across our services.

Location: Primarily an office-based role, at our hospice in Loughborough.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm. Some flexibility is required, as occasional evening and weekend working and regional travel will be part of supporting volunteers.

About the role

As a Volunteer Coordinator, you will play a key role in shaping how people volunteer with Rainbows. You’ll lead on volunteer recruitment across the East Midlands, building relationships with communities and organisations, and supporting individuals to find opportunities that match their motivations, skills and strengths. Once volunteers are involved, you’ll help ensure they feel confident, informed and well supported, working closely with colleagues to create positive volunteering experiences.

Key Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

· Recruitment, Selection, and Induction: Be the first point of contact for volunteering enquiries and applications, ensuring a seamless onboarding process.

· Volunteer Support and Supervision: Act as the central point of contact for volunteers at Rainbows, offering guidance and support throughout their volunteering journey.

· Team Collaboration: Provide staff with proactive support and best practices for volunteer management, engagement, and stewardship.

· Operational Duties: Maintain accurate volunteer records, ensuring GDPR compliance, and provide KPI data as needed.

· Further responsibilities in the role of a Volunteer Coordinator at Rainbows, can be found by downloading the Job Description.

Requirements

While previous experience working with volunteers is ideal, it is not essential. What matters most is your ability to:

• Build connections with a diverse range of people through exceptional interpersonal skills and empathy.
• Approach tasks with positivity and enthusiasm, inspiring others to get involved.
• Confidently use databases and Microsoft Office packages, with strong administrative skills and a good understanding of GDPR processes.

Further requirements can be found by downloading the Person Specification.

Our Benefits include:

· Free onsite parking at the Hospice, Lark Rise, Loughborough.

· Eligibility to join blue light card discount scheme and Company Shop.

· Simply Health Cashback plan.

· Life Assurance.

· 27 days holiday plus bank holidays.

· Contributory pension scheme or Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme

· Affordable meals at the Hospice, Lark Rise, Loughborough.

· Free Tea, Coffee and Fruit whilst at the Hospice

· Free access to Health Assured employee assistance programme

· Wellbeing support and access to Mental Health First Aiders

· Unofficial benefits: Fun events like Total Wipe Out, All staff away days, Guest visitors

This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and barring Service Check) and pre-employment checks.

We are looking for a new CEO to lead Surrey Community Action into a bright and exciting future, where the voluntary sector and communities of Surrey are helped to survice and thrive.

Surrey Community Action

Chief Executive Officer

35 hours per week, mostly office based but with some scope for working remotely.

Based in Burpham, Guildford, Surrey

The role is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

£62,000 for a 35-hour week

5% employers pension contribution

25 days annual leave plus three days over Christmas

Employee Assistance Programme

About Surrey Community Action

Surrey Community Action supports Surrey’s voluntary sector, the diverse communities of Surrey, and other organisations who seek to work with either. We ensure that non-voluntary sector stakeholders understand the value of our sector and how to work together to achieve shared objectives. We provide services to Surrey’s voluntary sector that increase their effectiveness or fill gaps in their capability, capacity, and resilience. Services to the Surrey’s Communities and we provide services directly to Surrey’s communities that support community action and address unsupported needs.

About The Role

We are seeking a new Chief Executive to join us at an ideal time to complete and implement our emerging new strategy and direct Surrey Community Action into a bright future.

As Chief Executive Officer, you will have the scope and authority to shape strategy, influence policy, empower Surrey’s voluntary sector, and champion rural communities, working closely with a committed Board, and experienced staff team.

You will be the organisation’s lead ambassador, building trusted relationships with partners, funders and decision‑makers, and ensuring the organisation’s voice is heard at local, regional and national level.

You will also play a critical role in leading change and transformation within the charity - strengthening systems, diversifying income and evolving how the organisation works so it remains resilient, relevant and impactful in a fast‑changing environment.

This is a role for someone who enjoys balancing big‑picture thinking with practical delivery, and who can bring people with them through periods of transition.

If you are motivated to improve the capability, capacity and resilience of the Surrey’s voluntary sector, communities and residents; if you thrive in complex and changing stakeholder environments; and if you are excited by the challenge of leading an organisation through its next phase of growth and influence, this role is for you.

No two days will be the same, but there are some core parts of this role.

• Strategic Leadership & Organisational Direction
• You will lead the delivery of a clear, compelling organisational strategy, adapting it in response to an evolving operating environment and ensuring the organisation remains agile, future‑focused and well positioned within the voluntary and community sectors.
• Board Partnership & Governance
• You will work collaboratively with the Board of Trustees, providing high‑quality insight, advice and assurance on strategy, finance, risk, governance and compliance, and then supporting effective Board decision‑making through clear reporting, analysis and professional guidance.
• Leadership of People & Culture
• You will lead, inspire and support the staff team through a transparent, inclusive and empowering management style, creating a high‑performance culture rooted in trust, accountability, equality, diversity and wellbeing.
• Change Management & Organisational Development
• You will be a skilled change manager, leading transformation in response to evolving funding landscapes, policy shifts, technology and community needs, designing and implementing systems, structures and processes that strengthen organisational effectiveness and resilience.
• Ambassadorial Role, Advocacy & External Relations
• You will be the public face of the organisation, representing it with credibility, passion and authority, and building strong, influential relationships with funders, partners, policymakers, communities and stakeholders.

About You

The purpose of the Chief Executive Officer’s role is to guide and plan the strategic development and overall direction of the organisation, providing strong leadership and co-ordination to ensure the aims, strategic objectives and priorities of the organisation are achieved.

To do this, we need someone who embodies the following attributes, skills and experience.

You will have:

• Senior leadership experience within a voluntary, community, public or values‑led organisation, with accountability for strategy, performance and resources.
• Proven experience of working effectively with a Board or trustees
• Demonstrable success in leading and managing organisational change, including restructuring, service development or cultural transformation.
• Experience in fundraising, income generation and business development
• Experience of financial leadership, including budgeting, financial planning, income generation and managing funding agreements or contracts.
• A strong track record of external engagement, partnership working and representation at senior level.
• People management experience, supporting a compact team delivering diverse projects.
• Excellent communication skills (including social media) and governance literacy.
• It will be a distinct advantage to have familiarity with Local Government Reorganisation and devolution, ideally in a county like Surrey.

You will be:

• Motivated, motivating and dynamic
• An effective communicator (including social media) with good network contacts, especially in the VCSE sector and across local government
• A strong team builder, able to develop, encourage and support colleagues in making the most of their experience and skillsets and to feel confident in their abilities
• A visionary leader who is able to embrace and manage change through strategic creativity and innovation, while also able to pay attention to detail when necessary.
• Ideally, you will also be able to demonstrate understanding of charity governance, compliance and safeguarding.
• Calm and confident under pressure with an evidence-based approach to prioritising finite resources.

These attributes, skills and experience will make you stand out, but even if you do not match all the criteria below, we still want to hear about you and what you can offer.

The Nuts and Bolts

The role is a permanent contract for 35 hours per week, mostly office based but with some scope for working remotely.

Our offices are in Guildford, Surrey

We are committed to continued professional development and will support you to develop your skills even further.

The role is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

The salary for this post is £62,000 for a 35-hour week.

We also offer:

• 5% employers pension contribution
• Employee Assistance Programme
• 25 days holiday with an additional three days between Christmas and New Year, as well as all English Bank Holidays

We can only accept applications from candidates with the right to work in the UK.

Do you enjoy building relationships and inspiring people to support a meaningful cause, while being an inspiring team leader and manager? This could be the role for you.

Job Description

As a senior member of the Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity (BWHC) Fundraising & Marketing team, your main objective is to lead the development and management of our community fundraising programme to maximise income to meet annual targets.

You will play a vital role in stewarding effective relationships to maximise support from our existing supporters and crucially, for driving new donor acquisition to ensure the sustainability of our work.  Developing our community fundraising programme is essential to our income base and profile. Central to our work is supporting our volunteer fundraisers, driving participant numbers for challenge events, recruiting and engaging volunteers to help raise awareness of the impact of our hospitals across Bristol and Weston. Crucially, delivering on our 2025-2030 strategy alongside the rest of the Fundraising and Marketing team will be a key part of your role.

Supported by the Head Public Fundraising, you will develop strategic and operational plans and budgets for your operational area to meet growth targets and you will ensure to focus on the objective of focusing on current and lapsed supporters.

This is a dynamic and varied role where you will work closely with colleagues across fundraising, marketing and hospital teams to deliver our 2025–2030 strategy and bring our community closer to the charity’s mission.

Key Accountabilities

Community & Events Fundraising

• To maximise fundraising income by managing and delivering overall recruitment and stewardship of fundraising groups, individual supporters (including in memory fundraisers and funeral collections), ambassadors and volunteers
• To develop and manage the team, empowering them to deliver the BWHC ‘In Aid of’ strategic plan, focussing on expanding the network of supporters who fundraise for and are happy to represent BWHC externally
• To develop, manage and deliver the BWHC Community Group plan, focusing on acquisition of new supporters and development of our retention plan
• To raise income and profile through the development, management, promotion of a portfolio of events (BWHC events, third party events and In Aid of events), ensuring maximum participation
• To develop and manage the team to deliver stewardship of in memory fundraisers and income from funeral collection
• To work with the Hospital Partnership Manager to develop a strategic approach to increase levels of hospital staff fundraising
• To manage and develop BWHC’s trading offer, including overall management of the physical Fundraising Hub and development of online shop
• To ensure exceptional, personalised but proportionate donor stewardship including continued development of product led stewardship e.g. in celebration
• To oversee the recruitment, training, stewardship and management of volunteers to provide support across the charity
• To work with the Brand & Marketing Team to create and deliver a media programme to maximise participation in BWHC activity
• Supported by the Head of Public Fundraising, to work with the IG & Legacy Manager and Supporter Experience, Data & Insight Team in particular to define, develop and deliver cross-portfolio supporter journeys and consistent supporter care.
   

Leadership & Management

• To provide strong leadership and management to the Community Partnerships & Events Fundraising Officer, Community Partnerships & Event Assistant and Volunteer Officer to ensure they are encouraged and motivated to perform at their best, fulfil their role and achieve agreed targets/KPI’s.

Strategy and Planning

• Contribute to the development and review of Fundraising & Marketing strategy.  
• Accountability for Community Fundraising plan and maximising long-term growth in this area
• Develop, implement and monitor annual operational plans, budgets and income forecasting, and ensure internal reporting is completed
• Ongoing evaluation of activity to ensure maximised return on investment
•  Keep up to date with relevant legislation and developments which affect the charity
• To contribute to the overall work and reporting of the fundraising and communications team through excellent team-work and cross-team working

Deadline for applications: 11.30pm, Friday 24th April
Interviews planned for: W/C 27th Apri. 

Our Benefits:
 

• 27 days annual holiday entitlement (pro-rata) plus an additional day off on your birthday and a wellbeing day. Plus an additional two days leave after five years of service. 
• Commitment to hybrid and flexible working
•  Competitive pension scheme. We'll match employee pension contributions up to 8% (minimum 5%)
•  Additional support via our enhanced Employee Assistance Programme, including up to eight sessions with a licensed counsellor
•  Life assurance cover - 4x annual salary
•  Commitment to training and development with budget set aside
•  Medicash health plan - claim cash towards a range of medical costs
•  Free Blue Light Card that allows access to hundreds of discounts at major retailers.

How to Apply:

Please submit your CV and cover letter, outlining how your experience fits the role and skills required. 

Community, Events and Education Lead

Contract type: Permanent, Full time, 35 Hours per week

Location: London, UK
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel). 60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.

Salary: £61,645 per year with excellent benefits#

*We offer competitive, market-aligned starting salaries. While most roles are offered at the advertised starting salary, we may adjust this in exceptional cases depending on a candidate’s experience, skills, and potential.

Change starts with water. Change starts with you.

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.

About WaterAid

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.

About the team

The Community, Events and Education team sits within the Mass Engagement department. The team manages a diverse portfolio of marketing, fundraising and engagement activities, ranging from challenge events and the partnership with Glastonbury Festival, to community fundraising and WaterAid’s volunteer Speaker Network. 

The team has major ambitions to grow income beyond £3m, and this is a transformational moment to reimagine how this area can deliver greater impact for WaterAid. There is broad scope for the team and team Lead to put their stamp on this area of the organisation and set a new strategic direction.

About the role

The Community, Events and Education Lead is a critical member of WaterAid’s Mass Engagement Department, driving forward both marketing and fundraising from a range of audiences, as well as leading our Special Events and volunteering activities.

It is a broad role that offers the opportunity to reimagine this area and set a new transformational direction for the team. It is an area that has significant opportunities for income growth and requires a Team Lead to focus our efforts on the largest opportunities. It is a rare and exciting chance for someone with a strategic, entrepreneurial approach to marketing, supporter engagement and special events to create real impact.

The role balances raising income from individuals and groups, bringing them closer to WaterAid and our mission, with delivering first-class volunteering experiences and managing our relationships with key partners, such as Glastonbury Festival.

Requirements

To be successful, you will need to have / to be:

• Passionate about ending poverty and want to be a part of making it happen, with commitment to WaterAid’s mission and values, and a working style that reflects these.
• Alignment with WaterAid’s values and a commitment to driving Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.
• Experience of leading teams with demonstrable success of managing a motivated and high performing team.
• A strategic thinker who can demonstrate successful delivery of a broad programme of activities and events.
• Experience of developing a comprehensive strategy for an income area, with a particular focus on income growth opportunities and new product development.
• Proven experience of working in a marketing or fundraising role, including experience understanding and reaching different audiences, and growing income from them.
• Experience of delivering events and a strong understanding of the key processes and health and safety requirements. Calm under pressure and decisive in live event environments, with a proactive, solution-focused approach to problem solving.
• Excellent inter-personal skills, and the ability to build strong relationships internally and to manage relationships with external agencies, suppliers and consultants.
• Proven ability to analyse data to inform evidence-based decision making.
• Proven ability to deliver against objectives, work under one’s own initiative, and manage one’s workload while overseeing multiple projects simultaneously.
• An entrepreneurial attitude and an energetic desire to continuously improve how we work and what WaterAid delivers.

Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:

• Understanding of and interest in international development.
• An understanding of law and best practice relating to fundraising events and activities.
• Familiarity with CRMs and GDPR legislation.
• Experience supporting and motivating volunteers.

Closing date: Applications close 12PM UK time on the 1st May 2026. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 11th May.

How to apply: Click Apply to answer the pre-screening questions and upload your CV only and Cover Letter.

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application?

At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.

Pre‑employment screening

To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Benefits

• 36 days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
• Option to buy an extra 5 days’ annual leave
• Employer pension contribution up to 10 %
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Season ticket loan
• Free annual eye tests
• ‘Give as you Earn’ charitable giving scheme
• Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
• Sabbaticals
• One paid volunteer day each year

As part of our annual leave policy, all employees receive three additional days of annual leave on top of their standard allocation of 25 days. These days are designated to cover the period when our UK office closes between Christmas and New Year, allowing all UK WaterAiders to take a well-deserved break.

These days are automatically scheduled and cannot be changed or moved. Annual leave is accrued based on your start date. If sufficient leave has not been accrued by the time of the closure, the 3 days will be taken as unpaid leave or pro-rated, depending on your circumstances.

Our People Promise

We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.

Equal Opportunities

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.

Safeguarding

We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).

Together, we’ll change the world through water.

Join us and be part of the change!

We will transform Benton End into a vibrant, accessible and sustainable arts and learning centre, reimagining the radical spirit of Sir Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines’s art school and garden legacy.

This commission covers the Development Phase of a Heritage Fund-supported capital project and the period during which the Delivery Phase application is being assessed. The Fundraiser will collaborate closely with the client team, project manager and stakeholders throughout.

The redevelopment of Benton End seeks to:  

• Conserve and restore the Grade II* listed house and associated gardens structures  
• Create inclusive and accessible facilities for learning, exhibitions, and residencies  
• Respect and celebrate the site’s layered heritage, including its significance in queer history  
• Embed sustainability and environmental responsibility in all design choices  
• Enable operational and financial sustainability through a mixed-use business model

The fundraising consultant will be responsible for raising a total of £2.7m by December 2027. This comprises £1.8m in gifts or pledges in order to match-fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Delivery Phase grant of £2.65m; and the remainder to support additional output costs at Benton End.

The consultant will be expected to lead on the following areas:

• Review the Fundraising process for the Development Phase of the project in partnership with the client team
• Review the existing Fundraising Strategy submitted to the Heritage Fund (see tender pack)
• Re-develop, update and deliver a comprehensive Fundraising Strategy to achieve the necessary match funding for the Delivery Phase of the project including phased targets, pipeline planning, and approach methodology
• Identify potential funding sources, including charitable trusts and foundations, major individual donors, philanthropic legacy leads (including those with interests in art, horticulture, LGBTQIA+ causes, and regional heritage), corporate supporters and in-kind contributors
• Cross check all potential funding sources and potential prospects with the client team, paying particular attention to the Garden Museum’s other fundraising programmes, existing funders and live/upcoming campaigns
• Produce a detailed fundraising plan with goals, milestones, specific targets and details of which funding sources will be approached at each stage of the campaign
• Support cultivation of key prospects, including advising on pitches, proposals, and relationship management and leading these where appropriate
• Develop a 'Case for Support' and campaign materials tailored to different audiences
• Work with the client team to ensure fundraising aligns with Heritage Fund Delivery Phase submission (August 2027), Activity and Interpretation Plans and capital delivery timelines and cash flow needs
• Provide reports on all fundraising activity and data collected, in formats that are compatible with the client team’s CRM
• Support the implementation of the live campaign: tracking targets, overseeing donor communications, and managing asks

The selected consultant should have:

• A strong track record of raising capital funds in the arts, culture, or heritage sector
• Experience working with national funders (e.g. trusts/foundations, High Net Worth Individuals, and corporates)
• Knowledge of Heritage Fund processes and expectations
• Experience in creating compelling cases for support, particularly for multidisciplinary projects (art, heritage, gardens, LGBTQIA+ history)
• Sensitivity to inclusive fundraising and community engagement
• Strategic thinking with a collaborative and proactive working style

The budget for the fundraising consultant's fee is a maximum of £36,000 excl VAT, to include all travel and expenses and with an expectation that the consultant will be on site regularly at Benton End, Hadleigh, Suffolk.

This consultant will report into the Project Manager, but will also work very closely with the Garden Museum Development Director and the Benton End Board.

This opportunity is made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players.

Application requirements:

Please supply the following by 5pm on Tuesday 5 May 2026:

• Proven examples of recent, similar work at an equivalent level of project value and heritage significance
• CV demonstrating relevant experience and examples of previous projects – if more than one consultant then CVs and highlighted experience of each team member
• Fee proposal 
• Outline methodology and approach
• At least two references from comparable heritage or arts capital project
• Confirmation of insurance (minimum £ 1million Professional Indemnity and £1 million Public Liability insurance, and £1 million Employers Liability cover (if applicable), or ability and willingness to obtain)

Clarifying questions should be sent by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026.