Youth programme leader jobs in Belfast

Role Summary

The Outreach Manager is responsible for driving the expansion of the Schools Consent Project’s reach, engagement, and impact across London and the South East. Acting as the organisation’s lead “sales” and business development professional, you will contribute to and manage our strong pipeline of partner schools and organisations, convert leads into confirmed bookings, and maximise long-term engagement. 

You will own the end-to-end outreach and partnership journey: from prospecting and lead generation, through relationship development and negotiation, to repeat engagement and retention.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Lead Generation

• Develop and execute a proactive outreach and growth strategy to increase workshop bookings.
• Develop and maintain relationships with existing schools; ensure SCP’s workshop content remains responsive and reactive to the emerging concerns of young people when it comes to sex, consent and the online world.
• Generate leads through cold outreach, referrals, events, and campaigns.
• Contribute to and maintain a pipeline of new schools and educational settings.
• Reinvigorate historic relationships with schools.

Account Management

• Convert enquiries and prospects into confirmed programme partners.
• Present the charity’s offer and impact to senior school leaders, safeguarding leads, and decision-makers.
• Manage key accounts and ensure high levels of partner satisfaction and retention.
• Promote additional workshops and programmes where appropriate (eg. teacher training; parent workshops).
• Track booking trends eg. seasonal vs. reactive bookings; develop a communication strategy around each ‘type’ of school, involving timely booking reminders.

Pipeline, Targets & Performance

• Manage outreach targets for bookings, partnerships, and regional coverage.
• Monitor conversion rates, pipeline value, and performance metrics.
• Produce regular forecasts and performance reports.
• Use data and insight to refine sales strategies and improve outcomes.

Marketing & Promotion

• Help develop compelling outreach materials and campaigns.
• Deliver presentations, webinars, and pitches to prospective educational partners.
• Represent the organisation at conferences, networks, and sector events.
• Help gather case studies, testimonials, and impact data to support outreach and fundraising.

Delivery Coordination

• Work closely with our Volunteer Manager and Operations Manager to match supply with demand.
• Ensure smooth handover from booking to delivery.
• Anticipate capacity constraints and manage partner expectations.

Team Leadership & Development

• Contribute to the development of outreach systems, processes, and tools.
• Share insights and learning across the organisation.
• Oversee team members currently managing school outreach.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience in sales, business development, partnerships, or outreach roles.
• Experience working with schools, education providers, or youth services.
• Track record of meeting or exceeding targets.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong relationship management and account development experience.
• Highly organised, with strong CRM and data management skills.
• Ability to work autonomously and drive results.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working in the charity, education, or public sectors.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and child protection frameworks.
• Understanding of social impact measurement.

Values and Approach

We are looking for someone who:

• Is committed to our mission and values.
• Demonstrates empathy, professionalism, and integrity.
• Works collaboratively and inclusively.
• Is proactive, adaptable, and solution-focused.

Safeguarding and Equality

The Schools Consent Project is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Are you an experienced and committed Project Manager? Have you worked in programme delivery for young people in schools or youth settings? Can you communicate confidently to a wide audience and range of stakeholders?

We are seeking a full-time Project Manager to support delivery of our new programme, Reading Reboot, funded by the Charlotte Aitken Trust, and to support the SLA to grow its reach and impact. Reading Reboot is being developed to address the reading crisis and restore a love of reading for young people in Year 8, in communities facing the greatest disadvantage. This is an opportunity to lead a flagship national programme with the potential to shape future investment in school libraries, in a supportive, mission-driven team culture within a small but influential charity. 

The Reading Reboot programme will establish librarian-led social book clubs in over 100 under-funded secondary school libraries across the UK and reach more than 6,000 young people directly, alongside librarians, senior leaders and wider school communities. Reading Reboot places school librarians at the heart of delivery, combining new book stock, inspiring author engagement, appealing library spaces, and a robust evaluation to evidence impact and inform future national roll-out.   

The Project Manager will lead on development and delivery, working closely with the CEO, a Project Board and external evaluation team to ensure the programme meets its objectives on time, within budget and to a high quality. They will recruit and coordinate schools and librarians, work with partners and funders, and ensure that learning and impact are captured and shared across the sector. Building strong relationships with all stakeholders, the Project Manager will be the main point of contact for the programme and will support the CEO and Project Board with timely updates, papers and participation in meetings. Successful candidates will have extensive and demonstrable experience of project management in schools or youth settings. Experience of training development and delivery will be an advantage.

The salary for this position is £30,000 per year for 37 hours per week on a one year contract, with potential for extension. Find out more about this role and how to apply by downloading the job application pack.

Application deadline: Thursday 26th March, 5pm

Interviews will take place online the week commencing 7th April 2026.

Applications without a covering letter will not be considered. No agencies please. Due to the volume of applications we cannot provide individual feedback. We really appreciate your interest. If you haven’t heard from us within one week of the deadline, it means we’ve moved forward with other candidates on this occasion. We encourage you to apply again in the future. Please note we may close recruitment early should the right candidate be identified.

Our focus is on creating libraries of tomorrow with children and young people today.

We want all children and young people to feel at home at the library, to be understood, empowered and inspired. Our collaborative network is made up of member, partners and supporters. We believe in the need for safe spaces and real-life connections to support the demands of modern life. Together, we’re creating change, and you can be a part of it.

This is a pivotal moment of growth and development for Libraries Rising as a young charity. We’re seeking a passionate, skilled manager to join our team. We’re looking for someone to bring the energy and expertise to help us develop and grow over the next 12 months.

We’re looking for:

An experienced project manager who enjoys a flexible and iterative approach.

A proactive leader who is energised by variety, and able to work effectively across diverse topics and themes.

A values led bid writer who has experience of co-creating successful grant funding bids.

A creative thinker who enjoys a productive and responsive environment.

An enthusiastic collaborator who will build strong relationships with our team, members and partners.

We’re looking for someone who lives our values - progressive, collaborative, kind, aspirational and inclusive.

What’s important to us needs to be important to you too. We want to focus on impact, to work openly, to collaborate with and learn from others, to take the time to care for ourselves and each other, and to have fun together. We want to build an environmentally sustainable charity, and we want to be celebrated as an inclusion changemaker in the sector.

About the work

We are an Arts Council England Investment Principles Support Organisation. Our members are leaders in children and young people’s public libraries and schools library services (SLS). 

The Development and Delivery Manager (Projects) is a new role for the charity. You will work with a small and growing team, who are passionate about our mission and vision. You will also work with our members (leaders of children’s public library and School Library Service leaders) and sector partners.

We are in the final stages of creating our strategy for the future. You’ll be supporting us with organisational and sector development across all pillars, with a particular focus on our Thriving Charity goals.

Job purpose

To lead and deliver a range priority projects and funding bids for the charity.

The purpose of the role includes:

• To scope and deliver a range of projects to support both organisational and sector developments.
• To convene members and young people to participate in events and workshops, ensuring projects and developments are co-created with stakeholders.
• To compile reviews, reports and options appraisals to aid effective decision making.
• To lead the development and submission of grant and trust funding opportunities.
• To support the shaping, and delivery, of a funding plan to enable delivery of our new charity strategy.
• To ensure creative and flexible use of resources.

What you’ll bring to the role

• Strong project management skills, with experience delivering complex, multi-stakeholder work.
• Track record of delivering to achieve strategic goals and outcomes.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise, plan and manage risk.
• Ability to negotiate and influence.
• Experience of identifying funding opportunities and successfully bidding for grant funding.
• Able to work on own initiative and collaborate within a team.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent listening skills with the ability to take diverse opinions into account.
• Digitally literate and technologically curious, with experience of Microsoft Office and project software.
• Experience managing and monitoring budgets.
• Experience of facilitating events and workshops.
• Committed to engaging and co-creating with children, young people and families.
• Understanding of the role of libraries within communities.
• Experience of managing partnerships, subcontractors or commissioned work.
• Awareness of GDPR implications and requirements.

Personal qualities

• Empathetic, able to understand a variety of viewpoints that are different to their own.
• Calm under pressure and able to manage multiple priorities while maintaining quality.
• Confident in building relationships and constructively challenging where needed.
• Thrives when working collaboratively and taking responsibility for delivery.
• Trusts others and inspires trust.
• Ambitious for our charity, the library sector and for children and young people.
• Strategic thinker who can also absorb and analyse detailed information.
• Entrepreneurial, with the ability to spot opportunities and develop them.
• Asks for feedback and is able to accept and act on it to improve their own performance.
• Understanding of inclusion and its importance within a diverse society.
• Commitment to own continued professional development.

Our application process is open to everyone and anyone with the experience we’re looking for. We have a diverse board of trustees, but we know our staff team is not as diverse as we need for the future, as we grow. We particularly welcome applications from people from racialised communities, men, trans or non-binary individuals, and those with hidden or visible disabilities.

Employee benefits include:

25 days annual leave (pro rata) plus Bank Holidays

5% employer pension contribution

Employee Assist Programme – including 24/7 counselling, health support and legal helpline.

A range of discounts on retail, entertainment, travel and wellbeing.

If you have any questions about the role, or want to chat Tabitha, Chief Executive before applying, please get in touch.

All applicants must have an existing Right to Work in the UK. Please also note that appointment will be made subject to collection of two references and a satisfactory DBS check or evidence of a current DBS certificate.

Organisational Vision & Context:

As we journey towards our vision to bring fulness of life for every child, no matter what struggles they face, we’re looking for a motivated and mission-driven individual to join our team as a Church Relationship Lead for our Make Lunch programme. 

While our programmes vary, they share one common thread: an unwavering resolve to see lives transformed for good. Mobilising over 200 churches and 1,500 volunteers, TLG’s volunteer programmes – Early Intervention and Make Lunch – currently support around 5,000 children and their families each year. However, our vision goes further: we aim to see many more churches partner with us to transform lives in their communities.

This Role’s Impact:

We are seeking an experienced, relational, and highly organised leader with a strong passion for the issues of mental health, poverty, and social justice that underpin Make Lunch. Working alongside other Church Relationship Leads, this role will train, support, and develop church-based volunteer Make Lunch teams, ensuring they provide effective support and meaningful connection to children, young people, and families in their communities.

With excellent people, communication and training skills, the postholder will nurture positive, growing relationships with volunteer Make Lunch Coordinators, enabling excellent programme leadership at a local level. Operationally astute and confident in bringing constructive challenge, they will ensure all Make Lunch activities are safe and fully compliant. Driven by a commitment to continuous improvement, they will foster a growth mindset among those they support, maximising the impact of Make Lunch both locally and nationally.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Hours: Part time (22.5 hours per week, 0.6 FTE), including Tuesdays

Closing Date: Sunday 29th March

Initial Interviews: Monday 13th April – Online

Final Interviews: Tuesday 21st April – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

This is a Remote Role however candidates must be based in Scotland.

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education. We offer more than just a career, we offer the opportunity to support our global movement in a dynamic and inclusive environment with a real focus on personal development.

We’re looking for a Head of Scotland to become a senior ambassador and strategic leader for Mary’s Meals across the nation. As Head of Scotland, you will combine a deep understanding of fundraising in local communities – including the faith landscape, education system, and community networks – with strong strategic leadership. By building trusting, long‑term relationships, you will champion the charity’s vision and inspire people, churches, schools, businesses, and local partners to join us in feeding the next hungry child.

You will lead a small team, foster volunteer leadership, and collaborate with colleagues across MMUK so that national campaigns, storytelling, and supporter journeys land meaningfully within the local context.

You will be a highly visible presence across Scotland, spending considerable time externally to open doors, build alliances, and make confident, values‑led asks. You will guide how Mary’s Meals is seen, understood, and felt in Scotland – shaping our public profile, driving sustained income growth, and building the partnerships and grassroots energy needed to grow our movement.

Key responsibilities include

• Working cross-directorate to create and deliver a fundraising growth strategy for Scotland, rooted in regional insight, cultural understanding, and community needs, and aligned with the global and national strategy.
• Working with the Communications team, shape a clear and compelling narrative, respecting the nation’s strong identity, and acknowledging our brand is most recognised in Scotland.
• Identify emerging opportunities across Scotland, including diocesan networks, local relationships, high-growth business sectors, and regional giving patterns, adjusting plans quickly to drive maximum impact.
• Serve as the senior MMUK representative in Scotland, ensuring activity aligns with the national organisational strategy.
• Act as the leading spokesperson for Mary’s Meals in Scotland, representing the charity to churches, schools, local authorities, individuals, universities, and civic or business networks.
• Spend focused time externally; networking, nurturing partnerships and driving growth through representing the charity at events, meetings, faith gatherings, conferences, and civic forums.
• Build alliances with leaders across churches, schools, businesses and community groups.
• Confidently deliver values‑led presentations and public speaking engagements that inspire trust, generosity, and long‑term commitment.
• Lead by example and work closely across the organisation to ensure that all Scottish activity is fully aligned with Supporter Experience, so that journeys, thanking and stewardship feel warm and seamless, with Communications to deliver compelling campaigns and storytelling, with Philanthropy & Partnerships to coordinate major donor and corporate engagement, and with the Volunteer Manager to strengthen volunteer mobilisation and development.
• Play an active role as a member of the Extended Leadership Team (ELT), contributing to organisational strategy and direction, playing an important role in the wider leadership of the organisation.
• Proactively cultivate, pursue, and develop fundraising opportunities via networking and outreach with the aim of securing support for our school feeding programme.
• Develop and maintain a robust national growth pipeline, ensuring proactive identification, cultivation, conversion, and stewardship of opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with Philanthropy and Partnerships, co‑owning major donor and corporate pipelines with clear roles and handovers.
• Make bold, relationship‑led asks, tailored to supporters’ motivations and capacity.
• Ensure that all donor journeys, from first engagement to long‑term stewardship, are warm, timely, and mission‑driven.
• Serve as a trusted media spokesperson for press, broadcast, and faith media when required.
• Work closely with the Communications team to provide compelling Scottish supporter stories, impactful moments, and local activity to showcase.
• Shape national‑to‑local messaging so that campaigns resonate with Scottish audiences.
• Work with your regional team and support appropriate local media coverage to raise profile and strengthen regional engagement.

To apply for the role of Head of Scotland based at Mary’s Meals UK, please follow instructions on Charity Job.

Applicants must hold full right to work in the UK and be based in Scotland.

We welcome applications from candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse charity providing a supportive place for you to do the best and most rewarding work of your career.

Closing date for applications is Friday, 3 April 2026.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Purpose of the Role

The Clinical & Research Lead role provides senior clinical leadership across Together for Short Lives’ most complex and high-profile programmes. The role leads the design and delivery of national clinical initiatives, strengthens clinical governance and safeguarding oversight, and builds the organisation’s research and evidence capability.

Working closely with the Head of Services & Impact, the postholder ensures programmes are credible, evidence-informed and deliver measurable impact for children, families and the wider sector. The role will lead work that strengthens professional practice, improves outcomes for families, and supports national sector development. The role involves significant external representation, national stakeholder engagement, programme planning, research and data oversight, and leadership of internal and external events.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

· Represent Together for Short Lives in national clinical, policy and professional forums, contributing to the organisation’s credibility and influence across the children’s palliative care sector.

· Lead the planning, coordination and delivery of internally hosted stakeholder meetings, including the Leaders of Care Forum and other professional engagement events.

· Provide professional and reflective input into complex organisational decisions relating to clinical practice, programme design and ethical engagement.

· Build strong relationships with practitioners across health, social care, education and voluntary-sector partners to support implementation of clinical programmes and foster collaboration.

· Engage with Integrated Care Boards, Strategic Clinical Networks, and children’s palliative care providers to ensure our work aligns with national priorities and regional needs.

Programme Leadership & Project Oversight

· Provide senior leadership for the planning, development and delivery of clinical and service-improvement projects, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy.

· Oversee the development of project briefs, initiation documents, outcome measures, risk registers, evaluation plans and implementation timelines.

· Hold responsibility for monitoring progress, quality assurance, and risk management, escalating concerns to the Head of Services & Impact as required.

· Coordinate cross-functional project teams and ensure effective collaboration with external organisations, hospices, NHS partners and charitable funders.

· Ensure projects are delivered within agreed scope, timelines and budgets.

· Support the development of robust programme models, theories of change and outcomes frameworks that strengthen the organisation’s ability to secure external funding.

· Contribute to the development of cases for support and programme proposals in collaboration with fundraising colleagues.

Research, Evidence & Insight

• Lead the organisation’s research prioritisation programme and support development of a national children’s palliative care research agenda.
• Build and maintain relationships with academic partners, research institutions and clinical leaders to strengthen the evidence base for children’s palliative care.
• Support development of evaluation frameworks that demonstrate impact, learning and outcomes across programmes.
• Contribute to the organisation’s longer-term ambition to develop a ‘Centre of Impact’, positioning Together for Short Lives as a national authority on evidence and insight in children’s palliative care.
• Ensure research and evaluation activity is ethically robust, appropriately governed and aligned with sector priorities.

Data, Impact & Reporting

· Provide oversight and leadership for data collection, monitoring and reporting processes across the Services & Impact portfolio.

· Line manage the Data & Impact Officer, ensuring robust reporting systems, high-quality data, and meaningful evaluation of programmes.

· Ensure outputs are translated into insights that demonstrate effectiveness, equity, reach and learning - supporting fundraising, influencing and strategic decision-making.

· Support development of improved feedback mechanisms from families and professionals to evidence the impact of support offers and clinical programmes.

Professional Support, Education & Sector Development

· Contribute to the development and dissemination of clinical resources, guidance, toolkits and training for professionals working with children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

· Support national programmes of work, including definitions of children’s palliative care, categories of need, standards, workforce development and professional education.

· Facilitate knowledge exchange and best-practice sharing across the sector through networks, events, workshops and targeted professional engagement.

· Deliver presentations, training sessions and clinical briefings to a wide range of audiences.

Family and Service Engagement

· Work with colleagues across the Services & Impact team and external partners to ensure projects reflect the lived experiences and priorities of children and families.

· Support co-production activities and ensure family voice is meaningfully incorporated into project design and evaluation.

· Promote and signpost to the Family Support Hub and relevant offers, ensuring clear and consistent messaging about available support.

Governance, Quality & Reporting

· Provide additional clinical oversight and challenge across the organisation’s work relating to safeguarding, ethical engagement and complex family situations.

· Contribute to strengthening organisational clinical governance processes and risk management.

· Provide expert advice to colleagues on safeguarding, ethical engagement with families, and complex clinical issues arising from programme work. Contribute to internal reporting cycles, board updates, quarterly programme reviews and funder reports.

· Maintain accurate project documentation, data dashboards and risk logs.

· Provide expert advice to colleagues and stakeholders on clinical considerations and best practice in children’s palliative care.

General Responsibilities

· Provide effective line management, supervision and support to allocated staff.

· Attend team meetings, leadership meetings and organisational events as required.

· Commit to continuous professional development and reflective practice.

· Undertake other duties relevant to the role as required by the Head of Services & Impact.

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and we are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education. We offer more than just a career, we offer the opportunity to support our global movement in a dynamic and inclusive environment with a real focus on personal development.

We are delighted to be recruiting for Head of Northern Ireland to be the senior ambassador and strategic leader for Mary’s Meals across Northern Ireland. This role is remote however we require candidates to be based in Northern Ireland.

While playing a key role within the wider Development Directorate, you will guide how Mary’s Meals is seen, understood, and felt in Northern Ireland – shaping our public profile, driving sustained income growth, and building the partnerships and grassroots energy needed to grow our movement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Working cross-directorate to create and deliver a fundraising growth strategy for Northern Ireland, rooted in regional insight, cultural understanding, and community needs, and aligned with the global and national strategy.​

• Working with the Communications team, shape a clear and compelling narrative, respecting the nation’s strong identity.​

• Identify emerging opportunities across Northern Ireland, including diocesan networks, local relationships, and regional giving patterns, adjusting plans quickly to drive maximum impact.​

• Serve as the senior MMUK representative in Northern Ireland, ensuring activity aligns with the national organisational strategy.​

• Act as the leading spokesperson for Mary’s Meals in Northern Ireland, representing the charity to churches, schools, local authorities, individuals, universities, and community or business networks.​

• Spend focused time externally; networking, nurturing partnerships and driving growth through representing the charity at events, meetings, faith gatherings, conferences, and civic forums.

• Proactively cultivate, pursue, and develop fundraising opportunities via networking and outreach with the aim of securing support for our school feeding programme.​

• Develop and maintain a robust national growth pipeline, ensuring proactive identification, cultivation, conversion, and stewardship of opportunities.​

• Significant focus on the growth and development of new Volunteer Fundraising Groups in counties across Northern Ireland.

• Line manage and coach a Regional Development Officer, enabling them to become a confident, high‑performing fundraiser.

• Serve as a trusted media spokesperson for press, broadcast, and faith media when required.​

• Work closely with the Communications team to provide compelling local supporter stories, impactful moments, and local activity to showcase.​

• Shape national to local messaging so that campaigns resonate with audiences across Northern Ireland.

To apply for the role of Head of Northern Ireland based at Mary’s Meals UK, please follow instructions on Charity Job.

Applicants must hold full right to work in the UK.​

We welcome applications from candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse charity providing a supportive place for you to do the best and most rewarding work of your career.

Closing date for applications is Tuesday, 24 March 2026.

Interviews will commence week commencing 30th March 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Head of Mass Supporter Fundraising

Bowel Cancer UK is the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. We support and fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.

We currently have employees working across four nations in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’re in a privileged position to be able to deliver our ambitious new strategy, On a Mission. There are huge challenges facing bowel cancer patients across the UK and our community needs us now more than ever. We’re building a strong and united team to bring us closer to a world where nobody dies of bowel cancer.

Are you an experienced fundraising leader who wants to be part of creating a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer? This could be the role for you!

Bowel Cancer UK is seeking an exceptional, growth-driven Head of Mass Supporter Fundraising to join our team. We have set a bold ambition to significantly increase income over the next five years, ensuring everyone diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK receives the support they need.

This is a rare opportunity to build and scale a data-led fundraising programme, increase our visibility in a competitive landscape, and develop a high-performing talented team capable of delivering sustained, multi-million-pound income growth. You will lead the development of transformational strategies and play a critical role in the management of the charities CRM to significantly scale revenue while ensuring digital innovation is at the heart of all strategic decision-making. You will take full ownership of mass supporter fundraising budgets and provide visionary leadership by directly managing team managers to foster a culture of professional growth.

The salary is £51,241, plus £2,000 London Weighting if applicable and a contributory pension scheme. The position is home-based UK-wide, with required travel to our London-based Hub space in Kennington. We offer 27 days of holiday, plus three discretionary days between Christmas and New Year in addition to statutory holidays, complimented by a range of brilliant staff benefits.

If you have a proven track record in digital acquisition, harnessing data to support decision-making, managing multi-million-pound budgets, and know what it takes to motivate and lead a brilliant team, we want to hear from you.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and at Bowel Cancer UK we are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Successful candidates may be subject to either a satisfactory basic, standard or enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) dependent upon the role.

We’re recruiting an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to work with Platform Places and Footwork over the next 10 months – to develop our bold narratives and inspiring content that help drive locally-led neighbourhood transformation.

• Target start date: 11th May 2026 
• Time input: 3 days per week (0.6 full-time equivalent), with flexibility for up to 4 days per week in certain busy periods, by mutual agreement
• Remuneration: £55,000-£61,500 per year (pro rata) depending on experience
• Flexible working: Work hours can be flexible as long as role objectives are met
• Location: Hybrid, remote or in-person (option to work from our London office). Monthly in-person team days in London, plus occasional trips to partners in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol and London and learning gatherings (expenses covered). 
• Contract type: PAYE employment contract. 10 months fixed term.
• Eligibility: Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

About us

In 2025, Platform Places integrated with Footwork Trust, becoming what we call ‘civic partners’. Together we facilitate locally-led neighbourhood transformation – so people have the power to live affordably, sustainably and together. 

About Platform Places

Platform Places is a national cross-sector collaboration and not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to unlock town centre buildings for amazing ideas that help us live affordably, sustainably and together. We convene councils, community leaders and asset owners around the country to build powerful partnerships, to unlock buildings for local benefit. We support these Partnerships with access to funding, technical expertise and networks.

Our deeper intention is to localise and democratise who owns, controls and transforms town centre and neighbourhood buildings, so that communities can:

• design spaces to meet local needs – whether affordable space for arts, music, healthcare, local food, housing, nature connection, reuse & repair, childcare etc
• retain and reinvest the wealth generated by these buildings.

We’re inspired by pioneers like Hastings Commons, Stour Trust, SAFE Regen, Civic Square, Nudge Community Builders, Makespace Oxford and other members of the Mycelial Network.

About Footwork Trust 

Footwork (UK charity Footwork Trust) supports local people to transform their neighbourhoods for the better and builds alliances to make this possible.

Since 2022, Footwork’s ‘People and Place’ programme has supported over 50 community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change, in response to a local social or environmental challenge. Often reviving land and buildings for community use, they are part of a growing force for fairer, locally-led regeneration, making the places they call home more resilient and equitable. 

Through national and local events, Footwork creates spaces for peer support and shared learning, showcases inspiring examples, and convenes built environment practitioners to enable true collaboration with community partners. 

Together, Footwork and Platform Places co-facilitate the Mycelial Network for Community Asset Developers.

About the Local Property Partnerships pilot, 2024-2027

Thanks to National Lottery players, Platform Places and partners have received almost £2.5 million over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The funding is being used to enable communities to come together and secure long-term spaces for the activities and services that they need the most.

This fund and programme resources local leaders in neighbourhoods in Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool City Region, Bristol and London – working towards shifting multiple buildings into long-term local ownership. We’re also supported by our national partner organisations Architectural Heritage Fund, Power to Change and Social Investment Business. Our intention is that this work will lay the groundwork for a larger follow-on funding programme, which catalyses England-wide adoption of this approach.

The role

We’re looking for an experienced, creative and hands-on communications specialist to join our small team and network of local and national partners.

The Communications Lead will focus on our key programmes, with the below time distribution. The challenge and opportunity is to hit the ground running and drive communications across our key channels – to help attract allies, funding and support, and inspire replication of these approaches in neighbourhoods around England.

2 days per week, ‘Local Property Partnerships’: 

• You’ll lead on promoting, and sharing learnings from, Platform Places’ exciting pilot programme (funded by National Lottery Community Fund) – which is localising and democratising who owns, controls and transforms town centre buildings in five neighbourhoods across England. 

0.75 days per week, ‘People and Place’: 

• You’ll promote, and share learnings from, Footwork Trust’s ‘People and Place’ programme – which supports community innovators to turn their bold ideas into lasting positive change for their place. 

0.25 days per week, Wider movement building: 

• You’ll work on ad hoc broader communications opportunities that support our mission and the programmes – for example, creating a content piece with local or national partners from our wider network, or pitching a media story that cuts across all our programmes.

This involves the following areas of responsibility: 

1. Build on our working communications strategy
2. Work with co-directors to develop our bold, inspiring core messaging, and update our boilerplate narratives
3. Manage digital channels for Platform Places and Footwork: a) plan and create regular social media content; b) write newsletters (approx. quarterly); c) upload and edit website content, on Squarespace (drag-and-drop editor) and occasionally Wix (guidance available).
4. Strategic media relations: build journalist relationships and pitch stories (local or national), op-eds and comments
5. Work with local and national partners to share inspiring and compelling stories
6. Develop practical how-tos and templates, together with partners (you'll have support initiating partner relationships)
7. Provide comms guidance to local programme partners
8. Support co-directors and partners with speaking engagements and event opportunities

You’ll start from a strong foundation of communications activities, along with our established tone, visual identity and branded templates – with lots of freedom for new ideas. 

About you

• You’re as comfortable with creative storytelling as you are with practical resources
• You’re a campaigner for systems change – experienced in attracting allies and creating communications for diverse audiences
• You make it sing – you turn dense or complicated materials into clear and effective narratives to shift opinion and action
• You’re a collaborator – you can effectively hold relationships with local and national partners to plan and deliver coordinated communications 
• You can ‘wear all the hats’: you get stuck in on strategy and roll up your sleeves on delivery; you know when to pitch to media and when the tactic is digital; you can knock up great copy or quick Canva graphics without aiming for perfection
• You’re efficient and resourceful, comfortable leading on comms in a small (and collaborative) team, and know how to make things happen on a small budget (and when to seek external specialists)
• You’re passionate about community-led places and social and environmental justice – and you’re knowledgeable about at least one of: high streets, property, retrofit, community business, heritage buildings, cultural venues, town planning, neighbourhood governance

We know you likely have a particular comms specialism, with more strengths and experience in some areas than others. We’d love to hear about this, and about your approach to getting stuck into the rest. 

Our team & culture 

You’ll be joining our small, agile team of six people across Platform Places and Footwork. We meet in-person on a monthly basis to have lunch together and plan ahead, and have weekly online huddles to check-in and discuss priorities.

We work flexibly around our needs, whether a caring responsibility or otherwise.

Our culture is driven by our values: generous sharing, diverse perspectives, active listening and curiosity, staying networked and joy.