WeareForget-me-notChorus-acharitybringingthejoyofsingingtopeoplelivingwithdementia,andthosewhosupportthem.
We organise joy-filled singing sessions for people with all forms of dementia, as well as the families, friends and professional staff looking after them. Dementia can be isolating and debilitating, but our inclusive singing sessions offer a respite from the relentless caring routine. Wherever we meet, whether it’s on Zoom or in the room, you’ll find joy, laughter and song.
Led by a team of highly-trained professional musicians, our sessions energise, engage, and empower those with dementia and those who love and care for them. It’s so much more than simply singing old songs, or bringing back memories. We commission and perform new pieces that celebrate our choristers and share their experiences with the wider community. It's about creating new memories, enjoying new experiences, and celebrating life in the moment.
Our Reach
Community Choruses: Running weekly in-person sessions across Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Newport, Llanelli, Denbighshire, Conwy and Cornwall.
Care Homes: Working with 17 care homes throughout Wales & Cornwall to bring regular interactive sessions to residents and healthcare staff.
Hospitals: Partnering with health boards in three regions to bring interactive singing sessions directly to in patients on hospital wards.
Digital Outreach: Delivering pre-recorded music sessions to over 2,500 global subscribers, ensuring accessibility for those unable to attend in person plus a fortnightly interactive Zoom accessed by over 300 residents.
Why Our Work Matters
Dementia can be isolating for families and professional carers alike. Our sessions offer vital respite, joy, and routine:
- For Choristers: Enhances wellbeing, stimulates cognition, builds self-expression, and creates a sense of belonging.
- For Families & Carers: Delivers a shared experience free from the pressure of everyday caring duties and provides opportunities to create new memories together.
- For Healthcare Staff: Reduces stress, boosts morale, and provides practical tools for creative caregiving.
As an established charity with over fifteen years of impact, FMNC is focused on maintaining our high standards of delivery while responding to community needs:
- Team Structure: Led by the Charity Director (Operations), supported by a core central team of four, a network of 25 freelance professional musicians, and dedicated volunteers.
- Financial Foundations: An established charity with diverse funding streams and a stable operational base, securing annual income to ensure smooth, day-to-day delivery.
- Strategic Outlook: Securing long-term financial resilience, deepening existing relationships across South Wales and the South West, and expanding thoughtfully where local demand arises.
The role
We are looking for an experienced Director of Development & Communications to build on our established fundraising and communications work.
This is a senior role within a small, dynamic charity. You will work closely with the Charity Director (Operations) and Board, taking responsibility for growing and diversifying our income while strengthening our profile and communications. You will join a core team of 4 staff working alongside a wider team of 25 freelance musicians.
You will inherit an established fundraising strategy, applications schedule, supporter relationships and communications infrastructure. Your role will be to build on what is already working while developing new opportunities.
You will have overall responsibility for developing and securing annual fundraising income of £300,000–£400,000, across trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, major donors, individual giving, Friends, community fundraising, events and other opportunities.
Alongside fundraising, you will lead the Charity's communications strategy, ensuring that our work, impact and voice are communicated consistently. You will oversee our communications activity and line manage our Development & Communications Assistant, who manages day-to-day social media and website activity, as well as assisting with development administration.
The role is home-based in South Wales, with a fortnightly team meeting in Cardiff and occasional travel as needed across Wales and the South West to represent the charity and develop relationships with funders, donors, businesses and partners.
What we're looking for
We are looking for someone who combines strong fundraising experience with excellent communication skills and strategic thinking. At the heart of this role is the ability to develop compelling cases for support and write successful funding applications.
You will have a strong track record of developing successful trust & foundation applications, the ability to secure significant income across multiple fundraising streams and the confidence to develop relationships with funders, major donors, businesses and other supporters.
Exceptional writing is essential. You will be able to identify what makes Forget-me-not Chorus distinctive and turn our work, impact and evidence into compelling cases for support, funding proposals and communications for different audiences.
You will also be comfortable working in a small charity where senior roles are necessarily broad. We need someone who can think strategically, develop relationships and lead others, but who is also happy to get stuck in when needed.
We are open to candidates who are ready to take their next step into a senior role. You will need to demonstrate that you can take ownership, lead projects and relationships and contribute to organisational direction, whether or not you have previously held a senior leadership title.
Most importantly, you will share our belief that people living with and alongside dementia should have opportunities for joy, connection, creativity and participation, and you will be excited to work with Forget-me-not Chorus.
What we offer
- Salary: £48,000-58,000 FTE (£41,143–£49,714 actual salary for 30 hours), depending on experience
- Hours: 30 hours per week
- Working arrangements: Home-based, with a fortnightly team meeting in Cardiff and occasional travel as required
- Annual leave: 28 days plus your birthday off.
- Pension: 4% employer contribution
- Travel expenses: paid in accordance with our expenses policy
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