Play Area jobs in Wigan

WORK PATTERN

Full Time, 37.5 hours week.

Monday to Friday, daytime hours, with regular Saturday working required to support events and activities, particularly during the summer period. When Saturday working is undertaken, a day off in lieu will be given during the working week. Occasional evenings to support young people’s transitions onto session and supporting events will be required

CLOSING DATE – 2nd October 2026

FIRST INTERVIEW DATE – 9th October 2026

SECOND INTERVIEW DATE – Evening of 14th or 15th October 2026

SPECIALISM

School Engagement, Marketing programmes, Project recruitment

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking an enthusiastic, proactive, and relationship-focused individual to join Wigan Youth Zone as our School and Community Engagement Lead. This is an exciting new role that will play a key part in increasing awareness of Wigan Youth Zone across the borough and ensuring more young people can access the life-changing opportunities we provide.

The successful candidate will build upon our existing partnerships with schools, community groups, and local organisations whilst developing new relationships that help extend our reach into communities across Wigan.

They will act as a passionate ambassador for Wigan Youth Zone, promoting our services, programmes, and opportunities to young people, families, and stakeholders. You will be confident in engaging with a wide range of audiences, from school leaders and teachers to young people and community members.

You will enjoy being out in the community, attending events, developing partnerships, and delivering engaging activities that encourage young people to become members and regularly attend our Universal Access Youth Sessions.

We are looking for someone who is creative, energetic, and highly motivated, with excellent communication and organisational skills. You will have experience of building positive relationships, delivering outreach or engagement activities, and working collaboratively to achieve shared goals.

Most importantly, you will be passionate about helping young people thrive and committed to ensuring that every young person in Wigan has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. This role would suit someone with experience in youth work, community development, education, outreach, participation, or partnership development, who is looking to make a real difference in the lives of young people across the borough.

YOUR ROLE

As the School and Community Engagement Lead, you will be responsible for increasing awareness, participation, and engagement with Wigan Youth Zone across the borough. Acting as an ambassador for the organisation, you will build and strengthen relationships with schools, community groups, local organisations, and key stakeholders to ensure that more young people can access the opportunities, support, and experiences available through Wigan Youth Zone.

You will work closely with schools to promote our services, deliver engaging presentations and activities, and create effective pathways for young people to become involved in our programmes. You will also represent Wigan Youth Zone at community events, festivals, and local initiatives, delivering activities and engaging with young people and families to raise awareness of the Youth Zone and its offer.

A key focus of the role will be increasing attendance and participation in our Universal Access Youth Sessions, ensuring that young people from all backgrounds and communities feel welcomed, included, and inspired to get involved. Through proactive outreach, relationship building, and partnership working, you will help us reach new audiences and strengthen our presence throughout Wigan Borough. This is a varied and dynamic role that will involve spending significant time within schools and communities, developing new opportunities for engagement, gathering feedback from young people and stakeholders, and working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure our programmes meet the needs of local young people.

Ultimately, you will play a vital role in helping Wigan Youth Zone fulfil its mission of giving every young person somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to talk to. One day you can be at an assembly at 8am and the next evening you might be running an activity on our evening session. Their will be an expectation to work frequent Saturdays due to the number of community events that take place on Saturdays but you will work take a day off during the week in replacement.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

• Knowledge of the issues affecting young people and an ability to work with challenging behaviour
• Understanding of the principles of working with children and young people
• Knowledge of health and safety, diversity awareness and safeguarding best practice and how these relate to children and young people
• Delivery of activities within an equality framework

QUALIFICATIONS

• Level 2 Youth Work- Desirable
• Level 3 Youth Work – Desirable
• Youth Work Degree - Desirable

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• To be alert to issues of safeguarding child protection, ensuring the welfare and safety of Youth Zone members is promoted and safeguarded, and to report any child protection concerns to the designated Child Protection Officers using the safeguarding policies, procedures and practice (training to be provided)
• To assist with any promotional activities and visits that take place at the Youth Zone
• To actively promote the Youth Zone and positively contribute towards increasing Youth Zone membership
• To adhere to Wigan Youth Zone policies at all times, with reference to Health and Safety, Child Protection and Equal Opportunities

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

Experience

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with young people, families, schools, community groups, and partner organisations - Essential
• Experience of working with young people - Desirable
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills, with confidence delivering assemblies, workshops, and activities to groups of varying sizes - Essential
• Ability to build, maintain, and develop positive professional relationships and partnerships – Essential
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines - Essential
• Ability to analyse participation and engagement data to identify trends and opportunities - Desirable

Skills

• Excellent communication skills to deliver activity programme to a wide range of young people - Desirable
• Experience of community engagement, outreach, partnership working, or stakeholder engagement - Desirable
• Experience of promoting services, programmes, or opportunities to a range of audiences. – Essential
• Experience of working collaboratively as part of a team to achieve shared objectives - Essential

Knowledge and Understanding

• Understanding of the issues, opportunities, and challenges affecting young people today - Desirable
• Understanding of the principles of working with children and young people - Desirable
• Understanding of equality, diversity, inclusion, and barriers to participation - Essential
• Knowledge of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. - Essential

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

In accordance with our Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures, this position requires an enhanced DBS check and business satisfactory references.

Please note that in line with our Safeguarding Policy, you must be age 21 or over to work in our Senior Sessions and 19+ to work on our Junior Sessions and Holiday Clubs. All applicants must also be inactive as members for at least 12 months.

WHAT IS WIGAN YOUTH ZONE?

Wigan Youth Zone is a purpose built, state-of-the-art youth facility in Wigan town centre which opened in June 2013. It offers young people from across Wigan the opportunity to meet friends, have new experiences, learn new skills and access the support they need to develop and achieve their potential. The Youth Zone is open to all young people across Wigan aged from 8 to 19 (up to 25 with additional needs), striving to offer something for everyone, regardless of their interests or abilities. With almost 15 dedicated areas to choose from including our four 40-metre floodlit football pitches, art room, music room and climbing wall – there’s something for everyone here at Wigan Youth Zone. Our aim is simple, to provide the town’s young people with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.

BENEFITS

• 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays) pro rata. Plus additional leave for length of service
• Birthdays off
• Gym access
• Cycle to work scheme
• Training and CPD including first aid, safeguarding and health and safety
• Career development opportunities
• Strong team culture
• Workplace pension
• Free eye tests
• Discounted to £2 access to holiday club for staff.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO NEXT?

Please contact hr@wiganyouthzone.org to request an application form.

Pay: Up to £27,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount
• Free flu jabs
• On-site gym

Work Location: In person