Programme Leader - Changing Places, Bristol

Organisation: Access Sport CIO
Salary: £32,000 - £8,000 FTE
Location: Bristol
Contract type: Fixed Term (Full time)
Closing date: 2 February 2026
Interview date: 9 February 2026
Job Description: Access Sport is a national charity with a vision that no one should be excluded from the transformational benefits of community sport. We are on a mission to make inclusion the norm in community sport by tackling the access barriers faced by disadvantaged and disabled young people.

We do this by training, equipping, and supporting community sports clubs, organisations, and volunteers to provide inclusive programmes, unleashing their potential to transform the lives of underserved young people in their local communities.

This work is either place based (Changing Places) or sport focused (Changing Sports). All the clubs we support are invited to join our Inclusive Club Network. We then use the expertise gained through this work to effect System Change.

In 2024/25 Access Sport engaged over 34,000 disadvantaged and disabled young people, with a strong representation from ethnically diverse communities, girls, and previously less active young people.

Our Stand for Inclusion Growth Strategy, provides further details about our work and future development plans.

Films showcasing our work can be found on our YouTube channel. These include a recent film about Access Sport, our multi-sport festival in Bristol and our Cadishead Park pump track and basketball court launch.

Role purpose

Summary
Access Sport is looking to appoint a new Programme Leader with responsibility for our Changing Places programme in Bristol. We have been working to transform community sport for disabled and disadvantaged young people in Bristol since 2008.

While this role is advertised at Programme Leader level, we welcome applications from candidates with slightly less experience who demonstrate strong potential. Depending on skills and experience, an appointment may be made at Senior Development Manager level, with corresponding responsibilities and salary within the stated range.

The post holder will support the delivery of our Stand for Inclusion Growth Strategy, embed and realise our strategy for Bristol, and manage our existing place-based work and local team, as well as drive the development of new projects in Bristol.

This includes Ignite Bristol, a unified network spearheaded by Access Sport, which is dedicated to supporting inclusive community sport.

Candidates should have experience in developing disability and/or social inclusion focused programmes, with a strong understanding of whole systems place-based working and the ability to manage a range of strategic/ stakeholder relationships.

This is an exciting time to join Access Sport as we enter the final, and most ambitious, year of our Stand for Inclusion Growth Strategy and look to expand our work in Bristol in 2026/27.

Responsibilities
Leadership
Line manage Bristol place-based development staff, initially consisting of two staff members but with the expectation that the team will grow, leading them to deliver on our new strategic plan for Bristol.
· Lead our Disability Inclusion work in Bristol, building on the strong foundations of Ignite Bristol and our club development support to a wide range of community clubs in Bristol.
· Be a key member of our internal Changing Places Leadership Group, working to ensure strong alignment across our localities and sharing of best practices.
· Work collaboratively/ develop strong relationships with local sector partners, including Bristol City Council, Wesport, disability organisations, leisure operators, health bodies, education providers, youth sector partners, sport/ sport for development organisations and other relevant agencies important to whole systems approaches place-based working.
· Act as a senior representative of Access Sport at our Bristol Fundraising Steering Group and other relevant meetings, events, forums, conferences etc.

Delivery and Project Management
· Manage Access Sport’s Changing Places Bristol programme and shape its ongoing development to achieve optimum reach and
impact, in line with Access Sport’s Stand for Inclusion Growth Strategy and Changing Places Bristol Strategy.
· Drive the development of new place-based projects in Bristol from conception through to delivery, this may include disability and social inclusion initiatives.
· Ensure effective financial management of the Bristol Changing Places programme, working closely with the finance team.
· Support our fundraising team in the development of funding proposals/ applications from a wide range of sources to support existing and new place-based programmes.

Monitoring and Evaluation
· Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the Bristol programme, working closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation Manager.
· Contribute to internal reporting requirements such as creating case studies, films and news stories for website/social media.
· Support the wider team to develop best practice and resources from learnings and insights.

This list is not to be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive, as there may be other duties and requirements associated with the post, which Access Sport may call upon the post-holder to perform from time to time.

Person specification
Skills/Experience
Essential
· Excellent understanding and experience of sport for development policy and practice, as well as related sectors (e.g. public health, young people, community engagement).
· Strong leadership skills, including strategic thinking, effective communication, emotional intelligence, and the ability to coach, mentor, inspire and develop high-performing teams. Experience in developing/ influencing/ managing key strategic/ stakeholder partner relationships.
· Experience/ knowledge of whole systems place-based approaches, and an understanding of this way of working across in a Bristol context.
· Excellent project management and organisational skills, comfortable managing several different projects and activities at the same time.
· Experience/ knowledge in developing community organisations, preferably with a disability focus.
· A strong understanding of the barriers that may affect disabled children and young people from participating in sport.
· Experience of working with underserved communities, particularly disabled people.
· Understanding of and commitment to safeguarding.
· Financially literate with an ability to manage budgets.

Desirable
· Lived experience of one or more of the underserved communities we support i.e. D/deaf, disabled, neurodivergent, ethnically diverse communities, women and girls, and low-socio economic backgrounds.
· Knowledge and understanding of Bristol, its communities, and relevant stakeholders.
· Experience of working in the disability, health, education or youth sector.
· Experience of working for a charity or sport for development organisation.

Personal attributes
We are open to applications from individuals with a range of experience and knowledge. We therefore welcome applications from those who may not yet meet every criterion for a Programme Leader, but who have the capability, passion and values alignment to succeed. In such cases, the role may be offered at Senior Development Manager level, with appropriate training, support and development. Candidates that are invited to a second-round interview will be notified beforehand as to the level of role they are being interviewed for.
· A personal commitment to Access Sport’s vision and values.
· A passion for empowering underrepresented children and young people to reach their full potential through sport.
· A strong team player with good interpersonal skills.
· Self-motivated, able to use initiative and a highly flexible approach to work and quickly build positive relationships.
· Reliable and hardworking with the confidence to work independently.
· Demonstrate a commitment to continuing personal and professional development.

In addition:
· The post holder must have the right to work in the UK.
· The post holder must be able to travel within the UK, with regular travel in/ surrounding areas of Bristol.
· The post holder may be expected to stay away for work purposes from time to time.

Flexibility
In order to work effectively in a changing environment, flexibility is required from the post-holder. Any additional tasks requested will be at the same level of responsibility and under the same terms and conditions of employment. The role will require some travel for training delivery and to different Access Sport offices, as well as occasional unsocial hours, including evenings and weekends in accordance with the demands of clubs and workshops.

Equal Opportunities
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Access Sport is committed to creating an inclusive culture, through fostering a diverse workforce where everyone feels like they belong, differences are valued, and everyone can reach their potential. We are actively seeking to diversify and create a workplace that is welcoming for all, ensuring that our workforce is representative of wider society and the communities we support. If you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, at either application or interview stage, please contact us (details in section 6).

We offer disabled applicants the option of requesting that their application is considered under the terms of our Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS). If you wish to apply under our GIS, please indicate this in your cover email. For more information, please visit our Join the Team page.

Background checks
As this role may, at times, involve working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks which includes a criminal record check with the Disclosure and Barring Service and two references.

Staff benefits
Access Sport is an exciting and dynamic place to work. We pride ourselves on being a close-knit and well supported team with a clear sense of purpose, delivering real impact. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.

We are committed to supporting the development of our team members and, should you wish, there are opportunities for team members to get involved in different aspects of the charity, from the delivery of our programmes on the ground, to fundraising, events and advocacy.

Staff benefits include:
· Employee Assistance Programme - Access to a 24/7 confidential helpline, counselling services and online information.
· Annual leave - 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and time off between Christmas and New Year, after two years of continuous service this increases to 26 days and after five years to 28 days.
· Healthy Living and Wellbeing Employer - We welcome staff to embed regular exercise into their daily work lives and have quarterly team days.
· Flexible working and family-friendly - Hybrid and flexible working arrangements which are family-friendly and provide flexibility around caring responsibilities.
· New Mums and Dads, including adoptive parents, can take enhanced maternity and paternity leave.
· Cycle to Work scheme - Cycle to work scheme, saving up to 39% off a new bike and accessories.
· Group Life Assurance for all staff on payroll.
How to apply: To apply, please complete the application form on the Access Sport website: Programme Leader Application Form Once you have submitted your online application, please email your CV and Equal Opportunities Monitoring form to Careers@AccessSport.org.uk with your full name and role applied for in the subject line. Our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form can be found here: www.AccessSport.org.uk/join-the-team. Candidates who have been shortlisted for an interview will be notified by Friday 6 February. The first interviews will take place w/c 9 February. If you have any questions or would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please email Sue.Wheeler@AccessSport.org.uk or call 020 7993 9883. Data Protection Access Sport CIO will only process and store your personal information, this means any information that identifies or could identify you, for the purposes of recruitment, after which it will be securely disposed.