Fundraising and Communications Manager
- Posted by The Nell Bank Charitable Trust on 10th November 2026
- £21,000
- Part time
- Nell Bank Centre, Denton Rd, Ilkley LS29 0DE
About the job
Ready to build the Fundraising for Nell Bank’s 50th year?
Every year, Nell Bank welcomes 24,000 visitors, most of them children from across Yorkshire. On 25 acres near Ilkley, they find confidence, resilience and friendships they take home with them. A quarter of them come on a free or subsidised place, and fundraising makes that possible.
In 2027 we turn 50. Our promise for 2027 to 2030 is simple: every child included. This is Nell Bank’s first dedicated fundraising role. The ambition and the support are already here. The pipeline, the partnerships and the voice will be yours to build.
Fundraising and Communications Manager
- Salary £21,000 a year for three days a week (£35,000 full-time equivalent)
- Contract 12-month fixed term, with a route to a permanent post if the first year’s measures are on track
- Working pattern Flexible working
- Start Early 2027
- Closing date12:00, Monday 16 November 2026
What you will do
- Grow grant income from trusts and foundations, and widen the funder base so we depend less on a few large funders
- Turn introductions into corporate partnerships: sponsorship, charity of the year, employee volunteering, gifts in kind
- Shape and launch our 50th anniversary giving proposition, and rebuild our volunteer ambassador network
- Tell Nell Bank’s story across our website, social media, e-newsletters and the press, working with our comms partner in 2027 and then leading marketing communications and PR in-house
- Build the pipeline, calendar and playbooks that keep Nell Bank fundraising into the future
What you will bring
- A track record of raising income from at least two of trusts, corporate partners and individual giving, with figures you can evidence
- Persuasive writing, and a talent for storytelling that adapts to each audience: funders, schools, brand & corporate partners, supporters and the local community
- Marketing communications experience, including using social media platforms commercially to grow audiences, drive donations and fill events
- An understanding of PR, and how local, regional and sector media can raise our profile and open doors with funders and partners
- Confidence leading volunteers and working with trustees
- A practical approach to CRM, data and the Code of Fundraising Practice
- A full UK driving licence
- Experience in a charity, in outdoor learning, education or youth work, knowledge of Bradford, Leeds and West Yorkshire funders
- Hands-on experience of Claude AI or similar tools would be a real advantage.
What you will get
- A role with real scope: trusts, corporate, individual giving and communications, all in one
- The chance to leave a lasting mark in our 50th anniversary year
- Backing from the CEO, a Board sponsor, trustees and a committed volunteer network recognised with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service
- A beautiful working setting, flexible working and a workplace pension
- 15.5 days’ holiday for the 0.6 FTE contract, plus bank holiday entitlement
- A route to a permanent post if the first year’s measures are on track
About Nell Bank
Nell Bank was founded in 1977 by Paul Hockney, former Lord Mayor of Bradford and brother of the artist David Hockney. Nell Bank is a 25-acre outdoor learning centre near Ilkley, welcoming more than 24,000 visitors a year, most of them children and young people from across Yorkshire.
We help children build confidence, resilience, teamwork and wellbeing through time outdoors. Around a quarter of our visitors attend through a free or subsidised place, funded by our fundraising. Our commitment for 2027 to 2030 is simple: “Every child included”. As we approach our 50th anniversary, we want to protect and grow that commitment, and fundraising is how we will do it.
Why this role, and why now
Around a third of Nell Bank’s total income comes from grants, events, corporate supporters and individual donors. Today, most of that fundraising is led by the CEO, supported by a committed group of 30 trustees and regular volunteers. Historically, there has been no dedicated fundraising post, given the focus on core operations. In October 2026 our Board approved investment in this new role as the first step in a hybrid model: one experienced, paid fundraiser working alongside the CEO, existing staff and a strong volunteer network.
Role Description
Purpose of the role
To lead and grow Nell Bank’s voluntary income through grant applications, individual giving andpartnerships, and to tell Nell Bank’s story through marketing, social media and the press in a way that raises our profile and brings in new supporters. The postholder turns fundraising strategy into a steady, well-organised programme of applications, approaches, campaigns and stewardship, and builds the systems and playbooks that make it possible. The CEO retains responsibility for fundraising strategy (what we raise for and how much) and final sign-off. The postholder leads delivery. Nell Bank Charitable Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.
How to Apply
The application pack (job profile and application form) can be downloaded from www.nellbank.org, or sent to you by email: please request it from office@nellbank.org
Please return your completed application form to office@nellbank.org
Closing date: 12:00, Monday 16 November 2026
Job Details
- Hours: 22.5 hours per week
- Closing Date: 16/11/2026
- Payment Schedule: Monthly
- Job Salary: £21,000
- Contact Name: Dan Goodey
- Contact Email: dan.goodey@nellbank.org
- Phone Number: 01943 602032
- Interview Date: 25/11/2026
About The Nell Bank Charitable Trust
Nature’s Classroom – Where nature opens minds and every child belongs.
On the banks of the River Wharfe in Ilkley, Nell Bank has 25 acres of woodland, ponds and trails where children from across our district can swap screens for streams and discover something new about the world and about themselves. Our belief is simple, that every child has the right to enjoy the countryside and all of the wellbeing benefits that brings. 1977 Created as a Queen’s Silver Jubilee project 24,000+ Visitors welcomed every year 1 in 4 Visit on a free or subsidised place 200 Regular volunteers 2027 Our 50th anniversary year
Born of a jubilee:
Nell Bank was created in 1977 as a Queen’s Silver Jubilee project, championed by Paul Hockney, the then Lord Mayor of Bradford. The ambition was bold, to give children from inner-city Bradford access to the amazing countryside they had on their doorstep. That founding ethos of access and inclusion remains central to all of our work 50 years later.An independent charity since 2022:
For more than 40 years the centre was run in partnership between the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Centre Trust and Bradford Council. On 1 March 2022, the Nell Bank Charitable Trust took on full responsibility and we are now a fully independent charity.Powered by volunteers:
Volunteers secured Nell Bank’s future in 2022. Our volunteer trustees led the move to independence and around 200 volunteers now give their time as working trustees, providing governance, fundraising, event support and helping with a range of activities on site. In 2024, their dedication was recognised with The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to local voluntary groups in the UK.24,000 visitors per year:
More than 24,000 visitors come through our gates each year, from schools and community groups across Bradford, Leeds, Kirklees, Wakefield and beyond. Children come from the age of three, and all participate in curriculum-linked day visits and residentials. For some it can be their first night away from home, or a first experience of the countryside.One on four are free or subsidised:
There should never be a reason a child cannot visit us. Bradford is the 12th most deprived Local Authority in England and many of the children we serve have little access to green space. To address this, around one in four of our visitors comes on a free or subsidised place, funded by our Assisted Places Scheme or through external funding we have secured. Our fully accessible facilities mean children with special educational needs and disabilities can also have a rich and varied experience in the outdoors when they visit us.The difference a visit makes:
A visit to the centre is more than just fun in the fresh air. A 2026 University of Leeds study found that children leave Nell Bank more confident, resilient and independent, with stronger friendships and a deeper connection to nature. Every parent surveyed agreed that outdoor learning matters for their child’s health and wellbeing.2027, our 50th Anniversary:
In 1977 our founders believed that every child should have access to the countryside. Fifty years on, their vision has never been more relevant. Next year, we are excited to celebrate the difference Nell Bank has made to the many hundreds of thousands of visitors who have come through our gates.We are also looking ahead and at a time when the distractions of the digital world threaten to disconnect children from the natural one, we are committed to helping children enjoy spending time outdoors. We are proud to have been screen free since 1977, and we intend being screen free for another 50 years!
- Nell Bank Centre, Denton Road, Ilkley
- Website (opens in new tab)