About All Saints
All Saints is an inclusive church in central Hove. We believe there is a place for everyone to receive the unconditional welcome of God. We seek to give voice to those on the margins of our society and use our facilities to support the most vulnerable in our community.
We are an active church and community hub, delivering a wide variety of events and activities each week — from our café, stay and play, and Little Fishes playgroup, to choirs, concerts and community activities.
About the role
- 8 hours per week (Mon 12.00–16.00, Tue 9.00–13.00) — includes session delivery plus setup and pack-down
- 12-month fixed-term contract | £13.45 per hour | To start ASAP
Little Fishes is a well-established playgroup hosted at All Saints Church, running Monday afternoons 1–3pm and Tuesday mornings 9.30–11.30am. We offer a relaxed, free-play experience for children aged 0–5 and their parents/carers, with a variety of toys and activities, alongside a Clothes Swap for pre-loved children's clothes.
With changes coming to our staff team, we're looking for a new Playgroup Leader to take on the weekly running of Little Fishes for a 12-month fixed-term contract. This is an exciting opportunity to build upon a successful, established framework and help the playgroup continue to thrive as a welcoming space for children and families in Hove.
We're looking for someone with a passion for early years and prior experience working or volunteering with this age group, alongside excellent communication skills and the ability to build rapport quickly with children and families. It's not essential to be a practising Christian, but you should be sympathetic to the ethos of All Saints and comfortable speaking about the church and its wider activities.
This is a hands-on, physical role, requiring practical tasks such as moving chairs, lifting boxes, and setting up and packing away toys and activities.
This role involves regular contact with children, and the successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check as part of our safeguarding process.
Key responsibilities
- Set up and pack down for two playgroup sessions each week
- Be responsible for the smooth running of each session
- Lead on safeguarding, health and safety, and first aid for each session (training provided)
- Plan activities (e.g. crafts) as required
- Welcome children, parents and carers to each session
- Build positive relationships with parents and carers, helping families connect with the wider life of All Saints, signposting to other staff where appropriate
- Speak confidently about All Saints and what we offer as a church
- Recruit, train and manage volunteers to support session delivery
What we're looking for
Essential
- At least one year's experience working or volunteering regularly in a playgroup or early years setting
- A strong understanding of safeguarding best practice
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to build relationships with children, parents and carers
- A welcoming and inclusive approach
- Strong organisational skills
- Ability to carry out physical tasks such as moving chairs and setting up/packing away toys
- Creativity — ability to design engaging activities and crafts
- Sympathy with the aims and practices of the Church of England and our church
Desirable
- Prior experience working or volunteering in a church setting
- Experience recruiting and managing volunteers
- Ability to lead singing and story time
To apply
Please email with your CV and a short covering letter explaining why you'd be a good fit for this role.
Deadline: Sunday 26th July, midnight.
Interviews will be held on a rolling basis, and the role may be filled before the closing date if enough suitable applications are received.
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: £13.75 per hour
Work Location: In person
