Choose Play is a dynamic, local charity working across East Lothian. We believe in children’s right to play, as stated in article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - the right to rest, play and recreation. Play, especially active outdoor play, is a vital element of childhood, contributing to the immediate wellbeing and happiness of children and making an essential contribution to health and development in the long term.

‘Spark the Park’ is the name of an ongoing focus of play, environmental and social activities in a local greenspace, Crookston Willow Park, in Tranent.

The purpose of this project is to support children and families in the local area through a place-based approach. We seek to address barriers and challenges through trusted, consistent and inclusive local provision. The Project Lead will also support young volunteers, taking a lead on planning activities linked to local spaces.

We have worked in this space for about four years gradually transforming it from being an underused and neglected site, to one that is full of potential. After the recent opening of a new playpark in the greenspace, the Project Lead will be involved in a new phase of development in cooperation with East Lothian Council partners and local groups.

The successful candidate will be someone with practical experience in play, arts, creative fields, or place-based projects. They will have experience of participatory approaches with children, young people and communities, and enjoy connecting with local groups and individuals.

Choose Play is a dynamic, local charity working across East Lothian. We believe in children’s right to play, as stated in article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - the right to rest, play and recreation. Play, especially active outdoor play, is a vital element of childhood, contributing to the immediate wellbeing and happiness of children and making an essential contribution to health and development in the long term.

Choose Play organises play sessions for children, young people, families, community groups and schools. Play sessions take place at local greenspaces, beside playparks, in schools, community centres or other spaces.

Sessional Playworkers/Play Rangers work alongside other members of the Choose Play team to facilitate these sessions by bringing a range of play resources and making use of the environment for play. They directly support and facilitate children’s play to the extent that children need and want their involvement.

Some Play Ranger sessions take place regularly on the same day of the week, at the same time and place, others are Pop-Ups or events across East Lothian, with school holidays being an especially busy time. Choose Play sessions are designed to be free, fun and friendly.

The successful candidate will be someone who enjoys working with children and young people and is able to build good relationships with them and their families. They should be willing and confident to work outdoors in all weathers and seasons, have an enthusiastic attitude and be keen to create fun, inclusive opportunities for children’s play.

Ocean Youth Trust Scotland (OYT Scotland) is an award-winning youth work charity delivering residential sailing voyages for young people aged 11-25. Since 1999, the organisation has welcomed more than 600 young people each year aboard its sail training vessels, Alba Explorer and Alba Venturer, providing life-changing experiences that challenge young people to step outside their comfort zones, develop new skills and realise their potential.

OYT Scotland supports a diverse range of young people, including young carers, those with Additional Support Needs, young people struggling in school and those at risk of antisocial behaviour. Its programmes include adventure, employability and STEAM voyages, alongside accredited Qualifications Scotland learning. With 94% of young people reporting improved confidence and 98% improved teamwork, OYT Scotland is committed to empowering young people to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Following a recent strategic review, OYT Scotland is entering an exciting period of development, with a focus on strengthening income generation and securing the organisation's long-term sustainability. The organisation is now seeking a Head of Income Generation to lead the next phase of fundraising and voyage sales growth.

This is a new leadership role responsible for diversifying and growing fundraising and voyage sales income, with a particular focus on donor stewardship, supporter engagement and strategic partnerships. As a member of the Leadership Team, and working closely with the CEO, the postholder will develop and deliver a comprehensive Income Generation Strategy to support sustainable growth, strengthen relationships with clients and donors and increase awareness of OYT Scotland and its impact.

The Head of Income Generation will lead a Fundraising and Sales team, providing clear direction, effective management and professional development. They will champion income generation and partnerships across the organisation while supporting the CEO and Leadership Team with operational management.

A key priority will be diversifying income across grants, donations and voyage fees, developing innovative revenue models and reducing reliance on trusts and foundations. The postholder will also develop effective donor journeys, build corporate partnerships with the CEO and Board, and establish relationships with stakeholders locally and nationally. They will represent OYT Scotland externally and oversee communications activity aimed at strengthening brand awareness, supporter engagement and the organisation's public profile.

To succeed in this role, you will be an experienced senior fundraiser with a proven track record of developing and leading ambitious income generation strategies, identifying new opportunities for growth, and translating strategic vision into sustainable income. You will have demonstrable experience of setting income generation direction, leading others to deliver against it, and achieving significant growth. You will bring significant experience of corporate partnerships or sponsorship, fundraising budgets and performance, alongside proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams. You will combine strategic thinking with a practical, results-focused approach and be confident building relationships with donors, corporate partners and senior stakeholders. Knowledge of the Scottish charitable funding landscape, donor stewardship, supporter engagement, digital fundraising platforms and CRM systems will be valuable.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in OYT Scotland's next stage of development, diversifying income, building strategic partnerships and helping secure the long-term sustainability of an organisation making a real difference to young people across Scotland.

Midlothian Sure Start is a dynamic, award winning third sector organisation. It offers a quality support service to families with children up to age 12 across Midlothian. Midlothian Sure Start has been in existence since 2001 and employs over 70 members of staff providing a service in Family Learning centres and in the community. Our ethos is to provide a holistic, confidential community based service where families are at the heart of what we do.

We are looking for people who are as passionate about the services we provide as we are and in return we are keen to support professional development with excellent training and development opportunities, enhanced sick pay (following completion of probation), enhanced annual leave entitlement (we close completely for a well-earned break over Christmas and New Year) and we support our staff with an Employee Assistance Programme, Pension Scheme, Discounted Childcare, Health Cash Plan and Discounted Shopping.

About BEACON:

Citizens Advice Edinburgh, Capital City Partnership, Fife Gingerbread, Midlothian Sure Start, Circle, Passion4Fusion, The Poverty Alliance and Glasgow Caledonian University are working in partnership to deliver BEACON, a service designed to tackle the roots cause of poverty experienced by ethnically diverse families.

BEACON — Building Equity, Accessibility and Connecting Opportunities Network — will support 200 ethnically diverse families and up to 600 individuals through a relational, wrap-around whole-family keyworker model.

The project will ensure support is available where and when families need it across the Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland region.

Each partner in the consortium will provide additional capacity and specialist expertise to reach ethnically diverse families and improve engagement and outcomes.

The role:

To deliver relational, culturally competent, whole family support in Mid and East Lothian as part of the BEACON regional partnership. Low income, ethnically diverse families will benefit from holistic, strength-based support.

You will manage a small team working in Mid and East Lothian as part of the BEACON regional partnership and coordinate local multi agency provision across employability, income maximisation, health and wellbeing, childcare, housing and early years.

We are looking for a qualified and experienced practitioner (HNC Social Care, DipSW, BA Community Education or equivalent) with a passion for supporting families. You will have experience working with families facing complex challenges and a strong understanding of family support, poverty, trauma, racism and inequality.

You will be skilled in building trusted relationships, coordinating support, working effectively with partners and engaging diverse communities. We are looking for someone who is compassionate, adaptable and organised, with excellent communication skills and the ability to manage complex caseloads. Experience of mentoring colleagues and training in trauma-informed practice, cultural competency or family wellbeing would be an advantage.