Preston Youth Zone – Known as VAULT – opens summer 2025. Opening 7 days a week and packed with opportunity VAULT will offer over 20 incredible activities per session – from sports to arts, music to enterprise and everything in between. We want every young person in Preston to feel they belong, grow their confidence, and discover their potential.
But before we open our doors, we’re looking for a dynamic, passionate and experienced Head of Fundraising and Communications to help shape the future — starting now.
As Head of Fundraising and Communications at Vault Youth Zone, you’ll play a vital senior leadership role, working with the Chief Executive, Board of Trustees, and Executive Team to deliver c£1.4m pa of income, building on the strong foundations already put in place with our Founder Patron fundraising campaign.
This is a unique opportunity to combine strategic vision with hands-on fundraising in a role that’s as inspiring as it is impactful.
Read the role profile here
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Generate the requisite income (c£1.4m pa) to ensure the Youth Zone operates as per the OnSide Network DNA.
- Lead an effective stewardship programme to ensure the Founder Patrons, and any donors, thereafter, are retained and uplifted as far as possible.
- Build and lead a team of fundraisers who each have personal income targets and a clear but small set of Key Performance Indicators that guide their work.
- Oversee the Youth Zone’s marketing and communications strategy, managing the Marketing and Communications Coordinator to deliver it.
- Be personally responsible for a small but high-level portfolio of prospects to drive a personal annual income target.
- Manage the Marketing and Communications Coordinator, ensuring a strong and growing external profile and brand awareness of Vault Youth Zone amongst key audiences.
We’re Looking for Someone Who:
- An ability to think and act strategically to move forward HNWI or corporate relationships, understanding their needs and motivations, and an ability to share these skills and knowledge with team members.
- Outstanding ability to build rapport with new contacts, both internal and external and at all levels of seniority, quickly and effortlessly. Strong and persuasive written and verbal communication skills, and an ability to listen.
- Strong teamwork and collaborative skills.
- Ability to make presentations at Board level and to donor audiences.
- Ability to ensure all data is correctly stored on a CRM database, and that you follow data protection rules and guidelines.
- Proficient in the use of MS Office applications.
You’ll Need To Have:
- Demonstrable track record of income generation through personally securing at least five figure major donor gifts from high net worth individual (HNWIs) and/or corporates, with an impressive track record in securing significant funds and meeting challenging financial targets, including both new business and account management.
- Experience of developing a new pipeline of HNWIs and/or corporate prospects and being pro-active in converting these to active donors.
- Experience of developing and delivering successful fundraising strategies and aligned annual plans, with income and expenditure budgets, and associated fundraiser key performance indicators.
- Experience of stewarding HNWIs and/or corporate donors, or key senior external stakeholders to maintain the highest levels of engagement.
- Experience of managing and motivating team members to achieve their personal and collective goals.
- Experience of working with and influencing senior leaders and peers within an organisation.
- Experience of working to and achieving personal targets and KPIs.
How to apply
Anonymous applications:
We recognise our workforce is under-represented in certain areas and are committed to addressing this. We strongly encourage applicants to submit anonymous applications; in practice this means removing your name & email address from your CV & cover letter. Only these documents will be shared with the selection panel.
To apply, please email a CV and cover letter (no more than one page) in response to the person specification and questions below to: recruitment@vaultyouthzone.org.
1. Why do you want to work for us?
2. Looking at the person specification, briefly describe how your skills and experience (including any lived experience) make you a good candidate for this role. (200 words max)
3. How you demonstrate your commitment to fairness, equity and respect.
4. Confirmation you are eligible to work in the UK (the successful candidate will be required to provide documentary evidence before a job offer confirmed).
5. Any reasonable adjustments we can make to assist you in your application or the selection process.
This role will be based in the Youth Zone and therefore require an Enhanced DBS check.
- Do you have any unspent conditional cautions or convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
- Do you have any adult cautions (simple or conditional) or spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020.
Closing date: Monday 19th May 2025, Midday.
Stage One interviews will be held at a local OnSide Youth Zone wc 2nd June 2025
Stage Two interviews will be held at Vault Office, Glover’s Court, wc 9th June 2025
