Fundraising is one of the most rewarding of careers, full of contribution and achievement. We have an entry level role perfect for someone wanting to explore a career in the charity sector and who wants to learn. You will thrive on being involved in a range of fundraising activities. No charity experience is required for this role, just enthusiasm. This role would suit someone starting out in their fundraising career or who has volunteered in a fundraising department. It would also suit someone who enjoys building relationships, thinking on their feet, is proactive, organised and is motivated to try new things and contribute ideas.

You will join a small charity; meaning you get responsibility from day one. Shadowing a career fundraiser, you will learn about supporter care, individual giving, community and events fundraising and international development.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will support the charity in a range of activities and projects. You will learn about fundraising and marketing and gain a rounded view of their role in charities.

Charity experience is welcome but not required. We recognise transferrable skills.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team in Midlothian which is expanding as a result of successful new funding in the areas of mental health and kinship care. You will join an existing team working with families with experience of parental substance use, trauma, poverty and poor mental health, amongst other factors.

We work alongside children and their families, offering individual and whole family supports, peer led groups and connection through community partners. This is an exciting yet demanding role which will require you to get alongside children and their families where, when and how best suits them, offering the right support at the right time.

What kind of Children 1st team member will you be?

Knowing our ambition for children, you will be someone who is:

• Resilient, skilled and knowledgeable, who wants to transform children’s lives
• Determined to support children to stay safely with their own family
• Big hearted and courageous
• Able to build strong relationships and to manage difficult conversations
• Calm and clear minded during times of challenge or distress
• Kind and compassionate
• Passionate about Childrens Rights

If you have a professional qualification in a relevant area such as Social Work, Health, Teaching or equivalent in Child Care/Social Care or related area, accredited counselling qualification, or other relevant qualification at SCQF level 9 or higher then we want to hear from you. In particular, we are seeking to further enhance our diversity from the perspective of ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender and disability.

Base

You will be based in our Dalkeith office and will work with families across Midlothian. There will be some flexibility to work at home when this suits the needs of families and/or the service .

Salary, Conditions, Pension

We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 9 public holidays), flexible working opportunities and a contributory pension scheme.

Further Information

We have two posts available:

One fixed term 35 hour post funded initially for 12 months initially (with possibility of extension) and one fixed term 17.5 hour post funded initially until 31 March 2025 (with possibility of extension).

(if you are applying for the part time post, can you please note this on your supporting statement/CV)

hours to be worked flexibly across the week to meet the needs of families and the service. However, Thursdays are our ‘core day’ when essential service activities take place such as team meetings.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care - working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

The post holder will work directly with children and young people with experience of care, in an individual relationship-based advocacy role, and within participation and group activity across our West Central region. This unique role requires you to listen to what children and young people with experience of care say and support them to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard in the processes of making decisions about their lives. You will also help facilitate a broad range of participatory and engagement opportunities and create the conditions for collective advocacy.

The right candidate for this post will be brilliant at forming positive relationships with children and young people. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, adaptable to a wide range of contexts. You will enjoy working collaboratively with partners. You will be committed to children’s rights, inclusive working, equal opportunities, and believe that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity.

The successful candidate will be joining Who Cares? Scotland and working within the West Central locality team at an exciting time, when the voices of those who are in or have experienced care are growing in power, individually and collectively - bringing with them insight, challenge, hope and change. Flexibility will be required given the remit of the role. Some evening and weekend work will be necessary, as will a full driving licence and access to transport.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. For an informal conversation about this opportunity please contact Jamie McAnally, our Advocacy and Participation Manager for our West Central team on jmcanally@whocaresscotland.org.

Join us in making a lasting impact on children’s lives through the power of play!

We are seeking a Chairperson and Trustees to join our Board of Directors

We are seeking committed individuals interested in taking on the exciting role and opportunity as Chairperson of Play Midlothian.

We are also looking for new trustees to join us! (No previous board experience is necessary as full support and training will be provided).

Play Midlothian is a leading charity dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of children and young people through the power of play. We believe that play is a fundamental right and an essential part of a child’s development. Our services are designed to offer inclusive, safe, and stimulating environments where children can grow, learn, and have fun.

We work to support children to thrive through play. It is important for their lives in the here and now as well as for their future life chances.

We:

• Provide enriching opportunities for children to play in support of their health, wellbeing and development
• Build family, community and professional capacity to support play
• Advocate for play and inform and influence decision-making

Time commitment

As a minimum, you need to be able to commit to:

• Frequently attend (on Teams) board meetings, of which there are approximately six per year on a weekday evening, for two hours;
• Attending infrequent development or strategic planning sessions (usually no more than once per year);
• Steer short-life working groups ;
• Occasionally work closely with member(s) of the staff team on a specific issue.