Events and Volunteering Manager

About Cosmic Charity

Cosmic supports the work of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, and Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, Hammersmith. We fund vital equipment, staff training, research, and support services for patients and their families.

We are seeking an Events and Volunteering Manager to join our small, friendly charity at a pivotal time in our journey. Cosmic is rapidly growing both our service delivery and our team, making this an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of a very special and much-loved charity. This role will oversee and manage the end-to-end planning and high-quality delivery of all income-generation and engagement events for Cosmic, with the goal of maximising income, enhancing supporter engagement, and raising the charity’s profile.

Cosmic already has a portfolio of events ranging from our Cosmic Walk, Dragon Boat and Duck Race, Cosmic Ball, and various annual events hosted by our corporate partners. These events form the backbone of our engagement efforts and provide critical opportunities to connect with supporters, raise funds, and promote our mission. This role will manage the existing events while also developing new opportunities, ensuring a dynamic and diverse event portfolio. Additionally, it will provide Cosmic with the opportunity to develop a collaborative Events Strategy in line with the wider organisational growth strategy, aligning our events with and supporting our overarching objectives.

The Events and Volunteering Manager will also be responsible for facilitating and formalising all Cosmic volunteering opportunities, including our corporate engagement programme, ensuring they align strategically with the charity’s service delivery goals while delivering mutually beneficial outcomes for both the organisation and the corporate partner.

Key Responsibilities

Event Planning and Delivery 

• Develop the Cosmic Events Strategy by effectively initiating and delivering a calendar of events suitable for our audiences, that will drive audience reach and income, focusing on delivering a good return on investment and achieving set objectives.
• Take overall responsibility for planning, organising, and executing a wide range of events, from initial concept to post-event evaluation.
• Lead on all aspects of project management for events, including:
  • Developing and managing event budgets, ensuring cost-effective delivery.
  • Coordinating event invites, monitoring RSVPs, managing guest correspondence, and ensuring strong attendance.
  • Sourcing prizes, managing material production, and liaising with external suppliers.
  • Producing risk assessments and contingency plans to ensure the smooth running of events.
• Promote events effectively to ensure strong attendance and engagement, using a variety of communication channels to reach the correct audiences.
• Oversee on-the-day event delivery, including running briefings, managing running orders, volunteer coordination, and logistics setup.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including suppliers and committees, to ensure the success of events.

Event Development and Innovation

• Strategically plan all events a year in advance via a comprehensive calendar to allocate resources effectively and align with the Cosmic 3-year plan.
• Design a varied programme of engaging, high-quality events to attract new supporters and steward existing ones.
• Identify opportunities for new event concepts to grow income streams and increase awareness of the charity’s work.
• Monitor and analyse event performance and ROI to provide insights for improvement.

Supporter Stewardship

• Develop and implement tailored stewardship plans for event donors, ensuring longterm engagement and retention.
• Collaborate with the wider team to provide excellent donor care and build strong relationships with key supporters.

Corporate Partnerships

• Under the leadership of the Senior Philanthropy Manager, steward relationships with relevant corporate partners, developing strong links and identifying opportunities for collaboration via Cosmic events, corporate partnerships/fundraising and volunteering opportunities.
• Coordinate all corporate volunteering activities in collaboration with NHS and Cosmic service delivery colleagues.
• Develop high-quality materials for proposals and presentations to engage potential corporate supporters in events and volunteering.
• Act as the key point of contact to liaise with corporate partners who host and plan events on behalf of Cosmic, ensuring that all income generation, awareness and partnership opportunities are maximised at these events.

Volunteer Management

• Develop and oversee a structured volunteer management programme, ensuring clear roles, responsibilities, and objectives for volunteers across Cosmic’s activities.
• Recruit, onboard, train, and manage volunteers to support:
  • Office-based activities: administrative tasks, office organisation, and day-today support. 3
  • Cosmic events: providing event-day support, including setup and stewarding.
  • Wider projects: community engagement, fundraising initiatives, and special projects.
• Provide ongoing support, training, and recognition to ensure volunteers feel valued, engaged, and aligned with Cosmic’s mission.
• Maintain accurate volunteer records and ensure compliance with relevant policies and safeguarding procedures.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the charity to integrate volunteers into organisational service delivery plans effectively.

Administration and Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of event attendees, income, and expenditure in the charity’s CRM Donorfy.
• Provide regular updates on event progress and performance to senior leadership and trustees.

General Duties

• Build strong relationships across the charity, NHS units, and key stakeholders to identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Keep abreast of trends and innovations in the events and fundraising sectors to ensure best practices.
• Undertake other duties as required to support the charity’s objectives. 

For the full job description and person specification, please see the attached document