Bookbanks: North-West Regional Lead

BookBrunch Limited; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing charity organization in Manchester is seeking a North-West Regional Lead to connect with food banks and manage volunteers. This freelance role offers a competitive daily rate and the chance to impact local communities positively. The successful candidate will manage partnerships, coordinate events, and oversee operations across multiple sites. Ideal for someone passionate about books and community engagement.

Benefits

Training and development opportunities

Flexible working hours

Reimbursement of travel expenses

Qualifications

• Experience in volunteer management and community engagement.
• Ability to manage flexible working across multiple sites.
• Full UK driving license and transport to visit sites.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with community partners.
• Manage volunteer teams and coordinate activities.
• Oversee operations at various sites.

Skills

Volunteer management

Community engagement

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

IT skills

Resilience

Attention to detail

Fundraising confidence

Driving license

Tools

Google Sheets

WhatsApp

Job description

Overview

The person in this role will be the key link between the charity’s Directors and the Bookbanks stalls in the North-West of England.

Job Description

Thank you for your interest in working for Bookbanks in the North West. Here you’ll find some information about the charity, the role, and how to apply. Our work relies on passionate, proactive people who can engage with communities, build relationships, and inspire volunteers to make a real difference. If you want to help us to change the story at food banks, through books, we hope to hear from you.

About Bookbanks

Bookbanks partners with food banks, creating weekly pop-up stalls of free books inside them. These stalls are looked after by trained volunteers who have a background in books as well as a passion for talking about and widening access to them.

From baby books to poetry, cookbooks to classics, some of our books are donated by bookshops, prizes and publishers, others are given by local people. New, or in good condition, all are books that our guests can enjoy browsing and be proud to own. After establishing a place for books in a food bank, the charity then hosts onsite events, including author readings, writing workshops and librarian visits.

A dynamic young charity that launched in early 2024, it currently operates in six sites across London, Norfolk and Manchester. It plans to expand further, aiming to reach 30 food banks across the UK within five years. Although this is still just one per cent of the UK’s food banks, reaching this number is a significant step towards systemic change. Join us, and you’ll play a big part in this journey and beyond.

About the role

The role: Bookbanks North-West Regional Lead

Role Purpose: Bookbanks’ North-West Regional Lead will be the key link between the charity’s Directors and the Bookbanks stalls in the North-West of England. They will build strong partnerships with food banks, community organisations and the local book industry, manage and support volunteer teams, oversee the flow and storage of books, coordinate activities across multiple sites, occasionally host onsite events with authors and librarians, and lead local fundraising efforts.

Responsibilities

Partnership Development

• Build and maintain relationships with food banks, community groups, local authorities, libraries, bookshops, publishers, writers and other partners.
• Identify and build new opportunities for collaboration and service delivery, including new food bank partners.
• Recruit, train, manage, support and motivate volunteers to deliver the charity’s services.
• Organise rotas and ensure adequate volunteers at each site, issuing reminders with weekly prompts. Bookbanks currently uses WhatsApp polls and Google Sheets for rota management and therefore proficiency in these tools is required.
• Celebrate and evaluate volunteer impact, including positively responding to weekly reports on the day.
• Act as the first point of contact for local volunteer teams and be available via phone on operating days if needed.

Operational Management & Coordination

• Ensure consistent service standards across all Bookbanks’ sites in the region.
• Oversee the smooth running of operations and resolve local challenges.
• Visit each site under your supervision at least once each quarter.
• Manage book deliveries and storage at partner food banks, including informing volunteers of expected donations.
• Host, or support volunteers to host onsite events including author talks, workshops and librarian visits every 2-3 months.
• Report fortnightly to Directors on activities, progress, and issues arising, and upon request.
• Perform other duties as requested that are reasonable, and relevant to the role to support the effective operation and success of the charity.
• Supporting local fundraising initiatives to achieve an annual target.
• Organise community events, campaigns, and sponsorship opportunities.
• Build relationships with local businesses, donors, and other supporters.

Administration & Compliance

• Maintain accurate records of activities and log weekly site reports.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on volunteer and guest experience to develop strategically regional activity and support national practice and development.
• Maintain accurate financial records, including receipts for all expenses and submit monthly claims for these.
• Ensure compliance with charity policies, safeguarding, health and safety, and other applicable requirements as notified by the Directors.

Skills required

Essential

• A love of books and a passion for widening access to them.
• An enthusiasm for taking on an evolving role in a growing charity.
• The ability to deal with a wide variety of people in a positive, sensitive and confidential manner.
• Experience in volunteer management and community engagement.
• Excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to empathise, motivate, inspire and positively engage with others.
• Self-motivation and ability to work flexibly and independently across multiple sites, including managing email and online communications throughout the week.
• Strong IT skills, including email, Google Sheets, WhatsApp, and online meeting platforms.
• Resilience, patience, and an ability to work cheerfully under pressure with a willingness to ‘pitch in’ as required in a small organisation.
• Excellent written English and a keen attention to detail.
• A commitment to equality, diversity and respect for all.
• A full UK driving licence and transport to reach sites and occasionally transport books when necessary.
• Experience working with food banks or similar community-based services.
• Experience working with books.
• Experience of partnership building and driving growth.
• Confidence in fundraising and meeting financial targets.

What we offer

Job Type: Freelance until early 2026, when a move to PAYE will be considered.

Rate: £140/day

Expenses: reasonable expenses, such as travel expenses, will be reimbursed

Opportunities for training and development.

Being part of a passionate team making a real difference in local communities.

Helping a charity grow at a crucial time of development.

Contract details

Expected hours: Commencing November 2025, two days per week, approximately 14 hours a week. One of these days must be Friday, which is the operating day of Bookbanks Manchester Central. We appreciate your flexibility about the other day, while we establish the most common food bank operating days in your region, but your fortnightly catch up with Directors will be on Wednesdays or Thursdays for the time being. We expect you to check your Bookbanks email daily, responding to urgent emails on the same working day as they are received.

Location: The majority of your work will be remote, but it is essential that you are based in the North-West of England and are able to visit each of your regional sites, which will be spread throughout the area, at least once every three months.

Currently Bookbanks has one site in the North-West: Bookbanks Manchester Central: Brunswick Parish Church, Brunswick Street, Ardwick, Manchester M13 9SX. Fridays 10.30-12.30pm

Reporting to: Bookbanks Directors

Induction & Training

The successful candidate will receive a comprehensive day’s in-person training, including spending some time at a Bookbanks stall while it is operating. They will also attend the volunteer online training with the next cohort of volunteers on Wednesday 22nd October, 6.30-9pm, and will complete the Ann Craft e-learning Introduction to Safeguarding Adults course. During the first year, reviews will be held at 3 months, 6 months and one year, and then annually thereafter. The first three months will be a probationary period.

How to apply

Please email a covering letter and CV to [e-mail] by 1 October, 2025. Please also provide contact details for two referees, including one from a former or current employer or client. We look forward to hearing from you. As a small organisation, unfortunately we are not able to respond to all applications, so if you haven’t heard from us by Friday 10th October, please assume you weren’t successful this time. Do look at our website for future opportunities as they arise, and other ways to get involved.