Job Vacancies
Building the world’s first fully inclusive exercise, play and activity centre
Location: Hybrid (home working with occasional visits to centre and office)
Salary: £30,000 pro rata
Hours: Part-time, 7.5 hours per week (0.2 FTE)
Contract: Fixed-term, 12 months (maternity cover)
The opportunity
We’re looking for an experienced Trusts & Grants Fundraiser to join our small, passionate fundraising team during a pivotal moment in our history. As we move towards opening our permanent 14-acre centre in Aust, Bristol in the second half of 2026, your work will secure vital funding for equipment, programme delivery and core activities that make our world of fun and fitness possible.
This is a maternity cover role where you’ll work closely with our Grants & Statutory Senior Manager to drive income from trusts and foundations. You’ll research new prospects, write compelling applications and steward existing funders through high-quality reporting. This is your chance to make a real difference to disabled children, young people and their families whilst being part of something genuinely ground-breaking.
What you’ll be doing
Your main focus will be identifying and securing funding from trusts, foundations and statutory bodies. You’ll research new opportunities, prepare tailored grant applications and write bids for everything from specialist equipment to programme delivery and staffing.
Day to day, you’ll craft compelling cases for support that clearly show need, outcomes and impact. You’ll prepare progress reports and end-of-grant reports that maintain strong relationships with funders, keeping them connected to the difference their support makes. You’ll also produce a quarterly newsletter for all stakeholders.
You’ll maintain accurate records in our CRM database, monitor grant deadlines and reporting schedules, and work closely with colleagues across the organisation to gather case studies, data and costings. This role needs someone who can juggle multiple deadlines, work independently when needed and collaborate effectively with a small, supportive team.
Key responsibilities:
- Research, identify and qualify new funding opportunities from trusts, foundations and statutory bodies
- Prepare compelling, tailored grant applications that clearly articulate need, outcomes and impact
- Write bids for equipment, programme delivery, staffing and organisational development as required
- Prepare high-quality progress reports and end-of-grant reports to existing funders
- Maintain strong relationships with funders through proactive communication and updates
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the fundraising CRM
- Monitor grant deadlines, contract requirements and reporting schedules
- Work closely with the Grants & Statutory Senior Manager to support the trusts and statutory income strategy
- Collaborate with the wider fundraising team and service delivery colleagues to gather information needed for applications and reports
- Produce a quarterly newsletter to all stakeholders
About you
You’ve got proven experience in trusts and grants fundraising within the charity sector, ideally 1-2 years minimum. You’ve written successful funding applications before and you know how to research and identify new funding opportunities that match what an organisation does.
Your written communication skills are excellent. You can take complex information and present it clearly and persuasively, whether that’s in an application or a funder report. You’re organised, able to manage multiple deadlines and comfortable working with budgets and costings.
You’re confident using CRM or fundraising databases, you understand GDPR and you bring strong attention to detail to everything you do. You’re self-motivated and proactive, comfortable working independently for much of your time whilst also being a collaborative team player who builds positive relationships.
Most importantly, you’re passionate about improving the lives of disabled children and their families. You believe in equality, diversity and inclusive practice, and you want your work to make a tangible difference.
Our values
At Gympanzees, our values aren’t just words on a page. They guide every decision we make and every action we take:
Gold Standard Inclusion – Every disabled child and young person deserves equal access to play, exercise and fun. We design for all abilities from the ground up, strive for excellence in everything we do and won’t settle for ‘good enough’. Our ‘pay as you can’ model removes financial barriers because inclusion means everyone, everywhere.
Pioneering Co-creation – We’re building something the world has never seen before. We don’t copy what already exists; we experiment, take bold risks and lead the way. By sharing knowledge openly, celebrating achievements together and staying focused on our shared goals, we create something groundbreaking that transforms lives.
Unlocking Potential – Every child and young person has potential waiting to be unlocked. When we remove barriers, potential flourishes. We create spaces where families unlock support networks, connection and happiness together. This isn’t just a building; it’s a movement.
What’s in it for you
We offer 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (pro rata), increasing by one day each year up to 30 days. You also get your birthday off, because everyone deserves to celebrate.
We provide a healthcare plan for dental, optical and specialist appointments, an Employee Assistance Programme, training opportunities, sick pay and a company pension.
But the real benefit is being part of something extraordinary. You’ll work with a hugely passionate team where your opinion is valued, risk and learning are encouraged, and together we’re creating lasting change for disabled children, young people and their families.
Freelancers welcome
We’re happy to discuss this role with experienced freelancers who can commit to the scope and timeline of this position. Get in touch to explore how this might work.
How to apply
Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining why you’re the right person for this role to [contact details].
As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee an interview to all applicants who meet our essential criteria. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, people from ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ people.
Gympanzees is committed to promoting diversity and creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work. Our mission is to build a culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices of our community and employees.
Charity Number: 1189375
Location: Gympanzees, South Gloucestershire, BS35 4BL (Hybrid working)
Salary: Up to £50,000 depending on experience
Hours: Full-time or 4 days per week
Reports to: CEO / COO
Holiday: 25 days + bank holidays (increasing to 30 days) + your birthday off
About Gympanzees
Gympanzees is on a mission to do something no one in the UK has ever done before: create the first fully inclusive leisure, exercise and play centre for disabled children and young people (0–25) and their families.
Based on a stunning 14-acre site in South Gloucestershire, our centre will be packed with energy and possibilities — including state-of-the-art activity rooms, outdoor adventure play, a café and shop, a lending library, and celebration spaces. Once open, it will welcome around 200,000 visits every year.
This is your chance to be part of something truly groundbreaking. At Gympanzees, you won’t just be doing a job — you’ll be helping to tear down barriers to play, friendship, exercise and joy for thousands of children and families who deserve it most.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced, values-led HR Manager to lead all HR activity across Gympanzees, shaping the people, processes and culture that will bring our groundbreaking centre to life. This is a rare opportunity to build and support the team that will transform the lives of thousands of children, young people and their families.
Working closely with the CEO, COO and Centre Manager, you will play a critical role in preparing the organisation for launch — developing HR systems and policies, leading recruitment and onboarding, and ensuring the workforce is confident, supported and ready for opening. Following launch, you will oversee all day-to-day HR operations and champion a positive, inclusive culture across the organisation.
Key Responsibilities
Pre-opening: Workforce planning, recruitment scheduling, HR policy and system development, onboarding preparation.
Recruitment & onboarding: Inclusive recruitment campaigns, safer recruitment processes, induction and training for staff and volunteers.
HR operations: Employee relations, performance management, absence, wellbeing and compliance.
Volunteer programme: Design and delivery of structured, inclusive volunteer pathways.
Training & development: Safeguarding, health & safety, disability awareness and ongoing learning.
Strategic contribution: HR insight, data-led decision-making and embedding Gympanzees values across the organisation.
Person Specification
Essential:
• CIPD Level 5 or equivalent HR management experience.
• Proven experience establishing HR systems in a growing or start-up environment.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and safer recruitment.
• Experience supporting neurodivergent and disabled colleagues, including reasonable adjustments.
• Expertise across recruitment, onboarding, employee relations and wellbeing.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Highly organised, proactive and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Deep commitment to inclusion and Gympanzees mission.
• Experience in leisure or hospitality environments.
Desirable:
• Experience working in a charity or with volunteers.
• Experience supporting teams working with children or vulnerable people.
• Familiarity with HRIS implementation.
Why Join Us?
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help build the UK’s first fully inclusive leisure centre. You will play a pivotal role in shaping a joyful, empowering workplace and directly impact how thousands of families experience play, friendship, exercise and belonging every year.
How to Apply
To apply, please send your CV along with a short cover letter answering the following two questions:
• Why would you be interested in joining Gympanzees?
• Why do you think you would be a good match for this role?
Please email your application to oliver.h@enable-recruitment.co
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we reserve the right to close the role early if sufficient interest is received.
Safeguarding, Accessibility & Equality
The safety and wellbeing of the people who use our services, our volunteers, staff and wider community is our top priority. All successful applicants will be required to complete appropriate safeguarding checks.
We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and encourage applications from individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief. As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.
Charity Number: 1189375
It’s an exciting time for our team at Gympanzees! While we don’t currently have any free vacancies, we’d still love to hear from you. You can get involved through our volunteering opportunities.