Community Development Officer; England

Sands works to save babies’ lives and ensure that anyone affected by pregnancy or baby loss receives the care and support they need. As the UK’s leading charity in this space, our work is shaped every day by the voices of bereaved families and the professionals who support them.

Our volunteers are incredible! They run peer support, community-based activity, build relationships with hospitals, run football teams, cheer at events and much more. Putting them first and enabling the activity they deliver is the primary goal of the Community and Volunteering Team.

Local peer-led bereavement support is a core part of what we do here s is primarily delivered by Support Groups and Sands United football teams run by dedicated volunteers right across the UK, most of whom are bereaved themselves. There are 84 Groups and 40 Sands United team across the UK who provide safe and welcoming spaces to be there for each other.

This is a high-profile and exciting new role which is responsible for ensuring that anyone affected by baby loss or the death of a baby has the chance to access Sands peer led activities in Central England, promoting sport and activities for health, wellbeing and support services and groups, ensuring that all sections of the community are aware of available activities and where they can go to be part of the community.

We are looking for successful, demonstrable experience of working with minoritised communities and a good working understanding of the barriers people experience accessing bereavement support and care in statutory, health and community settings.

With experience of coordinating volunteering programmes on a regional or national basis, you will be passionate and knowledgeable about the potential for volunteering within the charity sector.

You will have excellent communication skills suitable for a range of different audiences and environments, with significant experience of volunteer management and relationship building.

Additionally, you will have experience of working with marginalised communities together with an understanding of the barriers to accessing bereavement support that these communities encounter.

Sands is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We are committed to promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age or any other category protected by law.

To apply:

Please submit your CV, together with a supporting statement that demonstrates how you meet the criteria in the person specification to .

CVs and supporting statements should be sent as attachments to an email in either Word or PDF format. The title of the attachments should be your first name, surname and either CV or supporting statement e.g. “NAME CV”

Closing date for applications: 25th January 2026

Interview date: 9th February 2026

As we have limited staff resources we are unable to provide candidates with feedback about their applications. Interviews will be held online.