At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and develop youth leadership programmes, ensuring youth voice is embedded in community sport.
- Company: Access Sport, a dynamic organisation focused on empowering young people through sport.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a passionate team dedicated to driving systemic change in youth sports.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping youth leadership and influencing community sports across the UK.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership skills and understanding of youth policy and participation.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 50000 £ per year.
Location: Hybrid working, minimum 2 to 3 days in the office/community. Based in Access Sport’s Bristol, London or Manchester office, with regular travel across the UK.
Salary: £45,000 – 50,000 FTE, with salary offered subject to location and experience.
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, full-time
Closing date: Friday, 17th July 2026
Role purpose
Access Sport is seeking an ambitious and values-driven leader to shape, embed and scale our youth leadership and youth voice work across Access Sport and the wider sports sector at a pivotal moment of growth. This role will lead the strategic development and delivery of our new Youth Leadership programme while ensuring that youth voice, coproduction and shared decision making become embedded across all Access Sport’s programmes, partnerships, evaluation and governance. Working across the UK, you will oversee a national model that supports clubs to embed youth voice within their ways of working, develop flexible leadership pathways and enable young people to influence community sport.
The postholder will bring a strong understanding of the changing realities facing young people today and use insight from youth policy, research and practice to ensure Access Sport’s approach remains relevant, inclusive and responsive to young people’s needs and aspirations. As a member of the Delivery Leadership Team, you will play a key role in shaping organisational strategy and culture, ensuring lived experience informs decision-making. You will lead a growing team and network, including staff, partners and Youth Advisors, to deliver impact at scale. This is a unique opportunity to drive systemic change in how youth voice is embedded within community sport nationally.
Responsibilities
- Strategic leadership and programme development
- Lead the strategic development of Access Sport’s organisational approach to youth voice, participation and co-production, ensuring consistent practice across programmes, teams and decision-making structures.
- Oversee delivery of our UK-wide Youth Leadership programme, ensuring effective implementation across the three pillars: club readiness and inclusive conditions, youth leadership pathways and progression, youth influence on decision-making and practice.
- Lead, manage and inspire a high performing, values-driven programme team across multiple locations.
- Maintain a strong understanding of the national youth policy landscape, emerging research and trends affecting young people, ensuring Access Sport’s youth leadership and participation approach remains evidence-informed and relevant.
- Contribute to organisational strategy and act as a key member of the Delivery Leadership Team.
- Programme delivery and impact
- Ensure high quality delivery at scale across multiple regions and nations, working closely with internal teams and UK partners.
- Lead robust monitoring, evaluation and learning, embedding youth-led evaluation approaches and using data to drive continuous improvement.
- Oversee the scaling of youth leadership opportunities, enabling thousands of young people to progress into meaningful leadership roles.
- Ensure safeguarding, inclusion and equity are fully embedded across all aspects of delivery.
- Youth voice, co-design and leadership
- Champion and embed meaningful youth voice across all aspects of Access Sport’s work, from programme design to governance and evaluation.
- Lead the recruitment, development and progression of our paid Youth Advisors and wider voluntary youth voice structures, ensuring roles are meaningful, inclusive and appropriately supported.
- Promote the development of clear and flexible leadership pathways that support young people to progress into coaching, volunteering/micro-volunteering, advocacy and governance roles within community clubs.
- Promote a culture where lived experience informs decision-making and power is shared with young people.
- Partnerships and system change
- Build relationships across the youth sector and identify opportunities to align Access Sport’s work with national youth priorities, strategies and policy developments.
- Act as a senior representative for Access Sport, representing the organisation at key forums and influencing sector practice, policy and funding.
- Lead effective collaboration across the four nations, balancing consistency with local adaptation.
- Funding, sustainability and growth
- Drive the growth and sustainability of the youth leadership portfolio through strategic partnerships and funding.
- Contribute to funding applications, reporting and relationship management with funders.
How to apply
The closing date for applications is 12 pm, Friday 17 July 2026. To apply, please email and attach:
- A copy of your CV.
- A covering letter (maximum two sides) that includes:
- Why you are interested in joining Access Sport as Head of Youth.
- Evidence of how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the person specification.
- Your thoughts on the opportunities and challenges facing youth leadership and youth voice in community sport, and how you would contribute to the continued growth and impact of this work at Access Sport.
- A completed equal opportunities form.
Candidates who have been shortlisted for an interview will be notified by Friday 24 July. The first interviews are currently due to take place during the week commencing w/c 27 July. If you have any questions or would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please email.
Head of Youth Access Sport in London employer: Sporting Equals
Access Sport is an exceptional employer that champions youth leadership and community engagement, offering a dynamic hybrid working environment across its Bristol, London, and Manchester offices. With a strong commitment to employee growth, Access Sport fosters a collaborative culture where innovative ideas are valued, and staff are empowered to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young people. The organisation prioritises inclusivity and shared decision-making, ensuring that every team member plays a vital role in shaping the future of community sport.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Youth Access Sport in London
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Join networks like the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) or local charities to meet professionals in the sector. Attend events and workshops to build relationships and learn about potential openings at organisations like Sporting Equals.
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Youth Access Sport in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for the Cause:In the nonprofit sector, it's super important to demonstrate genuine passion for the mission of Sporting Equals. Use your cover letter to showcase any personal experiences or volunteer work that connects you to their social impact initiatives. This emotional connection can really help your application stand out.
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Tailor Your Documents to the Role:For a full-time role like Head of Youth Access Sport, ensure your CV and cover letter specifically address the responsibilities outlined in the job description. Use their language to describe your skills and experience, making it easy for the hiring team to see how you fit into their vision.
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How to prepare for a job interview at Sporting Equals
✨Show Your Passion for Social Change
When we’re prepping for interviews in the nonprofit space, it's vital to demonstrate our genuine passion for social impact. Be ready to discuss not just your skills and experiences but also why you care about the mission of Sporting Equals. Sharing personal stories or insights can really make us stand out.
✨Highlight Project Experience
We should focus on specific projects we've worked on that align with the goals of social impact. Whether that’s a community initiative, volunteering, or a class project, having solid examples that showcase our role and the outcomes will resonate well with the interviewers.
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Let’s brush up on tools and methodologies commonly used in the nonprofit sector, like project management software or outcome measurement frameworks. Being able to speak fluently about these will show that we’re not just passionate but also knowledgeable and ready to hit the ground running.
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