JOB DESCRIPTION

Title Project Outreach Officer
Project Children’s Books in Wandsworth Libraries: Bringing Sanctuary home
Reporting and liaising Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees representative andChildren’s Librarian, Balham Library (Ruth Matthews)
Location Work from home or appropriate location
Contract terms The Project Outeach (PO) Officer will be contracted for 36 days at the rate of £175/day between the date of the contract to December. The project is spread over the 5-6 months with fewer days/week initially and more at the later stages. The contracted rate includes costs of working from home and use of own digital equipment, mobile phone.
Travel The post involves local travel to meet organisations across Wandsworth
How to apply Please email your CV and a short covering letter explaining how you meet the person specification. Email to and mark subject ‘Application - Project Outreach Officer for Children’s Books in Wandsworth Libraries‘. WWR encourages applications from diverse backgrounds.
Deadline for applications is Friday 25 July.

BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT

The Project is supported by Wandsworth Council as a Borough of Sanctuary, as well as its role in 2025 as the London Borough of Culture.
Wandsworth Libraries are committed to providing literature promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) through its 13 libraries. It will expand the existing collection drawing on further expertise, research, data and resources.
Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees is a charity which operates primarily on a voluntary basis. We aim to make Wandsworth a welcoming place for those seeking sanctuary to feel safe, supported and part of our community.
Objectives of the project The project aims to increase the range and visibility of children’s literature, factual books and resources to help young people understand the complexity of migration driven by war, economic collapse, consequences of the climate crisis and other factors. Its focus is pre-school to 18-year olds. The reading materials will enable young sanctuary seekers to read of their own experience, and will foster and encourage compassion and welcome. It will recognise the long history of migrants and celebrate refugee contributions to society.

The project details – Role of the Project Outreach OfficerThe Officer will be involved from the outset but is anticipated to spend more time organising events from August/September onwards. In particular to:

• Liaise Wandsworth Children’s Librarian at Balham Library on all aspects of the collection and activities promoting the collection
• Consult with those with lived experience and children as readers
• Draw on the expertise of relevant organisations in the borough, for example: schools, refugee organisations, core refugee organisations in Wandsworth (KLS, CARAS, ESOL and others), children’s centres, and other as relevant
• Organise and promote exhibitions of the book collection that showcase its availability; these events will take place in a minimum of the three family hubs in Wandsworth (Battersea, Roehampton and Tooting)
• Organise activities to attract widespread participation at events at the libraries and the other locations: eg storytelling, craft sessions, music
• Engage with the City of Sanctuary library programme
• Organise a final event (potentially January 2026) at a key location in the Borough, in liaison with Wandsworth Children’s Libraries
• Organise appropriate evaluations and keep a record of outcomes and target achievements and produce a monitoring report at the end of the project
• Keep records of expenditure, liaising with WWR Treasurer
• Note condition of the grant: Wandsworth Council requires that its support is acknowledged in events, and where appropriate the Council logo is displayed

• Liaise Wandsworth Children’s Librarian at Balham Library on all aspects of the collection and activities promoting the collection
• Consult with those with lived experience and children as readers
• Draw on the expertise of relevant organisations in the borough, for example: schools, refugee organisations, core refugee organisations in Wandsworth (KLS, CARAS, ESOL and others), children’s centres, and other as relevant
• Organise and promote exhibitions of the book collection that showcase its availability; these events will take place in a minimum of the three family hubs in Wandsworth (Battersea, Roehampton and Tooting)
• Organise activities to attract widespread participation at events at the libraries and the other locations: eg storytelling, craft sessions, music
• Engage with the City of Sanctuary library programme
• Organise a final event (potentially January 2026) at a key location in the Borough, in liaison with Wandsworth Children’s Libraries
• Organise appropriate evaluations and keep a record of outcomes and target achievements and produce a monitoring report at the end of the project
• Keep records of expenditure, liaising with WWR Treasurer
• Note condition of the grant: Wandsworth Council requires that its support is acknowledged in events, and where appropriate the Council logo is displaye