Volunteer Roles in North West
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you passionate about law, policy, and effective communications? Statewatch, a small team dedicated to promoting civil liberties and human rights through research, reporting and analysis, is seeking a motivated volunteer to assist in our efforts to make legal and political information accessible to all.
Terms
Time commitment: Approximately 2-3 hours per week, including a 1/2 hour check-in with the communications worker, for a 3-month period (with the possibility of extension).
Starting date: Immediately.
Compensation: This is an unpaid volunteer position.
Location: Remote
About Statewatch
Statewatch produces and promotes critical research, policy analysis and investigative journalism to inform debates, movements and campaigns on civil liberties, human rights and democratic standards. We began operating in 1991 and are based in London.
Our vision: An open Europe of democracy, civil liberties, personal and political rights, free movement, freedom of information, equality and diversity.
Our mission: To monitor, analyse and expose state activity that threatens civil liberties, human rights and democratic standards in order to inform and enable a culture of diversity, debate and dissent.
About the position:
In this role, you will work closely with the communications specialist to conduct the following.
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Archive review and cataloguing:
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Review Statewatch's archive of work, including reports, articles, and publications.
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Identify content with continued relevance based on ongoing policies or contemporary issues.
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Catalogue relevant content by both topic/context and type of relevance (e.g., policy implications, historical insights).
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Organise the catalogued content for easy reference and retrieval.
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Social media messaging:
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Draft ideas for social-ready messaging in various length by distilling relevant information from the catalogued content.
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Assist with translating legal and political language into accessible and accurate information suitable for social media platforms.
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Ensure messaging aligns with Statewatch's mission and messaging guidelines.
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Language guide development:
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Identify key terms and phrases commonly used in Statewatch's external messaging.
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Research and provide guidance on the relevance and appropriateness of certain statements or terminology.
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Assist with developing a language guide for discussing specific topics, including examples and explanations.
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Collaborate with Statewatch team members to ensure consistency and accuracy in messaging.
Key results
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Catalogued archive of relevant content, organised by topic/context and type of relevance.
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Social media messaging templates and content suitable for various platforms.
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Comprehensive language guide for discussing specific topics, including examples and explanations.
About you
We are looking for someone who:
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Has an understanding of legal and political language, with an interest in translating complex concepts into accessible information.
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Research and analytical skills.
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Is proficient in written communications in the English language
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Interest in the political and social context in which Statewatch operates
Benefits:
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Gain hands-on experience in legal research, policy analysis, and accessible communications.
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Work closely with a dedicated team passionate about civil liberties and human rights.
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Make a meaningful contribution to Statewatch's mission of promoting transparency, accountability, and democratic standards.
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Develop valuable skills in communication, research, and advocacy.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
A bit about this role
At Cats Protection we help thousands of cats and kittens each year thanks to our dedicated and passionate volunteer groups. We have over 250 branches across the UK, all of which help our feline friends in different ways. Branches take in stray and abandoned cats and ensure they receive the veterinary care and attention they deserve, help raise funds, promote neutering and help spread cat welfare messages. Our branch team leader volunteers lead their local team by supporting and managing volunteers within their group, maintaining communications with both volunteers and staff, and helping promote a positive and professional image of Cats Protection.
What can you expect to be doing?
- Supporting your team of volunteers in all aspects of their roles, making sure volunteers are happy and confident
- Making sure the team observes charity best practice and compliance
- Collaborating with your Branch Development Manager (BDM) to plan volunteer activity
- Leading the team to follow Cats Protection policies, procedures and guidelines
- Monitoring expenditure and helping ensure long term financial stability of the volunteer group
- Organising and chairing team meetings
- Acting as an ambassador for Cats Protection
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are looking for self-motivated and compassionate individuals to help facilitate our support groups and make a difference to the lives of people affected by cancer.
Support Groups offer those with cancer a chance to share their feelings and experiences in a safe and welcoming environment. Support Group Facilitators listen, provide emotional support and share approved cancer related information.
No special qualifications are needed for this role, but being able to devote time to setting up and maintaining a group is essential.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Family Lives was formed over forty years ago by volunteers with the aim of ensuring that all parents had somewhere to turn before they reach crisis point.
Remote Family Support Volunteer – Live Chat
We know that the right support at the right time makes all the difference. Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling.
Organisational values:
Mission: We build better family lives together.
Vision: Families should have access to active support and understanding.
Values: Trustworthy, Compassionate and Collaborative
Purpose of the role: To be part of a flexible team providing empathic, caring and informed support to families, carers and others who use our services.
Live chat: is a free confidential service that is accessed via our website. Service users are offered emotional support, information and advice and guidance on a broad range of family issues.
Supervised by: The Shift Supervisor
Activities: The volunteer will be fully supervised, supported and trained to provide the following activities:
·Provide emotional support to family members via our live chat service
·Use the Family Lives support model and tools to provide an empathic responses
·Ensure that all service users receive a high quality experience
·Sign post users to other agencies for information and additional support
·Complete conversation data records
·Alert the shift supervisor to any difficult situations
General: Volunteers should be willing to:
·Attend the relevant volunteer training
·Maintain confidentiality and adhere to the other policies and procedures of the organisation
·Participate in regular support, supervision meetings and learning sessions as agreed
For home based volunteers only:
·Volunteers will need a Laptop/PC, plug in headset with microphone, fast broadband and a private place to work from home
·Volunteers need to be IT/PC literate and confident troubleshooting should they have technical difficulties
Time: We would be looking for volunteers to commit to one four-hour shift per week, plus attending training and supervision.
Location: working remotely from home
You need to be a UK resident
Supervision and Support:
·Supervision during shifts
·Debrief after every shift
·1 to 1 supervision every 6 months
·Staff available outside of shift within office hours
·Annual review
The Benefits of Volunteering:
·Satisfaction in making a real and lasting difference to families who are struggling
·An opportunity to develop experience for CV and references. Family Lives is committed to helping volunteers develop their own learning and development, gaining new skills, knowledge or work experience
·Being part of a team of Family Lives volunteers and staff
·Personal development
·Opportunities to meet and interact with a wide range of people
·Out of pocket expenses reimbursed to a maximum of £10 per session if working from a centre
·Flexible hours
Volunteer Person Specification. We are looking for individuals who:
·Have experience of parenting/being in a parenting role or demonstrable experience of working with parents or children e.g. in their work, previous volunteering or a previous role
·Have an ability to respond empathically to emotional content
·Good written and verbal communication
·Have good keyboard skills and IT skills, with a minimum of 50 wpm
·Can demonstrate a willingness to question their own attitudes e.g. toward different forms of parenting
·Have a fluent, descriptive and expressive use of English
·Can remain open minded and non-judgemental
·Willing to commit to work within Family Lives’ policies, in particular our Confidentiality Policy and Risk of Harm Procedures
·Willing to commit to attending regular supervision and support sessions
·Willing to work as part of a team
·Willing to commit to a mutually agreed period or ideally a 12 months commitment to the organisation.
Typing Task Prior to Application for Live Chat
Prior to you submitting your application for a Live Chat Volunteer, we will require you to do a speed test, we ask for a minimum speed of 50 words per minute.
Please take a screen shot and send it across with your application
You can have up to 3 attempts and decide which result you would like to forward as part of your application
Typing task
Go to the website typingtest
You are required to take the one minute typing test recording all of the results (speed, number of errors and adjusted speed).
We have remote voluntary call taker training groups the dates are below are you would need to be able to attend all 5 Modules from the training group.
Our next training groups are:
June Saturday training dates:
Module 1 – Saturday 8th June
Module 2 - Saturday 15th June
Module 3 – Saturday 22nd June
Module 4 – Saturday 29th June
Module 5 – Saturday 6th July
10am to 2pm
OR
June training dates:
Module 1 – Monday 10th June
Module 2 – Wednesday 12th June
Module 3 – Monday 17th June
Module 4 – Wednesday 19th June
Module 5 – Monday 24th June
10am to 2pm
Please note that all roles offered are subject to a satisfactory DBS being obtained, you will receive details of documentation required prior to your training and this must all be in no later than the second session of your training.
Typing Task Prior to Application for Live Chat
Prior to you submitting your application for a Live Chat Volunteer, we will require you to do a speed test, we ask for a minimum speed of 50 words per minute.
Please take a screen shot and send it across with your application
You can have up to 3 attempts and decide which result you would like to forward as part of your application
Typing task
Go to the website typingtest
You are required to take the one minute typing test recording all of the results (speed, number of errors and adjusted speed).
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are recruiting volunteers who enjoy volunteering in their community to help raise the charity’s profile at a local level. Everyone has their own community and we would love to work with people who can share their passion, interest and enthusiasm for Yes to Life with people in their communities who could benefit from our work. The role descritption provides a list of ways you can do this but we are very happy to listen to your suggestions and ideas too. The role is flexible and you can choose how many hours you dedicate to the role.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
African Development Choices (ADC) is a UK-based Social Enterprise on a mission to reduce poverty by empowering communities to make informed development choices in the management of public finances and resources.
ADC’s purpose is to enable communities to independently meet their needs for essential services, such as clean water and safe sanitation and improve lives in Africa.
At ADC we encourage a working culture of seeking and giving input, showing and taking initiative, and commitment to the organisation and its purpose.
We now have an exciting opportunity for a volunteer Head of Policy & Research (Remote) to join ADC.
Main Purpose of Job: Lead the development of policy positions through research to strengthen our evidence base and help ADC act as a thought leader in shaping debate and dialogue around key policy issues relevant to ADC’s work
Division: Operations
Department: Policy & Research
Position Reports to: Chief Impact Officer
Who Reports to this Position: TBC
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Develop policy positions and commission new research and policy outputs and harness the data and stories from across ADC’s work to strengthen our evidence base
- Develop a stakeholder outreach strategy aimed at building key relationships with local and international stakeholders in parliament, civil service, think tanks, peer organisations, universities/colleges and research community
- Analyse data and put together detailed research reports, executive summaries, briefings, factsheets, white papers and policy papers for internal and external audiences
- Put together emotive case studies and stories which demonstrate positive impact on communities and ensure project data is gathered for impact reporting and creating infographics for business development
- Set up externally funded research projects and apply for funding
- Recruit additional volunteers for the Policy & Research team when needed
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
Essential
- At least 5 years of experience in senior policy and research management
- Experience of strengthening evidence and influencing policy agendas
- Significant senior policy and research development experience, ideally in international development
- Background in policy and stakeholder relations with a good general understanding of the workings of government, parliament and civil service
- Significant experience in developing and implementing policy and research strategies
- A creative and strategic thinker, with the ability to develop innovative policy solutions to complex challenges
- Ability to actively take initiative and help set things up in a start-up environment
- Ability to actively seek and give input in a collaborative team environment
- A committed team player with good communication skills
- Available to volunteer at least 7-10 hours a week
Desirable
- Experience of influencing the formation or revision of international development policy at an institutional, national, or inter-governmental level
- Experience working in an early stage start-up and gone through a scaling phase
- Passion for the start-up life and comfortable in a role with a little ambiguity
What ADC Offers You
This is a volunteer, remote and unpaid position with the following benefits:
- Professional learning and career development opportunities
- An opportunity to build on your work experience within your profession
- An opportunity to be part of a diverse team representing different parts of the world that is helping to deliver systemic social change in Africa
- An opportunity to help shape a start-up social enterprise
- We provide work reference
This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.
Here at African Development Choices, we celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our teams are made up of people from all over the world and we welcome all applications. If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, and you require any reasonable adjustments for your application with us, please let us know by contacting recruitmentatafricandevelopmentchoicesdotorg
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are looking for self-motivated and compassionate individuals to help deliver our Helpline service and make a difference to the lives of anyone affected by cancer.
The Helpline offers those with cancer a chance to share their feelings and experiences with someone who has empathy for what they are going through. Helpline Volunteers create a safe and welcoming environment, listen, and provide emotional support and signposting individuals onto further information.
No special qualifications are needed for this role, but access to a telephone in a comfortable quiet setting is essential.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Trustee Job Description
Organisation: Walk to Independence (WTI)
About Walk to Independence (WTI):
Walk to Independence (WTI) is an emerging charity committed to bridging the gap in support services for adults with special educational needs (SEN) transitioning out of formal education settings. Our mission is to establish a nurturing environment where SEN individuals can foster independence, empowerment, and community integration. At WTI, we prioritise upholding the rights of individuals with SEN, ensuring their autonomy, dignity, and inclusion in society.
Position Overview:
WTI is in the process of establishment and is actively seeking dedicated and passionate individuals to serve as founding trustees. Trustees play a pivotal role in steering the strategic direction, governance, and oversight of the organisation, particularly in the crucial phase of charity registration.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership: Provide strategic direction and leadership to guide WTI in achieving its mission and objectives.
Governance: Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, as well as governing documents and policies, especially during the charity registration process.
Financial Oversight: Monitor and review financial performance, including budgets, financial statements, and controls, to ensure fiscal responsibility.
Fundraising and Development: Support fundraising efforts and contribute to the development of sustainable funding streams crucial for WTI's activities and growth.
Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks that may affect operations, reputation, or financial stability, particularly during the organisation's infancy.
Advocacy and Networking: Represent WTI externally, advocating for the rights and needs of individuals with SEN, and establish partnerships with stakeholders, funders, and community organisations.
Support and Evaluation: Guide the executive team, staff, and volunteers, and participate in evaluating WTI's programs and services.
Qualifications:
Passion for the mission and values of WTI, including a commitment to the rights and inclusion of individuals with SEN.
Previous experience in governance, leadership, or management roles, preferably within the charity sector or relevant field.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills.
Ability to think strategically, analyse complex issues, and make informed decisions.
Willingness to dedicate time and effort to fulfil trustee responsibilities effectively, especially during the charity registration process.
Knowledge of fundraising, financial management, or legal matters is desirable but not essential.
Time Commitment: Trustees are expected to attend regular board meetings (approximately 4-6 times per year), participate in committee work or working groups as needed, and engage in occasional ad hoc tasks or events. The time commitment may vary but is estimated to be approximately 5-10 hours per month on average.
Location: The role of trustee is primarily remote, with occasional in-person meetings or events in London as required.
Are you an advocate for an individual’s right to privacy? Do you believe that people should know how their personal information is being used, stored and shared? What about the right to only receive communications that they want?
If so, please get in touch to become a data governance volunteer! At the MS Society we care about issues like ethics, data protection and the rights of individuals privacy. People entrust us with their personal details, and we work hard to keep that trust and respect their wishes.
In this home based volunteer role; you’ll help raise awareness of why this is important and all the things that can be done to keep data safe and secure.
We’ll support you in your volunteering, giving you opportunities to lead positive change, meet and network with other volunteers, and develop your skills through training. We’ll also cover reasonable expenses if you are asked to travel to take part in activities including training.
What the role involves
The role will involve a varied number of administrative tasks. We work behind the scenes supporting volunteering groups, individual volunteers, staff, supporters and service users to exercise their rights and keep the MS Society compliant with data protection regulations. These activities will include:
- Setting up and attending relevant meetings to support staff with providing advice
- Supporting the writing and publishing blogs and data process guidance and policy, such as proof reading, cross reference
- Collaboration in the review of training material and data collection forms and processes
- Populating and reviewing our risk register
- Supporting the team to carry out data protection rights requests on our in-house system (One Trust)
What you need for this role
- Passionate about the MS Society and our mission
- To be passionate about data protection rights as a human right
- An understanding of data protection and a willingness to learn and keep abreast of changes.
- An ability to work well and collaborate with others
- An understanding of Microsoft 365 and databases including Excel
- Access to a PC and the internet
In order to volunteer in this role, you will need to:
- Complete an application
- Have an informal conversation with the Volunteer Manager for this role, to discuss whether becoming a data governance support volunteer is right for you
- Complete your Welcome and Induction Checklist in the back of your ‘Welcome Pack’ (opens in new window).
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Community Action Volunteers needed to manage their own collection tins route.
Training will be provided for the role, and online for GDPR, Fire Safety, and Manual Handling. Certification provided.
Become an integral part of our lifesaving charity, connect with other volunteers, manage your role via the Volunteero app.
Be part of a charity that has 'Investing in Volunteers' standard.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Ensuring that all community fundraising supporters receive an outstanding level of service.
Support our aim to build a strong community network of local fundraisers, committed and inspired to raise money to help us achieve our mission of supporting people with cancer.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Help us flock together!
We are looking for someone to support the members of our local RSPB group in Bedford.
We are a friendly group of birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts who are passionate about nature and its conservation.
We need someone to manage our list of members, collect subscriptions, and help to recruit new people to join our group and to take part in our activities. These include regular indoor meetings and birdwatching trips. To learn more about us and what we do, please click here.
We are looking for someone who is well organised, with good IT skills and, most importantly, someone who is a people person.
If you join us, you will have the opportunity to meet new people, learn more about birds and nature, and help the work of the RSPB, Britain's largest conservation organisation.
If you feel you could help, please get in touch.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
As our Shop Volunteer, you’re at the heart of making sure our customers have a positive shopping experience. There’s lots of ways of getting involved: making our window displays look great, welcoming customers, helping them with purchases, collecting donations, preparing items for sale, using our till systems to handle payments and, as part of a team, generally helping with the day-to-day running of the shop. In this varied role, you’ll develop your organisation, team working and customer service skills.
Most importantly you’ll be helping raise funds to support people to live well with MS. What the role involves This role may vary depending on needs and is likely to include: Welcoming customers and assisting them with purchases
Receiving and processing money when goods are sold
Pricing and sorting donations and other goods for sale in line with stock control processes
Helping with visual merchandising for our shop windows
Supporting housekeeping, such as stock management and tidying We will support you in developing the skills you need for this role, including an induction into all the areas outlined.
You will have a chance to discuss your role, claiming expenses and any additional needs with us
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Family Lives operate a free confidential helpline for anyone experiencing difficulties in their family or relationship.
Our volunteers take calls from parents and carers on a wide range of subjects, whether that might be issues around separation and divorce, isolation, depression, bullying and abuse, dealing with behavioural problems, etc. You can find out more about our services on our website.
We are a national service with home-based call takers county wide and we also have a call centre in Old Hatfield Hertfordshire. Once trained volunteers sign up for a weekly 4-hour shift comprising 3 hours ‘online’ followed by a debrief session with your supervisor which can lasts around half to one hour.
We recruit volunteers with a range of backgrounds and experiences though we ask that volunteers have experience of parenting or working with children and young people, are good listeners and have a willingness to learn. Being remote it will be very important that you have a PC/laptop, plug in headset with microphone, good Wi-Fi and a private place to work from home.
You need to be a UK resident.
Our training programme is excellent and will give you the opportunity to develop the skills needed to offer empathic support and guidance to callers whatever their circumstances; all shifts are overseen by a regular shift supervisor who provides ongoing remote support. We ask our volunteers to make a commitment of 1 year (with time off for holidays), obviously we understand that circumstances sometimes make that an impossibility but can be helpful to know at the outset that is the general expectation.
We have call taker training sessions that run over five sessions and is done remotely connecting you via a Microsoft Teams link.
You would need to be able to attend all five sessions from one of these remote training groups and be available on four occasions to listen into calls, this can be organised remotely.
Remote Call Taker Training Dates:
June Saturday training dates:
Module 1 – Saturday 8th June
Module 2 - Saturday 15th June
Module 3 – Saturday 22nd June
Module 4 – Saturday 29th June
Module 5 – Saturday 6th July
10am to 2pm
OR
June training dates:
Module 1 – Monday 10th June
Module 2 – Wednesday 12th June
Module 3 – Monday 17th June
Module 4 – Wednesday 19th June
Module 5 – Monday 24th June
10am to 2pm
Please note that all roles offered are subject to a satisfactory DBS being obtained, you will receive details of documentation required prior to your training and this must all be in no later than the second session of your training.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Grant Manager
Part time voluntary role – 2 days a week
Moulsoe near Milton Keynes
Adoptionplus is a Therapeutic Adoption Agency with a reputation for innovation and effective practice, rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED. We specialise in supporting families caring for children who have experienced trauma and loss, and provide a range of specialist services for adults, children, families and professionals that include therapy and training.
Children have described our service as “flameballtastic” while OFSTED have described us as ‘one of the best in England….where children’s emotional wellbeing improves significantly.’
We are passionate about innovation and learning, working with a number of Universities over recent years as part of national research. Many of our staff are considered experts in their field and between us we have had 13 books published (within our own time).
Although relatively small we have a large reach. A significant proportion of our customers are Local Authorities and we have been commissioned by over 50% of LAs in England.
We have recently transitioned from being not-for-profit to becoming a registered charity and we are now looking for someone who can support us as we move into fundraising.
This can be a home-based role with visits to our Adoptionplus office near Milton Keynes as needed.
For more information please contact Joanne Alper and for an application pack please contact Sophy Osman
Adoptionplus seeks to provide loving families and therapeutic support for children who would otherwise have grown up in the care system.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.