In June, we announced a new Corporate Partnership with Solasta Healthcare. 

Here is some more information about them:

Solasta Healthcare are primarily cataract surgery specialists, bringing together local ophthalmic surgeons and clinicians to deliver expert eye care and comprehensive healthcare across Northern Ireland, with clinics in Banbridge, Belfast and Ballymena. 

Alongside their specialist cataract and ophthalmology services, Solasta offers private GP services, women’s and men’s health, and preventative health checks — providing fast access to high-quality, patient-focused care, close to home.

We are looking forward to collaborating and helping older people live healthier, more independent, and connected lives. 

Keep an eye out on our social media for some exciting events we will be running together!

Access our 2025/26 Impact Report here

You can access our final PAL evaluation report via the link below:

https://engagewithage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PAL-Project-Final-Indepent-Evaluation-2026_.pdf

Engage with Age is delighted to announce a new Corporate Partnership with Solasta Healthcare.

This exciting collaboration brings together two organisations with a shared commitment to helping older people live healthier, more independent, and connected lives. Engage with Age supports older people across Belfast through services that reduce loneliness and social isolation, while Solasta Healthcare provides high-quality, patient-centred healthcare services that promote wellbeing and independence.

Together, we will work to raise awareness of the issues affecting older people, champion positive ageing, and support initiatives that enhance health, wellbeing, and social connection. By combining community expertise with healthcare innovation, this partnership will help empower older people to live fulfilling lives and remain active members of their communities.

Job Title: Communications & Fundraising Manager

Hours: 35 hours per week
Contract: Fixed term one year
Responsible to: Line Manager, Engage with Age
Salary: £28,142 (NJC Scale 4, Point 11)
Location: Hybrid (Remote working and Engage with Age office, Belfast) 

Organizational Overview

Engage with Age (EWA) is a voluntary organization and registered charity based in Belfast, working to support older people to live well, remain connected, and reduce social isolation and loneliness. EWA delivers a range of short-term, funded community development projects that promote health and wellbeing, social inclusion, and meaningful participation for older people, particularly those who are vulnerable or marginalized.

EWA works in partnership with statutory, community, and voluntary organizations to develop responsive, person-centered services that reflect the needs and strengths of local communities. A strong emphasis is placed on collaboration, co-production, and building dementia-friendly communities where older people and carers feel valued, supported, and included.

Job Purpose

The Communications and Fundraising Manager will coordinate communications, digital strategy and stakeholder engagement, helping to raise awareness of who Engage with Age is and the impact of our work.

They will work to maintain and secure additional funding to support organizational sustainability, with a particular focus on growing individual, corporate and philanthropic funding streams. 

This is a critical role interacting across all areas of Engage with Age’s work. The postholder will support the development and implementation of strategies and tools to:

• Increase awareness of Engage with Age’s work
• Increase the reach of our services and volunteer programmes
• Promote our advocacy and community development initiatives
• Generating sustainable income to enable and expand our impact 

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Funding and Development

• Work with the CEO to secure additional funding to strengthen organizational sustainability, with a particular focus on growing individual, corporate and philanthropic income.
• Develop and coordinate Engage with Age’s donor database and lead on donor recruitment, engagement and retention initiatives.
• Design and deliver donor care and stewardship initiatives for regular and one-off donors, maintaining satisfaction and increasing retention.
• Identify, cultivate and secure philanthropic, corporate and community fundraising opportunities and relationships in collaboration with the CEO.
• Maintain and monitor income tracking pipelines, financial reports, metrics and databases.
• Develop fundraising and development collateral including presentations, briefing papers, organizational research and bespoke materials.
• Work with senior leadership to identify project and programme funding needs and develop funding proposals and grant applications.
• Ensure compliance with all fundraising, charity governance and data protection legislation, maintaining the highest ethical standards. 

Communications 

• In consultation with the senior leadership team, develop and implement an integrated communications plan for Engage with Age.
• Lead delivery of communications activity across all channels.
• Coordinate media engagement and press communications, including drafting materials, pitching stories and monitoring coverage.
• Develop and deliver campaigns and events aligned with organizational objectives.
• Produce content and materials for campaigns, events and organizational publications.
• Coordinate newsletters, email briefings, video content and outreach communications.
• Act as brand steward for Engage with Age and develop new brand and communications assets as required.
• Collect and share case studies and impact data to communicate Engage with Age’s mission and achievements.
• Design and deliver campaigns that support advocacy, awareness, fundraising and service delivery objectives.
• Manage media stakeholders and external agencies where required. 

Digital 

• Lead Engage with Age’s digital presence including website and social media platforms, maintaining and optimizing performance.
• Produce compelling social media and digital content across platforms including LinkedIn,Facebook, Instagram and digital newsletters.
• Develop and execute digital strategies to grow reach and engagement.
• Develop and deliver digital campaigns, monitoring performance and reporting on analytics and metrics.
• Track, report and analyze digital engagement and fundraising performance data. 

Skills and experience

• Prior experience in communications, fundraising, sales and/or business development is required. Engage with Age measures experience by the quality and relevance of experience gained.
• Experience in the voluntary or community sector or demonstrated understanding of this environment and ability to adapt to it.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work collaboratively within a small, dynamic team.
• Demonstrated commitment to the vision, mission and values of Engage with Age. 

General Responsibilities

• Ensure all work is carried out in line with EWA policies and procedures, including safeguarding, health and safety, equality, and data protection.
• Actively promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the role.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role and hours of work.

Values and Behaviors

The postholder will demonstrate a commitment to the values of Engage with Age, including: – Respect, dignity, compassion for older people and carers, collaboration and partnership working, empowerment, inclusion, and participation.

Application Process 

To apply, please send your CV and a brief (one-page) cover letter by email to patricia.barrett@engagewithage.org.uk by Friday 27 March 2026 5.00pm.

Please include “Communications and Fundraising Manager” in the subject line.

Engage with Age is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We particularly welcome applications from individuals who are committed to supporting older people and strengthening community inclusion.

Engage with Age seeks new Trustees to join its committed board. Help us empower older people to lead happy, healthy, connected, and independent lives through working on Engage with Age’s strategic development.

Engage with Age was established in 2000. The charity operates mainly in south and east Belfast, delivering programmes that address loneliness and isolation, support health and wellbeing, strengthen the capacity of older people’s groups and forums, and empower older people to influence matters affecting their lives.

Engage with Age is an imaginative and creative organisation, led by older people and focused on enabling older people to improve their quality of life. As we prepare to move into our new Strategic Plan for 2026–29, we are seeking new trustees who can support our next phase of development, sustainability, and impact.

Find out more: Access the full Information Pack and download your Application Form here.

Closing date for applications: 4pm Monday 2 March 2026

Engage with Age’s Dementia Friendly Artist in Residence programme, under the artist Anna O’Kane, has been going from strength to strength.

From January 2025 there have been workshops in centres in North and West Belfast in Hemsworth Court, Newington Day Centre, Ballyowen Day Centre, and Cullingtree Meadows. The workshops have been with people living with dementia, in which they have determined the media to be used (paint, drawing, collage etc) and also directed the subject matter which has included places from their past, interests, and their hopes.

Over 40 workshops have taken place, and they have generated an exhibition called “Life’s Colourful Collage”.  The exhibition is touring through North and West Belfast.  The tour dates are:

6^th – 20^th June 2025

Chichester Library

Salsbury Avenue, Belfast BT15 5EB (tel:  028 9050 9210)

20^th June – 4^th July 2025

Girdwood Community Hub

10 Girdwood Avenue, Belfast  BT14 6EG (tel:  028 9521 9850)

4^th July – 1^st August 2025

Falls Road Library

49 Falls Road, Belfast  BT12 4PD (tel:  028 9050 9212)

Please note that opening times vary.  Make sure to visit “Life’s Colourful Collage”.

Engage with Age has just published a report on the impact of its work empowering older people across Belfast to lead happy, healthy, independent and more connected lives.

It is crucial for charities to be able to understand it its work is effective and it they are helping the people they have set out to support.  Over three months from September – November 2024, Engage with Age went through a process of having conversations with the older people it works with to get their views on the difference EWA’s work makes.  There were 429+ surveys, 17 focus groups, 35 interviews with individuals, and 23 case studies produced in order to create a picture of the effectiveness of EWA’s work.

The results have been astounding.

In the 2023/24 period, EWA had 15,000+ direct engagements with older people, delivering over 780 activities, 2,100+ befriending phone calls, with publications reaching more that 5,000 people per month and exhibitions reaching over 30,000 people.

98.6% of those surveyed were satisfied with Engage with Age’s work (77% strong satisfied), 29% were new attenders, 77% said they learned something new, 80% said they do or would use what they have learned, and 95% said they would attend an EWA event again.  The most common things people said about Engage with Age include:  “Great staff”, “Volunteers do a great job”, “Lovely people”, “very good”.

The Impact Report has 26 pages of detailed analysis.  To read the report, click HERE.