Careers

About Us

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.

 

About The Role

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.

Further Information

How to apply
The closing date for applications is 12pm Monday 2 February 2026.

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.

Apply for role

Closing date: 2nd February 2026