Access Sport is a sport inclusion charity that is dedicated to enhancing the life prospects of disadvantaged young people and those from marginalised groups by providing opportunities to experience and enjoy the power of sport. We do this by building thriving community sports clubs, led by inspirational volunteers, in the most disadvantaged urban areas. These clubs provide life-changing opportunities for local disadvantaged and disabled young people, whilst creating a lasting, locally owned community resource.
About the High Sheriff Challenge Programme
The High Sheriff Social Inclusion programme in Oxford utilises the power of sport to create positive youth development pathways for underrepresented and vulnerable young people and to benefit the physical and mental health. The programme is unique, in that it brings together the High Sheriff, local businesses and the city council.
10 of Oxford’s neighbourhood areas are among the 20% most deprived areas in England. Almost 1 in 3 children in Oxford live below the poverty line and almost half of children and young people in Oxfordshire aren’t doing enough physical activity to benefit their healthy development. There is also a strong correlation between lower mental wellbeing and lower levels of physical activity in children and young people.
Access Sport works with community sports clubs and organisations to improve the lives of young people experiencing disadvantage and deprivation in Oxford. This is achieved through a combination of participation in sport, training, volunteering and employment opportunities.
In the year August 2019 - July 2020 we worked with 12 partner clubs and engaged 542 new participants in Access Sport associated sport. 58% of these were female, 47% disabled and 22% ethnically diverse. We have adapted to the challenges of the last eight months and provided over 200 sports equipment and activity packs to families to enable them to be active in and around their own homes.
Development Manager Role
You will be responsible for the day to day delivery and project management of the High Sheriff Programme in Oxford, working in partnership with colleagues in Oxford City Council, Active Oxfordshire and The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire to achieve our objectives.
You will be working to support Access Sport’s network of community clubs and organisations to achieve their development goals and run sustainably, embedded in their local communities, for many years to come.
You will play a vital role in helping these community clubs & groups recover and reinvent following the impact of COVID-19, finding innovative solutions to continue delivering community activities within restrictions, ensuring access to safe equipment, increasing capacity, recovering from financial hardship and helping them to support others in efforts to improve physical health and mental health.
You will also begin to investigate and develop new partnerships with community clubs, organisations and volunteers that share our values and wish to engage more inactive and disadvantaged young people in sport, training and volunteering.
Objectives and Responsibilities
Planning, administration, management, fundraising and delivery of the High Sheriff Social Inclusion Programme – Oxford including:
- Provide hands on support to existing partner clubs so that they continue to effectively offer participation opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
- Support clubs to access additional funding through grants research and application writing.
- Ensure that the programme delivers upon a defined set of KPIs and targets, (both internally and externally).
- Maintain and manage existing strategic relationships and local partnerships and develop new ones to drive the programme forward into Phase 4.
- Support the fundraising for Phase 4 of the programme.
- Coordinate and manage a series of annual fundraising and participation events including: Oxford Influencer dinner, corporate challenge and the multisport Have a Go Festival.
- Coordinate and chair the Steering Group with the aim to provide advice and oversight on the project and ensure that the next phase develops and evolves according to local and national priorities.
- Oversee the monitoring and evaluation framework, reporting internally to Access Sport and externally to stakeholders and supporters.
- Recruit and coordinate casual coaches to deliver outreach in schools and the community.
- Lead the promotion and marketing of the programme and support partner clubs to do the same with their own sessions.
- Support wider charity strategy by embedding national programmes into the Oxford offer. Including but not limited to; Flyerz inclusive hockey, Wingz cycling and cycling for Women & Girls.
- Feed into charity wide strategy meetings, internal reviews and planning discussions.
To apply for the role, please email careers@accesssport.org.uk and attach a copy of your CV (no more than 2 pages), a covering letter (no more than 2 pages) explaining why you would like the role and demonstrating that you have the required skills, experience and personal attributes and equal opportunities form (optional). The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday 12 March 2021.
