LIVING PAINTINGS

JOB TITLE:Programme Manager (Book Clubs)

LOCATION:Based in Kingsclere, Berkshire with travel and remote working arrangements possible

SALARY:£26,000 - £28,000 per annum

REPORTS TO:Chief Executive

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB

In pursuit of Living Paintings’ ambition to end the isolation suffered by blind and partially sighted adults byestablishing and supporting 250 Touch to See Book Clubs across the country, the main purpose of this role is twofold:

  1. To establish 250 new Touch to See Book Clubs over the next 3 years.
  1. To support existing and new Touch to See Book Clubs.

This will involve exploiting opportunities that will arise to share knowledge, create partnerships and undertake collaborative projects with other organizations and individuals working with visually impaired adults.The success of this project relies on joint working with other service providers and the volunteers who will support each individual Touch to See Book Club.

DUTIES & KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Establishment and Support of Touch to See Book Clubs to include:

  • Proactive support during the establishment of a new Touch to See Book Club. This might include instigating and/or help with:
  • creating a Constitution for the Club,
  • recruiting a volunteer Club Leader,
  • finding a suitable venue,
  • making contact with other potential supporters such as a local volunteer bureau,
  • finding blind and partially sighted people to join the Club e.g. advertising to our Library Members, local advertising, promoting to local county blind societies etc.,
  • advice on compliance, child and vulnerable adult protection, health and safety etc.
  • Providing Guidance in all elements of establishing and leading a Club.
  • Training as needed for instance in how to lead Club meetings, how to describe, how to guide visually impaired people etc.
  • Creating Contacts and links with other useful bodies that will support the successful operation of individual Touch to See Book Clubs.
  • Providing Support in local funding bids to cover the running costs of individual Touch to See Book Clubs as needed.
  • Ensuring the loans service provided by Living Paintings’ free Library meets the requirements of individual clubs.
  • Ensuring Living Paintings Communications and Volunteer Support strategies are adhered to and successful.
  • Performing Annual Club Healthchecks for Clubs.
  • Providing Succession Support in the case of a Club Leader moving on.

General:

  • Responsible for agreed targets for the increase in Touch to See Book Clubs.
  • Responsible for managing external volunteers and supporters of Touch to See Book Clubs.
  • Responsible for developing relationships with appropriate community based individuals and organizations.
  • Raises awareness about Living Paintings.
  • Promotes the aims of the Living Paintings.
  • Reports to the Trustees on a quarterly basis, via the Chief Executive and Management Committee, as part of the Targets Review.
  • Maintains standard operating procedures for all supporter and volunteer activities.
  • Ensures all activities meet legislative requirements.
  • Ensures administration is carried out efficiently with all information recorded as required utilising Living Paintings’ database.
  • Provides monthly reports and attends meetings as required.
  • Works with the Living Paintings team.
  • Acts as a representative of Living Paintings.
  • Undertakes specific projects that may be additional to the tasks detailed above as agreed with the Chief Executive.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Required / Desirable
Experience /
  • Managing and developing people.
  • Experience in working collaboratively and effectively with a wide variety of people both internally and externally, at all levels
  • Experience of project management and managing multiple projects
  • Experience of supporting and motivating volunteers and supporters
  • Experience in training and/or presenting
/
  • Experience of working within a disability organisation/and organisation working with blind and partially sighted people
  • Proven experience of creating promotional and event support materials and web copy
  • Experience of community fundraising

Qualifications / Educated to degree level or equivalent experience /
  • Fundraising related qualification.
  • PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent

Skills /
  • Excellent project management skills.
  • Excellent analytical skills and the ability to understand and assimilate data quickly and effectively
  • Ability to combine strategic development and leadership with general day to day operational delivery
  • Strong communicator, both written and verbal, with the ability to inspire and enlist the support of others and make high quality presentations.
  • Excellent team player, ambitious and results driven, a confident manager
  • Excellent ICT skills

Knowledge /
  • Managing volunteers
  • CRM database

Personal attributes /
  • Able to demonstrate empathy with, and to communicate to others the values and goals of a charity which supports people who are blind and partially sighted and their carers
  • Drive and ambition to meet targets
  • A positive and pragmatic approach, able to juggle and manage a breadth of projects and range of competing priorities
  • Able to deal confidently with people at all levels, gets on well with colleagues and supporters
  • Able to motivate people and generate enthusiasm, motivated to learn new things
  • Able to work on own initiative, introducing new solutions and innovative ways of improving working procedures

Safeguarding / Criminal Disclosure Check required. Living Paintings is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We expect all of our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment
Eligibility to work in UK / Proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK.
General /
  • Able to regularly travel for work throughout the UK
  • Able to work flexibly to include evenings and weekends to meet the demands of the job
/ Holder of a current driving licence

Travel: Living Paintings re-imburses all business mileage and travel expenses.

Working Week: The working week is 35 hours, Monday to Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm with one hour for lunch. Some weekend and evening work will be required from time to time for which compensatory time off will be given. Flexible and Remote working arrangements available.