Volunteering And Community Engagement Manager Jobs in Birmingham, West Midlands
We are looking for an enthusiastic Nature and Wellbeing Officer to work with the England Nature and Wellbeing Manager to expand our exciting programme of RSPB Nature Prescriptions in the West Midlands.
Nature and Wellbeing Officer
Reference: APR20246734
Location: Flexible in West Midlands
Salary: £26,379.00 - £28,319.00 per annum
Hours: Full-time
Contract: Fixed-term, ending 31/03/2026
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave
A growing body of evidence indicates that individuals with a greater connection to nature experience improved mental wellbeing, greater vitality and happiness, and are more satisfied with life. Research also shows that increasing your connection with nature can positively impact a range of conditions, including stress, anxiety and depression. RSPB Nature Prescriptions are designed to encourage and prompt people to connect to nature.
We believe that everyone, no matter where they live or the challenges they face, has the right to feel this strong connection to the natural world. Inspiring healthcare professionals and others in the NHS and social care, is a key route for the RSPB to enable more people from more diverse communities to access nature. In so doing we hope to inspire people to love nature and work with us to save it. This is a great opportunity to join a friendly and supportive team dedicated to saving nature by strengthening people’s connection to nature and improving wellbeing through RSPB Nature Prescriptions. Through this project we intend to support more diverse audiences to connect to nature, including through the co-design of materials in different formats.
We're looking for someone who is:
Passionate: About connecting people to nature to improve wellbeing
Confident: In sharing this passion to enthuse healthcare and other professionals including through presentations
Inquisitive: A natural curiosity to explore and understand
Bold: Willing to contribute innovative ideas, particularly when addressing health inequalities
Positive and Personable: Fosters a collaborative and enjoyable way of working with our partners.
Comfortable Challenging the Status Quo: Nature Prescriptions offer a way of improving wellbeing outside of the typical medical model of healthcare
Key tasks:
- Develop and deliver a new RSPB Nature Prescriptions project to people living in diverse communities within the West Midlands
- Deliver presentations to a wide range of potential stakeholders with the aim of obtaining engagement with the project
- Engage with local healthcare professionals and community groups to identify ways of ensuring Nature Prescriptions reach a large diversity of people
- Co-design Nature Prescriptions materials with local people, community groups and healthcare professionals
- Facilitate nature connection workshops to improve the knowledge, skills and confidence of people who will be delivering Nature Prescriptions
- Develop a project plan for the delivery of Nature Prescriptions and follow project management principles to ensure a successful delivery of agreed outcomes
- Tap into local environmental networks to build a picture of nature based activities available and identify opportunities for partnership working
- Explore and contribute to the evaluation of the project, including data gathering and collecting case studies from project partners
- Represent the RSPB on relevant local health and wellbeing networks
- Build internal relationships with RSPB employees and volunteers working within the West Midlands and beyond
- Further develop our Nature and Wellbeing Sharepoint site to provide people across the RSPB access to our latest materials
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- Skilled in delivering nature connection workshops or training
- Experience of working within the health and wellbeing sector
- Experience of developing and delivering projects with diverse communities
- Experience of developing external partnerships and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders
- An excellent verbal and written communicator able to communicate RSPB messages in a way that is understood by a range of audiences and that engenders their support
- Experience of successfully developing and delivering projects
- Excellent planning and organisational skills with the ability to manage and deliver a varied workload
- Skilled in using Microsoft 365 suite including Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Teams
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
- Experience of SharePoint management
- Experience of recruiting and managing volunteers
The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising at the end of the contract term.
Closing date: 23:59, Monday, 13th May 2024
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position on 29 and 30 May 2024.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.
We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.
No agencies please.
Salary: £31,000 per annum
Location: Hybrid working to include Tyseley, Birmingham and some home working, and travel outside of Birmingham.
Hours: Full time, 36.5 hours per week Monday to Friday, with some evening and weekend working.
Contract type: Permanent
The Active Wellbeing Society (TAW) is a community benefit society working to tackle inequalities and promote community wellbeing. Our vision is for a society where people have the autonomy, capacity, resources, and skills to become the architects of their own destiny. The work we do with communities is underpinned by our values of an open heart, open mind and open will. Our work with communities’ cuts across a wide range of policy agendas – from health and social care to transport and planning, community cohesion to climate justice and physical activity. We are increasingly recognised nationally as demonstrating best practice in working with communities in most need and achieving significant systems and behaviour change.
We are looking for an experienced Senior Communications Officer to join our fast-paced organisation as we grow and maximise opportunities for national delivery. As part of a dynamic and friendly communications and marketing team, your role will help widely raise the profile of TAWS across all areas of work, from creating content for internal and external communications channels, optimising digital content for national reach, building relationships with strategic stakeholders online, to cultivating media relations and drafting impactful press releases.
This role is suited to someone with a passion from tackling inequalities and promoting community wellbeing, and a keen understanding of the social and political landscape in which we operate. You will play a key role in helping to bring the TAWS brand proposition to life, telling our story in compelling and engaging ways to a range of audiences. You will be able to think creatively and see the bigger picture, as well as be comfortable delivering key tasks such as producing a newsletter and social media content. You will be responsible for communications about our key projects, and priorities, taking complex and varied information and translating it into content that promotes the work of TAWS and its impact to diverse audiences.
We are working to a hybrid model across the organisation and value in-person contact. This role will require regular weekly working at our head office in Birmingham or other designated offices / locations across the city and travel and work from other locations outside of Birmingham as part of our national work.
Main duties
- Write and edit high quality engaging copy for sharing across internal and external marketing communications channels and in support of the strategic vision, mission and values of TAWS.
- Build organisational profile with key strategic audiences online on social media, the website, digital channels and through content creation.
- Support the development and execution of communications and marketing strategies, tactics and deliverables, in line with the brand proposition; develop and implement quarterly communications plans.
- Working with HR, lead and implement internal communications projects and plans including delivering a monthly internal newsletter and updating the intranet.
- Develop and deliver communications campaigns for positive social change.
- Track analytics and create regular reports detailing effectiveness of communications campaigns and our digital channels.
- Build and maintain relations with local and national media and identify opportunities to amplify our successes and impact.
- Draft press releases and respond to media requests.
- Ensure consistency in terms of tone of voice, branding, messaging and frequency of communications across all channels.
- Source, create, and post content for our social media accounts (using Sprout) and the website, working closely with a range of teams across the organisation including delivery, business development, funding and partnerships.
- Take complex and varied information and translate it into content that promotes the work of TAWS and its impact to diverse audiences
- Proof reading, research thematic issues, new digital tools and media channels.
- Monitor national and local trends, news and opportunities and provide regular internal briefings.
- Keep abreast of new and emergent thinking across wellbeing, community development and tackling inequalities.
- Maintain and update an organisational media library (photos, videos, stories, and audio) in line with data protection/consent.
- Capture and record media to promote projects and key priorities in line with data protection/consent
- Provide design support for comms collateral, reports, newsletters, brochures, flyers, posters and presentations using appropriate software (e.g., Canva, Adobe, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) for a range of audiences.
- Carry out all duties as may be reasonably assigned from time to time and within the level of this job description.
Knowledge,skills and experience
- A sound understanding of the UK social and political landscape and inequalities.
- A highly skilled copy writer with excellent editing and time management skills.
- Demonstrable experience of crafting compelling narratives, writing press releases and tailoring messages and tone to translate and summarise complex ideas in writing.
- Demonstrable experience of developing and delivering effective communications/social change campaigns.
- Demonstrable experience of working with the media and providing effective public relations/journalism support.
- A sound understanding of communications, public relations, and marketing best practices.
- Ability to develop strategic narratives that showcase our work and align with organisational goals.
- Demonstrable experience of producing a range of communications and marketing materials.
- Excellent social media and digital marketing skills to optimise content, thinking creatively about how to reach diverse audiences with key messages, and increase reach, engagement and impact.
- Excellent creative skills and a good eye for design – excellent IT skills and experience of using design software to create graphics and edit imagery.
- Excellent collaboration and networking skills, and ability to build rapport with key stakeholders internally, externally and with the media.
- Track record of working autonomously and collaboratively in a dynamic, fast-paced, and challenging environment.
Staff benefits
We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include:
- Annual Leave – 25 days FTE (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days.
- Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution.
- Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more.
- Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day).
- Life Assurance – x4 your salary paid to beneficiary.
- Flexible working.
- Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.
Application details
Please submit a Cover Letter and CV addressing the experience you have had relevant to the 'Main Duties' and the 'Knowledge & Skills' sections of the advert, but as a minimum please address how you meet the the following criteria which will be weighted highly in the first sift of shortlisting:
- A highly skilled copy writer with excellent editing and time management skills
- Demonstrable experience of crafting compelling narratives, writing press releases and tailoring messages and tone to translate and summarise complex ideas in writing.
- Demonstrable experience of working with the media and providing effective public relations/journalism support
- Excellent social media and digital marketing skills to optimise content, thinking creatively about how to reach diverse audiences with key messages, and increase reach, engagement and impact.
- Excellent collaboration and networking skills, and ability to build rapport with key stakeholders internally, externally and with the media.
Closing date: Tuesday 16th April 2024 at midnight
Interview date: TBC
Due to the high numbers of applications we received for our job vacancies, we may close application windows early, so we would encourage you to submit your application ASAP
We will provide all applicants with an outcome on your application, this will usually be within 1 week of the application window closing.
Successful applicants will be required to be DBS checked prior to starting.
Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we, in recruiting for our team we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. The Active Wellbeing Society is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we recruit based upon capability and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. At The Active Wellbeing Society we are searching for people who share the passion for what we do with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, collectively making a difference.
If there is anything we can do to assist you in your application or preparations to be interviewed for one of our job vacancies please let us know and we can ensure you have a positive and comfortable experience.
Thank you for your interest in working for The Active Wellbeing Society, we look forward to receiving your application.
Trusts and Grants Fundraiser
Offering flexible working with a friendly team, we’re looking for a Trusts & Grants Fundraiser to support The Haven’s financial sustainability through efficient grant research, application, and grant management. You will navigate the world of trusts, foundations, and grant-making bodies to identify funding opportunities aligned with our objectives and submit high quality applications for support.
Your responsibilities include maintaining a well-organised grant pipeline, tailoring applications to funder criteria, and collaborating with colleagues across The Haven to ensure projects are delivered and measured. Building and nurturing relationships is essential. Your contributions will inform our grants strategy, ensure ethical practices, and contribute to our mission's success.
The role is full-time or part-time (30 hours), and can be remote, hybrid, or office based in Wolverhampton, depending on your preference.
Please note, we will be holding interviews on a rolling basis. Due to the current fast-paced nature of recruitment in the sector, we advise you submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Main Responsibilities
- Grant Research, Application and Management:
- Conduct research to identify potential funding opportunities from trusts, foundations, and other grant-making organisations to align with The Haven’s goals, priorities, and funding needs.
- Develop and maintain a robust grant pipeline, tracking the progress of all grant applications from identification to closure. Include monitoring and review of application and reporting deadlines.
- Collate external research and collaborate with frontline managers and staff, as well as other team members to gather pertinent, compelling information needed to develop robust cases for support.
- Prepare tailored funder applications that match the specific requirements and guidelines of each funder.
- Provide relevant materials and support to The Haven’s communication team regarding grants publicity, ensuring funder requirements are met.
- Work closely with project delivery leads to deliver comprehensive grants handovers to ensure compliance with all grant agreements, terms, and conditions, ongoing monitoring and evaluation is in line with funder reporting requirements, and submission of timely high quality reports.
- Collaborate with the finance team to develop grant budgets and monitor expenditure against the project budget, to ensure funds are spent as required and in a timely manner.
- Maintain documentation and records, ensuring The Haven’s CRM is kept up to date.
- Stay up to date with statutory contract opportunities and share information with relevant colleagues as and when opportunities arise.
- Support the tender writing process, undertaking research and developing copy with the support of the Senior Leadership Team where needed.
- Support the monitoring and administration of tender submissions, including deadline tracking, monitoring communications received and updating colleague stakeholders.
Relationship Management:
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with existing donors and funding partners, and initiate and nurture relationships with new prospective donors and funding organisations.
- Identify opportunities for stewardship of relationships and explore engagement activities and events.
Grant Strategy and Planning:
- Contribute to the development of The Haven’s grants strategy.
- Identify long-term funding opportunities and trends within the grants landscape.
- Capture, track, and analyse data to evaluate the success of applications and make data-driven decisions for future strategies.
- Work towards agreed metrics and KPIs.
Compliance and Best Practice:
- Adhere to relevant legislation and regulation such as GDPR and the Codes of Fundraising Practice and stay up-to-date and with any changes.
- Ensure ethical practices including transparent and accurate representation of The Haven’s work and achievements.
- Stay informed about changes in grant-making practices and trends.
- Attend relevant workshops, seminars, and training sessions to enhance grant-writing skills.
General Duties and Responsibilities:
- To undertake such other duties, training and/or hours of work as maybe reasonably required, and which are consistent with the general level of responsibility of this job.
- To have personal responsibility for maintaining personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job and The Haven, by undertaking appropriate training and development activities. This includes encouraging and supporting staff and managers in their training and development.
- To undertake any health and safety training and related activities such as First Aid, Fire Marshall, Duty Hold, Health & Safety representative etc. as required for the post and as required by The Haven Wolverhampton to ensure their Health & Safety Policy is implemented effectively.
- To ensure equality of opportunity both in service provision and employment, having regard to the needs of the diverse communities we serve.
- To act in accordance with the organisations standing orders, financial regulations and financial procedures.
- To supervise and support volunteers and placement as required.
- To comply with legislation and The Haven’s policies including Confidentiality, Information Sharing, Data Protection, Computer Security, Safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, and Human Rights.
- To undertake any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post subject to reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act.
- The duties of the post may change and develop from time to time in the light of new legislation, The Haven’s Policies, organisational development and social trends. Such development will be monitored in conjunction with the Chief Executive and will be reflected as necessary in the aims and objectives of the post.
Person Specification:
Essential knowledge experience, skills and attributes
- Proven track record in trusts and grants fundraising with track record of successful applications.
- Ability to write compelling, tailored funding applications, exhibiting excellent written communication, grammar, vocabulary, and attention to detail.
- Proficient in researching, analysing, and presenting information from diverse sources in a clear, coherent format tailored to funder needs.
- Skills in organising, planning, and overseeing multiple projects simultaneously.
- Showcase experience in administration tasks, proficient use of Microsoft packages (Teams, Forms, Word, Excel), coupled with numerical and data analysis skills.
- Experience of using a donor management system or CRM.
- Capable of working autonomously and as part of a team, with self-motivation, proactive initiative, and the ability to establish effective relationships.
- Openness to seeking and implementing constructive criticism, demonstrating adaptability and willingness to implement change.
- Familiarity with The Haven Wolverhampton's work and issues related to domestic abuse, showcasing sensitivity and understanding.
- Understanding of GDPR principles and the importance of maintaining confidentiality concerning data.
- Commitment to continuous learning and professional development.
Desirable:
- An understanding of the issues and effects of domestic abuse and/or homelessness among women and children.
Other Requirements:
- Able to work effectively and with others in remote/ hybrid working context, utilising technology such as MS Teams
- Able to travel and work unsociable hours on occasions if required to undertake activities or continued professional development activities
Location: Wolverhampton
Contract type: Permanent,Full time
Salary: £30,000
REF-213 126
This is an opportunity to join Refuge as Independent Domestic Violence Advocate to supporting women and children who are impacted by domestic violence. You will work closely with victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis, to provide high quality independent advocacy and support to survivors of domestic abuse at the highest risk and their children. This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role.
Please note that this post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies. An enhanced DBS will also be required for the successful applicant.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.