We're looking for a confident and compassionate Co-Director to lead our mental health charity using gardens, creativity & community for recovery.
**We offer mentoring support for applicants who might benefit from additional guidance - please see the full Job Description for further details**
About Sydenham Garden
Based in Lewisham in South-East London, Sydenham Garden is a unique wellbeing centre utilising its gardens, nature reserve and activity rooms to help people living with and recovering from mental and physical ill-health. We provide nature and arts based creative, social and therapeutic activities for co-workers (the name we give to our primary beneficiaries).
About the role
Our Director has been in post since November 2021 and on returning from maternity leave in January 2026 she will be working 3 days a week. We are seeking a Co-Director to jointly lead the organisation going forwards as we have made a positive decision to move towards a co-director model. This is an exciting opportunity which can have benefits of increasing capacity, efficiency, and transparency and allow for a broader range of identities both to better reflect the diverse populations they serve and as a way to include more diverse leaders. It is a model that can also reduce burnout, build equity, and support flexible working.
As Co-Director you will be jointly responsible for leading and manage the day-to-day running of Sydenham Garden for the benefit of our co-workers. This will involve overseeing implementation and regular review of Sydenham Garden’s strategic plan and to ensure all governance arrangements are in place to monitor the work of the organisation and to report to the Board of Trustees and to funders.
You will ensure fundraising and financial plans and processes are in place to deliver the agreed services, including fundraising from Trusts & Foundations, community fundraising and developing contracted services as necessary.
The Co-Directors will be jointly accountable to the Trustee Board for all aspects of the job description. You may take lead responsibility on particular areas which will be discussed and agreed with the existing Co-Director and Trustee Board.
About You
You are a confident and compassionate leader with a commitment to the mental health and wellbeing sector. You bring a thoughtful, strategic and inclusive approach to leadership.
Your communication skills are excellent, and you’re able to build strong, trusting relationships with colleagues at all levels, as well as with external partners, funders, and stakeholders. You are deeply committed to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, with a clear track record of putting these values into practice.
You have a proven experience in securing income for charitable work and are confident in financial management and planning.
You also understand the value of co-production and have experience working collaboratively with volunteers and co-workers (service users), ensuring their voices are central to service design and delivery.
We’re looking for someone who is dedicated to the mission of Sydenham Garden and has relevant experience at management level in a mental health charity of similar organisation.
How to apply
Candidates will be shortlisted based on:
· Experience of working at a management level in a mental health charity or comparable organisation.
· An excellent strategic thinker with experience of input into strategic development and implementation.
· Good communication skills and the ability to build relationships with colleagues at all levels in an organisation and with external contacts and partners.
· A proven commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
· Experience of line managing and developing staff, including through appraisal systems.
· Proven ability to secure income, manage fundraising processes and to manage and produce fundraising applications.
· Experience of financial management and planning, including managing budgets.
· Experience of working with volunteers and co-workers (service users).
Diversity, Equity, 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.
To apply, please send us a CV together with a supporting statement (maximum 2 pages, minimum font size of 11) that addresses how you meet the Person Specification listed above.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Position: Income and Gift Aid Accountant Assistant
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours a week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Office-based in London with flexibility to work remotely
Salary: Starting from £26,384 per annum, plus excellent benefits
Salary Band and Job Family: Band 1, Charity
You’ll start at our entry point salary of £26,384 per annum, increasing to £28,033 after 6 months service and satisfactory performance and to £29,682 after a further 6 months.
About us
We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.
Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.
Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.
Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.
About this job
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Income and Gift Aid Accountant Assistant to help us make sure every penny counts in our mission to stop MS. You'll play a key role in managing our income processing and supporting Gift Aid claims to help us maximise the value of every donation.
You'll ensure that donations recorded in our CRM system match the funds received, resolving discrepancies and supporting our income processes to run efficiently. Working closely with our Customer Services and Fundraising teams you’ll be at the heart of making sure our financial data is accurate and robust.
You’ll also assist with preparing and checking Gift Aid claims, helping us claim back vital extra funds at no additional cost to our supporters. Your detail driven approach will help us continue to build a strong and transparent foundation for everything we do.
To succeed in this role, you’ll need a good understanding of financial accounting principles, strong Excel and IT skills, and a collaborative problem-solving approach. Excellent communication and organisational skills will also be essential as you work closely with teams across the organisation to ensure our income records are accurate and efficient.
If this sounds like you and you're looking for an opportunity to grow your skills, along with experiencing challenges and a shared purpose, then we’d love to hear from you.
Closing date for applications: Friday 15th August 2025
Interested?
PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Equal Opportunities
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.
We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application.
Disability Confident Employer
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.
You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.
If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.
More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to):
Encouraging work life balance
- 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
- More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
- Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us)
- Flexible working options
Caring for you and your family
- Generous sick pay entitlement
- More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment
- Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year
- Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis
- Enhanced leave for new parents
- Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
- Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
- 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time
- 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time
- Cycle to work scheme
- Death in service scheme
- New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
- In the event of miscarriage or still birth
- To support fertility treatments
- For antenatal appointments for both parents
Thinking about your finances
- Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
- Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
- Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
- New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing
Enriching your life at work
- Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
- Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
- New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely
- Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups)
- Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support
- 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community)
- 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal
Safeguarding
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.
This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.
We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.
We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.
Your right to work in the UK
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.
You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.
No agencies please.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
To fund world-leading research, share the latest information and campaign for everyone's rights. Together we are a community. Together we can stop MS