Senior media relations officer jobs in newcastle
This is a new role within our Communications and Engagement team, with responsibility for helping share our message that disabled people should be able to make the journeys that we want, with confidence, ease and dignity.
Transport for All’s communications are key to our work. We are a small but mighty charity. Each year we speak to hundreds of journalists, reach thousands of people through our website, and engage with hundreds of thousands of people through our social media feeds.
Our highly successful newsletter reaches disabled people, the transport industry, and decision makers. Our award-winning campaigns team creates compelling narratives that challenge and change systems.
Over the last few years our reach and membership has grown in size and profile. This role will support a continuation of that growth, producing engaging content that connects with people, attracting new members and supporters, ensuring people can access our advice services, and helping us achieve justice in society – where disabled people’s voices are amplified, and our message is heard and acted upon.
This role is open to disabled applicants only.
Please note – This role has a genuine occupational requirement of lived experience of disability. This explicitly includes those of us who are Deaf, neurodivergent, chronically ill, have a mental health condition, have age-related impairments, and people with both visible and non-visible impairments. If you do not meet this requirement, and state this in your application, you will not be shortlisted for interview.
What happens next?
The deadline for applications is 4 August, 9am
Interviews will take place online on 13 and 14 August
For an informal discussion about the role, or to receive the documents in alternative formats, please visit our website for contact details.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
We are seeking a compassionate, visionary, and strategic Chief Executive Officer to lead Mermaids through the next stage of its evolution, dedicated to improving the lives of gender-diverse children and young people, and those who are important to them. As CEO, you will be responsible for driving the charity’s mission, shaping its strategic direction, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, affirming support services. You will act as a visible and credible advocate for trans and
gender-diverse youth, build strong relationships with stakeholders, and influence public policy and sector practice. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, you will oversee a small committed team, ensure robust financial management with the Chief Operating Officer, and lead fundraising efforts to secure a sustainable future. This is a unique opportunity for a values-driven leader who brings both strategic acumen and a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and lived
experience.
Service Delivery:
• Provide strategic and operational leadership across all service delivery areas, including support line services, group work, advocacy, external communications, and policy.
• Ensure services are high quality, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of trans and gender-diverse children, young people and the special people in their lives.
• Lead the continuous improvement and development of service delivery models, ensuring impact, effectiveness, and alignment with the charity’s mission.
• Champion a culture of safeguarding, accountability, and young person-centred practice throughout all service delivery.
• Act as the organisation’s Safeguarding Lead, with oversight of on-call, safeguarding training, and ensuring appropriate escalation mechanisms are in place.
• Oversee the design and implementation of advocacy and policy activities, ensuring the charity’s voice is informed by lived
experience and is impactful at local and national levels.
• Act as a visible and hands-on leader for frontline teams, providing support, supervision, and inspiration to staff and
volunteers.
• Monitor performance, outcomes, and feedback to ensure services are meeting objectives and delivering positive change
for beneficiaries.
Governance:
• In partnership with the board of trustees, set and articulate our vision, mission and strategy, and keep this under continual
review.
• Lead the development and implementation of Mermaid’s strategic plan, ensuring sustainability and growth.
• Liaise with the board of trustees to ensure the charity’s governance, structure, policies and procedures are appropriate
and effective, taking remedial measures and implementing change as necessary. This includes supporting board
development.
• Work closely with the Chair and Board of Trustees to support strong governance and informed decision-making.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting on organisational performance, risks, and impact.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory guidance and legislation, including the Charity Commission and the Fundraising
Finance & Fundraising:
• Working with the Chief Operating Officer and the Board of Trustees, ensure Mermaids has robust, deliverable fundraising
and finance strategies in place, and subsequent action plans are embedded throughout the organisation to support their
delivery.
• In partnership with the Chief Operating Officer, ensure Mermaids has robust finance, HR, IT, data privacy and governance processes and procedures are embedded.
People and Culture:
• Line manage senior staff including the COO and service delivery managers.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, inclusive internal culture that values lived experience and wellbeing.
• Continue work to embed a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion across the organisation, as well as a focus on accessibility.
• Work to define and drive trans-centred leadership across the organisation, including ensuring that the organisation is a trans-positive, supportive employer.
External Engagement and Advocacy:
• Represent Mermaids publicly, including acting as the key spokesperson and strategic policy stakeholder, ensuring
organisational awareness of the external landscape and the changing needs of trans children, young people and their
families, and advocating for these needs to be met.
• Lead communications strategy, and lead press engagement by responding to media inquiries, interviews, press conferences and media events.
• Lead on stakeholder engagement, including with funders, supporters, community partners, and policy influencers.
• Advocate for the rights and needs of trans and gender-diverse children, young people and the significant others in their lives at a national level.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Who we're looking for
Brilliant storyteller with confidence in their digital marketing, copywriting and PR skills.
Changemaker who is excited about embedding and championing our new brand.
Motivated communicator who will improve engagement with our stakeholders.
Creative leader who enjoys a proactive and responsive environment.
Impact and evidence champion to influence target audiences, raise awareness and garner support.
Values-led collaborator who will build strong relationships with our team, members and strategic partners.
Our focus is on creating libraries of tomorrow with children and young people today.
We want all children and young people to feel at home at the library, to be understood, empowered and inspired. Our collaborative network is made up of member, partners and supporters. We believe in the need for safe spaces and real-life connections to support the demands of modern life. Together, we’re creating change, and you can be a part of it.
Our charity is going through a rebirth, with a new name, strategy and brand identity launching this autumn. This is a pivotal time for a passionate, skilled communicator to join our team. We’re looking for someone to bring the energy and expertise to take us into this new chapter and to new heights, maximising impact and reach.
We are an Arts Council England Investment Principles Support Organisation. Our members are leaders in children and young people’s public libraries and schools library services (SLS).
What’s important to us needs to be important to you too. We want to focus on impact, to work openly, to collaborate with and learn from others, to take the time to care for ourselves and each other, and to have fun together. We want to build an environmentally sustainable charity, and we want to be celebrated as an inclusion changemaker in the sector.
Experience as a communications professional is essential and you’ll be energised by the opportunity to:
- Raise our profile higher within the sector.
- Raise awareness of the range of activities and impacts libraries deliver for children and young people through research, evidence and compelling communication.
- Develop, manage and deliver targeted advocacy for public libraries and schools library services.
- Maintain and cultivate proactive relationships with advocacy and influencing partners to ensure children and young people are always represented in national policy discussions.
- Embed and champion a strong brand, which supports our members and resonates with new stakeholders to ensure we are the ‘go to partner’ for children and young people’s libraries.
- Maximise our use of existing and new research and data to evidence the impact of library services for children and young people’s and schools library services.
- Promote the sector-leading work of our charity, grow our membership and develop new and innovative ways to increase our reach and engagement.
- Develop a strong case for support to attract new funders and supporters.
We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll endeavour to be as accommodating as possible. If you would like to discuss specific requirements, please get in touch.
Further information including the role description and application form is available on our website.
Registered Charity
1 - 5
Creating libraries of tomorrow with children and young people today.
Thank you!
We are a small but mighty team, with huge ambitions to transform more lives of those who live with an intellectual disability, through the power of sport.
If you are just looking for a job, then we are probably not for you. However, if you are an experienced Corporate Partnerships Manager with a track record of driving high-value, purpose-driven partnerships that create lasting impact and you are looking for a challenge, a chance to make a huge difference and you want to be part of a high performing team which gets things done, then we would like to hear from you.
We continue to be focused on our vision to create an inclusive world for all, driven by the power of sport, through which people with intellectual disabilities live active, healthy and fulfilling lives. We are a small, but growing, team with huge ambitions, and applicants must be comfortable operating in an environment where working under your own initiative is expected and encouraged.
We are looking for people who are passionate about Special Olympics and are completely aligned with our values. We are authentic. We act with honesty, integrity and respect. We are creative and innovative. We love to embrace difference and doing things differently. We are brave, courageous, resilient and determined. We listen and are led by the voice of our athletes. We are always kind. We are Inclusion in Action.
We are continuing to build a high-performing team who care for each other and care about our cause. Our athletes are incredibly inspirational, courageous and insightful people, and they deserve a team who are equally committed and passionate about our mission.
How to Apply
For Job Role specifics please see the Job Description attached. The role is a fixed term contract to 31st March 2027, with the possibility of this being extended. The role will require travel, with 3 days per week traveling to Fuller, Smith and Turner sites. Previous applicants need not apply.
To apply, please send a covering letter (maximum 2 pages) explaining why you wish to work for Special Olympics GB. It is important that all prospective employees understand our mission and are driven by our cause. Please be specific about how your skills and experience will help you undertake this role. Generic letters and agency approaches will not be considered. Please also include your CV.
Closing date for applications is 04/08/25. First stage interviews will be held w/c 11/08/25.
Special Olympics GB is committed to equality and diversity and encourages all sections of the community, particularly those living with a disability, who meet the job requirements to apply. We are a Disability Confident Employer.
The job holder will need to provide evidence of their ability to live and work in the UK and will be required to undertake a DBS check.
We will only contact those who have been selected for interview.
We request no contact from agencies.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We are Special Olympics GB. We are Inclusion in Action.
