About us
We’re Breast Cancer Now, the research and support charity. We’re the place to turn to for anything and everything to do with breast cancer. However, you’re experiencing breast cancer, we’re here.
The brightest minds in breast cancer research are here. Making life-saving research happen in labs across the UK and Ireland. Support services, trustworthy breast cancer information and specialist nurses are here. Ready to support you whenever you need it. Dedicated campaigners are here. Fighting for the best possible treatment, services, and care for anyone affected by breast cancer.
About the role
Do you live in Birmingham, Coventry, or the surrounding area, have excellent local knowledge and the enthusiasm to build a fundraising patch?
We’re launching a brand-new role focused on developing and nurturing meaningful relationships with new supporters. If you love connecting with people and want to make a difference for people affected by breast cancer, we’d love to hear from you.
Initially offered as an 18-month contract (with the potential to become permanent), this position will play a key part in an exciting pilot programme designed to grow long-term income through a new, locally based relationship fundraising team.
The successful candidate will have the chance to work on a large-scale project supporting and growing Asda Tickled Pink, our award-winning partnership with Asda and CoppaFeel! which has already raised over £100 million. You’ll work directly with passionate colleagues across Asda stores in your region – driving new fundraising initiatives, inspiring communities, and celebrating the incredible generosity of supporters.
This is your chance to build powerful local connections with new supporters – individuals, clubs and societies, and local businesses – and help develop a thriving network of people that share our mission.
About you
With good community fundraising experience, you bring enthusiasm, strong communication skills and a genuine interest in people and relationship building.
You’re proactive, organised, and adaptable with a positive approach to trying new things. A natural collaborator, you have a flexible approach to your work and thrive in a busy environment.
You’re confident in approaching new contacts and are experienced in developing new relationships from scratch which have delivered income in both the short and long term. Your approach to supporter stewardship is best in class and you've proven that you can take the initiative to make ideas happen.
Alongside these skills and your previous experience, you have the passion that will help grow engagement and income in your region.
Job description and benefits
Please download the job description and our attractive benefits package.
Primary location of role
This is a remote role, and the candidate will need to be based in Birmingham, Coventry, or the surrounding areas. Regular travel will be required to meet supporters and visit Asda stores in your region, as well as occasional travel to our London or Sheffield offices.
When applying
We hope you choose to apply for this role. To support your application, you’ll be asked to submit your anonymised CV. Please refer to the essential criteria on the person specification and clearly provide as much information as you can with examples, to demonstrate how and where you meet the criteria. If you’ve any immediate questions, please contact the Breast Cancer Now recruitment team.
Our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion
We’re committed to promoting equity, valuing diversity, and creating an inclusive environment – for everyone who works for us, works with us, supports us and who we support.
Closing date 9am Monday 10 November 2025
Interview date Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 November 2025
We reserve the right to close this advert early. Therefore, to avoid disappointment please submit your application as soon as possible if you’re interested in this opportunity.
Thank you!
Location: Reading, Hybrid
Hours: 37 per week
Salary: £27,792
Contract Type: Permanent
Campaign Closes: 13th November 2025
First Stage Interviews: 26th November 2025
Second Stage Interviews: TBC
Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children with critical illnesses? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where empathy, precision, and people skills come together? Join Make-A-Wish UK as a Wish Referral Officer and be the guiding light at the start of every wish journey. You will be the warm, reassuring voice that helps families navigate the first steps of their magical experience, all while managing vital relationships and keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes.
Core Purpose
The Wish Referral Officer is responsible for processing new referrals and stewarding the wish child and their application through the initial stages of their wish journey, whilst providing excellent stakeholder management. A Wish Referral Officer is responsible for facilitating and managing a large network of relationships such as the wish child and their family, medical professionals, charities, volunteers and referral partners. As each wish is unique, accurate record keeping, data privacy and safeguarding are essential for every wish and experience. This role requires the ability to work at a high pace while maintaining strong attention to detail, with data management and accuracy forming core aspects of day-to-day responsibilities.
Essential Criteria
To be successful in this role you will need:
- Experience in an administrative role
- Experience of handling large volumes of data accurately, within a fast-paced environment
- Experience in customer service role with set targets and data management
- Demonstrate the ability to be flexible and change priorities within short time frames
- Excellent organisational and prioritising skills to support an ever-changing workload
- To be able to confidently communicate through all communication methods to multiple stakeholders
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Calm and professional, especially when dealing with emotional situations
- Excellent IT and administration skills including experience in processing/inputting data and MS Office
- Ability to work on own initiative without supervision
- A personal commitment to and understanding of equal opportunities
- Experience in using CRM systems
Personal Qualities
- Maintain a professional, caring, friendly and helpful manner always whilst dealing with wish children, their families, volunteers, suppliers as well as other stakeholders
- Strong empathy with wish families understanding that each child is an individual and may have needs
- The ability to be able to build strong relationships
- Maintain high levels of attention to detail
- Ability to remain calm under pressure
- Punctual and reliable
- Friendly, courteous and professional
- Be motivated to always support the charity and its objectives
Key Responsibilities:
Referral Enablement
- Process new referrals submitted by Community Referral Partners, health and social care professionals, ensuring accurate data entry, and excellent stakeholder management both through both written and verbal communication.
- Proactively manage a dynamic caseload of 150–200 wishes at any given time, ensuring each wish application progresses efficiently through the various stages of the wish journey in alignment with established referral targets and service timelines. This includes monitoring progress, identifying and resolving potential delays, maintaining accurate records, and self-allocating new referrals in line with organisational priorities
- Take ownership of the weekly coordination and distribution of wish referral materials, ensuring all communications and resources are prepared, reviewed, and delivered accurately and on time to key stakeholders—including Community Referral Partners, wish families, and internal teams—to support a seamless and consistent referral process.
- Monitor and maintain the accuracy and integrity of data across internal systems to ensure full compliance with service level agreements (SLAs), data protection regulations, and organisational protocols. This includes conducting regular data audits, identifying and correcting discrepancies, and working collaboratively with internal teams to uphold high standards of data quality, which are essential for effective decision-making, reporting, and service delivery.
- Collaborate with the Wish Discovery Coordinator to facilitate the effective involvement of Make-A-Wish UK volunteers, ensuring families receive the support they need throughout the wish experience. This includes coordinating volunteer assignments, arranging interpreter services where required, and promoting a seamless, inclusive, and supportive journey for every wish family.
- Ensure all referral processes, service level agreements (SLAs), and Make-A-Wish UK eligibility criteria are consistently followed, maintaining full compliance with organisational policies and procedures. This includes accurately assessing referral information against eligibility requirements, escalating any concerns, queries, or ambiguities to the appropriate team or line manager for review, and ensuring all decisions are documented and communicated clearly. Additionally, maintain strong communication with stakeholders to ensure clarity around eligibility decisions and support a fair, transparent referral process.
- Ensure the principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are always reflected within the wish process.
- Support the Wish Referral Team Manager and Wish Referral Lead and Make-A-Wish UK in achieving our goal to reach every eligible child within the UK.
Stakeholder Communication
- Act as the first point of contact for all Wish Granting (WG)–related queries and enquiries, responding promptly and professionally via email, phone, WhatsApp, and post. Ensure that all stakeholders—including wish families, volunteers, and referral partners—receive a high-quality, compassionate, and consistent customer service experience
- Ensure accurate communications with referral partners, wish children and their families/guardians, employees, and volunteers in relation to wish applications.
- Ensure that our service level agreements are met, and stakeholder expectations are sensitively and professionally managed in line with our policies.
- Liaise with other charity partners to assess whether referred wish children meet Make-A-Wish UK’s eligibility criteria. Where referrals do not meet the criteria, collaborate with the Wish Referral Partner Manager to ensure that referrers receive clear, constructive feedback and gain a full understanding of Make-A-Wish UK’s eligibility requirements, supporting transparent and informed referral practices.
Systems and Processes:
- Collaborate with the Wish Referral Team Manager to identify and implement improvements to the wish journey experience, ensuring it is seamless, inclusive, and positive for all stakeholders. Contribute feedback, insights, and suggestions to enhance processes, communication, and overall service delivery in line with organisational goal
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records within our CRM system (Salesforce), ensuring data integrity and consistency, at all times.
- Follow internal processes to ensure wish children and their families move through the wish journey smoothly, and always in line with our service level agreements.
- Actively participate and engage in project work, providing constructive insights and ideas to enhance the wish journey for every wish child.
Safeguarding and Data Governance:
- Ensure all wish records and related data are stored and maintained on Make-A-Wish Information Systems and that all data is managed within set policies and procedures (such as data privacy, liability, consent forms, marketing permissions etc.)
- Facilitate a culture of safeguarding awareness. Identify, report and escalate any issues or concerns in line with organisational processes and procedures.
- Raise safeguarding concerns and complete relevant internal procedure
Registered Charity
51 - 100
Together, we create joy, happiness and magical memories through life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
We are looking for an experienced senior manager to lead our strategic communications, external engagement and network development. The post holder will champion The Politics Project’s mission, strengthen its profile, and foster partnerships that help empower young people.
ABOUT THE POLITICS PROJECT
The Politics Project supports young people to use their voice by providing them with outstanding democratic education. We work with young people, teachers, youth practitioners and politicians to help them learn, teach and engage in democracy. We are a non-partisan organisation working across the UK.
ABOUT DEMOCRACY CLASSROOM
Democracy Classroom is a partnership of over 100 civil society organisations from the youth, education and democracy sectors working together to support young people to engage in elections and democracy.
The network is supported by the Democracy Classroom Platform, which brings together over 1000 free educational resources for teachers and youth practitioners.
Democracy Classroom is a non-partisan, UK-wide initiative and a leading voice for the sector, reaching teachers and youth practitioners in 95% of the UK’s parliamentary constituencies. It coordinates the collective voice of organisations committed to democratic education, including through its joint submission to the Department for Education’s Curriculum and Assessment Review and the publication of The Roadmap to Votes at 16, a collaborative vision for the implementation of Votes at 16.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Head of Communications and Networks will amplify The Politics Project’s voice, build strategic partnerships and strengthen collaboration across the youth, education and democracy sectors. You will lead on communications, stakeholder engagement and the continued development of the Democracy Classroom Network.
You will oversee a team responsible for communications, partnerships and events, providing leadership and guidance to ensure clear messaging, impactful storytelling and strong, coordinated engagement across the sector. The post holder will combine strategic thinking with strong operational delivery, managing both the external profile of the organisation and the networks that underpin its reach and influence.
Key responsibilities include:
Communications
- Develop and lead The Politics Project’s communications strategy to raise visibility and strengthen reputation.
- Ensure clear, consistent messaging across all channels, including website, social media, newsletters and press.
- Lead media relations, drafting press releases, handling journalist enquiries and identifying media opportunities.
- Monitor and evaluate communications activity to measure reach, engagement and influence.
Partnerships and networks
- Work with the Partnerships Manager and Director to cultivate and manage relationships with key stakeholders across civil society, government, education and youth sectors.
- Oversee the day-to-day running of the Democracy Classroom Network, including partner communications, newsletters and database management.
- Create opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing between organisations, policymakers and institutions.
- Oversee the Democracy Classroom Platform and ensure it continues to grow as a trusted resource hub for teachers and practitioners.
- Act as The Politics Project’s representative and ambassador at external meetings, conferences and events.
Leadership and management
- Lead and mentor the communications and networks team, including line management of the Partnerships Manager, Communications Lead and Programme Coordinator.
- Manage relationships with freelance designers, illustrators and developers.
- Oversee evaluation and monitoring of communications and network activities, producing reports as required.
- Manage budgets and allocate resources effectively for communications, campaigns and events.
- Contribute to the organisation’s strategic planning and cross-programme collaboration.
- Carry out other duties as required in support of the organisation.
This is a fast-paced senior management role in a small but growing organisation. The post includes a six-month probation period and is fixed-term until March 2027, with the potential of extension depending on funding. Occasional travel within the UK and some evening or weekend work will be required.
BENEFITS
- 33 days’ annual leave including Bank Holidays (inclusive of 3 days’ leave between Christmas and New Year).
- 4% employer pension contribution.
- Professional development and training opportunities.
- Friendly, inclusive and supportive working environment.
ABOUT YOU
You are an experienced communications and partnerships leader who is passionate about democratic engagement and young people’s participation. You will bring creativity, strategic insight and strong relationship-building skills to strengthen The Politics Project’s profile and expand the Democracy Classroom Network.
You will have a track record of managing people and projects, developing communications strategies, and building collaborations across complex stakeholder landscapes. You will be confident in navigating the intersections of education, youth engagement and democracy, and able to balance strategic oversight with hands-on delivery.
Above all, you are a strong leader, communicator and collaborator who can inspire others, think strategically, and deliver tangible results in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
In accordance with our Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures, this position requires an enhanced DBS check that will be provided.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Proven experience in leading communications, external engagement or partnership functions at a senior level.
- Experience managing and motivating teams, including staff and freelancers.
- Demonstrable success in developing and delivering communications strategies that raise profile and influence change.
- Strong understanding of press, media and digital channels, including social media campaigns and storytelling.
- Excellent writing, editing and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into accessible content.
- Proven ability to build and maintain networks with diverse stakeholders, including NGOs, policymakers and funders.
- Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
- Strong analytical skills and understanding of data and metrics to evaluate communications impact.
- Confident public speaker and facilitator, able to act as a credible spokesperson and ambassador.
- Proficiency in digital communications tools (social media platforms, email marketing, CMS, analytics tools).
Desirable
- Experience managing networks or coalitions across multiple sectors.
- Experience overseeing digital platforms and online communities.
- Understanding of UK education, youth and democratic engagement policy landscapes.
TO APPLY
Please submit your CV and a covering letter (maximum one side of A4) via the CharityJob website.
Closing date: 11:30 pm, Sunday 9th November 2025
Interviews: Week commencing Monday 17th November 2025
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.