Grants and Partnerships Lead

Do you feel strongly about every child's right to play?

Do you have experience with grant research, grant writing and developing donor partnerships?

Do you have experience of securing funding for work at borders?

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Overview:

We are looking for an independent, reliable person to work remotely to support our team on the ground in northern France. Our dedicated team of coordinators and volunteer playworkers facilitate daily play sessions for displaced children in northern France. Without Project Play, the children we work with would have no access to safe spaces to play, grow and be themselves.

• The role will be remunerated at between €20 to €30 an hour dependent on experience.

We will be looking for between 30 and 50 hours of support a month (flexible) with a minimum commitment of 1 year.

Essential skills:

• Working command of English. French is also useful but not essential.
• A proven track record of securing funding from a range of grant bodies.
• Self-starting and able to work independently.
• Supportive, detail oriented and flexible.
• Have an awareness of the situation on the UK/France border.

Desirable skills:

• Working command of French.
• Experience of fundraising for projects working at borders.
• Previous experience working or volunteering in northern France.

The Role:

• Research potential grant-giving partners.
• Build relationships with potential donors.
• Write and send off grant applications.
• Track replies and monitor new opening windows for opportunities.
• Communicate with the fundraising committee.
• Attend a monthly meeting to give updates about your work and progress.

About Us:

Project Play is a grassroots organisation facilitating structured play sessions for children who are living in informal living sites and accommodation centres across Calais, Dunkirk and the surrounding area.

In the absence of any such provision from the state, we deliver play and informal education activities for children on the move. We are a friendly, hardworking team who aim to uphold the organisation’s principles of collaboration, communication, honesty and mutual respect. Creating a supportive and collaborative team dynamic is vital for our work.

Our sessions are designed to facilitate safe spaces in which children coming through northern France can exercise agency, nurture key developmental skills, build self-esteem and have fun. Through offering play-based psychosocial support, our team works to assist children and their families to minimise the impacts of toxic stress, trauma and ongoing adversity.

Safeguarding statement:

Project Play acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of children and adults in our community. Safeguarding is at the core of our work and we are committed to ensuring that our safeguarding practice reflects best practice and upholds statutory responsibilities and government guidance.

Diversity and Inclusion statement:

We are an actively anti-racist organisation and we do not condone saviour complexes. While the spaces we work in are made up of predominately white middle class people, we are actively trying to diversify these spaces. We encourage applications from people with lived experience, people of colour and people who speak relevant languages.

Working command of English. French is also useful but not essential.