Post:	Project Support – Give Blood, Spread Love (Blood Donor Recruitment Programme)
Location:	London (Hybrid working)
Accountable to:	Programme Manager
Hours:	Part-Time 2 Days  (14 hours per week)
Salary:	£14,000 Per annum
Length of contract:	Fixed-term 24 Months – (post will be continued subject to the outcome of negotiations with funders).

 

Purpose of the role:

The Sickle Cell Society is recruiting a GBSL Project Support Lead.

The Project Support Lead will play a key role in delivering the Sickle Cell Society’s Give Blood, Spread Love project — a national campaign encouraging blood donation within Black and mixed-heritage communities. The role focuses on the day-to-day coordination of project activities, including event delivery, volunteer support, data collection, and community engagement. Working closely with the Senior Project Lead and Digital Engagement Officer, the postholder will help ensure the project runs smoothly, amplifies awareness, and strengthens relationships with partners, volunteers, and the wider community.

About the Give Blood, Spread Love (GBSL) Programme

The Sickle Cell Society (SCS) have successfully combined awareness raising of sickle cell disorders (SCD) with the need for ethnically matched blood donation for the NHS. The NHS need blood from Black donors to ensure closely matched blood types for those in need of blood transfusions. Our Give Blood, Spread Love (GBSL) programme delivery and messaging incorporates the wider inequalities that exist for people affected by sickle cell disorders, whilst effectively increasing the numbers of Black people and those from a  mixed ethnic background engaging with the topic of blood donation and joining the blood donation register.

We have been working in partnership with NHS Blood & Transplant (NHSBT) since 2019 to deliver an innovative programme of recruitment and training of community volunteers and advocates to campaign for blood donation by Black people and those from a  mixed ethnic background. GBSL predominantly targets young, socially engaged audiences through both face-to-face and online/social media campaigns to encourage individuals to register as blood donors and ask their peers to do the same. Our community led and embedded approach works to successfully overcome challenges that prevent Black people and those from a  mixed ethnic background from donating blood.

The project uses a digital approach to reach audiences nationally and as an effective means of large scale awareness raising. We also have a more focused reach, face to face, in two key regions currently (London and Birmingham) and also hope to develop the programme more widely into Scotland and Wales.

 

About the Sickle Cell Society (SCS)

The Sickle Cell Society (SCS) is the only national charity in the UK that supports and represents people affected by a sickle cell disorder. We provide information, advice and support to enable people to improve their overall quality of life. Approximately 18,000 people in the UK have a sickle cell disorder. These inherited conditions predominantly affect people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage; and to a lesser extent people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, South Asian and Central/South American heritage. This inherited blood condition causes the collapse (sickling) of red blood cells, reducing their capacity to carry oxygen around the body. This causes acute anaemia and extreme pain as cells cannot pass freely around the body. Regular blood transfusions are often required to keep people well. A high proportion of our client group also suffer disability relating to stroke, or damage to vital organs which can lead to organ failure. We assist and enable people living with SCD to realise their full potential whilst successfully managing the challenges they face in living with this potentially life-limiting condition.

Key areas of responsibility

• Deliver the operational and logistical aspects of the Give Blood, Spread Love (GBSL) project, ensuring smooth day-to-day functioning.
• Coordinate and support a team of lived experience and general volunteers, fostering engagement and inclusion.
• Plan and deliver community-facing events — both online and in-person — to promote blood donation and raise awareness of sickle cell disorder.
• Support the development and distribution of outreach and marketing materials in collaboration with the Digital Engagement Officer.
• Respond to public and partner enquiries related to blood donation, sickle cell awareness, and project activities.
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with clinicians, statutory services, corporate partners, and community organisations.
• Collect, analyse, and record project data to inform monitoring, evaluation, and reporting to funders.
• Ensure project activities align with stakeholder needs and the voices of lived experience.
• Represent the Give Blood, Spread Love project and the Sickle Cell Society at external meetings, forums, and community events.

Person specification

Introduction You are advised to read the following specification carefully. You must show in your application form how you meet the criteria listed below.

Skills, knowledge and experience

Essential:

• Experience in operational project delivery within community, health, or voluntary sector settings.
• Experience coordinating volunteers and managing event logistics.
• Ability to plan and deliver community-facing events that drive engagement and awareness.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Confident working independently, using initiative, and meeting deadlines.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage a wide range of audiences.
• Competent in using Microsoft Office and online collaboration tools (e.g. Teams, Zoom).

Desirable:

• Experience of partnership working with clinicians, statutory services, corporates, or community organisations.
• Familiarity with monitoring, evaluation, and data collection processes.
• Understanding of health inequalities and their impact on people living with sickle cell disorder.
• Background in the charity, public health, or community engagement sectors.
• Passion for inclusive community development and co-production approaches.
• Understanding of barriers to blood donation within Black and mixed-heritage communities.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent organisation and time management skills.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Competent in using Microsoft Office and online tools (e.g. Zoom, Teams).

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about community engagement and public health.
• Culturally aware and empathetic, with commitment to inclusion.
• Energetic, practical, and adaptable under pressure.

To Apply

Please complete the SCS-Job-Application-Form-2023  and SCS_Equal-Opportunities-Monitoring-Form_2023-1 and send to application@sicklecellsociety.org  before the closing date.

Download the above job details SCS GBSL Project Support

Please note all applicants must reside in the UK.

Closing date for applications: 24th October 2025

Interview date: w/c 10^th November 2025