Our benefits
Working for Young Lives vs Cancer is more than a 9 - 5. It's being part of a team who's committed to making a difference. It's waking up in the morning knowing you'll have an impact on the lives of children and young people with cancer. And it's ending every day feeling fulfilled and inspired by the people you work with.
Browse jobs to find a role for you or sign up for our job alerts.
We know that our people need the right environment to reach their full potential and so that together we can reach and support the people who need us. We’re committed to making sure every member of our team feels supported, valued and appreciated.
Our Vision
We are working towards a future where every child, young person and their family has the support they need to face the impossibly hard experience of cancer.
Our purpose
To always show up. Championing, problem solving and bringing about change for children, young people and their families facing cancer.
Our culture, community and work environment
We launched our first Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging strategy in 2021. We’re on a journey to become fully inclusive and equitable, making Young Lives vs Cancer a place where everyone can be their full selves. Our DEIB strategy is the manifestation of our commitment to change. Developed with staff, volunteers, young people and families from across Young Lives vs Cancer, it’s the result of many honest, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about who we are, how we work, who we promote, and how we support our staff and volunteers and support children, young people and families.
We will be #bravenotperfect.
We have also made Our Pride promise. We exist so that no child or young person has to face cancer alone. This means we exist for LGBTQIA+ young people and their families. To make this possible, we’re committed to creating space to hold honest conversations about the issues that affect fellow LGBTQIA+ staff and volunteers in the workplace. This includes taking time to better understand the barriers faced via our systems, policies and processes. So we’ll be devoting time and space to defining what a healthy and supportive work environment looks like for all in Team Young Lives and will commit to making that a reality.
Work life balance and wellbeing
We recognise how important work-life balance is, so we want to create a work environment that helps everyone to manage their life both inside and outside of work.
Roles may have different requirements and each of us may have different personal needs. Where we can accommodate it, we invite our colleagues to vary their location, working hours and days to help them achieve a good work-life balance.
As well as this we have:
Wellbeing Action Group
We have a dedicated group of people from across the charity who focus specifically on wellbeing. The group uses wellbeing indicators, internal survey data and feedback from colleagues to regularly review how we support wellbeing.
Employee assistance programme
We offer a free, confidential, independent telephone advice and counselling service through an independent provider. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year and offers guidance and advice on different aspects of personal and work life, ranging from stress, bereavement, child and dependent care to help with managing your legal and money affairs.
Additional wellbeing support
We understand life continues outside work, and support can make all the difference. Besides our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), colleagues have access to wellbeing services like a Virtual GP, second opinions, and bereavement support. Whether for reassurance, guidance, or expert advice, these services are there when you need them.
Employee assistance programme
We offer a free, confidential, independent telephone advice and counselling service through an independent provider. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year and offers guidance and advice on different aspects of personal and work life, ranging from stress, bereavement, child and dependent care to help with managing your legal and money affairs.
Learning and development
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we never stop learning and growing. A dedicated People Development Team helps our workforce to be the best they can be and to enhance their talents so that they and the children and young people with cancer they support benefit.
Learning and development opportunities including a comprehensive induction, on-the-job training and coaching, quarterly development reviews, access to our in-house learning content as well as the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship for some roles and teams.
In addition to this, we have:
Quarterly “Wellbeing, thinking and growth” days: These days give us a chance to reflect, develop grow – away from emails and meetings.
Volunteering days: All staff can take up to two working days per year to volunteer, giving colleagues an opportunity to learn new skills, and do something different.
Taking time off
Annual leave
Annual leave is important because it allows us to take time off from work to rest and re-energise – and you should feel encouraged to do so.
We give 27 days’ annual leave (pro-rata for part time colleagues) + Bank Holidays.
We usually also close for three Festive Shut Down Days between the Christmas and New Year period, so you don’t need to use annual leave for this.
Holiday trading
We know that the amount of annual leave that suits one person might not suit another. That’s why, at the end of each holiday year, colleagues can buy or sell annual leave for the year ahead through our holiday trading scheme. It gives people greater flexibility to plan their time off in a way that works for them and their personal circumstances.
Family leave
We want to support colleagues taking time off to have a family or take care of their loved ones, so we have a range of policies that offer enhanced pay and leave for different circumstances. These include:
- Enhanced maternity and adoption pay
- A range of paid or unpaid leave to accommodate time away from work such as carers’ leave, compassionate leave and emergency family leave.
Financial Support and Wellbeing
Salary
Our salaries are competitive within the voluntary sector and we benchmark them externally. We are also a Living Wage Employer, meaning all our colleagues earn at least the living wage.
Employee savings
Every member of our team can make their money to go further by signing up to our employee savings website, which features discounts and offers, with local and major national retailers, on household shopping, health and wellbeing, fashion, days out and entertainment, travel and more.
Pension
We want our colleagues to feel supported now and in the future. Our pension scheme includes an 8% employer contribution, helping you save for the years ahead while also benefiting from a valuable contribution from Young Lives vs Cancer.
It’s one of the many ways we invest in our people and recognise the important role they play in achieving our mission.
Life cover
Eligible employees are part of our group life assurance scheme. So if you worked for us, we would pay a lump sum your beneficiary/beneficiaries of two times your salary in the unfortunate event that you were to die while employed by us.
Travel to work
Staff who sign up to our bike to work scheme get a great deal on a bike and safety equipment for commuting and can spread repayments over 12 months through salary
exchange.
Our interest-free season ticket loan helps staff to save money on travel, makes travel more affordable and is conveniently paid back over 12 months through monthly deductions from their salary.