Communications Assistant

Are you enthusiastic, collaborative, with excellent communication skills and an eye for a story? Our charity team is looking for a dynamic self-starter to join our team as Communications Assistant. Through making social media posts, creating engaging content or writing stories, you’ll play an integral role in communicating our impact and stories to our key audiences.

At Horatio’s Garden, we build and look after extraordinary gardens in the heart of NHS spinal injury centres. These gardens are a critical part of rehabilitation and offer reflection and adjustment, privacy and solace, joy and companionship to all who need it. We lead regular gardening sessions to grow and cultivate plants, arts workshops to offer new skills and a programme of live music and events. Designed to be enjoyed all year round, these gardens offer a warm, welcoming place for family and friends who may have travelled hours for a visit.

Our vision is for everyone with a spinal injury to have a Horatio’s Garden as part of their rehabilitation care.

The charity is growing. With seven garden projects open, we have an eighth garden under construction in Sheffield. A smaller version of this garden won ‘Best in Show’ at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2023 as the first show garden designed for people with mobility needs, which significantly increased our profile.

Following a strategic digital review, you will support the rollout of the new digital strategy to place storytelling and impact at the heart of our communications.

This role will assist with the content creation of engaging written, film and visual content across different platforms, scheduling and moderating our social channels, and helping us report on our digital activity.

It would suit someone looking to start or build their career in the communications field or charity sector to develop experience in developing content, writing and charity campaigning. There will be opportunities for training and development and you will travel between the charity’s UK-wide gardens and meet patients, volunteers and staff.

This is a full-time role (37.5 hours a week) based in the charity’s office in Salisbury. You will be reporting to the Communications Manager.

Main duties

• Help manage the day-to-day running of the charity’s social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook). Schedule content and respond to comments and messages to foster positive engagement and add value to the supporter experience
• Work closely with the team to produce subscriber, campaign-led and post-event newsletter content and manage the subscriber database
• Contribute to the charity’s content calendar and work creatively and collaboratively with the communications and wider charity team to proactively seek and develop story ideas in line with the charity’s recently updated digital strategy
• Create engaging written, photographic, design and video content in support of charity objectives and reflecting our brand and tone guidelines
• Assist with internal communications to communicate key updates to staff on the charity’s WhatsApp group
• Assist in maintaining and updating Horatio’s Garden’s main website
• Help to manage the charity’s digital assets, ensuring the team have access to the most impactful photographs and videos for their needs
• Collate, analyse and present monthly reports on social media, newsletter and website activity and engagement against key performance metrics
• Assist with planning and promotion of campaigns and track press activity
• Keep up to date with the latest digital marketing trends and technologies

General duties 

• Support the wider team with administrative duties that support the smooth running of the charity
• Actively contribute to team and organisation meetings

Skills required

• Strong interest/experience in creating content for digital channels
• Good understanding of the digital landscape, including trends
• Excellent writing and editorial skills with attention to detail
• Able to create accessible, engaging content
• Strong administrative and organisational skills
• Good IT and software skills and willingness to learn – you will be using Microsoft suite, Hootsuite and Mailchimp
• Video editing experience/interest – experience with or willingness to learn Adobe Creative Suite, Canva or similar
• Flexible, can-do attitude, with the ability to remain calm and professional when under pressure

We are looking for someone who has:

• The ability to take initiative and be a self-starter, working independently as well as part of a team
• An ability to manage a varied workload and work to deadlines
• A willingness to learn new skills and to develop existing skills
• An empathic personality
• A positive, can-do and resilient attitude
• Passion for the charity sector

The charity is keen to promote training and opportunities and we will support the candidate to attend relevant training courses where a need can be demonstrated and to make the most of any opportunities to learn additional skills, for example involvement with filming and photo shoots by professional contractors hired by the charity.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sectors of society. Please note that this role will involve occasional out-of-hours working (including evenings and weekends) as part of a rota to ensure the charity’s social media channels are active and monitored at peak times and during events.

About Horatio’s Garden

Horatio’s Garden nurtures the wellbeing of people after spinal injury in beautiful, vibrant sanctuaries within the heart of NHS spinal injury centres. Leading designers create the accessible gardens where the charity’s team, alongside volunteers and creatives, care for people and plants alike. 

Spinal cord injuries are traumatic events. The gardens are vital places for reflection and adjustment for people facing these life-changing injuries and long stays in hospital. The profoundly positive impact of a Horatio’s Garden is clear for people with spinal injuries and their friends and families as well as hospital staff. Research shows that 100% people see an improvement in their wellbeing with 100% patients on bedrest reporting that the gardens have improved their mental health. 

The charity’s vision is to sustainably grow thriving communities and biodiverse gardens in all 11 NHS spinal injury centres in the UK.

As a charity, we are committed to creating and promoting a culture that protects and preserves the welfare of the vulnerable people in our care. Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining and evaluating information from and about candidates including criminal record checks, to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work for our charity.

How to apply

Please read the full job description before applying. Please submit your CV and cover letter (no more than two sides of A4) outlining why you are suited to the role to Alex Geaney. Please note that applications will not be considered without a cover letter.

The closing date for applications is Monday 11 November with interviews taking place w/c 18 November. We may close the applications earlier if a suitable candidate is found. We look forward to receiving your application.