Policy and communications coordinator jobs in Kensington, greater london

Sydenham Garden is seeking to appoint a Community Engagement and Fundraising Lead for two days per week on a fixed term contract for two years. They will join our team of 14 staff and 70 volunteers supporting people living with mental ill-health and dementia in south-east London. 

Positions:  Community Engagement and Fundraising Lead 

Contract:  Fixed term for 1 year,

Hours: 0.4 FTE 15 hours per week 

Salary: £38,000 pro rata 

Annual leave: 33 days including bank holidays pro rata

Location: Sydenham Garden Resource Centre, SE23 2LW or working from home – minimum 1 day a month in office

Application closing date: 9am Monday 13 April 

Interview date:  Friday 24 April

Our Organisation 

Sydenham Garden, based in Lewisham in South-East London, is a special, unique and beloved wellbeing centre utilising its gardens, nature reserve and activity rooms to help people living with and recovering from mental and physical ill-health. We were established in 2002 and will celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2027. We provide nature and arts based creative, social and therapeutic activities for co-workers (the name we give our primary beneficiaries). People are referred to us from community organisations and health professionals and we use an integrative approach where those with different degrees of mental and physical ill health come together with volunteers from the local community to reduce social exclusion and prejudice. Each year we work with on average over 250 co-workers and over 70 volunteers. 

About you 

You’ll have experience in building relationships with individual donors, increasing income from community sources and engaging and enthusing volunteers and supporters around a cause. You’ll have excellent communication and people skills and feel comfortable both thinking strategically and managing competing priorities day-to-day. Most importantly, you’ll thrive in a small team working to make a big impact for people living with mental ill-health and dementia. 

Why you should join us  

Sydenham Garden is a small team rooted in our local community, and that community is at the centre of everything we do; from the people we support, to the volunteers and neighbours who get involved in our gardens and our work in all sorts of ways. 

We work collaboratively, support each other across different areas of the organisation, and aren't afraid to try new approaches and learn from what doesn't work. We're values-led, we care deeply about our impact, and we hold ourselves accountable to the people and communities we serve. 

We're also confident advocates for our work, and comfortable making the case for Sydenham Garden to funders, partners and the wider community. 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 

Sydenham Garden is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We want to build a diverse and inclusive staff, volunteer and trustee team where everyone feels that they belong and that reflects the profile of the communities we serve. Therefore, we will welcome and consider applications from candidates of all backgrounds and protected characteristics, and we particularly encourage applications from people of African or Caribbean heritage to ensure our staff team represents the communities we serve. 

Battersea is committed to attracting, developing and supporting a skilled and highly engaged workforce. The Learning & Organisational Development (L&OD) team at Battersea is ambitious and innovative and strives to build a culture of learning to empower people to drive their own development. We aim to achieve this by working in partnership with the organisation and by developing solutions which are fit for our culture and people. You will play a key part in a team who are passionate about people development and are trusted throughout the business.

The L&OD Consultant leads the scoping, design and delivery of projects across the L&OD portfolio. Working in partnership with HR colleagues, senior leaders and subject matter experts, the postholder translates business needs into high-quality learning and organisational development solutions that deliver measurable impact.

The role combines facilitation, digital design, project management, supplier management and evaluation, contributing to a culture of continuous learning aligned to Battersea’s values.

What we can offer you:

In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

• 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year.
• Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes.
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.
• Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution.
• Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year.
• Annual interest-free season ticket loans.

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Our hybrid working model:

We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.

Diversity and inclusion:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.

We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best. If you would like to talk more about this, please contact us. Greyscale copies of the recruitment pack are also available on request.

More about us:

At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Acceptable use of AI:

At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.

To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.

Closing date: 25th March 2026

All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Interview date(s): Two-stage interview - dates to be confirmed

First stage: Online, via Teams

Second stage: In person, at Battersea London

For more information about the role, please download our Recruitment pack from our Careers website.