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Bury VCFA is seeking a skilled, relational and community‑focused lead to strengthen connection, belonging and collaboration across communities of identity, place and experience. The role will support voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) organisations, local networks and partners to build trust, connection and collaborative approaches. The postholder will act as a connector, facilitator and advocate — supporting voluntary, community and faith organisations, neighbourhood networks and partners to build trust, deepen relationships and co‑design solutions to shared challenges. They will help create the conditions for belonging across Bury by enabling communities to influence decisions, participate meaningfully and work together across differences.

This role is central to the design, delivery and oversight of place‑based programmes that strengthen connection, inclusion and community voice.

• Community Connection and Place‑Based Work
  • Lead Bury VCFA’s work to strengthen community connection, belonging and shared purpose across communities of place, race and faith.
  • Build deep understanding of Bury’s communities, histories, assets and inequalities using culturally competent, asset‑based approaches.
  • Support community‑led initiatives that bring people together, strengthen relationships and build belonging across differences.
  • Facilitate safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue, learning and relationship‑building within and between communities.
• Programme delivery and coordination
  • Lead and coordinate multiple funded programmes focused on connection, inclusion and belonging, ensuring activity aligns with agreed outcomes, timescales and budgets.
  • Work closely with the Bury VCFA Grants Officer to shape programme priorities, funding criteria and outreach approaches, ensure grant programmes are accessible, inclusive and rooted in community need, support proportionate monitoring, learning and accountability for funded organisations, identify risks, delivery challenges and support needs early, and respond collaboratively.
  • Contribute to the development of funding models that combine open grants, targeted investment and co‑produced activity, ensuring strong community ownership and impact.
  • Hold responsibility for managing programme budgets, tracking expenditure, forecasting spend and contributing to financial monitoring and reporting.
  • Ensure learning from funded activity informs future programme design, VCSE and faith sector development support and system influence.
• Networks, Partnerships and Community Voice
  • Build strong, trusting relationships with voluntary and community organisations, faith groups, local leaders, and statutory partners.
  • Develop, support and facilitate relevant forums, networks or working groups that strengthen connection, belonging and inclusion.
  • Lead the design and delivery of structured dialogue sessions that bring together communities across different identities, neighbourhoods, and lived experiences.
  • Facilitate safe, respectful spaces where communities can share perspectives, explore differences, and build mutual understanding.
  • Advocate for community voice and lived experience to influence policy, strategy and service design.
  • Develop innovative engagement approaches that reach historically underrepresented groups and amplify seldom heard voices.
  • Build strong, trusting relationships with statutory partners, commissioners and funders.
  • Represent Bury VCFA and the VCSE sector at local and Greater Manchester strategic meetings where appropriate.
• Race, Faith and Inclusion
  • Support faith communities and organisations to engage positively with local systems and structures.
  • Promote understanding and collaboration between communities of different faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds.
  • Contribute to work that addresses racism, discrimination and structural inequality through anti‑racist, intersectional and inclusive practice.
  • Ensure that equity, inclusion and belonging are embedded across all aspects of the role.
• Insight, Learning and Impact
  • Use community insight, data and intelligence to identify emerging needs, inequalities and opportunities within communities and the wider VCSE and faith sector.
  • Capture good practice, learning and impact from connection and belonging work.
  • Translate qualitative insights into evidence‑based briefings for senior leaders and partners.
  • Ensure community voices are meaningfully embedded in local decision making processes.
  • Contribute to monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements for funded programmes.
  • Share learning internally to support organisational development and wider Bury VCFA work.
• VCSE Sector Development and Capacity Building
  • Support VCSE and faith‑based organisations to strengthen their capacity, sustainability and impact through advice, guidance and connection to opportunities.
  • Enable organisations to develop inclusive practice, governance, safeguarding and community accountability.
  • Encourage collaboration between organisations working with different communities of place and identity.
  • Champion the role of smaller, grassroots and underrepresented groups within the VCSE and faith sector.
• Other Duties
  • Manage projects, budgets, reporting and monitoring linked to voice, advocacy and capacity‑building programmes.
  • Support strong internal collaboration across VCFA teams.
  • Maintain high standards of safeguarding, equity, inclusion and data protection.
  • Undertake administrative tasks, mandatory training and any duties appropriate to the role.

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