Sanctuary housing jobs in lambeth, greater london

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is seeking our next Executive Director to lead our small, dynamic charity. You will be joining an impactful local organisation at a crucial time in our development. Since 2021 we have grown significantly and sustainably, developing new services based on client needs. You will be leading a highly competent and passionate team who are community minded and experts in their fields. 

The Executive Director has overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the charity, including finance and fundraising, as well as supporting the development and delivery of services. They will work with four experienced project leads to deliver and develop our core services: Casework and Advocacy Service, Rainbow Club Supplementary School, Destitution Service and Food Bank, and our Allotment of Refuge, as well as our Policy and external influencing work led by our Deputy Director for Casework and Policy. 

We are seeking to appoint an exceptional candidate who can balance the demands of strategic leadership with the operational execution and development of our services and policy work. We are seeking someone with a high level of operational skill and accountability in operational management and governance. You will be responsible for the central services of the charity including finance, fundraising, legal, HR and communications. We are looking for a thoughtful leader who is passionate about staff and volunteer support. You should have experience and understanding of small charities and the external context within which we operate.

About us:

Founded in 2004, AFRIL supports refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants to lift themselves out of poverty, assert their rights, and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. We provide both crisis support to meet immediate need, and longer-term, flexible programmes to tackle the underlying issues that result in poverty. We engage in policy and legal interventions to affect change. Our work is grounded in the values of professionalism, inclusivity, and solidarity, and our approach to service delivery is one of co-production and empowerment. We work with partners locally and nationally to deliver high quality services and advocacy.

Our Services:

• Casework and Advocacy – AQS and IAA accredited advice, casework and legal interventions in housing and homelessness, complex welfare rights, community care, asylum support,  immigration, access to education and employment, healthcare and related matters. 

• Destitution Project - supporting families to overcome extreme food poverty through regular food vouchers, fresh culturally appropriate food, toiletries, and essential household items plus small grants and a free café.

• Rainbow Club Saturday School - improving educational attainment, wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem, and raising the aspirations of disadvantaged primary age children. 

• Allotment of Refuge - a welcoming and integrated community of food growers improving the health, wellbeing and healthy food access of children and adults seeking sanctuary in Lewisham.

• Immigration Project in partnership with Southwark Law Centre - free legal advice and representation to support families to regularise their UK immigration status in the UK.

In addition, we hold a monthly Members Forum, and use the evidence from our frontline work together with the testimony of our members to influence improved policy and practice.

AFRIL is currently in a good position, with the several long-term grants and statutory funding secured, and good relationships with community and individual donors. The Executive Director position represents an exciting opportunity to work with a passionate and highly competent team and the wider community to bring about real, positive change for vulnerable migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in South East London. 

AFRIL is an equal opportunities employer. We are a diverse staff team and particularly encourage applications from BAME candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and those with lived experience of asylum/irregular migration. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support our staff to flourish.

We are proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network which aims to increase representation of people with lived experience in the charitable sector. Please feel free to use their information and resources which may help in preparing your job application.

Please read full Job Description and Person Specification. Applications will only be accepted through CharityJob - please submit a CV and cover letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) detailing how you meet the person specification. 

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) are recruiting for an Expert by Experience Coordinator to join our supportive and growing team. The Expert by Experience Coordinator is a new role in our small dynamic charity. The postholder will work to ensure the voices and perspectives of individuals with lived experience of asylum and forced migration are integrated into the design and delivery of AFRIL services and policy work. This role involves facilitating communication, promoting co-production, and empowering individuals to share their expertise to improve services and guide policy priorities. 

The post involves coordinating our monthly Members Forum, and working with the core team to feed this into policy and service development, alongside thematic and sometimes practical support to our Allotment Steering Group, Rainbow Club Youth Council and Asylum Hotel Residents Forum. The postholder will develop the AFRIL ambassadors scheme, creating opportunities for former clients to continue to be involved in shaping AFRIL, and work with the Director to develop a governance level co-production structure as agreed with the Board of Trustees. 

We are looking for a good people person, able to engage and inspire others, who demonstrates a collaborative approach to working with a range of stakeholders and in particular AFRIL clients who come from a variety of backgrounds. The postholder will be highly organised, have good project planning and execution skills, and a good working knowledge of the issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Community language skills are an asset.

About AFRIL

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is a registered charity that supports asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants in South East London. We support people to lift themselves out of poverty, assert their rights and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. We provide both crisis support to meet immediate need, and longer-term, flexible programmes to tackle the underlying problems that lead people to be in crisis, supporting people to integrate, contribute and thrive. Our work is grounded in the values of professionalism, inclusivity, and solidarity. Our clients are at the heart of what we do and our approach is one of co-production and empowerment.

AFRIL delivers the following core services in the London Boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark, Bexley and Bromley:

• Rainbow Club Supplementary School - providing weekly supplementary education in English and Maths, arts, music and sports activities to children from refugee, migrant  and asylum seeking backgrounds from 4-11 years old, plus youth volunteering programme and Youth Council (NRCSE and Sanctuary Status). 

• Casework and Advocacy Service: providing AQS accredited advice, casework and legal interventions in asylum support, community care, housing, welfare benefits and related matters. Pre-Action Protocol letters to challenge unlawful public law decisions. The service currently provides Level 1 immigration advice under the Immigration Advice Agency.

• Destitution Support - a fortnightly Food Bank in partnership with St Peter’s Church providing food, food vouchers, toiletries, and other essentials, alongside a warm hub with free cafe, information and support. Small grants for essential items and cash payments for food in emergencies. Securing and distributing gifts in kind, e.g. winter coats, laptops and data. 

• Allotment of Refuge - a welcoming community of food growers that supports improved health, wellbeing and integration of members, whilst protecting the local environment. 

• Immigration Project in partnership with Southwark Law Centre, providing free legal advice and representation to support people to regularise their immigration status. 

We also use our frontline experience, together with our clients, to engage in Policy and influencing work to improve the services and policies that impact our client group. This includes advising the GLA on 3 asylum related working groups, and as a member of the London Housing Panel.

AFRIL is an equal opportunities employer. We are a diverse staff team and particularly encourage applications from BAME candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and those with lived experience of asylum/irregular migration. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support our staff to flourish.

We are proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network which aims to increase representation of people with lived experience in the charitable sector. Please feel free to use their information and resources which may help in preparing your job application.

Please read full Job Description and Person Specification. Applications will only be accepted through CharityJob - please submit a CV and cover letter (no more than one side of A4) detailing how you meet the person specification. 

The Head of Finance is a key member of Tara Theatre’s senior management team, overseeing the company’s financial processes and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements. They will report to Alys Beider, Tara’s new Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive and support with strategic long-term financial and business planning as well as annual and quarterly budgeting.

They are responsible for maintaining the company accounts, preparing quarterly management accounts, cashflow forecasts and financial reports and analysis for the executive team and the board of trustees.

Tara Theatre is a company limited by guarantee and a charity. It has two trading subsidiaries, Tara Productions and Tara Enterprises. We currently have an annual turnover of circa £1 million. We manage our finances and payroll in-house, currently using Xero.

As our Head of Finance, you may have a background in the arts and culture sector, however we are open to a range of skillsets gained from working in business or charity environments and encourage applications from individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds and lived experiences.

We are open to the potential for the role to be part-time working four days per week (salary on a pro rata basis).

We welcome applications from candidates who wish to work in a flexible working pattern (for example around caring responsibilities or access requirements relating to a disability).