Established as an independent charity in 1992, The Parks Trust expertly cares for over 6,000 acres of beautiful and inspirational green space in Milton Keynes including parks, ancient woodlands, lakes, river valleys and 80 miles of landscaped areas along the city’s grid roads.

In most towns and cities, parkland is owned by the local authority, but Milton Keynes’ founders were pioneers and decided to do things differently. Their vision was to create a new town where the parkland and landscapes would be protected forever by a charity that was separate from local government. Doing so would ensure that, as the new town grew, its green spaces would never be compromised or have to fight for funding.

That all became a reality when The Parks Trust was set up in 1992. The new charity was given a 999-year lease on a total of 4,500 acres of Milton Keynes and an endowment of property valued at £20m. Returns on these carefully managed investments generate the primary source of income required to fund the charity’s wide-ranging work today and forever.

Over 100 staff and 240 volunteers deliver the essential work of The Parks Trust. In addition to landscaping and maintenance tasks, that also includes providing valuable recreation and leisure facilities, connecting communities at over 500 outdoor events each year, and advancing public education around the wildlife, biodiversity, and the environment.

As Milton Keynes grows, so does The Parks Trust. Each year, the charity takes on new green spaces and endowments from developers to cover costs in perpetuity. This approach ensures that all new areas of the city vantaggi from the same quality of inspiring, connected landscape and Milton Keynes remains a great place to live, work and play.

This is a new and exciting role created to deliver The Parks Trust’s ambitious five-year Fundraising Strategy and support the diversification of the Trust’s income. The postholder will lead the development of sustainable income streams across trusts and foundations (including Lottery funders, where we have had the most recent success), corporate partnerships, individual giving and legacy fundraising.

The successful candidate will lead innovative fundraising campaigns, appeals and build lasting and meaningful relationships with donors, partners and supporters at local and national levels.

You will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, setting clear objectives,



and driving high performance aligned to the Trust's values and culture. Working collaboratively with other colleagues across the organisation, you will ensure fundraising activity is well-coordinated, compliant and impactful, helping to secure the income needed to realise the Trust's ambitions.

Location:

The Pavilion, Campbell Park.

Salary:

£40,000 - £45,000 per annum

Working hours:

37.5 per week

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION ATTACHED.

Essential

- Degree level qualification or equivalent experience, with evidence of recent and ongoing professional development relevant to fundraising.
- Experience of fundraising across multiple income streams, including successful applications to charitable trusts, foundations, Lottery and statutory funders.
- Experience of building and implementing individual giving and/or corporate fundraising programmes.
- Experience of creating and implementing a successful fundraising strategy that has significantly increased revenues.
- Familiarity with CRM software, databases and Microsoft Office.
- Exceptional research and written communication skills, with the ability to write compelling funding applications and persuasive cases for support. Strong networking and relationship-building skills, with confidence presenting to donors, funders and partners.
- Strong financial acumen and the ability to work within agreed budgets.
- Self-motivated, proactive and resilient, able to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work to deadlines.
- Collaborative team player who inspires and supports colleagues.
- Ability to attend events and activities outside normal working hours.

Desirable

- Appreciation of The Parks Trust estate, including its greenspaces, ancient woodlands and lakes, and the environmental, health, education and social outcomes they deliver.
- Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. Chartered Institute of Fundraising).
- Experience of fundraising within the environmental, conservation, parks, heritage or charitable sectors.
- Experience of developing legacy and major donor fundraising programmes.




- Knowledge of local authority and Section 106 funding mechanisms.

Personal Attributes

We're looking for someone who is:

- A natural relationship builder who enjoys connecting with people and developing lasting partnerships.
- Self-motivated, proactive and able to spot and pursue new opportunities.
- An excellent communicator with the ability to engage, influence and inspire a wide range of audiences.
- Resilient and determined, with the drive to achieve ambitious fundraising goals.
- Organised and able to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
- Creative in developing fundraising ideas, campaigns and supporter engagement activities.
- Collaborative and supportive, with a positive approach to working across teams.
- Passionate about making a difference and motivated by the impact of The Parks Trust's work.

Other information

In return, we offer a comprehensive benefits package:

- Ongoing support and training
- Excellent contributory pension scheme (up to 10% employer contribution)
- Income protection and life assurance cover after qualifying period
- Enhanced family friendly policies after qualifying period
- Occupational sick pay
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice schemes for tech & electric cars
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Wellbeing day off each year
- Buying and Selling option for annual leave
- Medical Cash Plan
- Access to employee wellbeing helpline
- Free eye tests
- Great office in a park land setting with free parking

Application process

Please apply online using the link through our website using Cezanne.

Deadline for applications: 22 October 2026

1st Stage Teams Interviews –w/c 26 October 2026

2nd Stage In Person interviews – w/c 2 November 2026

The Parks Trust is committed to safeguarding and will always recruit all personnel in line with government guidelines, relevant legislation, Charity Commission guidance and best practice standards.

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

If you need additional support with your application or would like further information, please contact [email protected].

📌 Fundraising Manager (Italia)
🏢 The Parks Trust
📍 Italia