Schools and youth marketing officer jobs

We have ambitious plans for the future and are bringing together an incredible team to make them happen. At the center of it all, we're looking for an energetic, collaborative Foundation Manager to help us grow, thrive, and deliver real impact.

This is a broad and rewarding role — perfect for someone who’s excited to roll up their sleeves, take ownership, and help shape the direction of a dynamic and growing charity.

The Foundation Manager will report directly to the COO and act as the general manager of the charity, serving as the central pivot, which all operations revolve around. They will manage the charity on a day-to-day basis, lead the delivery of our programmes, and drive both fundraising efforts and sound financial management to support our work.

African Adventures Foundation is a registered charity set up in 2013 to provide support to 29 schools in developing areas of Ghana, Kenya and Zanzibar.

These schools provide education, health and food security, and social support to young people whose access to these basic services would otherwise be very limited. African Adventures Foundation helps by funding food security programmes, the construction of important school facilities, and hygiene projects that will benefit children’s health and education. With your help, we can continue to provide security and opportunities for more children in Africa.

It's an extremely exciting time to join our team as we continue to expand our company. Due to our current growth and expected growth over the coming years, we are in the process of relocating from Eastleigh to new office premises in Whiteley, which are better able to accommodate our expanding team. This role may also require travel outside the UK to visit our Programmes as needed by the business.

The role is centred around three core elements: charity management, programme delivery, and fundraising.

Responsibilities

1. Charity management (with support from the COO & Trustees)

• Line management of the Programme Officer in all respects including recruitment, conduct, capability, welfare, personal development.
• Indirect (matrix) management of the in-country Foundation Coordinators.
• Key member of the broader UK Management team.
• Support the COO and Chair of Trustees with the overall Governance framework of the charity including standards, processes and reporting.
• Primary point of contact for the board of Trustees day-to-day, supporting the Chair of the Trustees in the coordination and administration of Board activity.
• Lead on development, oversight and operation of charity standards, processes and systems.
• Work alongside the charities dedicated Finance Officer in ensuring good financial management of income and expenditure through planning, approvals, and processes.
• Attend a variety of external charitable, donor, and operational events or locations as required from time to time.
• Work closely with supporting departments like Finance, Marketing, and Travel Operations on all charity related matters.
• Handle day-to-day enquiries, questions, and issues related to the Foundation.

2. Programme Delivery (delivered by the Programme Officer)

• Ensure that a clear, documented process is in place for receiving, triaging, and managing requests related to volunteer projects and charity support.
• Lead the prioritisation process for articulated charitable requests, ensuring appropriate approvals are obtained and properly documented.
• Support strong project management throughout the planning and delivery of approved charitable projects.
• Ensure a robust MEAL [Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning] process is in place for measuring and reporting on the impact of the charity’s work with its beneficiaries, donors, and trustees.

3. Fundraising (with support from the COO & Trustees)

• Responsible for the developing and managing the Fundraising Opportunities Portfolio ensuring all stakeholders have clear visibility of funding gaps and opportunities for current and prospective donors.
• Responsible for leading on developing fundraising activities as informed by the Fundraising Strategy to drive income and cover operational expenditure.
• Maintain strong Donor relationships and develop grant applications adding to support a healthy funding pipeline to ensure we meet the charities fundraising targets.
• Work with the Marketing Manager to ensure effective marketing and social media strategies in are in place and to maximise the opportunities they provide.

What We’re Looking For:

Due to the breadth of this role, we would only expect an incumbent to have relevant experience in 2 of the 3 core elements of the role as a minimum, but with a strong desire to develop and learn in the 3rd with dedicated support.

Essential:

• Excellent Written & Communication skillset. A true collaborator.
• Experience in the Charity sector in a Management/Leadership capacity.
• Experience in Project Management and/or Delivery.
• A passion for driving improvement and change, to the betterment of children in Africa.

Ideally two of the following:

• Experience in charity management, governance, and compliance.
• Experience of delivering impactful charity projects.
• Experience in fundraising, donor relations, and/or campaign management.

Desirable:

• Experience of operating in an International Charity/NGO sector.
• Experience in African child development, education, empowerment/health context.

Please note that you should be authorised to work in UK. We do not offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Benefits

• 5 weeks holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing after five years’ service
• Enhanced pension contributions
• Enrolment onto annual company bonus scheme
• Benenden cash plan
• Benenden private healthcare
• Hybrid role with flexible working hours

Job Type: 37.5 hours, 5 days per week, Monday to Friday. Permanent.

Pay: £36,000 - £40,000 per year dependent on experience with a yearly bonus depending on business and personal performance

Work Location: Depending on agreed working days, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday must be in person and Thursday/Friday can be worked remotely.

Are you passionate about creating unforgettable experiences that drive real-world impact? Pratham UK is seeking a dynamic and detail-oriented Special Events Officer to lead the delivery of our flagship annual Gala—this year hosted at the iconic V&A Museum—and support a calendar of high-profile and community-focused events. Working closely with our Director of Philanthropy and an ambitious, collaborative team, you'll play a vital role in helping us raise vital funds to support millions of children through Pratham’s groundbreaking education programmes in India.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a fast-growing charity in a pivotal role, ideal for someone with experience in event planning and a passion for supporting children in India to thrive. You’ll help shape events that not only inspire donors but also celebrate our global impact—from an exclusive House of Lords reception to grassroots fundraising campaigns. If you're ready to bring creativity, precision, and purpose to your next role, we’d love to hear from you.

Join Our Team!

The National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs (NFYFC) is seeking a dynamic and experienced Fundraising Manager to develop and implement strategies for securing funding from trusts, grant-making bodies, and corporate partners. This role is crucial in ensuring NFYFC’s financial sustainability and growth, collaborating with team members and engaging with our vibrant community of young farmers.

We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Honeypot Children’s Charity who are looking for a Corporate and Community Fundraising Executive responsible for maximising fundraising income from a pipeline of existing, and new, corporate partners and community groups.

With headquarters in London, and three respite houses situated in the South of England, Wales and Scotland, Honeypot supports young carers aged 5 to 12 years old, who perform a surrogate adult role as a carer for a loved one, often single-handedly, and whose wellbeing is at significant risk, leading to anxiety, isolation, poor confidence, and low self-esteem.

Reporting to the Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager, you will be responsible for growing support from businesses (currently 30 small corporates) plus local groups. You’ll manage existing partners and build new relationships to hit a £150K annual target. 

The successful candidate will:

• Have a minimum of two years’ experience in Fundraising
• Demonstrate strong relationship-building and networking skills.
• Have excellent communication skills (verbal and written) with the ability to deliver persuasive and dynamic presentations.
• Be analytical in approach to tracking performance and impact.
• Bring a creative approach, to create persuasive employee engagement and CSR campaigns, and exciting community events and fundraising campaigns that inspire support. 
• Ensure attention to detail and maintain accurate records of donor and sponsorship activities on CRM system with good working knowledge of MS Office

If you are target driven and ambitious, can work effectively on your own, and as part of a team, have good knowledge of fundraising regulations and best practices, and are happy to work flexible hours then please get in touch.

Please note: that you will be required to travel easily within the London area to attend community and corporate events.

For more information, please contact Louise Portnall, Recruitment Consultant, Charisma Charity Recruitment. Your application should be submitted through the Charisma website and include your CV and supporting statement.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or other category protected by law.

Location: Hammersmith, London – hybrid, minimum 2 days per week in office​Closing date for applications: 24 May 2025

However, applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis, so please apply without delay to avoid disappointment

About UP

Unlocking Potential deliver high performing therapeutic programmes and education provision for children and young people with SEMH needs. We work in collaboration with families, communities, and other partners to ensure that children and young people access the interventions they need to thrive.

Mission

We work collaboratively with communities to enable children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs to unlock their full potential

Values

Trust

We build trust by being honest, transparent, and accountable in the way we work with children and young people, staff, and partners and by providing services and programmes whose outcomes are measurable and evidenced based.

Collaborative

Relationships are at the heart of our work. We prioritise communication and collaboration with partners, families, and communities, believing that by working together we create more effective and holistic outcomes for children and young people.

Empowering

We co-create opportunities for our children, young people, parents/carers and staff to actively participate in decision-making that influences change. We promote the voices of children and young people in our organisation and the wider community.

Nurturing

We provide a nurturing approach based on safety and space for creativity, exploration, and growth. We support and care for our children, young people, and staff to realise their potential.

Impact

We are committed to measuring our impact through a data driven method to develop our programmes and make a greater difference to the lives of children, young people, and their parents and carers.

Overview

We will be launching our new programme from September 2025, initially as a pilot working with families across Wandsworth, with aims to be able to expand and continue beyond this.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Family Support Manager to play a pivotal role in establishing our new Family Support programme. Your initial focus will be leading on the development of the service, implementing policies and procedures, building referral pathways, and recruiting a team of skilled Family Support Workers.

Once the service is established, you will manage a high-quality programme providing support and guidance to families facing complex challenges. Your role will involve overseeing a team of Family Support Workers, case management, fostering effective collaboration with internal and external multidisciplinary teams, and leading the service under a shared vision to ensure the well-being of children and their families.

Using a restorative approach, you will develop strong relationships to support families and empower them to take an active role in their own support plans and interventions, helping them build resilience and make informed decisions. A commitment to safeguarding excellence will be at the heart of everything you do.

This role would be an exciting opportunity for a qualified Social Worker or an experienced professional with a background in setting up and developing family support services. It offers a genuine opportunity to shape a new service and build an impactful team to make a real difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families.

Action Foundation was established in 2005 to assist asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants in Tyne and Wear. We aim to empower refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants to live independently through a commitment to supporting them to achieve self-sufficiency and integration into the community.

The Language and Learning service has developed and enhanced its support towards better integration to include three streams of support which include employability workshops and advice, digital skills courses alongside non-accredited ESOL classes. We are looking for a full-time project manager to lead our staff and volunteer teams in the delivery of these streams of support.

You will line manage the Project Officer(s) responsible for different aspect of the service work and support them with the delivery of in-person classes and where required any online classes. You will also play an important role at a strategic level in developing partnerships and networks with formal and informal providers of ESOL, employability and digital skills to promote and enhance the service.

Action Foundation is an Equal Opportunity employer, and we welcome applications from all sectors of the community, particularly those who have lived experience of migration and language learning. We also have a strong focus on safeguarding in the organisation and a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check will be part of the recruitment process.

Application deadline is 23:59 on Monday 5th May 2025

Interviews are planned to be held on the week commencing 12th May 2025 at Action Foundation Newcastle, (subject to change)

Essential Information

Hours: 35 hours per week (Full Time)

Location: Based at Newcastle offices. Occasional regional or national travel for training or networking when necessary.

Salary: £31,483- £36,581 plus 6% pension contribution

Contract: 35 hours per week (Full Time)

Annual Leave: 28 days + English Bank Holidays

Application deadline: 5th May 23:59

Interviews to be held: Week commencing 12th May 2025

Please go to Action Foundation website for a link to the Job Description and Application Form.  If you are interested in applying and require more information about the job role, or if you would like any support in the application process, we would encourage you to contact the named person in the advert on Action Foundation website.

Note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive sufficient applications.

A unique team of artists, performers, play specialists and fun-devotees, The Flying Seagull Project is dedicated to ensuring no childhood passes without proper play, big belly-laughs, and everyone feeling valuable. We work across the UK and internationally, sharing circus, music, art, dance and play experiences with children and communities facing the harshest crises due to poverty, war, isolation and illness.

We create safe spaces, either in our big top tent or an empty car park or wherever we can take over a corner, to ensure that every child feels safe, seen and special. The locations we work in include refugee camps, institutions, refuges, marginalised communities, hospices and community centres. What unites us is the energy, determination and commitment to creating genuine childhood joy for those starved of that basic right and making magical memories that can last forever.

Our UK-based, medium-sized charity is led by CEO Ash Perrin, with 6 core staff and a team of highly experienced crew and volunteers. We also have a Netherlands hub and a Norway hub, both with their own governance but all part of one global Seagulls team. We are a dynamic and friendly organisation, dedicated to delivering a huge impact with limited resources, and are looking for people who are driven and who share our mission.

The role

The Global Team Coordinator is a varied and essential new role in the charity that will combine all our people management functions, supporting our international delivery teams, our core team and our vital administrative functions. The central purpose of this role is helping us to engage, support, recognise and retain our most valuable asset: our amazing team of international skilled performers, volunteers and core team.

You’ll be responsible for all things people-related: from ensuring the right people are booked on, supported and looked after on projects; to helping us continually find and train an international, diverse team of new recruits; to establishing an engaging rewards and recognition programme to motivate and retain our fabulous people.

On a practical level, you’ll work closely with our Global Projects Coordinator, to ensure that all our projects across the world are properly staffed and that all our people’s transport, travel, accommodation and logistics are booked and in order; you’ll liaise directly with our delivery teams to ensure they are well supported, rewarded and retained; and you’ll liaise with our office and Senior Leadership teams to carry out relevant administrative tasks to make sure our international operational and booking systems and databases are perfectly organised and efficient.

At a cultural level, the role requires a confident, dynamic, personable and creative person who brings experience, energy and ambition. As a brand-new position, this role will also work closely with our CEO and with our Executive Director to trial new ideas and approaches to recruiting and managing an international, diverse team of people, and to cultivate the best environment for our team to flourish and achieve.

An exceptional people-person, with experience in administration, team support and management (although there are no direct line management responsibilities), you’ll be able to demonstrate excellent communication, organisation, collaboration and coordination skills.

Location: remote with occasional travel for meetings.
Reports to: CEO.

Responsibilities

Team coordination:

• Manage all team calendars, team bookings and team logistics for all global projects (except Norway and Netherlands national tours).
• Liaise closely with the Global Projects Coordinator to understand project requirements, booking relevant core and volunteer team on to every project (accommodating individuals’ particular disability, culture, religion, health or support needs).
• Book all team travel and accommodation on all global projects.
• Identify, recruit and arrange training for local team in international locations to join our projects.
• Liaise with our Norway and Netherlands hubs to ensure team scheduling and support is joined up across the global organisation.

Team recruitment and retention:

• Research, identify and network with international partners, colleges, universities, drama schools and youth organisations, to recruit and maintain an international, diverse pool of talented core and voluntary team to deliver our projects.
• Work closely with the CEO to run international recruitment initiatives, to identify and recruit a diverse, international pool of performers and volunteers.
• Organise and manage new core and voluntary training programmes around the world.
• Promote, manage and maintain a database of relevant non-performer volunteers to support the organisation’s core functions globally.

Team support and engagement:

• Develop and run a rewards and recognition programme to motivate all global team and volunteers.
• Carry out regular and appropriate team engagement activities and initiatives, to maintain excellent working culture and morale.
• Manage our team Wellbeing Programme for all our international core and volunteer teams.
• Identify and coordinate specific external training, to continually develop the teams’ abilities and professional skills.

General administrative tasks:

• Update and maintain global shared team calendars, relevant document logs and planning spreadsheets.
• Manage and update our global Client Management System, Salesforce.
• Manage, update and maintain all international core and volunteer team records and entries via our team booking system, Better Impact.
• Work closely with the Global Projects Coordinator, Executive Director and CEO to support with administrative tasks as required.

The ideal candidate

Dynamic, confident, friendly and creative, you will be an energetic team player, keen to build our reach and our capacity. Confident, with experience coordinating international teams, with fluent English and ideally at least one additional language, you will help recruit and look after all our team, maintaining an excellent working culture within the organisation.

Skills and experience

• A good level of demonstrable experience in administrative/logistical roles.
• Team management and coordination experience, ideally across multiple international locations.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Project management experience including setting and meeting clear targets and outcomes.
• Digitally savvy with great IT skills.
• Knowledge of Better Impact or similar digital team management systems.
• Excellent people and communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills.
• English-language fluent, and additional languages desirable.
• Willingness and ability to juggle multiple priorities and a varied workload.
• Self-sufficient, with a can-do attitude in a challenging and evolving environment.
• Comfortable working to targets, managing KPIs and delivering to deadlines.
• Commitment to The Flying Seagull Project’s vision, mission and values.

Description

Location: London SE1

Contract: Permanent, full-time

Salary: £18k

Closing Date: 6th May 2025

Are you looking for an apprenticeship opportunity? We are national charity based in central London providing a range of services to the maritime sector. We are looking for someone to assist in the administration of all our services, from seafarer training courses to ship libraries. You will learn about this amazing industry and gain a broad range of skills working within our small team.

About the role

Responsibilities

• To support the Head of Seafarer Learning and Welfare in the effective administration and development of Marine Society training and mentoring programmes.
• To act as first line contact for all internal and external enquiries and to respond to these in a timely manner.
• To receive and process seafarer bursary applications and forward to the Head of Seafarer Learning and Welfare for assessment and approval.
• To accurately track and monitor beneficiaries of the Coming Ashore programme and to provide administrative support to programme mentors.
• To take minutes for team meetings and maintain records and files
• To work with the Digital Marketing Coordinator in the administration and promotion of all Marine Society services through social media and press publications
• To maintain the use of Google Classroom as a communication hub for programme users and bursary recipients and to track their progress and outcomes.
• To input data that will support the production of reports by the Head of Seafarer Learning and Welfare to funders and stakeholders as required.
• To assist the Apprenticeship Delivery Manager in all aspects of administering the apprentice and adult skills programmes.

Requirements

• Good general level of formal education (including English and mathematics GCSE Grade 4/C or above)
• Proficient user of Microsoft Office applications and virtual meetings software
• Good standard of written and spoken English

For further information, please download the Recruitment Pack. If you are interested in this role, please apply now!

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave per annum increasing with length of service
• Hybrid working for many roles
• Life assurance (4x salary)
• Private medical insurance
• Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
• Cycle to work scheme
• Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
• Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.

For further information, please download the Recruitment Pack. If you are interested in this role, please apply now!

Additional Information

The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure and also enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development. Working with our employees, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a strong vision and five-year Future Ready strategy to meet the growing demand for what we provide, both for young people, seafarers and maritime professionals – and the thousands who aspire to be the sea cadets and marine professionals of the future. It is also about equipping them to achieve their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing world, while growing our charity to benefit even more people – including those from under-represented or marginalised groups.

MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.

We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire. 

All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.

Are you a highly experienced, driven and proactive finance & operations professional? Are you passionate about creativity and social impact? Would you like to join a multi-award-winning charity at a time of exceptional growth and impact? We would love to hear from you.

Create has just entered Year Five of its ambitious seven-year strategy to double its reach/impact by the charity’s 25th anniversary in 2028. As the charity progresses into this critical phase of development, we have been awarded a major (£320k) grant to support capacity building. This will enable the further implementation of Salesforce as the charity’s CRM, focusing on the project management and finance functions of operation, transforming efficiency and reducing administrative strain. This will be achieved by creating the position of Technical Project Lead to project manage and oversee implementation of Salesforce; increasing capacity in the finance team by appointing a Finance Manager; and implementing new cloud-based financial accounting software to work alongside Salesforce. This is an incredibly exciting time to join the charity and make your mark.

The Director of Finance & Operations will direct, administer and coordinate the financial, governance, HR, IT and operational activities of the charity in accordance with company policies and the Strategic Plan established by the Chief Executive (CE) and the Board of Trustees, and to assure the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of the planning, delivery and reporting of these activities.

Salary: £46,000-£51,000 per annum depending on experience.

How to apply

Download the application pack from our website which includes a full job description and person specification.

The deadline for applications is 9am on Wednesday 7 May 2025.

1st Interviews: Thursday 15 May at Create’s offices
2nd Interviews: Tuesday 20 May at Create’s offices

To apply, please send a completed application form with a short email providing a telephone number where you can be contacted in confidence.

Completed application forms should be returned to Create with the job title in the subject field).

Create is committed to a policy of equal opportunities embracing diversity in all areas of activity and welcomes applications from disabled people and people of all ethnicities.

No agencies / consultancies.

This is an exceptional opportunity to be at the heart of a truly exciting heritage restoration project to restore,  renew and open up to new audiences, a nationally-important building in a thriving but economically and socially challenged central London neighbourhood.

In November 2024, St Peter’s Walworth submitted a First-Round application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for Development Phase funding for the “Building Beyond: Soane Reimagined” project. The request was for a First Round Pass of £3.1m and a Development Grant of £438,000.  A decision was received by NLHF on 13th March 2025 and pending Permission to Start, the Development Phase is set to run for 18 months, at which point a Delivery Round application will be submitted to activate a Delivery Phase.  Staff, a Design Team, a QS and specialist consultants will need to be competitively appointed to complete a list of required documents/studies for the Delivery application. Design development needs to be completed to RIBA Stage 3, planning, Faculty and consents need to be in place and all partnership funding raised or pledged.

Capital works are proposed to the exterior of the Church, respecting its heritage integrity, making it more sustainable and putting it in good order throughout. Similarly inside, where improvements will make the Church more welcoming, improving infrastructure and circulation and accommodating planned activities. Works will take place over the three floors: Crypt Basement, the Ground Floor and the Gallery/First Floor.

A full time Heritage Manager will need to be appointed at the beginning of the 18-month Development Phase. The successful candidate will provide leadership for the Project reporting to Claire Maugham (Chair of the Steering Group Committee) involved in strategic planning, management, execution, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders.  In order to achieve the goals of St Peter’s Walworth,  they will oversee design development to RIBA Stage 3 of “Building Beyond: Soane Reimagined” and oversee the preparation of key NLHF checklist documents, supporting on the roll out of a successful fundraising campaign - with a target to raise just over £1m working with a Fundraising Appeal Board, and a F/T Trusts and Foundations Manager.

The Heritage Manager will be a strategic thinker with an understanding of the planning and delivery of major projects funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). We are also looking for a candidate that will successfully integrate partnerships that are being forged in the local area. They should have a strong background in project management and possess the ability to move adeptly between big picture thinking and day-to-day operations, where it will be necessary, for example, to process their own admin.

The Heritage Manager will have some experience of fundraising, networking and financial management and be comfortable working in a start-up environment, being able to demonstrate experience of extensive community engagement, as well as an understanding of and empathy with the ambitions and vision of the St Peter’s Walworth PCC (Parochial Church Council) and the needs of a Grade 1 listed building. 

They will bring an inclusive approach to their work, able to centre and involve the church and local community in the project while integrating the experience of a wide range of volunteer professionals

Their task will be ensure that the project is delivered within time and to budget in accordance with an agreed programme, budget and checklist of deliverables, as well as working closely with all project stakeholders and partners.

St Peter’s Walworth is an inclusive and welcoming Church. We seek candidates with the skills and experience required, irrespective of any protected characteristics, and encourage applications from all regardless of background. We are especially keen to receive applications from people who are members of communities minoritised and under-represented in the heritage sector. We are a Christian church but this role may be filled by someone of any faith or of none.