Communications manager and educational advisor volunteer roles
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The Organisation
London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) is the UK’s largest charitable childcare social enterprise, with an ambition of changing the world, one child at a time. With 43 nurseries across 13 London boroughs, we deliver high quality early years education and care to children and families across the capital. Founded in 1903, LEYF has evolved into a purpose driven organisation that combines financial sustainability with a clear social mission, reinvesting all surplus into our nurseries, our people and the communities we serve.
Together with families and communities, we give London’s children, especially those most in need, the best start in life through access to affordable, high quality early years education and care. We focus our work in areas of disadvantage, where it can have the greatest impact, supporting children’s development and strengthening communities. Our approach centres on learning through play, creativity and exploration, delivered by skilled and passionate teams. Through our apprenticeships and the London Institute of Early Years, we provide industry leading learning and development opportunities, equipping our people with the skills and knowledge to deliver excellent outcomes for all children. Through strong partnerships and a commitment to continuous improvement, we extend our impact beyond our nurseries and play an active role in shaping the early years sector, while creating inclusive environments where every child and colleague can thrive.
The Role
LEYF is seeking a Chair of Trustees to lead its Board and support the organisation in achieving its charitable objectives and strategic priorities. The Chair plays a central role in ensuring strong governance, enabling LEYF to deliver high quality, cost effective services to children, families and partners, and to maximise its social impact as it grows. Through strong leadership of the Board, you will help guide the organisation as it continues to expand its reach, strengthen its model and deliver meaningful, lasting impact for children and families across London.
This is an opportunity to make a significant difference to the life chances of disadvantaged children by contributing your skills, judgement and strategic insight within a mission driven organisation. You will work alongside a passionate and committed team, leading a Board of Trustees that is collaborative, professional and deeply engaged in LEYF’s purpose. As Chair, you will play a key role in shaping strategy, supporting sustainable growth and ensuring effective governance at an important and exciting stage in the organisation’s development.
The Person
We are seeking an experienced, values led individual who can provide strong leadership to the Board and support LEYF in delivering its social mission at scale.
Experience and Knowledge
- Senior leadership and Board level experience, with a strong understanding of governance
- Commercial awareness and an understanding of how a social enterprise operates
- Ability to navigate the balance between social purpose and financial sustainability
- Experience of complex or growing organisations, ideally across the UK
- Understanding of, or interest in, the early years sector and wider social impact landscape
- Ability to engage effectively with stakeholders across a politically neutral environment
Skills and Capabilities
- Strategic, pragmatic and calm, with sound judgement and the ability to absorb complexity
- Strong influencing and networking skills, with the ability to build partnerships
- Confident communicator, able to represent LEYF with credibility at a senior level
- Financial awareness, with the ability to balance sustainability and risk in decision making
Leadership Style and Personal Qualities
- Values driven, with a strong commitment to LEYF’s mission
- Supportive and appropriately challenging, acting as a constructive critical friend
- Agile and not risk averse, comfortable supporting innovation and growth
- Inclusive and emotionally intelligent, able to foster effective Board dynamics
Commitment
- Willingness to be visible and engaged, including attending meetings, events and visiting nurseries in London
- Ability to commit sufficient time to the role and support LEYF externally where appropriate
Diversity and Inclusion
We warmly welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented at Board level. We are committed to building a Board that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and believe this strengthens our impact.
Further Information
For further information about LEYF, the role responsibilities and the person they are looking for, please download the Candidate Briefing Pack.
How to Apply
If you are interested in this fantastic opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of others, please submit an application which includes the following:
- An up to date CV with details of two referees (we will not contact them without your prior permission).
- A supporting statement, which addresses your suitability against the criteria in the Person Specification, and details your motivations for applying.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
United Nations CSO, Centre for Big Synergy, seeks a Partnerships Advisor/Lead to lead strategic partnerships for various educational and creative programs including the World's biggest sustainability film festival and awards.
What will you be doing?
This is an opportunity to build a very high profile network for furthering your career and also to gain professional esteem and presence.
Big Syn Institute (BSI) is a part of the Centre for Big Synergy and has been organising the Big Syn International Film Festival (BSIFF) since 2019.
The partnerships lead will work closely with senior leadership to identify and engage in commercial and strategic relationships with key partners, both online and offline, for the activities of BSI, London for various creative projects it runs including the World's Biggest sustainability film fest & awards.
Since 2019, the Big Syn Institute has hosted the festival has reached over 50M people and in over 120 countries. Through relevant shorts, features, animations, documentaries, CSR videos and Public Service Videos, Charity films, the festival advocates the United Nations 17 Global Goals and also celebrates the work of UK's marginalised filmmakers.
OSCAR, BAFTA and EMMY award-winners, as well as other luminaries from film and media, sustainability, and policy have been part of the festival and have supported it since inception. Winners from the festival have eventually won OSCARS and EMMY awards
We are looking for a motivated networker with a can-do attitude who enjoys networking and establishing relationships. The partnerships manager, working closely with our team must be able to:
- Identify, cultivate, and secure high‑value funders, corporate patrons, and philanthropic partners.
- Build and manage a robust pipeline of investors, donors, and strategic collaborators.
- Develop compelling partnership propositions, sponsorship decks, and investment narratives tailored to each stakeholder.
- Lead negotiations and close partnership agreements that advance the institute’s creative, cultural, and educational objectives.
- Work closely with executive leadership to align partnership strategy with the institute’s mission and long‑term vision.
- Collaborate with programming, marketing, legal, and finance teams to deliver high‑impact partnerships.
- Monitor industry trends, funding landscapes, and corporate CSR priorities to anticipate new opportunities.
- Take ownership as one of most important people associated with the BSI's activities, festivals and awards
- Think strategically to identify and establish new partnerships whilst exploring new engagements with the existing partner network
- Communicate with a very high professional standard with the leadership of partner organisations, some being the biggest corporations in their sector
- Maintain a database with existing and new partnerships and updates on progress made
- Explore ideas, both in house, and with potential and new partners, to come up with creative ideas of collaboration to further common goals
What are we looking for?
A committed and meticulous person, passionate about making the world a more sustainable, safer and peaceful place
- Proven experience: 3 or more years of communicating and working with senior leadership across organisations and identifying potential partners and stakeholders
- Strategic Relationship Builder: able to cultivate trust with senior executives, philanthropists, brand leaders, and industry stakeholders.
- Commercially Astute: understands how funding, sponsorship, and co‑financing models work across film, culture, and corporate CSR.
- Compelling Communicator: exceptional written and verbal communication, able to craft persuasive pitches, proposals, and partnership narratives.
- Diplomatic and Credible: carries themselves with the gravitas needed to represent an institute in high‑level settings.
- Creative Thinker: able to design partnership concepts that feel fresh, mutually beneficial, and aligned with the institute’s mission.
- Resilient and Proactive: comfortable navigating long sales cycles, complex stakeholders, and shifting industry landscapes.
- Highly Organised: manages pipelines, reporting, and stewardship with precision.
- Mission‑Driven: genuinely committed to the cultural, educational, or social purpose of the institute.
What difference will you make?
Billions of people globally, are unaware of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) let alone take any steps to create a more sustainable world for themselves and in the process for others in this complexly interconnected world.
This highlights the need for such initiatives to educate the British as well as global societies about the UN SDGs. Your contributions can educate and inspire millions to act on the SDGs and bring positive changes that will impact all of us in this complexly interconnected world.
Most importantly your efforts will ensure that the film festival and the UK's marginalised filmmakers (LGBTQI+, women, disabled and ethnic minorities) get even more visibility, thus furthering the motto of the festival to celebrate inclusion and diversity whilst inspiring the civic society to act on the Global Goals. It will also help partner organisations join forces and work in synergy to amplify the impact of the initiative through communal as well as individual efforts. Thus, benefitting more lives that we would have helped acting alone.
Non Charity Employer
11 - 20
Our mission: Facilitate the responsible creation and evolution of products, practices and policies.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.