Policy and programme manager jobs

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. 

Sydenham Garden is seeking to appoint a Grants, Trusts and Statutory 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. 

Position:  Grants, Trusts and Statutory Fundraising Lead 

Contract:  Fixed term for 2 years 

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 1 May 

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 a range of Trusts, Foundations and statutory funders, drafting compelling funding proposals and demonstrating impact through high-quality reports. 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 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). 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. 

BACKGROUND

Church of England Birmingham (CofEB) is on a journey of growing churches at the heart of every community. Through this we are seeing growth in many exciting ways. Financially we are at a challenging point. We have had an operational deficit for a number of years and this cannot continue. The National Church has agreed to partner with us around this through their Diocesan Investment Programme enabling us to have the time, and resource, to tackle this head on. One key aspect of this is for us to increase our Common Fund returns (the giving from our parishes that supports the costs of our life together). We are taking a radical new approach to our finances which includes intentional reallocation of income to support the costs in our most economically deprived parishes and deeper relationships with each parish around finance through conversation rather than correspondence. Over the next five years we are hoping to be able to move to a financially sustainable platform which will enable us to better serve our communities in the future.

We have recently recruited a new Head of Generosity, who is also Bishops Advisor for Common Fund, to lead on this work and we are now looking to recruit the team to work with them. The focus of the team is to develop long term relationships with all of our parishes leading to:

• Greater support for our parishes.
• Increased generosity by, and within, our parishes.
• Increased Common Fund.

The current plan is to recruit two Giving & Generosity Advisor roles and one Giving & Generosity Support Officer role. Together this team will work with all of our parishes to roll out our financial approach, through in person meetings, and the support that is on offer as part of this. 

JOB DESCRIPTION

The primary focus of this role is to work with parishes to:

• Understand their current financial situation and how this links to the wider Church of England Birmingham situation.
• Understand our model and how support is on offer for parishes who are economically deprived.
• Assess with them the support needed to increase generosity and giving at a local level and create an action plan around this that is bespoke and contextual.
• Create a long-term plan for their participation in the common fund.

We have 146 parishes and the Head of Generosity will manage the team so that all parishes can be engaged as quickly as possible. It is the Head of Generosity and two Giving & Generosity Advisors who will be carrying out the in-person meetings with each parish. These roles will work closely with a range of people and teams across Church of England Birmingham so that this work is integrated within our wider strategy and parishes are not confused by multiple disjointed initiatives. This will mean working with Archdeacons and Area Deans, Mission Support Team, Ministry Team, Property Team, Finance Team, Community Regeneration Team and Communications Team as well as others.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Develop strong relationships with parishes that will enable this project to flourish and also help increase the connection between parishes and the DBF. Signposting to other teams and projects will be important.
• Inspiring and encouraging parishes in their Christian approach to giving and generosity
• Creating bespoke multiyear plans for Common Fund with parishes with the support of a Steering Group that includes the Archdeacons and other key stakeholders.
• Provide consultancy, resources, and hands-on support to parishes to grow regular giving, legacies, and other forms of financial support. This work will be able to draw on the resources developed by the national church as well as the data held on their Cornerstone Grants Platform. The post-holder will be expected to engage in the work of the National Giving Team as part of the development of these wider resources.
• Develop and deliver training for clergy, lay leaders and PCCs on the theology and Christian practice of giving and generosity and also practical financial management (in conjunction with the Finance Team).
• Work closely with the Finance Team in matters of technical accounting, governance and financial management identified as needed by parishes.
• Encourage and assist parishes in the implementation of the Parish Giving Scheme, introduction of contactless giving mechanisms and related diocesan resources.
• Source, develop and curate practical resources (digital and print) to support local stewardship campaigns and initiatives.

• Evaluate the impact of stewardship and generosity initiatives and adapt strategies accordingly to achieve the project outcomes.
• Working with our Communications Team, create compelling communication tools that articulate the impact of generosity.

As we are looking to recruit two people into these roles there is flexibility to appoint people with complementary skill sets who may have greater expertise in certain elements of the role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Qualifications & Experience:

• Strong understanding of church governance structures and financial operations and requirements.
• Knowledge of generosity principles and Christian financial stewardship.
• A prayerful Christian with a deep commitment to the Church’s mission (Genuine Occupational Requirement).
• Experience of working in a sensitive environment and handling confidential matters with tact and diplomacy.

Essential Skills & Attributes:

• Resilient and adaptable, able to handle challenges and maintain momentum in a demanding role.
• Strong people skills, able to engage effectively with parishes and church communities.
• Good communicator being able to engage a wide range of stakeholders and hold their attention.
• Trustworthy and credible, able to build and maintain confidence with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Empathetic towards parishes and deeply committed to supporting the local church.
• Excellent conflict resolution skills, capable of handling difficult conversations with care and professionalism.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities and keep track of numerous ongoing responsibilities.
• Capable implementer, ensuring initiatives are successfully delivered, both at a local and diocese wide level.
• Financially literate, with a good understanding of budgets, stewardship, and sustainability within the Church.
• As the role involves visiting parishes across the diocese, including some locations not accessible by public transport, candidates must be able to travel independently. This requires holding a valid driving licence and access to a suitably insured vehicle.
• Be a person of integrity. 

Other Considerations:

• The role requires significant evening and weekend work, demanding flexibility and commitment.
• Local presence is essential—the role must be delivered in an incarnational way, engaging directly with communities.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The post-holder will be employed by the Diocesan Board of Finance for a fixed term ending on 2nd November 2030, subject to funding.

Salary and Pension: Salary of £35,000 plus membership of the Church Worker’s Pension Scheme with 12% employer contribution. We are open to discussion especially if you are ordained and are moving out of parish ministry. 

Hours: Full-time 35 hours (5 days) per week. Weekend and evening work will be required, for which the equivalent time may be taken back from standard working hours. We are happy to consider requests for flexible working and candidates seeking part-time hours. Please do mention in your application if you would be interested in looking at alternative working hours.

Holidays: 5 weeks per year plus Bank Holidays and 3 Discretionary Days between Christmas and New Year

Employer: Birmingham Diocesan Board of Finance

Responsible To: Head of Generosity

CLOSING DATE: 12th April 2026

INTERVIEWS: 23rd April 2026 in central Birmingham

For an informal conversation or further information about the role, contact Dawn Baker, Head of Generosity. 

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where all can be themselves and bring their unique identity to their ministry and/or work. 

We welcome applications from any individuals who feel that they meet the person specification for any post, in particular from those who are currently under-represented in or staff teams such as those from Global Majority Heritage or UK Minority Ethnic backgrounds, those with visible or invisible disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQI+.

We offer a range of inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and other services to our staff teams.

The Church of England Birmingham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders are expected to share this commitment.

We have an exciting opportunity coming up within Victim Support. We are looking for a Children & Young Person (CYP) Behaviour Change Caseworker who will work with children displaying harmful behaviours in a Domestic Abuse (DA) setting. This could be with parents or within their own relationship.

What we offer:

At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:

• Flexible working options including hybrid working
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday & options to buy or sell annual leave
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
• Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About the role:

The CYP Behaviour Change Caseworker is a specialist role focused on working with young people (typically aged 4-17) who are displaying abusive or harmful behaviours, often in the context of domestic abuse within the home or in dating relationships. The goal of this role is to disrupt, challenge, and change the behaviour of the young person to protect victims (family members or partners), prevent re-victimisation, and intervene early to stop the escalation of abuse.

This role involves hybrid working, often based in police stations, offices, or community settings. Hours are usually Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm however flexibility may be required in line with service user need and the availability of the young people.

Key Responsibilities

• Case Management: Manage a caseload of young people displaying abusive behaviours, providing a medium term service.
• Assessment and Planning: Conduct risk and needs assessments to create tailored, individual support plans focusing on behaviour change.
• Direct Interventions: Deliver one-to-one interventions to address the root causes of abusive behaviour, encouraging understanding of the impact on victims.
• Safety Planning: Work closely with colleagues, such as Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs), to develop safety plans for victims.
• Multi-Agency Collaboration: Liaise with police, social care, housing, and schools to ensure a comprehensive, co-ordinated community response.
• Education and Prevention: Potential to run awareness-raising sessions in schools, youth centres, and communities regarding healthy relationships, consent, and the impact of abuse.
• Case Recording: Maintain accurate, confidential records on secure case management systems in line with GDPR and safeguarding policies.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Experience: Previous experience working with vulnerable children, young people, and families, particularly in domestic abuse, youth justice, or social work settings.
• Knowledge: Strong understanding of safeguarding procedures, child protection legislation, and the impact of domestic abuse on children.
• Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills to engage with hard-to-reach young people, challenge behaviours, and build trust.
• Resilience: Ability to work under pressure and manage high-risk, sensitive, and emotional cases.

This role involves regular travel and due to the location, a driving license and access to a vehicle is considered an essential requirement. If you are unable to drive because of a disability please indicate this in your application in your personal statement so we can explore the feasibility of alternative arrangements.

About Us:

Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. We put them at the heart of our organisation and our support and campaigns are informed and shaped by them and their experiences.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

At Victim Support, we're proud to celebrate diversity and create a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We're committed to being an antiracist organisation, and we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from Black and Asian and other minoritised communities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet all essential criteria for a job where it is practicable to do so. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment and selection process.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.