Do you enjoy communicating with people from all walks of life?

Are you looking to gain valuable customer service experience within a national charity?

Join our friendly and passionate volunteer team as we celebrate 100 years of supporting wounded veterans on their journey towards a positive future.

Our brand-new exhibition centre tells the story of The Poppy Factory across 100 years. Visitors learn about the origins of the poppy and Remembrance, the role of the people who have lived and worked at The Poppy Factory, as well as having a go at making their own poppies and wreaths. We often welcome groups such as the Women’s Institute, U3A (University of the Third age), Coach Tours and Military Regiments as well as school visits and other youth groups.

We have opportunities for individuals to make a significant contribution to the quality of our Visitor Experience as Visitor Centre Café Volunteers.

Our Café volunteers provide a warm welcome and help to enhance our visitor experience by providing an enjoyable and unique refreshment break. Our café, set in the heart of our new exhibition, is open to pre-booked group visits only. During these visits we offer ‘Factory Tea Break’ where visitors can enjoy tea, barista coffee and artisan cakes – including our famous poppy cupcakes! Full barista and health & hygiene training will be provided.

Key duties include:

• Welcoming visitor groups in a friendly and professional manner
• Making and serving barista coffees, teas and cakes to visitors
• Set-up and clear-down of the café space, following a strict health and hygiene protocol and cleaning routine
• Working alongside veterans with physical and/or mental health challenges

There will also be opportunity to support the catering elements of special events held in the Visitor Centre, as well as opportunities for involvement in other aspects of the Visitor Experience such as demonstrating poppy/wreath making, and helping with the gift shop.

What we offer:

• Support from experienced volunteers and the Visitor Experience team.
• An induction to The Poppy Factory and your volunteer role
• Reasonable out of pocket expenses
• Access to relevant in-house training and development opportunities
• Opportunity to be a part of a national charity and help make a real difference to wounded veterans across the UK.

For more information about this volunteer position, please see the full role profile

Apply for the role of Visitor Centre Cafe volunteer

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to equality, valuing diversity, and promoting inclusion within our workforce, including the volunteers who give their time to us.  We work to maintain an environment where the needs and aspirations of all employees are met, irrespective of characteristics protected under the legislative framework of the Equality Act 2010. We expect everyone to understand and accept their personal responsibility to recognise and value differences and the unique contributions that people make to the way we deliver our work.

As an equal opportunities employer our commitment is to take positive measures to recruit people from underrepresented groups, and we actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer, we offer a guaranteed interview for any job applicant with a disability who meets the essential criteria for the role. Please indicate in your covering letter if you wish to be considered under this scheme. We are also happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process to accommodate disabled candidates.

We are a family friendly employer.

Do you enjoy communicating with people from all walks of life?

Are you looking to gain valuable customer service experience within a national charity?

Join our friendly and passionate volunteer team as we celebrate 100 years of supporting wounded veterans on their journey towards a positive future.

Our brand-new exhibition centre tells the story of The Poppy Factory across 100 years. Visitors learn about the origins of the poppy and Remembrance, the role of the people who have lived and worked at The Poppy Factory, as well as having a go at making their own poppies and wreaths. We often welcome groups such as the Women’s Institute, U3A (University of the Third age), Coach Tours and Military Regiments as well as school visits and other youth groups.

We have opportunities for individuals to make a significant contribution to the quality of our Visitor Experience as Visitor Centre Volunteers.

Based in our new Visitor Centre, volunteers will support our exhibition Hosts to manage our pre-booked visitor groups (25-50 pax). As well as providing a warm welcome, volunteers will support Hosts to bring to life the fascinating story of The Poppy Factory and ensure a positive and informative experience for all our visitors.

Key duties include:

• Assisting the Host in welcoming and managing larger visitor groups in a friendly and professional manner, acting as an ambassador for The Poppy Factory
• Providing additional information about the exhibition and bringing our heritage to life alongside the Host
• Demonstrating wreath and poppy making and encouraging visitors to have a go!
• Helping in the Gift Shop and ensuring the shop is re-stocked after the group have left
• Working alongside veterans with physical and/or mental health challenges

What we offer:

• Support from experienced volunteers and the Visitor Experience team.
• An induction to The Poppy Factory and your volunteer role
• Reasonable out of pocket expenses
• Access to relevant in-house training and development opportunities
• Opportunity to be a part of a national charity and help make a real difference to wounded veterans across the UK.

For more information about this volunteer position, please see the full role profile

Apply for the role of Visitor Centre Volunteer

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to equality, valuing diversity, and promoting inclusion within our workforce, including the volunteers who give their time to us.  We work to maintain an environment where the needs and aspirations of all employees are met, irrespective of characteristics protected under the legislative framework of the Equality Act 2010. We expect everyone to understand and accept their personal responsibility to recognise and value differences and the unique contributions that people make to the way we deliver our work.

As an equal opportunities employer our commitment is to take positive measures to recruit people from underrepresented groups, and we actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer, we offer a guaranteed interview for any job applicant with a disability who meets the essential criteria for the role. Please indicate in your covering letter if you wish to be considered under this scheme. We are also happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process to accommodate disabled candidates.

We are a family friendly employer.

Interim Trust Fundraising Manager
Full time: 37.5 hours per week
Location: The Poppy Factory, Richmond, Surrey with hybrid working flexibility (currently a minimum of one day a week in the office)
Contract duration: Minimum of 10 months
Salary: £42,000 (dependent upon qualifications)

We have a maternity cover vacancy for a Trust Fundraising Manager to join our small but perfectly formed Fundraising team. The grant fundraising programme is well-established and the principal source of voluntary income that supports the charity’s modern mission.  This is an opportunity to join The Poppy Factory at an exciting period in our 100-year history as we grow and adapt our service to meet 21^st century needs.

The interim Trust Fundraising Manager will have the opportunity to work across a wide portfolio of existing grant funders including military charities and traditional trusts and foundations to ensure that income is sustainable. The role also offers the post holder the opportunity to further develop the income stream through ongoing research and development. The Trust Fundraising Manager is supported by a Trust Fundraising Officer.

We are looking for someone with:

• Experience in making applications to funders, with a sound understanding of the interests and working methods of trusts and foundations.
• Demonstrable stewardship experience – the job requires the ability to manage and prioritise a portfolio of supporters, working to deadlines and agreed targets.
• Strong communication skills, with experience of using impact reports and a fresh writing style to develop creative, compelling fundraising bids

This position is ideally suited to someone who thrives on variety and enjoys the opportunity to apply their creative thinking to solve challenges. The ideal candidate for this role will be highly organised and results-focused, with a track record of achieving fundraising targets.

Knowledge of the military is not required to be successful in this role, although experience of fundraising in the military sector would be an advantage. What’s more important is a passion for helping people with health conditions overcome barriers to employment.

As we embark series of exciting new projects around the UK in partnership with the NHS and other organisations, if you are excited to help us realise new and existing income streams to support our ambitious plans for growth, this could be a great role for you.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and LGBT+ candidates as these groups are currently under-represented in our organisation.

For further information, including the full job description for the role, please refer to the candidate pack.

How to apply

To apply for this position please send your CV and a covering letter clearly outlining how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification. You may address your covering letter to Amanda Shepard, Director of Fundraising & Communications.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Amanda Shepard on 020 8939 1861.

Click here to apply for the role of Interim Trust Fundraising Manager

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage candidates to apply promptly.

No agencies please.

About The Poppy Factory

The Poppy Factory aims to be an exemplar employer. We recognise the impact that working with a challenging cohort can have on our staff, which is why we prioritise work/life balance and support mechanisms including training, supervision and EAP provision.

The Poppy Factory provides competitive terms and conditions of employment, including:

• Opportunity for home-based and flexible working
• 28 days’ basic annual leave per year (including a day in lieu of Armistice Day, and 3 days’ Christmas closure), rising to 32 days with long service, plus bank holidays
• Double-matched pension contributions up to 10% employer contribution
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to equality, valuing diversity, and promoting inclusion within our workforce, including the volunteers who give their time to us.  We work to maintain an environment where the needs and aspirations of all employees are met, irrespective of characteristics protected under the legislative framework of the Equality Act 2010. We expect everyone to understand and accept their personal responsibility to recognise and value differences and the unique contributions that people make to the way we deliver our work.

As an equal opportunities employer our commitment is to take positive measures to recruit people from underrepresented groups, and we actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer, we offer a guaranteed interview for any job applicant with a disability who meets the essential criteria for the role. Please indicate in your covering letter if you wish to be considered under this scheme. We are also happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process to accommodate disabled candidates.

We are a family friendly employer.