Dear applicant,
Thanks for your interest in this new role of Chief Income Generation Officer at such a crucial time for older people and Age UK.
The last few years have put pressure on millions of older people – Covid still casts a long shadow, the cost-of-living crisis has left many older people with impossible choices, and the growing challenges facing the NHS and the social care system have a huge impact on older people. The recent cuts to Winter Fuel Payments mean that this winter will be incredibly hard for millions of older people.
Longer term, issues such as an ageing population, ageism, and healthy ageing all demand attention. And yet the debate about ageing and ageism is still in the “too difficult” box.
Well Age UK is about to change all that.
Our role is to ensure that every older person is valued and included, so we can thrive in later life. We have just launched launching our new strategy, and our new strapline-Let’s Change How we age.
We want to fundamentally change the conversation about later life and ageing, as well as build on and develop our long-standing reputation as the voice of older people.
But we are more than just a campaigner or respected influencer.
Across our significant local network and through our national services, we support around one million older people every year, with our services providing a lifeline day in and day out.
We also work internationally through Age International and the HelpAge network, and as a DEC member we are in the middle of providing support for older people in Gaza and Lebanon.
Our ambitions are significant-and we need to grow our resources equally significantly to match that ambition.
That’s why this role is so crucial – we are looking for a leader who can bring together our approaches to generating income, both nationally and across our networks. This role will support a single, cohesive income generation strategy that will enable us to reach our ambitious targets of growth for the next five years. You will be joining a new team of senior leaders who have a wide range of experience and a shared commitment to changing the way we age.
In this role, you will be responsible for our Fundraising, Retail, and our commercial arm Age Co, which collectively raise around £120 million every year, along with supporting our local and international income generation efforts. You will lead a wide portfolio of income generation products including our 260 shops, insurance and independent living products, a significant corporate and trust fundraising team, as well as extensive public fundraising. Most importantly we must bring together our collective efforts to one single income generation strategy, with a sustainable model and effective framework for growth.
Please read on to find out more about the challenges older people face but also our plans to raise more money and to do more for those that we are here to serve and support.
Together, as one big collective network, we want to change attitudes and tackle the public narrative about ageing, but these are ambitious plans, and we need to grow to deliver.
I hope you’re as inspired by our plans as we are. We look forward to hearing from you.
Paul Farmer
Chief Executive Officer