Events and Challenges Assistant

Post Outline

Caudwell Children works to transform the lives of disabled children and their families, enabling them to challenge the barriers they face throughout childhood by providing equipment, treatment, therapies and Family Support Services.

The Events Assistant will be a member of the Events and Challenges Team that sits within the Fundraising Department.

The Events Team are looking for a highly organised individual with good communication skills who can provide vital support to their daily activity. The role involves a lot of organisation, telephone work, building relationships with new contacts, cleansing existing data, sourcing new data and being responsible for keeping the CRM system up to date.

Attention to detail is also very important in this role. The successful candidate will need to be highly motivated with a can-do attitude and the ability to work to tight deadlines.

About Caudwell Children

Established in 2000, Caudwell Children is a national charity that works to transform the lives of disabled children and their families, enabling them to challenge the barriers they face throughout childhood by providing practical and emotional support. The Charity is going through an exciting period of growth having recently opened a new state-of-the-art facility for multi-disciplinary therapy programmes for childhood disability and research of neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism, within the grounds of Keele University. It provides a state-of-the-art base for the Charity’s therapies and an environment where ground-breaking research can be undertaken, potentially changing the way some disabilities are treated, affecting millions of people around the world. This is a fantastic and exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and fast-moving Charity at a time when it will attract national and international attention. The services of Caudwell Children enrich the lives of our children and families through the delivery of high-quality person-centred care and support services that promote independence and achieve valued outcomes. We seek to create a safe, homely, and supportive environment that enhances the lives of children with autism and associated conditions.

Duties and responsibilities

Main duties

• Support the Events and Challenges Team in the delivery of all events and challenges, taking on areas of responsibly on the day. This could be volunteer management, guest list management, auction management, set up or artist/supplier liaison. Please note this does include some evening and weekend work.
• Support with management of closing events with thank yous, feedback forms and chasing any final payments, as well as ensuring CRM is fully updated.
• Schedule and attend Events and Challenges meetings and take meeting notes as required
• Maintaining and updating the CRM system with new contacts as well as updating old contact’s details.
• Support with sales reporting and management of guest spreadsheets and ensuring all activity and post event activity is logged on CRM system.
• Ensure that new asks are made to auction prize donors to keep a good supply of prizes for events.
• Log all department intangibles on a monthly basis for submission to accounts.
• Support with calls and emails to supporters, and follow ups with fundraisers to ensure they remain motivated and on target, to ensure they have the resources they need and send out when required.
• Manage stock and resources held by the Event and Challenges Department (merchandise, prizes, donated goods, clothing and collection tins etc.) and ensure everything is logged, regularly checked, sent out, signed out or cross charged where appropriate.
• Be in the detail with auction prize spreadsheet to ensure donors / supporters are in contact, that deadlines are not missed and provide good customer service to both.
• Support the management of departmental debtors and ensure the relevant contact chases up any debt.
• General research for events. Research contacts for specific events to sponsor, attend or work with, plus HNW individuals, luxury brands and COTY relationships.
• Ensure all department activity is delivered in line with the ISO9001 process.
• Update content with marketing as and when required for the events and challenges section on the website, reviewing to ensure dates and content for the department are always current.
• Engage in outbound sales to support events as required.
• Once established in role take more of a lead on community level events and challenges.
• Communicate with children, families and all stakeholders in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture in full compliance with the Equality & Diversity Policy.
• Uphold the principles and practice of customer care and continuous improvement.
• Maintain confidentiality and Data Protection and at all times work in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations 2018.
• Have an awareness of relevant health and safety regulations and legislation, being responsible for your own health and safety and that of anyone else whom your acts and omissions may affect.
• Report any concerns of potential abuse of a service user in line with the Safeguarding Policy and procedures.
• Ensure maintenance and security of physical, financial and information resources.
• Demonstrate commitment to ongoing personal and professional development.
• Keep comprehensive and accurate records in relation to your role and in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Attend training as appropriate to the role, applying knowledge gained to the workplace.
• To work effectively and collaboratively as a member of the team, building and maintaining good working relationships with all internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with statutory and non-statutory bodies.
• Adhere to all Caudwell Children policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate commitment to Caudwell Children’s mission, vision and values.
• On occasion and when necessary work flexible hours to meet the needs of the business.
• Willingness to travel on occasion in order to fulfil the needs of the post.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• Ability to work with a high degree of accuracy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent IT skills.
• Ability to plan and prioritise workloads.
• A positive ‘can-do’ attitude with a flexible approach to work.
• Able to meet the physical requirements of the role after reasonable adjustments have been made for illness or disability.

Desirable Criteria:

This Job Description is not exhaustive.  The post holder may be required to carry out any other task as deemed appropriate for the level and responsibilities of the post.

Disclosure and barring service checks

The Charity is committed to safeguarding children and young people and therefore adopts a safer recruitment approach through a robust recruitment and selection process.  All posts within the Charity are subject to DBS checks, in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974).  This role is eligible for a Basic disclosure check.

£23,810 per annum

Full-time (permanent), 37.5 hours per week

Keele, Staffordshire (informal homeworking arrangements available up to 40% of working week)

Job description and full specification:

Download full job description and specification here

Caudwell Children is a Disability Confident employer committed to offering an interview to all applicants who meet the minimum criteria and declare they have a disability as defined in the Equality Act 2010.  We are committed to creating a diverse environment and will not discriminate for any reason against any person because of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation.  We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background and other underrepresented groups.