James Copeland

Experience

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  The Young Foundation

  Oct 2008 - Dec 2008

  Research Intern
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  UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

  Oct 2008 - Mar 2009

  External Affairs Intern
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  Christ Church London

  Mar 2009 - Jan 2011

  Alpha Co-ordinator

  Co-ordinating outreach of busy and vibrant community organisation based in central London. Budget of £80,000pa. Managed weekly events for 100+ and managed multi-channel communications.Recruited and managed team of 40+ volunteers and ran training and development programme.

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  City Gateway

  Jan 2011 - Nov 2015

  City Gateway is a £9 million turnover charity, working with young people, women and families to transform their lives and communities through inspirational training, apprenticeship and community programmes in East London. Reporting into the Director of Corporate Services, I have a track record of delivering IT based projects into the organisation. I project managed the development and launch of new website (home.citygateway.org.uk) to increase key client group and donor acquisition and prepare for further geographical growth in services. I implemented an internal communications strategy to support organisational priorities and growth, including the launch of a brand new cloud based intranet and email marketing software linked to Salesforce CRM. I oversaw the delivery of a fundraising Gala dinner at Guildhall, London generating c.£70,000 in revenue for City Gateway. I lead a team of 3, covering Internal Communications, Design and Events and Marketing and Communications dept. budget. Show less I have been responsible for the all marketing functions at City Gateway, both digital and print. As PR Manager I have also worked with broadcast journalists, BBC and regional and local newspapers. Most recently I have been leading on the Ladder for London campaign that City Gateway has been running in partnership with the Evening Standard (www.citygateway.org.uk/apprenticeships/ladder-for-london).I am a Corporate Relationship Manager looking to build partnerships with local and international firms to work in partnership to combat youth unemployment and create apprenticeship opportunities in financial, property and construction firms. My portfolio has also stretched to CSR and managing City Gateway's corporate volunteering programmes. Show less

  • Communications and Digital Manager

    Sept 2014 - Nov 2015

  • PR & Corporate Communications Manager

    Jan 2011 - Sept 2014
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  Gateway Media

  Apr 2012 - Apr 2014

  Project Manager

  Client facing digital and creative project management.

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  Home for Good (UK)

  Oct 2015 - Mar 2021

  Led Home for Good’s regional engagement team and business development function, creating partnerships with fostering and adoption agencies and engaging communities with their local needs. I worked with senior managers and commissioners in children’s services alongside community leaders to find the foster carers and adopters that children in care need.- Trebled contractual and grant income through securing partnerships with 40+ local authorities and agencies. Led on the programme delivery for these partnerships and integrating customer service processes with partner organisations. - Headed up the engagement team across England focused on inspiring communities to step up to foster, adopt, or support those who do. - Designed and implemented recruitment campaigns and processes that are three times more effective than traditional approaches. 23% of enquiries were approved as foster carers versus a national average of c.6%. These processes offer information and guidance to thousands each year. - During the pandemic redesigned the engagement model to increase connections with prospective carers by 46%, leading to a threefold increase in referrals of prospective carers to partners.- Member of the National Adopter Recruitment Steering Group, set up by DfE, who provide a lead on sufficiency of adopter numbers across England and improvement of the assessment process- Launched innovative projects to recruit foster carers and supportive lodging providers for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children leading to more than 200 families being approved as carers since 2015. Show less

  • Head of Partnerships and Innovation

    Apr 2019 - Mar 2021

  • Business Development Manager

    Oct 2015 - Apr 2019
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  The National Adoption Steering Group

  Sept 2019 - Mar 2021

  Steering Group Member
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  The Fostering Network

  Jun 2021 - Oct 2022

  Head of Business and Commercial Development

  • Led Training, Consultancy and Publications arms of the organization and support other lead managers with commercial support, including submissions to DfE, Treasury and the expansion of pilot projects into scalable programmes. • Led product development, including project managing the revising of the flagship foster carer pre-approval training, The Skills to Foster. I have led the procurement process from inception to point of purchase for the organisation's first Learning Management System which will underpin training with over 300 local authorities and agencies, improving the service offering and radically increase engagement with members. • Led the new national learning and development team, formed through organisational restructure, and a network of associates directly training over 1000 foster carers and social workers a year. Show less

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  Match Bingo

  Oct 2022 - now

  Director of Operations and Partnerships (COO)

  Working with charities across the UK supporting them to acquire and engage their supporter base with Match Bingo's unique and innovative approach combining live sports, bingo and fundraising.

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  The Fostering Network

  Sept 2024 - now

  Assistant Director - England