Do you have the skills and motivation to be part of an innovative team of advocacy workers?

At The Advocacy Project, we pride ourselves on being a great place to work and put the people we support at the centre of everything we do.

We provide independent advocacy for adults across Glasgow and East Renfrewshire. We are driven by our values which are fairness, independence, inclusion, and resilience. We offer our staff a generous package of salary, pension, dynamic working, annual leave, CPD, and a wellbeing package.

This is a fieldwork role based across Glasgow and East Renfrewshire, with approximately 70% of time spent on direct advocacy interactions and 30% spent on other related tasks.

Informal enquiries about the Advocacy Worker vacancies can be directed to:

Shaun McWilliams – Operations Director

T: 0141 420 0961

E: smcwilliams@theadvocacyproject.org.uk

All Roads Lead to Whithorn SCIO is seeking an experienced, motivated Charity Manager to lead the next stage of growth for our newly refurbished community hall, gym, luxury bunkhouse and small portfolio of social housing. This is a rare opportunity to shape a high-quality rural community hub and asset that creates new opportunities for Whithorn and the wider Machars.

The trustees are determined to appoint the right person and can offer flexibility in how the role is structured for a candidate with the skills and track record we need. We will also consider an interim Charity Manager arrangement for the right person. Hybrid working (part hall-based, part home-based) is possible, and for candidates from further afield we can offer overnight accommodation in our on-site bunkhouse as part of the package.

About the role

The Charity Manager will have overall responsibility for strategic, financial and operational management across:

• Whithorn’s community hall and activity space
• The on-site gym
• The luxury bunkhouse
• A small number of social housing properties
• Wider community projects and development activity

Key responsibilities include:

• Strategic leadership – Working with trustees to develop, implement and review the charity’s strategy, turning ideas into deliverable plans and projects.
• Funding and opportunity sourcing – Identifying opportunities, leading high-quality grant applications, developing relationships with funders and partners, and building new income streams linked to the hall, gym, bunkhouse and housing. Proven experience in grant and opportunity sourcing is essential.
• Financial oversight – Working with our external bookkeeper to review reports, approve payments, monitor budgets and cashflow, lead annual budgeting and provide clear financial updates to the Board. Oversight of VAT, HMRC and payroll through external providers.
• Governance and compliance – Ensuring policies and procedures (health & safety, safeguarding, GDPR, insurance, housing compliance) are up to date and followed.
• People and operations – Line-managing the Facilities, Gym & Bunkhouse Coordinator and a casual Community & Hospitality Support Worker, supporting volunteers and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations across all sites.
• External relations – Acting as an ambassador for the charity with community members, partners, funders and visitors; promoting the facilities and the Whithorn area as a destination.

About you

You will bring:

• Proven experience in charity, community or social enterprise management.
• A strong track record of successful grant and opportunity sourcing (must-have).
• Confidence with budgets and financial information, and experience working with finance/admin support.
• Good understanding of governance, health & safety, safeguarding and GDPR.
• Experience line-managing staff and/or volunteers.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with a hands-on, problem-solving approach.

Experience in housing management, community facilities, tourism, accommodation or rural regeneration would be an advantage but is not essential.

Working arrangements

We are committed to getting the right person in post and can offer:

• Hybrid working (hall-based and home-based) by agreement.
• Consideration of an interim Charity Manager arrangement for suitably skilled candidates.
• Overnight bunkhouse accommodation for candidates travelling from further afield where needed.

Whithorn is a beautiful rural area with rich heritage, stunning landscapes and a growing reputation for cycling, walking and cultural tourism. This role is ideal for someone who wants to make a tangible difference by turning a high-quality physical resource into a vibrant, sustainable hub of community life and opportunity.

Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) seeks to appoint a Net Zero Lead.

This new role within BEFS Team involves leading on BEFS co-ordinated and strategic approach to delivering Net Zero through its own work, and – crucially – connecting existing sector work and research; building Member and sector capacity and coordinating a robust, collaborative and data driven approach, ensuring that the historic environment is recognised as a valuable asset and key player in Scotland’s journey to Net Zero, and in tackling the Climate Emergency.

We envisage that this role will evolve and respond to a changing political climate as needed, engaging with the legislative process and working towards ensuring that the sector is equipped to respond to the Climate Emergency in the long term.

Key responsibilities include:

• Work with BEFS Team to map and coordinate all existing Net Zero work, across all business BEFS areas
• Undertake sector (and beyond) mapping of Net Zero activity
• Advocate for Net Zero solutions presented by the existing and historic built environment, through sector coordination, cross sector, and portfolio working
• Align with and support OPOF delivery priorities, working closely with BEFS Director and Team on developing a Route Map to Net Zero
• Connect and amplify existing research and data, identifying skills, research and data gaps
• Drive and coordinate the use of existing data and research as well as commissioning new where required; working collaboratively to present a coherent evidence base
• Undertake and enable research and strategy including looking at international good practice
• Stakeholder working and relationship building; enable innovative and collaborative approaches
• Undertake regular horizon-scanning through contact with Government and key stakeholders; support BEFS work to convey the current context, challenges and opportunities across sector back to Scottish Government
• Project development and fundraising: identify, develop and shape projects (from initial idea to project brief) which will inform/evidence advocacy and delivery activity
• Participate actively as part of a small and busy team, supporting and working with colleagues across all of BEFS work

Person specification

Essential

1. Ability to demonstrate breadth of sector knowledge and the wider policy landscape relating to Net Zero and the historic and existing built environment
2. Demonstrable technical knowledge relating to the Climate Emergency and Net Zero in relation to the historic and existing built environment
3. Strong analytical skills, with an ability to distil information and stakeholder opinions, across a broad range of topics/disciplines in the built environment sphere
4. Knowledge and experience of the historic and wider built environment sector, including key stakeholders and lead organisations
5. Experience of working in a public facing role and the ability to connect with stakeholders and build consensus, seeking opportunities for collaboration and joined up working
6. Experience of project management and delivery
7. The ability to think and work strategically
8. Highly self-motivated, able to work flexibly, balancing priorities as necessary
9. High attention to detail, with strong written and verbal communication skills, including facilitation experience
10. Advanced use of IT packages including Office 365 and Adobe etc.

Desirable

1. Degree or post-graduate qualification (or equivalent experience) in built environment-related discipline (e.g. planning, conservation, surveying, archaeology, architecture) or public affairs.
2. Experience of stakeholder engagement/facilitation skills.
3. Confidence with online/remote working technologies and programmes such as Teams, Zoom. Knowledge/familiarity of other programmes such as Miro, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, WordPress and MailChimp are also an advantage.

BEFS expects all applicants to support the values, ethos and objectives of BEFS, demonstrating credibility and integrity, and proactively committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.

What we offer:

• Salary: £38,000 FTE
• 30hrs per week (4 days); permanent role, subject to organisational funding
• Home working with irregular meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
• Benefits package including pension, flexible leave, and more.

sparqs is a charity funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), working with Scotland's university and college sectors. Our purpose is to ensure students are partners in shaping the quality of learning, making positive change to their own and others’ experience, however and wherever they learn. It aims to foster a culture of partnership between students and staff which enables the Scottish education sector to respond to challenges and realize its ambitions to provide the best possible experience for each and every student.

Volunteer Chair of Trustee Board

We are looking for a chair of Trustees who will lead our Board with integrity, insight and enthusiasm. This is an opportunity to guide a highly-regarded charity into its next exciting chapter.

As our new Chair you will have:

• Experience of being a strategic leader, including experience of working with a board either as a CEO/Director reporting to board, or as a board member/chair.
• Commitment and enthusiasm to the work of sparqs in terms of a student-led approach, role of student engagement in quality enhancement and value of partnership approaches.
• Ability to represent and promote the organisation publicly, acting as an ambassador and networker to further the attainment of organisational aims.
• Ability to influence, at a senior level, partner, and other stakeholder organisations particularly in the Scottish post-16 education sector.
• Commitment to the positive value of diversity, promoting equality and challenging discrimination and willingness to play an active role in creating an environment that promotes these values.

If you believe you have the experience and qualities we are seeking to contribute to this important organisation, we very much look forward to hearing from you. Working in a diverse sector and with diverse students, we are keen to receive applications from people of all backgrounds and with all different kinds of life experiences.