Community jobs in Hertfordshire

We’re looking for a Legal Adviser who sees law as part of a wider movement for justice to join our social justice legal team in London. You’ll work alongside people harmed by drug criminalisation, poverty, and inequality — delivering outreach advice and casework in benefits, housing, and debt, while contributing to policy and advocacy that strengthens communities and challenges harm at its roots. If you believe legal work should build power, shift systems, and stand in solidarity with those most affected — this could be the role for you.

Since Release’s inception in 1967, the organisation has continuously and actively advocated for open access to justice for all individuals with a specific emphasis on substance misuse and dependency. By addressing the legal needs of people who use drugs and those in recovery the consequences can have a profound and positive affect not only for the individual but also for those who live, support and work with them. Reducing health and income inequalities’ significantly improves a person’s life chances and integration back into their community. Whilst legal services are available to the public via other sources, our client group will often be unable to access such services because of fear of stigma or discrimination.

We also operate a national drugs and legal helpline, and produce a number of free informative publications for the public, and specialist guidance material aimed at professionals in the substance misuse and dependency field.

Details:
Salary: £28,000 – £31,000 + 5% pension
Contract: Permanent, 35 hours/week
Holidays: 29 days + public holidays
Location: Hybrid – Spitalfields, London / Remote
Closing Date: 5:00 pm, Thursday 05 February 2026
Interviews: Commencing Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 or Friday 13 February 2026.
Start Date: Ideally March/April 2026

This is a full-time position (35 hours per week) working a minimum of 3 days a week from our office in Spitalfields, London with the remaining 2 days working from home, if desired. The working hours are 10am – 6pm Monday to Friday with a one-hour lunch break.

The post holder will join our social justice legal team and will be required to deliver a minimum of 2 services through our in-person and ‘virtual’ legal services to clients attending alcohol/drug treatment centres, homeless day centres, and sexual health clinics. The legal advice, assistance and representation we provide has a particular focus on debt, housing including homelessness, and welfare benefits. The post holder will also be required (after a period of induction and/or training) to provide advice on Release’s national legal helpline pertaining to the criminal law and the criminal justice system related to drugs offences, and broader legal advice through our new Harm Reduction Hub drop-in service. In addition to the delivery of legal services, the postholder will also be required to assist with the policy work undertaken by the organisation.

We have been successful in tendering for legal aid contracts for Community Care and Public Law, and there may be opportunities for the post holder to work within these in the future.

As a member of our dynamic social justice legal team, based in London, your responsibilities will include:

• Delivering a minimum 2 legal outreach services at alcohol/drug treatment centres, homeless day centres and sexual health clinics in the London area, and with training deliver our expanding ‘virtual’ legal outreach services to clients elsewhere in the country.
• Completing casework resulting from our legal outreach services on issues including welfare benefits, housing, and debt;
• Providing advice to the public and professionals about legal issues connected with drug use (training will be provided);
• Updating our specialist publications;
• Contributing to our local and National policy commentary/response on drugs, and all associated legislation;
• Assisting with the development of our website and other IT-related service initiatives and their legal compliance.

Minimum requirements for the post include:

• Completion of LLB, GDL, or SQE1 and minimum six months’ experience in social welfare legal advice and casework in areas such as crime, housing, benefits, or debt.

If you think you can make a difference as a Legal Adviser for Release then please download and read the job description and person specification together with the application guidelines for details.

The Vacancy

Job Title: Head of Fundraising, YMCA Essex

Location: Chelmsford

Salary: £55,000 per annum

Weekly Hours: 35

Reference: YMC1154754

Make a lasting impact with YMCA Essex.
We’re embarking on an exciting journey to redevelop our iconic Victoria Road site — creating a vibrant community space that transforms lives. To make this vision a reality, we’re seeking a dynamic Head of Fundraising to lead the generation of income across multiple streams and help shape the future of our organisation.

About the Role
As Head of Fundraising, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering YMCA Essex’s income generation strategy, ensuring sustainable and diverse funding for our redevelopment project and wider community initiatives. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, you’ll bring creativity, strategic thinking, and drive to build meaningful partnerships and deliver strong results.

You’ll lead on securing income from a variety of sources including trusts and foundations, corporate partners, major donors, legacies, community fundraising, and social enterprise. With ambitious targets and a clear vision, you’ll identify new opportunities, manage risks, and ensure a healthy return on investment.

This role will also see you collaborate across teams - engaging staff, residents, volunteers and community supporters in our mission. You’ll be a visible and inspiring leader, fostering a culture of energy, growth, and shared purpose.

About You

You are seeking an opportunity where there’s space and scope to build something amazing from the ground up. This means you’ll almost certainly be an experienced fundraiser or income generation professional who thrives on building relationships and achieving results. You’ll combine strategic insight with hands-on delivery and bring a proven track record of meeting ambitious income targets for capital projects.

Key qualities include:

Experience in one or more of the following: trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, major gifts, or community fundraising.

Strong, pragmatic communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage senior leaders, donors, and partners.

The ability to innovate, plan strategically, and manage competing priorities effectively.

A commitment to YMCA Essex’s core values of Kindness, Fairness, Professionalism, Perseverance, and Joy.

Why Join Us?
At YMCA Essex, we believe in creating opportunities for everyone to thrive. You’ll be joining a passionate, supportive team driven by a shared purpose - to strengthen our community and change lives for the better.

If you’re ready to bring energy, expertise, and vision to this transformative project, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and be part of something extraordinary.

Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check.

Are you up for a new and exciting challenge, leading one of the most effective and nimble NGOs in the transport and environment sectors in England and Wales?

Transport Action Network (TAN) is seeking a dynamic and knowledgeable CEO to lead its remote team of six.

Since it was set up in 2019, TAN has established itself as a thought leader on planning and transport matters, while providing hands-on support and advice to local communities seeking better transport solutions. It has successfully challenged government decisions and helped local communities fight off damaging road schemes. Some examples include schames that would have harmed Stonehenge World Heritage Site, South Downs National Park and Rimrose Valley Country Park in Liverpool.

TAN is currently supporting the Queensbury Tunnel Society, trying to stop the government blocking up an old railway tunnel so that it can be repurposed for a new greenway. It is also opposing the Lower Thames Crossing 'smart' motorway.

Fancy, getting involved and making a difference?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Deadline for returning completed applications is 23:59 (GMT), Sunday 1st February, 2026

First interviews: 27th February and 4/5th March

The Head of Safeguarding is a new role for the organisation. You will lead our safeguarding strategy and practice, ensuring we provide the highest standards of safety and care for the young people we support. You will act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, overseeing quality, consistency and continual development of safeguarding practice across the organisation. You will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer to develop and implement relevant safeguarding policies, facilitate staff training, embed learning from incidents, and ensure safeguarding is understood as everyone’s responsibility.

We are happy to consider candidates taking their first step into leadership and we will consider exceptional part time candidates to ensure we find the right person or people for the role. We particularly welcome candidates from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities as these are overrepresented communities in our services and yet underrepresented within our leadership.

• Permanent, full-time role in our Leadership Team (part-time considered)
• Salary: £46,800 (salary scale £46,800-£52,000)
• Deadline to apply: 9am, Friday 30 January 2026

Salary: up to £45,000 dependent on experience

Location: Bray Lake, Maidenhead (flexible hours with some home working)

Hours: 37.5 hrs per week (part time hours will be considered)

It is a really exciting time to join Thames Hospice as we embark on a transformational new Major Gifts strategy to significantly grow our fundraising income. This role offers you the chance to play a central part in shaping our future while developing your career in a supportive and ambitious environment.

We are seeking an experienced Philanthropy Manager to lead the strategic and operational direction of our Major Gifts programme, securing significant one‑off and multi‑year gifts to support Thames Hospice. The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience in philanthropy fundraising, exceptional relationship‑building skills, and proven ability to identify and leverage opportunities to grow income.

You will use your expertise in cultivating and stewarding high‑net‑worth individuals to expand our donor portfolio, while managing and developing the Philanthropy Executive and driving the team’s strategy. Working closely with the Head of Major Gifts, you will lead the delivery of our philanthropy strategy, ensuring ambitious income targets are met. With outstanding communication and stewardship, you will deepen donor engagement and secure transformational, long‑term support that sustains our mission of delivering exceptional palliative care to the community.

Closing date: 26th January 2026

Interviews: week commening 2nd February 2026

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

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

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

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

The role is full-time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

We are looking for an Accounts Assistant to join our vibrant and friendly finance department. You will be responsible for supporting the Activities Finance Coordinator with the smooth running of the Accounts Payable and Receivable function and other duties within the activities finance team. In light of the Union’s recent management of the Bloomsbury Theatre, the postholder will also assist the Finance Department with a variety of tasks, providing flexible support to meet the department’s evolving needs.

Do you have relevant experience in an Accounts Payable role with a strong understanding of financial ledgers and control accounts? Have you dealt with checking and processing a high volume of transactions? If the answer is yes, then we would like you to join our finance team.

Our ideal candidate will have the ability to work independently and prioritise tasks in a high-pressure environment with rapid turnaround times and strict deadlines. The ability to demonstrate flexibility in response to changing environments and team priorities. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, along with well-developed IT skills, particularly in Excel and Microsoft Office.

Senior Fundraising Manager (New Business)

Salary£51,100 per annum

LocationLondon/Hybrid

Weekly Hours35

The Vacancy

Job Title: Senior Fundraising Manager (New Business)

Location: London/Hybrid

Salary: £51,100 per annum

Weekly Hours: 35

Reference: YMC1149337

We have an outstanding opportunity to drive new revenue streams to help young people.

YMCA England & Wales is seeking a Senior Fundraising Manager to lead the development of new high-value corporate partnerships. This role offers a unique career opportunity to shape and deliver the next phase of our national corporate fundraising ambition, building on a strong foundation of award-winning work.

Our Corporate Partnerships team has recently been recognised at the Corporate Engagement Awards:

Gold – Best Educational Programme with Cadent Gas, for the Safe and Well Communities Project, supporting vulnerable people with energy efficiency, safety, and healthy living.

Silver – Best Alignment of Brand Values through Sponsorship with Vestey Holdings, for the Youth Ambassador Programme, giving young people a voice in policy and change.

As Senior Fundraising Manager, you will play a leading role in securing new partnerships of similar scale and impact. You will bring a strong track record in new business development—identifying, cultivating, and closing significant corporate relationships.  You will design compelling partnership propositions, manage high-level external engagement, and ensure alignment with YMCA’s mission and strategic priorities.

This is a senior position with scope to influence both the direction of YMCA’s corporate fundraising strategy and the culture of the wider team. Managing a Senior Fundraising Officer, you will provide leadership and guidance, while also contributing to a collaborative and ambitious environment across the fundraising team.

The successful candidate will be an experienced fundraiser with demonstrable results in winning new corporate partnerships. You are probably the top performer at your current charity, can evidence multiple six figure successes and are eager to take the next step in your career by moving to a more strategic, senior role. You will be motivated by the chance to shape a growing programme, work with high-profile brands, and create opportunities that deliver lasting change for young people and communities across England and Wales.

Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check.

The Mental Health Foundation is recruiting for a Head of Campaigns & Media to lead the development of a new team within our Policy & Influencing Directorate.

Deadline: 9am on Monday 2nd February
Location: London OR Glasgow
Salary: Starting salary £52,166 rising to £60,861, plus London weighting of £4,000 where applicable
Hours: Full-time (32 hours per week) [part-time considered]
Contract type: This is a permanent role

This exciting role has been created to develop a new campaigns function at the Mental Health Foundation, incorporating our existing media team and working closely with policy, research and lived experience colleagues across the UK, with the aim of driving support for policy change.

What does the role involve?

• Developing a campaigns strategy for MHF and deliver its execution.
• Manage the campaigns and media team, commission engaging content, oversee campaign budgets, and collaborate with stakeholders to create a better policy environment for good mental health.
• Contribute to the leadership of the Mental Health Foundation and its Policy and Influencing Directorate.

What skills, knowledge and experience are we looking for?​

• Experience of developing and implementing campaign strategies to support policy change in the charity sector.
• Comprehensive understanding of communication disciplines (e.g. digital marketing, media relations, content creation) and how they integrate to achieve campaign objectives.
• Understanding of mental health policy, prevention and public health.

Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – Mental Health Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all its beneficiaries, those who surround them, its staff, volunteers, and anyone else who comes into contact with its services and expects all trustees, staff, and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to appropriate vetting procedures (proof of eligibility to work in the UK, proof of residency and satisfactory employment screening, including a Disclosure check and two most recent references) along with 3-year renewals of Disclosure checks. We are unable to provide sponsorship for this post, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the UK.

How to apply

If you think your skills match and you’d like to be part of a dynamic and growing organisation, please complete and submit your application via our website. Please ensure you attach an up-to-date CV and statement of suitability answering all points of the person specification. Applications will close at 9am on Monday 2nd February and we are unable to accept late applications. Interviews are planned for Monday 9th & Wednesday 11th February.

We believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. Diversity and inclusion is a strategic priority for us as an employer and mental health charity, and we are proud to be signatories of the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter and the Disability Confident Committed Scheme. Applications from under-represented sections of the community are actively encouraged.

If you have a disability, require any additional support or have any questions regarding the role, please contact us. We make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and during employment. Disabled candidates who meet all the essential person specification criteria will be offered an interview. Therefore, please do ensure you tick the relevant box on the application form and clearly indicate in your application/covering letter if you consider yourself to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 / Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

We are currently operating mostly digital recruitment (including interviews via video conferencing). We have moved to a hybrid working model of a minimum of 2 days per week in the office and the rest working from home.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Director of Operations

Lead with Purpose. Shape the Future of Christian Care.

Pilgrims’ Friend Society has been providing Christian care to older people for over 200 years. Today, as the UK faces an unprecedented ageing population, we are growing to meet the challenge and we need an exceptional leader to help us deliver our vision of fulfilled living for older people.

We operate 12 care homes and 9 housing schemes across England, with ambitious plans to expand to 15 homes and beyond. Our mission is clear: to provide outstanding care rooted in Christian values, and to partner with local churches so that older people experience dignity, community, and the love of Christ.

About the Role

As Director of Operations, you will:

• Lead and oversee our portfolio of established care homes and housing schemes.
• Ensure regulatory compliance, quality of care, and financial sustainability.
• Drive operational excellence, innovation, and efficiency through systems and processes.
• Work closely with our Executive Team to deliver our Growth and Renewal Programme, including new builds and acquisitions.
• Inspire and develop a talented team of managers and operational leaders.

This is a senior leadership role with significant influence on the future of our organisation and the lives of hundreds of older people.

About You

• We are looking for a strategic, values-driven leader who brings:
• Significant experience in adult social care operations or a closely related sector.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory, Health & Safety, and compliance frameworks.
• Proven ability to deliver quality and financial targets at scale.
• A collaborative leadership style, with a commitment to developing people and culture.

A personal Christian faith and alignment with our basis of faith(a genuine occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010).

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a growing organisation with a clear vision and calling.
• Influence how society values older people and supports churches in ministry.
• Work in a culture that prioritises prayer, faith, and excellence.
• Competitive salary, generous holiday, pension scheme, and life assurance.

We are looking for a Skills Development and Engagement Coordinator who will be involved in supporting the programme journey of a young person from when they have a confirmed place on our programmes to the point when they start their expedition or adventure with us. The successful candidate will also coordinate the delivery of our Expedition Workshops and manage our Workshop Facilitators.

If you are an energetic, mature, and motivated self-starter keen to take on new challenge come and help us prepare young people for adventure and to achieve their fundraising targets.  You will need to be hard working, proactive, practical and organised, and have the self belief to be a confident communicator and empathetic to the different starting points of young people. You’ll be motivated by targets, and able to identify opportunities and foster relationships with young people and other stakeholders as part of our wider British Exploring Society community.  

We welcome applications from individuals returning to work, looking to change sectors or to apply their skills in a new context. British Exploring Society is committed to equal opportunity and to building a team that represents a diverse variety of backgrounds, skills and perspectives. The more inclusive we are, the better we think we’ll be at delivering our charitable aims.  We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of gender identity, sexual orientation, martial or civil partnership status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, or age.

If you are interested in applying and require any accessibility adjustments to the interview process, please do let us know when you apply. Thank you.

Would you like to use your partnership-building skills to make a difference in the lives of learning disabled and autistic young people?

Are you an experienced fundraiser looking for an opportunity to help shape new business opportunities?

This is a new role in the organisation to help us meet the growing need for a safe space for learning disabled and autistic young people to thrive in. You will play an important role in shaping our new business offer and work closely with the Fundraising and Communications Manager to grow our corporate income, partnerships, and major donor income streams. 

Key responsibilities: 

• Contribute to and help deliver our new business strategy in line with our organisational priorities 

• Actively pursue and create new opportunities for Caxton’s fundraising 

• Develop a new business pipeline by researching and building relationships with companies whose values align with our work 

• Design and deliver tailored cultivation journeys to convert prospects into high-value partners 

• Prepare clear proposals, pitch decks and budgets to support partnership development 

• Work closely with the Fundraising and Communications team to create materials and pitches for potential and existing partners 

• Maintain accurate records of all partnership activity on our database to support good stewardship, forecasting and reporting 

General requirements: 

• To amplify the voices of learning disabled and autistic young people

• To ensure that no young person suffers discrimination in access to provision as a result of their gender, ethnic identity, sexuality, disability and/or social background.

• To work within and according to Caxton Youth Organisation’s policies and procedures. 

• To work in a supportive manner with the staff team, volunteers, and trainees.

• To undertake training relevant to the post, as identified through supervision. 

Caxton Youth Organisation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider all reasonable adjustments under the terms of the Equality Act (2010) to enable an applicant with a disability (as defined under the Act) to meet the requirements of the post. We encourage applicants from underrepresented groups. 

Person Specification 

Essential 

• Experience of moving fundraising relationships through a pipeline from identification to active supporters.

• Significant and demonstrable experience of building five figure partnerships.  

• Good, demonstrable knowledge of commercial sector and how to access decision makers.  

• Working to KPI’s and annual targets 

• Understanding and experience of brand and strategic charitable partnerships and/or Charity of the Year style partnerships 

• Demonstrable experience of supporter relationship management to aid retention, maximise income and secure repeat support 

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• A proactive, can-do attitude and willingness to learn 

Desirable 

• An understanding of challenges faced by learning disabled and autistic young people

Personal Attributes and Other Requirements 

• Strong sense of collaborative work, excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Highly motivated, curious and thoughtful 

• Self-starter, able to use own initiative to show insight and manage competing deadlines. 

• Is dependable and professional. 

Caxton Youth Organisation:  

Caxton Youth Organisation is the only specialist youth club of its kind for learning disabled and autistic young people in Westminster aged 11 to 25. There is nowhere quite like Caxton Youth Club; that’s what the young people we work with and their families tell us, and we passionately believe it too. 

Caxton has been around for 77 years, quite something for a small but mighty charity, and our longevity says so much about the importance of the services we provide to ensure young people with disabilities in Westminster are able to advance in their personal development, develop a sense of belonging in our community, and lead independent and fulfilling lives. 

The majority of our work is delivered at our dedicated youth club in South Westminster. Our youth work team focus on young people’s social and emotional wellbeing, independence, employability, creating community and opportunities, social action and health & getting active. All these topics are explored during weekly youth club sessions which take place in the evenings, and young people are supported to attend thanks to our very own Caxton minibus which collects and drops participants home across the borough. During school holidays we run trips, including residential trips, giving our members the opportunity to experience life outside London, and parents and caregivers some much needed respite.

Essential Safer Recruitment Criteria 

1. A cleared Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level. This check is necessary as the work involves dealing with or having access to children and vulnerable adults whilst undertaking normal duties. 

2. The candidate must be able to provide at least two relevant references prior to taking up the post. 

Application Process: 

Please submit your CV and cover letter outlining your suitability for the role through Charity Jobs before the closing date. We will be doing rolling interviews as we receive applications.

We will host first-stage interviews the week of the 26th of January. 

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK. You will also be required to work from our London office/clubrooms at a minimum of once a fortnight, preferably once a week, as part of our hybrid arrangements

We are the only environmental charity working across the entire length of the River Severn. Our work is bold, ambitious, and rooted in science and community action. From urban streams to remote upland headwaters, we are tackling the biggest challenges facing our rivers through restoration, education, and collaboration. 

Your Role 

As Senior River Engagement Officer, you’ll take a leading role in our Community Engagement team – designing and delivering creative programmes that connect people with rivers and inspire action for nature. You’ll manage and mentor a growing team, develop exciting new projects, and secure funding to make them happen. 

Working in one of our operational catchments, you’ll build partnerships with schools, businesses, and communities, while delivering hands-on engagement activities – from citizen science and volunteering to wellbeing initiatives and outdoor learning. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of community engagement at Severn Rivers Trust. 

What you will do 

• Lead ambitious engagement programmes – from school learning and family events to volunteering and river health monitoring. 

• Manage and mentor River Engagement Officers and freelancers, fostering an inclusive and supportive team culture. 

• Develop new projects and secure funding, turning bold ideas into real-world impact. 

• Champion nature-based solutions and river wellbeing, helping communities understand how rivers support climate resilience and biodiversity. 

• Build partnerships across sectors, working with schools, businesses, and community groups to create shared benefits for rivers and people. 

• Act as the local lead for your catchment, delivering engagement that reflects local priorities and inspires action. 

Who We Are Looking For 

This is a senior role requiring proven experience in community engagement and project management. You’ll need: 

• A strong passion for rivers, wildlife, and nature conservation. 

• Experience leading engagement programmes such as citizen science, volunteering, education, or wellbeing initiatives. 

• Confidence in managing and mentoring staff or volunteers. 

• Excellent communication skills – able to engage, inspire, and influence a wide range of audiences. 

• Strong project management skills, including planning, delivery, and monitoring of multi-strand programmes. 

• Ability to build partnerships and work collaboratively across sectors. 

• Willingness to travel regularly within your catchment and work occasional evenings/weekends. 

A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle insured for business use is essential. 

Role outline and purpose

The Senior Policy & Public Affairs Manager will be accountable for overseeing public affairs activities, policy development and supporting influencing activity to advance the goals of the Supportive Communities programme.  The role will plan and lead public affairs activities, policy development and support influencing strategy and activities, providing in-depth expertise across the programme with a specific focus on our emerging community design priorities and our work with a range of stakeholders, local/regional decision-makers and national policy-makers in the communities space.

This role is part of Trussell’s Supportive Communities programme, the goal of which is to enable local communities to become places where people at risk of needing to use a food bank are supported and are using their agency to bring about meaningful changes that prevent anybody from needing emergency food.  This role is focused on the successful delivery of the overall programme outcomes, contributing to the fulfilment of our long term vision of a UK without the need for food banks.

Role responsibilities

· Lead public affairs activities linked to the Community Design portfolio within the Supportive Communities programme, including developing and delivering an effective public affairs strategy reaching key decision-makers including parliamentarians, mayors and local authority leaders.

· Work collaboratively with key internal and external stakeholders from the sector and among policymakers to shape and deliver the programme’s policy strategy.

· Lead policy development to achieve the goals of the Supportive Communities programme.

· Establish and maintain momentum in policy development across the programme, ensuring the creation of credible proposals and building a strong case for policymakers to implement asks.

• Support with wider strategic development as part of Trussell’s policy and influencing strategy, including working with colleagues to align policy development and asks within the programme across the UK, nations and regions.

· Provide advice and line management, including regular 1:1s and assessment against objectives, and identify development needs.

Person Specification

Technical skills and minimum knowledge:

· Significant experience of developing and delivering effective public affairs strategies and interventions with evidence of securing local or national policy-change

· Significant track record of successfully developing policy solutions and influencing politicians and/or key decision-makers to achieve policy change

· Strong communication skills (written and oral) with impact and for a range of audiences

· Experience of providing strategic input to support senior leadership

· Experience of line managing, including dealing with performance issues and supporting team development

· Self-sufficient use of IT, including proficiency in Work, Excel, PowerPoint, and experience in project management processes and software

Behaviours and competencies:

· Works collaboratively, managing challenges in a constructive manner

· Balances competing priorities and work to tight deadlines

· Demonstrates a dedication to the values of Trussell

· Demonstrates empathy for people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially-excluded backgrounds

· Role models inclusive behaviour, values and leadership

OVERVIEW OF ROLE

Beacon is seeking a creative, organised, and digitally savvy Digital Content Officer, whose role will focus on two main areas: delivering day-to-day communications and supporting digital projects.

At the heart of this role is driving engagement with Beacon’s events and projects, strengthening our community connections, and communicating our impact clearly and effectively. You will coordinate content across multiple channels - including social media, email, newsletters, and the Beacon website - and monitor the effectiveness of these communications. This includes writing copy, creating graphics and video content, scheduling and publishing materials, and engaging with the rare disease community on behalf of Beacon. You will also drive promotional and outreach activity, helping connect with patient groups, partners, and wider networks to amplify Beacon’s work.

You will support The Resources Hub (our e-learning platform) by assisting with uploading, formatting, publishing, and updating content. As you grow in the role and depending on your skills and capacity, there may be opportunities to contribute to content development, coordinate volunteers and external partners, or assist with other digital projects, such as podcast production, video series, or multimedia content.

While the focus and direction of your work will stem from ongoing events, projects, and organisational priorities, you will have the opportunity to take ownership of your work and play a key role in driving communications forward. You will collaborate closely with the Digital Resources Manager, COO, and wider Beacon team to gather information, shape messaging, and ensure content is accurate, timely, and aligned with organisational goals.

Working at Beacon

Beacon is a small, close-knit team of 10 people. We are friendly, supportive, and highly collaborative, and we value working closely together. At the same time, in a small organisation, everyone is expected to take responsibility for their work, demonstrate initiative, and confidently manage their day-to-day tasks.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working independently, is proactive in keeping work moving, and takes pride in following tasks through to completion, whilst collaborating effectively with colleagues and knowing when to seek input or support.

Training and support will be provided across all of Beacon’s platforms and software, making this an excellent opportunity for someone seeking a junior or early-stage role in digital content in the charity sector.

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MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Gather information, insights, and key messages from colleagues across the organisation to guide content priorities for communications.
• Draft and schedule social media posts across Beacon’s channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook) using Hootsuite, ensuring a consistent flow of content.
• Engage with the rare disease community on social media, responding to comments, shares, and messages in Beacon’s voice, and actively interacting with posts from patient groups, partners, and other relevant organisations.
• Facilitate the bi-weekly newsletters on Mailchimp and LinkedIn, including drafting copy, formatting content, and scheduling.
• Liaise with colleagues across the organisation and, where necessary, coordinate input from team members to ensure communications tasks are delivered effectively.
• Support website updates in WordPress and Divi, including uploading news posts, blogs, homepage banners, and other routine page updates, as well as drafting copy as needed.
• Assist with maintaining The Resources Hub by uploading, formatting, publishing, and updating content.
• Create graphics and simple videos using Photoshop/Premier Elements and Canva, using templates initially and gradually developing skills to produce original content, ensuring all visual material aligns with Beacon’s branding guidelines.
• Support promotional and outreach activities, connecting with patient groups, partners, and wider networks to amplify Beacon’s work.
• Monitor the impact of communications on engagement with Beacon’s activities.
• Capture content and provide live updates at key events, including social posts, photos, testimonials, and short videos to engage the community in real time.
• Assist with the preparation of materials in the lead-up to major events and support on-the-day event delivery alongside other team members.
• Provide ad hoc support to projects as required, in line with capacity.
• Attend and represent Beacon at external events.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION

This is a junior or early-stage role in digital content and communications, offering the opportunity to gain hands-on experience across multiple channels in a small, supportive team. We’re looking for someone enthusiastic, proactive, and eager to develop their skills whilst making a real difference at Beacon.

Essential

• Strong written communication skills, with an excellent understanding of the English language, and a keen eye for clear, engaging copy.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines, and deadlines.
• Proactive and self-motivated, with the initiative to keep work moving and see tasks through to completion.
• Eager and enthusiastic to learn new software, systems, and digital tools, and willing to develop skills in innovative digital content creation.
• Strong attention to detail and pride in producing high-quality work, with a focus on accuracy, consistency, and fine design elements.
• Adaptable, with the ability to stay focused, resourceful, and effective in a dynamic environment.
• Proficient in internal communication, able to work collaboratively with colleagues and peers.
• Ability to reflect on work, identify opportunities for improvement and enhance processes and outcomes. 
• Positive attitude and commitment to contributing to a small team environment where every individual makes a real difference.
• Collaborative and open, engaging in constructive feedback to drive personal and team development.
• A commitment to Beacon’s mission and desire to represent the charity with professionalism and integrity.

Desirable

• Experience in digital content creation (copywriting, graphics, or video production) through work, volunteering, or student societies.
• Experience posting or engaging on social media or drafting written content for different audiences.
• Familiarity with charity or not-for-profit environments.
• An understanding of rare diseases, medical science, health charities, or small-organisation dynamics.

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FLEXIBLE WORKING

We offer flexible working practices to support a healthy balance between personal and professional life, including hybrid working and flexible hours. Our hybrid working policy requires staff to be office-based for at least 50% of their working time.

Given the high level of cross-team collaboration involved in the Digital Content Officer role, regular in-person working is particularly important. Following an initial in-person onboarding period, our preference is for this role to be based in the office for at least three days per week on average, to support effective communication and smooth day-to-day working.

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SEE OUR JOB DESCRIPTION FOR A FULL OVERVIEW AND FURTHER INFORMATION ON OUR BENEFITS