(more…)

Title: Administrative Officer

Salary: Up to £28,000 (Full Time Equivalent)

Reporting to: Chief Executive and Clerk to the Trustees

Based at: This is an onsite role based at Sycamore House and John Betts House, both in Hammersmith

Hours of work: 25 hours per week, 09.00 – 15.00, occasional extra hours to support meetings or events

About us

Hammersmith United Charities is a community-focused charity with a rich history dating back to 1618. Rooted in the heart of Hammersmith, we support local people through three core areas:

• Sheltered Housing: We provide safe, affordable homes for older residents in our two almshouses, fostering a sense of community and well-being.
• Grant Making: We award grants to local organisations addressing complex social issues such as poverty, inequality, and mental ill health, making a tangible impact in the community.
• Community Action: We strengthen the community by creating partnerships, amplifying voices, supporting new ideas, and providing practical support to help local initiatives thrive.

Hammersmith United Charities is a small, fun, and hardworking team where everyone plays an important part in building a stronger community. This role would suit someone who is kind, organised and enjoys variety in their work. If you are looking for a friendly workplace where you can make a tangible difference every day, we would love to hear from you.

Role purpose

This role is at the heart of Hammersmith United Charities’ day-to-day operations. As Administrative Officer you will ensure the smooth running of our reception and office functions, providing a professional and welcoming first point of contact for residents, visitors, and partners.

You will support the Chief Executive and wider team with administration and projects, helping us to meet our regulatory requirements and deliver excellent services to our residents and the local community.

Principal tasks and responsibilities

• Reception – Provide a warm and professional welcome to residents, visitors, and contractors; manage phone calls, emails, and post; ensure reception runs smoothly.
• Resident and Housing Support – Be a helpful point of contact for residents, liaise with contractors, assist with admissions, support resident events, and provide admin support to the Housing team.
• Meetings and Events – Arrange and coordinate meetings and events, including logistics, refreshments, budgets, and minute-taking when needed.
• Office Administration – Oversee office supplies, office and IT equipment and invoices/expenses; prepare and file documents; keep systems and databases accurate and up to date.
• HR & Data Protection – Support recruitment and leaving processes, maintain HR and other databases, and ensure compliance with GDPR and data protection policies.
• Communications – Support the production and dissemination of materials such as newsletters, handbooks, leaflets, invitations, websites or social media posts.
• Team Support – Provide general administrative and project support to the Chief Executive and senior team; contribute to a positive, collaborative work environment.
• Policies and procedures: Follow all required policies and procedures and complete any training required. This includes but is not limited to: Health and Safety, Safeguarding, GDPR, Cyber Security, Complaints, and Equality Diversity and Inclusion.

This job description sets out the main duties and responsibilities of the job at the time when it was drawn up. Such duties and responsibilities may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot in themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the job

This role is subject to a DBS check and social media checks may be made as part of the recruitment process.

Person specification

We are looking for someone who will enjoy being at the heart of a small, friendly team and who takes pride in keeping things running smoothly.

Skills and qualities

• Organised and reliable, able to work independently with high standards and strong attention to detail.
• Able to meet deadlines and juggle different priorities calmly and effectively.
• Friendly, approachable, and confident in dealing with people from all walks of life.
• Resilient, empathetic, and kind when working with people who may be challenging, or may face serious challenges themselves, whilst maintaining healthy professional boundaries
• Clear and professional communicator, good written and spoken English.
• Numerate, able to carry out routine calculations, check invoices and manage budgets.
• Good IT skills, especially with Microsoft 365 applications, and happy to pick up new systems quickly.
• Discreet and respectful when handling sensitive information.
• A positive, can-do attitude, willing to be flexible and get stuck in where needed.

Previous experience of

• At least two years’ experience of working in administration, office support, or reception.
• Dealing with the public face-to-face, on the phone and by email.
• Organising meetings or events.
• Working in a charity, housing, or similar organisation is desirable but not essential.

Qualifications

• Good general education including English and Maths at GCSE.

How to apply

Please complete the application form (see opposite on desktop or below on mobile) and send to officeadmin@hamunitedcharities.com by mid-day on 27th October 2025.  We expect first interviews to be carried out online on Wednesday 5th or Thursday 6th November with second interviews the week after.

If you would like an informal chat about the role or need any help or adjustment with the application process, please contact Victoria at officeadmin@hamunitedcharities.com

Massage, reflexology and other hands-on therapies can bring so many benefits, including:

• Aiding relaxation
• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Easing physical pain and tension
• Improving sleep
• Improving flexibility and ease of movement
• Combating loneliness and social isolation and creating connections

However, the price of private therapies can be out of reach for many people, including those who are retired, disabled or not in paid work. In other words, the people who would most benefit are often those who can’t afford to.

Community Massage London offers free and low-cost massage, reflexology, shiatsu and acupuncture in community settings across Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea.

The CIC was set up in 2018 by Teresa Meekings and Ray Prosper. Teresa says, “We recognised the need to support marginalised communities with their health and wellbeing. People often think massage and reflexology are a luxury, but complementary therapy isn’t about pampering; it’s about taking care of yourself, focusing on what matters to you, and making meaningful progress in your physical and emotional wellbeing.

“Each session is shaped around what the client wants and we offer practical self-care tips they can use at home. This helps clients to feel listened to and in control of their own health. Complementary therapies are also preventative tools and have been shown to reduce GP and A&E visits.”

Tackling loneliness

Many of Community Massage London’s clients live alone and are struggling with social isolation. The treatment they receive may be the only time they experience the touch of another person that month. Teresa shares, “A lot of the benefits of massage are down to the power of touch. The sessions give people a reason to come out of their home. The time focused on them, combined with the therapist’s caring touch and compassion, can help them to feel more connected and cared for and so reduce their anxiety and stress.”

As one participant said, “These sessions are invaluable, the caring touch is something special to look forward to each month.”

Volunteers work alongside the therapists, offering refreshments and a friendly person to talk to. They can also signpost people to other organisations that can offer support.

Hammersmith United Charities’ grant

Our grant has enabled 24 people to benefit from up to 12 complementary therapy sessions at White City Community Centre. The sessions last for 20 minutes and participants can choose between massage and reflexology. Most participants are over 60 and on a low income.

The CIC suggests a £10 donation from clients who are in paid employment and a £5 donation from those who aren’t, making the treatment considerably more affordable than a private session.

Teresa says, “We couldn’t do this without grant funding. We have to cover the cost of paying the therapists, hiring the hall, administration, insurance, scheduling software and things like that. We really need the grant funding in order to be able to make this affordable for people.”

World Mental Health Day

Community Massage London is taking part in a World Mental Health Day event on 9th October 2025 at St Mary Abbots Church, Kensington Church St, W8 4LA, 12 to 4pm. Organised by SMART London, the event will include various wellbeing activities, a free lunch and a Q&A session. Email admin@smartlondon.org for more details.

Impact

Community Massage London’s clients have reported all of the above benefits and more. A post-treatment survey found that 82% of participants experienced a reduction in stress and 65% a reduction in pain. Many people experience multiple improvements. One client shared, “I’m having better sleep, less pain, less swelling in legs and feet.” Another said, “I have benefitted from the sessions both mentally, (as a Carer for my mum) & physically.”

Find out more

If you’re on a low income and feel that you’d benefit from Community Massage London’s complementary therapies, visit www.communitymassagelondon.co.uk to book a session.

Would you like to enable more people to benefit from complementary therapies? You can support Community Massage London’s work by:

• Donating via Go Fund Me.
• Supporting the CIC at no extra cost by doing your usual online shopping through Easy Fundraising. Every time you shop online from one of the 8,000+ retailers (including Amazon, eBay and several supermarkets), a percentage will be donated to Community Massage London.

There are a number of life experiences that can have a significant impact on a child’s mental health, from parental separation to bereavement. This can lead to the child withdrawing from friends, struggling to manage their emotions, and finding it difficult to engage with school.

While adults in a similar situation often benefit from counselling, children can lack the communication and reasoning skills to explain or even understand how they are feeling and what they need.

Play therapy

A play therapist is able to support children to work through some of their challenges in a safe environment and to express feelings that they may not want or be able to talk about. The British Association of Play Therapists explains, “Play therapy helps children understand muddled feelings and upsetting events that they haven’t had the chance to sort out properly. Rather than having to explain what is troubling them, as adult therapy usually expects, children use play to communicate at their own level and at their own pace, without feeling interrogated or threatened.”

Sarah Foster is a certified play & creative arts therapist who works in several schools across Hammersmith & Fulham, including John Betts. She says, “The children who are referred to me are usually struggling socially, emotionally or behaviourally. For example, they might be struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, anger management or separation anxiety. Toys become their language, their words. Through that, you can gain an insight into what’s troubling them and help them to unpack that, process events and better understand their feelings.”

Sarah has a range of toys and art materials for the children to choose from, such as playdoh, figurines, sand trays and musical instruments. Most of the children have 12 play therapy sessions, but some will see her throughout the whole academic year.

Sarah takes a non-directive, child-centred approach. She explains, “The children take the lead. One of the central tenets is unconditional positive regard, where you’re completely accepting of the child as they are. There’s no concept of ‘good’ behaviour and ‘bad’ behaviour. They bring what they bring to a session, including, usually, the issues that school or parents have concerns about.”

As the focus is on play, children are able to relax and enjoy their time with Sarah. One parent fed back, “Thank you so much for all your help and wisdom with X, we know how much he has loved his time with you.”

Benefits of play therapy

Children benefit from play therapy in a number of ways. As one parent shared, “I feel that the therapy has really helped him. And X has recognised that in himself too. We have definitely noticed positive changes. Thank you!”

Benefits can include:

• Increased confidence and self-esteem
• Finding it easier to express thoughts and feelings
• Improvements in behaviour and concentration
• Better sleep

Sarah says, “There’s a really high impact rate for play therapy. You see a positive difference in over 80% of cases. It’s deeply rewarding work.”

Apply for a Community Grant

Some of John Betts’ play therapy sessions are funded by a Hammersmith United Charities Community Grant. If you’d like to apply for a grant to support your community initiative, you can find out more here.

October 1^st is the International Day of Older Persons. This year, the UK theme is ‘Building Belonging: Celebrating the power of our social connections.’ As the Centre for Ageing Better explains, the day is a chance to “celebrate the vital role that social connections can play in our lives; from a quick hello on the street to deep and supportive relationships that are built over time. The communities we live in shape our ability to connect – and in turn, the connections that we make help shape our local environment.”

Friendships are important for most people, whatever their age. However, it can be harder for older people to make new social connections, especially if you live alone, no longer go out to work or have mobility issues.

Bringing people together through almshouses

Hammersmith United Charities has two almshouses – John Betts House and Sycamore House. Both are designed to make it easier for older people to maintain or develop social connections. Residents’ flats are built around a large communal garden, which everyone has access to, and regular events such as coffee mornings, exercise classes and social groups give people extra opportunities to come together in the communal lounge. The almshouses are located in the busy heart of Hammersmith, making it easier for residents to maintain friendships in their local community as they age.

As one resident, Lorraine, says, “There’s lots on socially here at Sycamore House, so I involve myself in that as much as I wish – I usually go to the coffee morning and catch up with everyone on a Thursday. I’ve made some very good friends here.”

Read more about how living in an almshouse community can reduce loneliness and isolation.

Support for older people in Hammersmith

Many other charities can also offer support if you’re struggling with loneliness, the cost of living or other challenges.

• Age UK Hammersmith and Fulham runs a variety of activities every week, from yoga to a film club. You can also get support if you find it difficult to go shopping.
• The Men’s Shed group meet several times a week and maintain Godolphin Gardens as well as working on their own projects.
• Citizens Advice Hammersmith and Fulham can give you advice on a range of topics, such as debt, benefits and energy costs. The charity offers face-to-face meetings, and you can also call for free on 0808 278 7832.
• The WILDE Foundation provides a creative outlet for women who have experienced trauma (such as domestic abuse) and those struggling with loneliness or mental health challenges. Many of its members are over 60.
• The RENA Initiative delivers monthly art workshops and outings for women of every age.
• Women Aid and Empowerment runs accessible exercise classes, including chair-based yoga. Participants are able to socialise after the classes. Founder Hanna shares, “I have a lot of retired and widowed people attending. Some had become isolated in their home. Since coming to the class, their health has improved and so has their loneliness.”
• The Grove Neighbourhood Centre Folk Art Group helps to tackle loneliness though a weekly art group. Most members are retired. Chair Carey Whitley says, “We provide a place where it is easy to nurture new friendships.”
• Women’s Trust provides free counselling for women who have experienced domestic abuse. (1 in 30 people aged 60 to 74 is a survivor of domestic abuse, whether that’s physical violence, financial abuse or coercive control.)
• For Brian offers dementia-inclusive activities, including art sessions.

Volunteering as an older person

Volunteering can be a great way to combat loneliness and give back to your local community. In fact, 35% of people who are aged 65 or older frequently volunteer. Whatever your age or mobility needs, there’s likely a volunteer role to suit. Whether you fancy reading with children, volunteering at your local foodbank or making sure people can access free financial advice, get in touch with local charities to find out more. You can also find volunteering opportunities at Simply Connect.

Protecting the rights of older people

While the Equality Act is designed to legally protect people from discrimination, older people still often experience ageism. According to Age UK, this can include being refused interest-free credit, a new credit card, car insurance or travel insurance; being refused a referral from a doctor to a consultant; or even losing your job.

Often ageism is more subtle. As the Centre for Ageing Better says, “Ageism is all around us, yet it’s so ingrained in our daily lives that we barely notice it. Being told you should ‘act your age’, ‘slow down’ or ‘that’s ‘too young’ for you’. Becoming ‘unemployable’ in your 50s. Being told you’re ‘surprisingly tech-savvy’ or ‘you shouldn’t wear that at your age’. This isn’t a part of ageing. It’s ageism.”

In many countries, there is no legal protection against ageism whatsoever, which is why several charities have been calling for a UN convention to protect the rights of older people. The UN has agreed to start work on such a convention “to ensure older persons’ equality, dignity and societal inclusion – not just for today’s population but for the youth and children who will be the older persons of tomorrow.”

You can find out more about how to challenge ageism at www.agewithoutlimits.org