Volunteer communications jobs

We are seeking a part-time Communications and Marketing Officer to join the Foundation during an exciting period of growth. You will work as part of a small team to deliver our fundraising strategy – by 2028 we aim to be raising £1 million a year to fund vital work in the National Park.

We are looking for a creative and proactive communicator who is passionate about the Peak District, its wildlife and its communities. You’ll be someone who thrives in a small dynamic team and is confident working across digital platforms to tell compelling stories, engage supporters and grow our reach. You’ll bring fresh ideas, a collaborative spirit, and a keen eye for details – whether crafting social media content, managing campaigns, or supporting fundraising initiatives.

This is a varied role that will work as part of a small team to ensure we raise the funds needed to support the Peak District to be enjoyed by everyone, forever. You will help to raise funds to:

• Protect our peatlands. The Park contains some of the most degraded upland peatland anywhere in Europe. We’re working to restore Peak District blanket bogs and peatland back to health, conserving this vital carbon capturing habitat for the future.
• Restore habitats. Nature is in crisis even in our National Park. We’re working to create bigger, better and more joined up habitats across the Peak District, supporting biodiversity and providing essential corridors for wildlife.
• Connect people and communities to nature. The more people who are connected to nature, the more people will want to protect it. We are working to ensure people of all ages and backgrounds have opportunities to experience and care for our National Park.
• Ensure access for everyone. There are over 1,600 miles of paths within the National Park. We’re working to fund high quality path repair, improve access for people with disabilities and help more people enjoy their right to roam.
• Protect our cultural heritage. The Peak District landscape has been shaped by people. We’re working to protect and conserve these irreplaceable heritage sites, from historic buildings and industrial structures to pre-historic features.

If you’re enthusiastic about making a difference and helping protect and promote the UK’s first National Park, we’d love to hear from you. We are open to individuals looking to transition from other sectors.

What we can offer you

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays (pro-rata)
• Two wellbeing days (pro-rata) – additional paid leave to support your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing
• Enjoy your birthday as a paid day off
• 2 days volunteer leave per year (and access to volunteer opportunities inside the Park)
• Flexible working - we support hybrid and adaptable hours to suit your lifestyle
• Family friendly policies – flexible hours and a culture of listening and support
• Getting to work in and around our beautiful Peak District National Park

Job Purpose

We’re looking for a talented and motivated Communications and Engagement Officer who can effectively convey the life-changing impact of our work, motivate our community to volunteer, donate and fundraise to support our work, and ensure that the information and educational resources we provide reach those who need them most.

Key Responsibilities 

Communications:

· Act as the first point of contact for IPWSO’s public email address and social media channels and ensure timely and appropriate replies.

· Manage IPWSO’s social media channels, creating original and engaging content and posts, and actively engaging with our audiences.

· Manage Google Ad Grant campaigns with an emphasis on growing our supporter base and increasing individual giving.

· Keep up to date with emerging trends in digital communications and social media and recommend potential new channels for fundraising and audience engagement.

· Support the development of videos for IPWSO, in cooperation with IPWSO’s Project Manager and other colleagues. The type of work to be undertaken includes providing support for content development, speaker recruitment, filming and editing, as well as helping source external agencies as needed.

· Maintain and develop the IPWSO website ensuring its security and that it functions both as an effective supporter acquisition tool and a means by which people can easily access information about PWS.

· Produce compelling newsletters and an Annual Report.

· Support the review and update of IPWSO’s Communications Strategy in line with its Strategic Plan.

· Uphold and showcase the IPWSO mission and brand.

· Help oversee the production and design of a range of educational resources for families and professionals.

· Oversee copywriting and proofreading within IPWSO.

· Support IPWSO’s members and liaise with its stakeholders internationally in support of our shared goals.

Engagement:

 · Provide support for online events programmes, in cooperation with IPWSO’s Project Manager and the Online Events Committee.  The type of support to be provided includes hosting Zoom sessions, supporting speakers, follow up administration including evaluations.

· Support IPWSO’s Famcare Board by facilitating their online meetings and assisting with their online events.

· Work with the Project and Operations Manager to provide membership support, liaising with IPWSO’s member organisations as needed.

· Proactively engage with member associations to promote IPWSO and also to understand their needs and how IPWSO can be of help.

· Work with the Project and Operations Manager on our Educational Outreach programmes.  Work will include liaising with event organisers with regards to IPWSO’s booths at different conferences, ensuring follow up as needed (including help with preparation of PowerPoint slides), engagement follow up including data entry to update our database (Donorfy).

How to Apply

Review the full job outline/ad and apply on the Charity Job website by submitting a copy of your CV with a covering letter of no more than two pages of A4, describing how you meet the requirements of the role and the criteria outlined in the person specification.

We will be reviewing applications and interviewing applicants on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early, as the advertisement may close before the date specified below if a suitable candidate is found.

The closing date for the receipt of applications is November 30th at 5pm UK time.  The start date envisaged for the Communications & Engagement Officer is 5th January 2026.

Growing up in today’s world is hard. At Youth Talk, we’re determined that every young person has a safe place to talk in confidence — whatever’s on their mind.

We’re a small but growing local charity with big ambitions, and we are now looking for an energetic and enthusiastic Community Events & Volunteering Lead to join our team. This is a role for someone who loves people, thrives on variety, and wants to turn community energy into life-changing impact. The role will help drive our community fundraising – connecting with schools, local groups and our amazing volunteers helping to raise awareness and vital funds for Youth Talk. You’ll play a key part in growing our reach, leading and supporting our volunteers and helping us make an even bigger impact across St Albans and beyond.

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 100 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible.

This is a full time and fixed term contract until 1 May 2027.

We’re looking for a creative communications professional ready to lead a team focussed on making impact for our members. Students’ Union UCL is at the centre of students’ education, creating an environment where our members can develop, learn, and have fun. As Communications Manager, you’ll lead our communications strategy across digital, editorial, and internal channels. You’ll shape our brand voice, ensure our messaging resonates with students and staff, and craft a positive image of our organisation. From podcasts and videos to impact reports and internal culture-building, you’ll be at the heart of how we tell our story.

If you are an ambitious, audience-focused communications and marketing professional who wants to work with a passionate team, in a unique cultural and heritage visitor destination, then look no further.

About Crystal Palace Park

At over 200 acres, Crystal Palace Park is far larger than most urban parks. Beloved as a ‘back garden’ to many people in the surrounding neighbourhoods, it is also of national and international significance due to its design as the grounds to the Victorian architectural masterpiece, The Crystal Palace, and its rich, unique heritage, including the 170-year-old world-famous Dinosaurs. Today, circa one million people visit the park every year; to relax and meet friends and family, take part in sports and physical exercise, enjoy world-class acts during summer festivals, or simply have a moment of peace and enjoyment of nature.

In September 2023, after 25 years of community campaigning, Crystal Palace Park Trust took over custodianship of this historic landscape and its unique venues via a 125-year lease from the London Borough of Bromley. We are now working closely with a wide-range of partners to deliver a multi-million-pound regeneration and restoration project that will save the park's globally unique heritage and drive a 35% increase in annual visitor numbers.

The Senior Manager, Audience & Communication will have a critical role to play in the coming years; driving engagement with larger, more diverse audiences as we establish Crystal Palace Park as an exemplar in urban park management, community-led regeneration and cultural and heritage programming whilst restoring its position as one of the UK’s leading visitor attractions.

About the role

The role of Senior Manager, Audience & Communications offers a hugely exciting opportunity for a creative, dynamic and strategic communications and marketing professional to join the charity at a pivotal moment in its evolution. 

You will be able to develop and deliver creative and compelling multi-channel campaigns to meet objectives including:

• Raising the profile of the park and its iconic, award-winning indoor and outdoor venues, such as the Crystal Palace Subway, Italian Terraces, and Concert Platform, as a home for world-class arts, culture and heritage;
• Broadening access, deepening participation and extending reach with larger and more diverse audiences;
• Providing a high level of customer service to park visitors, users and the surrounding communities;
• Supporting income generation as part of the Trust’s remit to deliver an innovative new business model to underpin a sustainable and vibrant future for this complex and historic landscape; and
• Promoting opportunities for local residents to get involved in caring for this unique landscape such as volunteering, membership and philanthropic giving.

To help achieve these objectives you will oversee the work of a Senior Communications & Marketing Officer to ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of all communications and marketing channels whether digital, press or physical in-park signage.

How to apply

For more information on how to apply, please download the application pack and submit the required documents by the closing date of 10am on Monday 17 November 2025.

Crystal Palace Park Trust is an equal opportunities employer. We believe that our staff should represent the communities, organisations, and individuals that we work with and support. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or nationality.

Starting Salary: £54,269 - £59,422 (including LW)  

Contract: Permanent  

Location: Romero House, London - Hybrid working with a minimum of 40% of your time in the London head Office

Job Profile

CAFOD has an ambition to be digital first in our marketing and communications, to stay ahead of emerging trends and make the most of what digital technology can offer to strengthen our relationships with our supporters and in our ways of working across the organisation. Digital technology has already transformed our communications and will continue to do so. This senior communications and marketing role will be responsible for steering the ongoing digital transformation of CAFODs work, primarily in the supporter programme and also across the wider organisation.

This role encompasses overall responsibility for the brand, digital marketing, messaging, proactive and reactive media relations, with a core focus on digital transformation across all platforms. This post will play a key role in guiding our digital shop fronts and marketing efforts, evolving supporter journeys, steering our email programme and leading on the digital infrastructure to enable delivery of our supporter programme. It will ensure that digital engagement and conversion is embedded and an integral part of our communications planning. 

This role will drive innovation and data-informed insight across the full spectrum of communications and wider organisation functions. It will embed a digital-first approach across teams and guide and accompany the wider organisation on harnessing opportunities of new technologies, making digital engagement integral to communications planning. 

This role will drive brand awareness, brand advocacy and action across our programmes to ensure CAFOD is top of mind amongst the Catholic Community of England and Wales, helping to grow support from our constituency. You will bring proven senior-level experience in digital communications and marketing, ideally within the charity sector. With a strong understanding of communications at a senior level with expert knowledge of digital channels, audience engagement, and online conversion, you also have a strategic grasp of how digital integrates into broader communications and supporter strategies. Your leadership style is collaborative and visionary, and you have the gravitas and expertise to set the digital marketing direction for a large organisation, while bringing all teams along with your vision.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development, direction setting and delivery of an ambitious, insight-led digital-first communications strategy that enhances supporter journeys, increases engagement and drives measurable growth in support of our supporter programme, especially our parishioner-first fundraising strategy. 

• Act as CAFODs senior expert on communications, advising the Executive team, across departments and influencing strategic decision-making, including on digital direction and development, at the highest level. 

• Lead complex cross-organisational projects that improve our digital supporter experience, from acquisition to long-term engagement and conversion, ensuring timeliness and consistency with supporter programme priorities, especially the parishioner-first fundraising strategy and approach. 

• Provide leadership and overall oversight of external communications and messaging, including brand consistency and press/media engagement, ensuring consistency between our fundraising efforts, our campaigning work and profiling our international work to supporters and key stakeholders.

• Lead and oversee the digital teams - email marketing programme, social media engagement, digital developments, campaigns and the website, to ensure user experience is optimised and platforms support our supporter programme and broader organisational strategic objectives and ambitions. 

• Lead the media team to explore and encourage new approaches including how we further maximise the digital media landscape.

• Line manage senior specialists across digital marketing, website, and media and PR, ensuring high performance and professional growth. 

• Work closely with IT, data and external agencies to ensure agile, secure and effective digital delivery across platforms. 

• Represent the organisation externally where appropriate, with a focus on digital thought leadership. 
• Develop and manage the communications budget effectively, aligning resources to priority areas and demonstrating clear impact. Agree and ensure accountability for objectives and KPIs as part of the wider supporter strategy, fostering a culture of ongoing learning, adaptation and improvement.  

Safeguarding 

All CAFOD staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

Person Specification 

• Extensive experience in a senior digital communications and marketing leadership role, with demonstrable success in developing and delivering integrated and audience-led multi-channel communications and marketing strategies. 
• Strong experience of overseeing development of supporter journeys and objectives, website development, CRM integration and email engagement and conversion. 
• Passionate about digital innovation and technologies, with deep knowledge of platforms, formats, and trends. 
• Committed to insight-led and data-driven approaches with skills to use digital tools, platforms and analytics to shape decisions and measure impact. 
• Excellent leadership, inter-personal and team management skills, with the ability to develop and motivate multi-disciplinary teams. 
• Strong cross-functional project management ability, with experience leading organisational change in digital capability. 
• Understanding of broader communications and marketing disciplines, with the ability to ensure alignment and brand consistency and also oversee media and PR work, including reputational risk and crisis communications. 
• Understanding of the Catholic church in England and Wales and knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching. 
• A track record of strong written and spoken communication skills. 
• Highly organised, able to manage a busy workload and consistently meet deadlines. 

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults 

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures. 

We are seeking a  committed and creative Outreach and Communications Officer who will be responsible for sharing our knowledge and expertise as widely as possible.

About The Role

The Unity Project (TUP) supports people who are facing poverty and homelessness because their immigration status allows them ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF).  We believe NRPF should not exist and we are working to end it. Until then, we seek to minimise its impact by supporting people to make the ‘change of conditions’ (CoC) application to access public funds. However, as the number of people living under NRPF continues to grow, we know we will never be able to meet the need for CoCs. Ensuring that our knowledge and experience is shared - with advisors, support services, community groups and individuals who could make applications themselves - is vital. Raising awareness of our work also supports our income diversification strategy by building corporate partnerships and individual donations.

In this role, you will be leading The Unity Project’s outreach and communications work in order to increase awareness of the Change of Conditions process and the support The Unity Project can offer to individuals and organisations.  Your first priorities will include mapping CoC provision across the country; working with the Director to design and implement a communications strategy to engage applicants, advice organisations, corporate partners and donors; and creating a suite of CoC resources to share online. As you develop in the role, you will deliver outreach and information sessions online and in the community. We hope that over time you will have the opportunity to grow, take on new responsibilities and help to shape how we do outreach and communications as we evolve.

About The Unity Project

Who we are

The Unity Project is a small charity that supports people with ‘Change of Conditions’ (CoC) applications required for access to public funds.

Why we exist

We want everyone living in the UK to have equal access to the welfare system. We exist to challenge the 'no recourse to public funds' (NRPF) policy in order to end it and, until then, minimise its impact.

Our values

We aim to be:

• Representative of and accountable to people who are navigating or have navigated the systems we want to change.
• Sustainable, so we can continue our work as long as it is needed.
• Trauma informed, recognising the impact of prior traumatic experiences and promoting an organisational culture which is safe, transparent, collaborative and responds empathically to each individual’s needs.
• Rooted in community, as we believe that strength comes from relationships of solidarity and mutual support.
• Equitable to all who give their time to the project.
• Tenacious, innovative, reflective and adaptable in our casework.

Our benefits

• Salary - £37,800 pro rata
• Flexibility - We all work together in person on Tuesdays. Beyond that we can be flexible about how you meet your hours.
• Annual leave - 35 days inclusive of bank holidays, plus a regular Christmas closure period (subject to board approval)
• Pension - 5% employee contribution, 8% employer contribution
• Clinical supervision - All staff have access to monthly clinical supervision
• Wellbeing - All staff have a personal wellbeing budget to spend as they need 
• Professional development - We organise regular all-staff training sessions to address needs identified by the team, and every staff member has an individual training budget for their own professional development. We aim to support all staff to grow and shape their roles in line with their career aspirations.
• Immigration support - On a case by case basis, we may be able to offer legal assistance with the immigration applications necessary to sustain this employment in compliance with UK immigration law.
• Working environment - We are a small and friendly team of staff and volunteers. We believe that effective opposition to the hostile environment is rooted in our relationships with each other and our community.

This is one of the most important roles within Shine Cancer Support. You’ll be overseeing and supporting Shine’s volunteers around the country, ensuring that they have what they need to reach as many young adults with cancer as possible. You’ll also work closely with Shine’s Programme Delivery Manager to deliver training and support programmes directly to young adults with cancer and healthcare professionals.

Location:  Hybrid, with two days per week at Shine’s offices in Blackheath, South East London or in Poole, Dorset.

Hours & salary:  Full time (35 hours per week). Salary range is £33,000 - £35,000 pro rata, depending on experience.

This is a one year contract to cover maternity leave starting mid/late January 2026.

Benefits:  Employee contribution pension, training and development support, staff mental health support, cycle to work scheme.
Holiday:  25 days annual holiday during each holiday year plus 8 days of public holidays, or pro-rata equivalent if relevant. We also give you your birthday off each year.

Key responsibilities

Volunteer Support

• Support Shine’s volunteer Network Leaders across England, Scotland and Wales to develop their Shine Networks, ensuring that they provide the best possible support to young adults with cancer. This will include an annual support plan, developing and testing new ways of expanding Shine’s reach, and regular catch-up calls. 

• Work with Shine staff and facilitators to recruit, train and support new volunteers from across the UK.

• Deliver an annual plan for training and support, touching on issues such as outreach and fundraising.

• Maintain and develop Shine’s online information pages for Shine volunteers.

• Organise and facilitate online meet-ups for Shine beneficiaries.

Programme Delivery

• Assist the Programme Delivery Manager and facilitators to deliver Shine’s core programmes (Break Out programme, Shine Circles) to Shine beneficiaries, as well as training to healthcare professionals.

• Create new connections with healthcare professionals across the UK. This will include linking to relevant Cancer Alliances and Integrated Care Boards.

• Oversee the administration and management of relevant monitoring and evaluation processes.

Key skills and experience:

 Essential

• Excellent communication skills

• Ability to identify training needs and deliver training in a variety of formats

• Experience of working with and/or supporting volunteers

• Strong organisation and project management skills, and the ability to deliver and respond to challenges.

• Ability to respond to Shine’s growth and challenges in a creative and effective way. 

• Creative and curious with a willingness and ability to develop new ideas 

• Well-developed interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with empathy to beneficiaries and volunteers of Shine.

• A track record of building positive relationships.

• Excellent IT skills, including solid knowledge of Word and Excel, and experience with social media.

Desirable

• Experience of managing projects remotely, including using tools such as Asana

• Experience of working as part of a small team, including volunteers

• A background and/or understanding of the role and importance of volunteers in the charity sector

This job description summarises the main duties and responsibilities of the post. You may be required to undertake other appropriate duties, which are within your capabilities or for which training has been given. You won’t be expected to carry out all of these roles immediately; we will support you to develop new skills as you progress.

Key approaches

• Respectful of the confidentiality of beneficiaries and the ability to work within charity law and governance structures.

• Ability to relate to our beneficiaries and volunteers, and to respond empathetically to difficult personal situations.

• Be prepared to have progress assessed regularly and be appraised annually should the role be extended. 

• Willingness to work as part of a small team spread across the UK; this requires good communication skills as well as the ability to be flexible in the approach to work.

Successful candidates will be asked to undergo an enhanced DBS check in keeping with Shine’s Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy.

What Shine offers

By sharing your skills, time and expertise with Shine, you’ll be contributing to the growth of a small, rapidly growing charity, while also gaining insights into the challenges and opportunities that this presents. We expect everyone who works with us to like people and to be happy to contribute to the overall success of Shine, even if that means occasionally taking on tasks that aren’t in your job description. We are happy to fund relevant training, within our budget guidelines, and to provide opportunities for professional development and growth. 

In addition to your salary, you’ll receive regular pension contributions (currently 3%, as mandated by the UK Government) and access to a bike-to-work scheme.

About the charity

Vision

We want every adult in their 20s, 30s and 40s diagnosed with cancer to know they’re not alone, and to have the support, knowledge, and confidence to navigate whatever cancer throws their way.

Mission

There’s never a good time for a cancer diagnosis, but in your 20s, 30s or 40s there are particular challenges to navigate, like work, dating, finances and more. At Shine Cancer Support, we’ve been there and we get it. We’re here to help you deal with everything that your diagnosis brings, before, during and after treatment, and to welcome you into our community.

Our values

1. Inclusive - Our services are open to anyone in their 20s, 30s and 40s with a cancer diagnosis, no matter what type or stage, when your diagnosis was, or whatever your background is.

2. Approachable - We want everyone in our Shine community to feel welcomed and able to get involved, and we design all our services to be friendly, fun and down-to-earth.

3. Authentic - We’re patient-led and passionate, and we want everyone involved to have a genuine and honest voice, with patients’ voices at the heart of our work.

4. Innovative - As a small charity, we’re adaptable and agile, and we seek to be responsive to needs as they change. We listen to what our Shine community is saying and strive to find practical solutions.

5. Empowering - Our services aren’t about us “doing” to or for you. We want to empower you to ask the right questions, get the right information, take control, and make the best decisions for yourself.

Chapter One is a dynamic, growing charity with a vision of a world in which all children have the literacy skills needed to thrive. Our mission is to close the reading gap by providing children with one-to-one support at the time they need it most. 

Our unique Online Reading Volunteer programme currently supports around 3,600 children a year. It pairs disadvantaged, struggling five to eight-year old (KS1) readers with reading support volunteers who come from over 170 local and national businesses. The volunteer ask is very focused: readers commit 30 minutes a week to read with a child using a bespoke digital platform for an entire academic year. The results are transformative, boosting children's reading confidence and ability. 

Our Volunteer Engagement Department, which the Volunteer Support Officer role will be part of, ensures that volunteers have everything that they need to make a success of their reading sessions with pupils. 

For more information about our programmes please visit our website. Please also take some time to visit our social media channels and watch our videos.

About the role:

Please read the attached Job Description PDF.

The required start date is Monday 5th January 2026. This is a part-time role of 25 hours per week, working 5 hours per day, Monday to Friday. The set working hours are 09:30–14:30. Please note that the start date and hours are fixed in line with business needs and cannot be adjusted.

This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check, and the post-holder must be permanently based in the UK at the time of applying and for the duration of their employment. All Chapter One employees must attend quarterly in-person staff meetings held in various locations across the UK (all expenses covered); attendance and participation is mandatory.

Applying for the role:

Please do not send any applications or correspondence via the Chapter One website. If you’d like to ask anything about the role, you’ll have the chance to do so if you progress to the next stage.

Please read the attached Job Description PDF, and write a cover letter. Your cover letter should:

• Clearly outline your suitability for this role, paying attention to the essential qualities listed within the attached Job Description PDF, and how you can apply these to the main duties of the role.

• Show your interest and understanding of Chapter One.

Any applications without a cover letter will be discarded.

As part of your application, you will be asked some questions designed to allow you to showcase your data manipulation skills. Please spend up to 30 minutes on this part of your application, and please read all questions carefully.

Please note that, due to the high volume of applications we expect to receive, we’re unfortunately unable to provide individual feedback to applicants who are not shortlisted at the first stage

Deadline for applications:

23:30 on Wednesday 19th November. No applications will be accepted after this time. We will actively review applications throughout the period of the advertisement. We encourage early applicants as we reserve the right to bring the closing date forward if this is deemed necessary due to volume of applicants.

Next steps:

During shortlisting, your CV, cover letter and answers to the application questions will be reviewed together by a senior member of the Volunteer Support Team. If successful, the next stage will be an interview via a video call. There will be at least one further stage after this. Whether successful or unsuccessful, all applicants will be contacted by the end of Friday 21st November, though we will reach out earlier if we are able to. Please monitor your junk/spam email folder regularly, we make contact from the Charity Job website directly and often these emails are detected as spam. We aim to complete the recruitment process by Friday 5th December.

We are looking for a creative, driven, compassionate, Communications Lead to develop, lead, and implement an integrated communications strategy that supports our ambition to double the number of adults learning to read with Read Easy UK by the end of our current strategy.

As a strong communications generalist, with strategic and operational expertise, the Communications Lead will work closely with employees, volunteers and other key stakeholders to strengthen the charity’s national brand and position. This role covers all aspects of communications including media relations, digital communications, brand communications, stakeholder and internal communications.

The post holder will shape and deliver communications activity that inspires, informs, and engages our key audiences, including volunteers, potential Readers, funders, the media, and partners across the UK.

The successful candidate will be strategic and agile and will enjoy shaping strategy alongside delivering communications activity. This is a standalone role, leading and delivering internal and external communications for the organisation in collaboration with other key partners.

Location: Fully Remote/Home-based with very occasional travel to regional groups as required and for up to 3 team meetings per annum (currently held in Birmingham).

Reports to: Read Easy UK CEO.

Line Management: Volunteers and freelancers, and potential for future employees.

Start date: January 2026 (or sooner).

Salary & Benefits 

• Salary: Up to £15,200 - £22,800 depending on hours (Up to £38k FTE).
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and Christmas closing and 2 days volunteering leave – pro-rata for part time roles.
• Company sick pay to financially support you when you are unwell (above statutory upon completion of probationary period). 
• Support when extending your family – company parental and adoption pay (above statutory after 12 months service) 

• Access to RewardHub – which gives retail discounts and has a ‘Wellbeing Centre’ with tools, tips, recipes, workout videos and guides which will help you to reach your own wellbeing goals.

• Training and Development opportunities and resources – we are developing plans in this area to enhance employee experience and opportunity

• A collaborative, creative and inspiring working environment full of committed and passionate employees and inspirational volunteers 

We strive to ensure our recruitment practices are fair, open, easy to access and as inclusive as possible. We aim to recruit a team which broadly reflect the local communities which we serve; to work with and learn from each other to continually improve the service we deliver to our Readers. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Group is actively promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion, ensuring a culture where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We welcome you to apply and be your authentic self.

When applying for a job with us, if an applicant has a disability covered by the definition outlined within the Equality Act 2010 and can show that they meet the ‘essential criteria’ described in the person specification for the role being applied for, they are guaranteed an interview for the job for which they are applying through our Disability Confident scheme.

If you need any support with your application or have any questions in advance of an application, please do contact us. 

Please download the applicant pack for full job description and person specification and for details on how to apply.

The closing date to apply for this opportunity is Sunday 30 Nov 2025 (11.59PM).

Should you be shortlisted, the first round of interviews will take place online on Tuesday 2nd December 2025.

We anticipate a second round of interviews on the afternoon of Wednesday 10th December 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Office of Development and Alumni Relations team at the University of Southampton, creating and delivering a range of strategic communications for our alumni and supporter community.  

You’ll be responsible for planning and delivering a whole plethora of communication tools to support our fundraising and engagement, with a particular focus on our upcoming Campaign for Southampton. Due to launch in 2027, this will be our biggest fundraising campaign ever, with a target of £100m. One of our key fundraising focusses will be the Institute for Medical Innovation; we will raise £50m to build this groundbreaking facility, which will address the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges through interdisciplinary research. You have the chance to make a real difference. 

We are looking for an experienced communications professional to support us with creating engaging communications. You will be responsible for activities such as: 

• Developing compelling propositions
• Delivering the communications to support major gift prospect fundraising events, from creating invitations and shaping the themes, through to developing event materials and briefing speakers 
• Creating and editing a wide range of communications pieces for our major gift prospect audience, from written case studies through to web content and video 
• Managing the development and execution of new creative for the Campaign for Southampton
• Sourcing new stories and gathering information through interviews and desk research
• Supporting the team where needed on both fundraising and alumni engagement communications

This is a part-time role, working four days a week (but will consider 3.5 days), on a fixed-term contract for 24 months. Like many organisations we’re currently working hybrid, with a minimum of two days per week in the office. There is the opportunity to work more days in the office as desired. The successful applicant should be available to work on campus as and when there is a requirement. 

About us 

The University of Southampton is among the top 100 universities in the world and is a founding member of the prestigious Russell Group. Our diverse global staff and student community are helping to change the world for the better. 

In the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, our mission is to engage and grow our alumni and supporter community through philanthropy, giving time/expertise and reputation raising to help achieve the University’s strategic objectives. It’s such an exciting time to join us, as we embark on our first University-wide fundraising and engagement campaign!  

About you 

First and foremost, you’ll have a strong understanding of communications and marketing. You’ll have a number of years of marketing communications experience, ideally gained in a charity, education or agency environment. We are looking for someone who can hit the ground running and has the expertise and experience to take ownership of projects.  

You'll thrive in a busy environment, have robust project management and organisation skills, and be adept at collaborating with a wide range of different stakeholders.  

You'll be a strong copywriter with a passion for language, and the ability to write different types of copy.

To be considered, the successful candidate must be able to commence this role no later than 19th January 2026.  

Our Communications and Campaigns (C&C) Team is extremely proud to be part of Friends, Families and Travellers, working across departments and producing outstanding communications materials. 

Within the C&C crew, we run on understanding, mutual respect, inclusion, patience, and acceptance. These principles and values reflect FFT's wider mission and strategic approach and hold a special place in our team's culture. We strive to create an atmosphere that serves and inspires, with every member of the C&C Team valued and supported. We have a range of lived experience and diversity within the team, and the wider organisation, and firmly believe in social liberation, anti-racist principles, and decolonisationist approaches.

The structure of the team is set up to support the ongoing progression and growth of its members along the key verticals of Press, Website, Design and Outbound. We are looking for someone to support our Outbound communications (video production and development, supporter engagement, and design), as well as offering support across the verticals. The incoming Communications Officer should feel confident with engaging and supporting people to appear on video.

The successful applicant will have experience of these functions and will need to be a quick learner. They will have a can-do attitude with solid technical know-how and be reliable. Attention to detail is critical, alongside flexibility to evolving demands.

A confident communicator, they will be a self-starter with excellent prioritisation and time management and enjoy working in a highly collaborative setting. They will have the opportunity to deliver communications plans and strategies in line with our overall organisational aim of protecting the right to pursue a nomadic way of life.

Due to the nature of the role, the successful applicant will need to be based in our Brighton office, and we’re able to accommodate a degree of flexible working subject to successful completion of a three-month probation period.

Key responsibilities and duties

The role will be diverse and varied. No two days nor two emails are the same! Key responsibilities will include:

· Engaging audiences through compelling content across communications channels, including our website, video, social media.

· Researching, writing and supplying communications materials in response to briefs from the department Head.

· Working with project Leads to promote outcomes, findings and impact across our various channels.

· Supporting Gypsy, Roma or Traveller people to cut through digital noise, via public-focused opportunities such as guest blogs or video.

· Working to maximise the impact of our communications strategies, and operational plans.

· Maintaining and updating digital content from evergreen pages to news items, as and when appropriate.

· Developing and producing short-form video content, along with other Adobe-based outputs.

· Other such duties as are reasonably appropriate to the job.

Alongside the above, you will be expected to:

· Support documentation in a meaningful, non-extractive, and culturally pertinent way.

· Understand the importance of nuance, complexity, and growth.

· Prioritise accessibility, care, and accuracy.

· Uphold Friends, Families and Travellers’ values, mission, and organisational culture and integrity.

Job Profile

Job Title:  Communications Specialist – South East

Directorate: Marketing, Fundraising and Communications

Reports To:  Regional Communications Manager

Matrix Reporting To:  None

Disclosure Check Level: None

Date created/last reviewed: April 2024

Overall Role Purpose

The Communications Specialist – South East helps people with sight loss to live the life they choose by driving the awareness and saliency of the Guide Dogs brand nationally and in their region by leading the development and delivery of central, regional and local integrated communications activity.

The role communicates the strategy and work of Guide Dogs, engaging key audiences both externally and internally (including service users, volunteers, staff, and supporters) to strengthen the brand and further awareness of the charity

Key Responsibilities

· Brand – Drive the awareness and saliency of the Guide Dogs brand nationally and in the region by bringing to life the brand positioning through all customer experience touchpoints.

· Champion the brand identity in the region, leading the implementation across all touchpoints. Lead the regional activation of all aspects of the brand campaign, working closely with the central brand, comms and digital teams.

· Communications & Digital – Lead the development, delivery and review of central, regional and local integrated communications & digital activity in the region to include print and broadcast media, social media, publications, advertising, events, direct marketing and internal communications as appropriate, ensuring objectives are set and measured. Create and edit key regional publications, as and when required.

· Case studies – Source and create local case studies, and work with Content Team to maintain the Chorus case study library with content to support local and national campaigns

· Media relations - Build strong and on-going relationships with national and regional journalists through proactive and reactive media relations, including dealing with issues and crises that are a risk to the organisation’s reputation.

· Work with all areas of the charity to story spot and develop compelling service user case studies that will engage journalists and turn into national news stories 

· Generate region-based stories and articles for corporate publications

· Manage creative agencies to help deliver national and regional campaigns

· Volunteer management - Develop and maintain a network of volunteer media champions across all regions.

· Spokesperson - Be a key spokesperson on behalf of Guide Dogs for regional media and where appropriate nationally.

· Advice and training - Provide both strategic and tactical advice on communications activities and issues for staff and volunteers within the region. Provide media training and develop communication skills to staff and volunteers nationally and within your area and ensure they are adequately briefed for media interviews.

· To take part in an out of hours duty rota and respond appropriately in the event of a crisis.

· Quality - Work across departments and functions both at Central Office and within your region, to ensure that Guide Dogs online and print communication channels are up-to-date and reflects regional content and context.

Breadth/Scope of Accountability

People Accountability

Number of Direct Reports: None

Number of Indirect Reports: None

Number of Volunteers Supervised: Up to 10

Financial Accountability

Annual Income Accountability: None

Assets Managed: None

Budget Accountability: Up to £10K

Application of this Job Profile

All employees are required to carry out other such duties as may reasonably be required to fulfil their role and support functional and organisational objectives.

All employees must also:

· Comply with all organisational policies

· Promote the vision and values of the organisation

· Engage in continuous personal development

This job profile is accurate as at the date shown above. It does not form part of contractual terms and may be varied to reflect or anticipate changes to the role.

Working at Guide Dogs

As well as other services to enhance the lives of people who are blind and partially sighted, we breed and train guide dogs. Staff and volunteers in all our locations support this work. Therefore, all employees must be comfortable working in environments where dogs may be present.

Guide Dogs is a volunteer-involving organisation and as such all staff are required to support volunteers in their roles. This may or may not mean the direct supervision of volunteers but will require all staff to play a supporting role. From time to time you may be asked to support / volunteer your time at Guide Dogs events that take place outside of normal working hours. All employees will be expected to advocate for Guide Dogs at all times and be a fundraiser.

Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We expect all of our employees and volunteers to demonstrate this commitment.

Guide Dogs will require proof of identity and the right to work in the UK.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

· A degree or an equivalent level qualification or equivalent experience.

Job-Related Experience

Essential

· Proven experience of creation and implementation of communications and digital campaigns and projects to meet business objectives, with experience of targeting different audiences through media channels.

· Proven experience of generating positive media coverage for a brand

· Understanding of measurement and evaluation, and knowledge of the latest techniques to measure the success and impact of a campaign against our strategic objectives

Desirable

· Experience of working in the third sector.

· Previous brand management experience.

Knowledge

Essential

· Up to date with best practice and innovation in brand marketing, communications and digital

· Awareness and understanding of the current media landscape and what journalists are looking for today

· Strong digital skills including a good knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, e.g. Word and PowerPoint.

Skills and Competencies

Essential

· Excellent written and communication skills, being able to adapt style to different channels or audiences.

· Excellent digital marketing skills.

· The ability to spot gaps and opportunities within a comms calendar and develop ‘news out of nothing’ by mining content from the organisation independently

· Able to give authoritative verbal advice and information on marketing, media and communications.

· Excellent organisational skills, working under pressure and to deadlines.

Behaviours

Our behaviours capture the essence of what it is to be Guide Dogs people, whether staff or volunteer. They describe the experience we expect everyone – the people we support, donors, partners, our volunteers and staff – to have while working with us. Guide Dogs people are:

• Person-centred - We are a group of people working to help each person affected by sight loss. We listen, and recognise that every individual is different in where they’ve come from and where they’re going. We are open, empathetic and inclusive. We place the person at the centre of every decision.

• Expert - We are specialists in what we do. We are committed to excellence and will never stop innovating. We respect our history, but seek out ways to adapt and improve, and are always willing to learn.

• Optimistic - We are relentless in our belief that people with vision impairment can lead the life they choose. We are passionate about helping each person, committed to challenging barriers, and proud of who we are and what we achieve.

So, we: -

• Partner - We only change lives when we collaborate. We build valued relationships with donors. We work together with our service users and colleagues, volunteers and partners – and our dogs, of course – to deliver great outcomes. We support and develop each other.

• Lead-by-example - We can all be a guide. We take the lead and then hand it over, empowering people to make progress independently. We gain trust by having faith in others, and influence by example. We do what we say we will.

• Engage - We cannot change lives if we look on from the side-lines. We get involved, take ownership, and feel responsible for all we do, think and say. We celebrate wins big and small, and we hold ourselves and each other to account.

We use competency-based questioning within our recruitment processes to assess the extent to which candidates demonstrate these behaviours – in ways appropriate to this role – in how they are at work and generally as people.

Safeguarding

If the role does or may involve working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, or supervising those that do, we’ll also be assessing ‘safeguarding competencies’ as part of the process. These are:

· Appropriate motivation to work with vulnerable groups;

· Emotional awareness;

· Working within professional boundaries and self-awareness; and

· Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults and protect from harm.

Mobility

A flexible approach with a willingness to work outside of core hours and away from home when required.

About the Role

Our Communications Assistant will amplify all the great things the Foundation does. They will be responsible for JPF’s youth-focused social media channels (Instagram, TikTok etc.), creating marketing material focused on inspiring and motivating young people to engage with the Foundation, and our community development. You will need to champion young people, ensure that we are amplifying young people’s voices and providing them with the tools, resources, contacts and services that enable them to achieve great things. This is an exciting opportunity to join us as we grow our impact as a Foundation. You will have an opportunity to use and develop your range of project management, design, social media and communication skills in a dynamic team that is committed to maximising our positive impact on young people. 

About You

We are seeking an efficient, highly organised team member with creativity and the ability to communicate effectively. You should have a passion for our work with young people. You will have strong digital skills and be able to use these to improve our social media performance and reach. An understanding of content curation for social media, newsletters and websites is desirable. We are actively seeking someone who believes in the power and value of young people’s voices to influence change. We will prioritise this above your prior work experience or qualifications. If this sounds like you, please do consider applying for this role. If you are passionate advocate for young people, a strong communicator and an organised individual looking for a varied role in a fast-paced organisation, we want to hear from you!

About Your Responsibilities

The Communications Assistant will be responsible for supporting the Communications Team across three areas, as well as supporting a number of other initiatives across the Foundation.

The primary duties are:

Digital Communications and Marketing

• Newsletter Creation: Develop newsletters for young people, collaborating with the Grants Team and our partners to curate engaging and relevant content.

• Promotional Materials: Oversee the design and production of leaflets and brochures aimed at young audiences.

• Website Maintenance: Regularly update the JPF website with blogs, case studies and other content to highlight opportunities and programmes like the Individual Grant for Volunteering or success stories of Achievement Award winners.

• Storytelling: Work with the Communications and Engagement Officer and Events Team to source and share positive news stories of Achievement Award winners in press releases and across our digital channels.

• Press and Outreach: Assisting in drafting press releases and executing outreach campaigns to promote JPF’s work to key networks and to the broader public.

• Event Promotion: Work in partnership with the Events Team to promote attendance at our Achievement Award events through our website and social media platforms.

• Youth Consultation Panel (YCP) Collaboration: Collaborate with JPF's Youth Consultation Panel to create educational and professional development content for the Jack Petchey Alumni Network.

Programme Launches: Work with colleagues across JPF to launch and promote new programmes, grant opportunities and recruitment across our digital channels.

• Competitions and Opportunities: Enhance JPF's youth engagement through creative competitions and development opportunities that celebrate young people’s achievements. 

Content Creation

• Daily Duties: Handle day-to-day scheduling, monitoring and interactions across our youthfocused social media platforms (X, Instagram, TikTok) to maintain audience engagement.

• Campaign Development: Lead the creation of social media campaigns celebrating young people’s achievements and promoting opportunities for young people and grantees to get involved with JPF.

• Content creation: Develop engaging content for social media channels, including sourcing images, creating/editing videos and designing graphics in line with JPF’s branding.

• Video Content: Work with staff and our Youth Consultation Panel to produce more film content for our social media channels.

• Social Media Takeovers: Host social media takeovers with our Youth Consultation Panel to amplify their voices and views.

• Performance Tracking: Monitor and analyse the performance of our social media channels, benchmarking activities against past metrics and producing regular reports for the Communications and Engagement Manager.

• Annual Plan: Contribute to JPF’s annual communications strategy, including devising social media plans, providing recommendations to enhance audience engagement and expand reach.

• Trend monitoring: Stay updated on news and trending topics related to young people and JPF, proactively responding to highlight our opportunities and work.

Community Development 

• Youth consultation Panel (YCP): Work with the JPF team to engage with and support our Youth Consultation Panel to share their opinions and help inform the work of the Foundation.

• Alumni Network: Support the development of the Jack Petchey Alumni Network, a community of past JPF programme graduates, expanding its uptake and planning future events.

• Youth Survey Development: Support the creation, distribution and analysis of JPF’s annual youth surveys.

• Partner Collaboration: Work with the Communications and Engagement Officer to manage our partners to promote their programmes and opportunities to young people.

• Identifying Stakeholders: Collaborate with colleagues on developing JPF’s Patrons and Ambassador’s plan with a focus on young people from the charity’s past as well as social media influencers. 

Other Responsibilities

• Event Representation: Attend key events to capture content and represent JPF as a spokesperson when needed.

• Event Support: Assist in organising and facilitating events and conferences as required.

These duties represent the typical responsibilities associated with this position. However, flexibility is essential and all employees may occasionally be required to undertake additional tasks as directed by JPF.

The postholder will work at all times within the policies, procedures and values of JPF, in particular Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Data Protection and Publicity Consent policies.