Overview
The Foundation for Jewish Heritage is seeking to engage an experienced Learning and Engagement Consultant to support their project Preserving Jewish Heritage, Promoting the Hidden Jewish Story in the year-long Development Phase of its project and for the first six months (of a five-year programme) of the Delivery Phase of the project. The Consultant will support and advise the Synagogues in this first pilot on activities/outreach and education, ultimately creating a framework for future use as a core part of this programme. The role will report to the Project Development Officer. The Project Development Officer is currently being recruited and will be responsible for the set up and day to day running of the project.
The Foundation’s work to date has demonstrated a significant gap in provision for historic synagogues. There is a clear need for a more defined and comprehensive support function for the UK synagogues sector: one that offers a professional, accessible and user-friendly service; guides and empowers synagogue communities; helps ensure synagogue buildings are well maintained, resilient and future-proofed, including in response to the climate emergency; and supports synagogues to engage more effectively with wider society. This project aims to address that gap.
The Delivery Phase project is subject to a successful funding application to NLHF and there will be a break clause between the Development and Delivery Phases.
About the Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Project
The Foundation for Jewish Heritage (FJH) is a UK-based charity, dedicated to working in the UK and internationally on preserving Jewish built heritage in danger. FJH is a non-religious, non-denominational organisation involving volunteers and supporters both Jewish and non-Jewish who share an interest in preserving Jewish heritage.
The Foundation for Jewish Heritage carries out its work through:
• Research – creating an inventory of Jewish heritage sites, and identifying those at risk
• Advocacy – making the case for Jewish cultural heritage and promoting interest in specific sites
• Expertise – providing professional advice and guidance to create sustainable solutions for vulnerable sites working with local partners, while nurturing expertise in Jewish heritage preservation
• Resources – securing funding for Jewish heritage sites at risk to ensure these are preserved, given a contemporary purpose, and saved for the future.
We are well supported by a high-profile Board of Trustees, including Dame Helen Hyde, Sir Simon Schama, Lord Daniel Finkelstein and Simon Sebag Montefiore.
We are a small charity with an ambitious mission and a need to expand to meet our growing agenda of work.
Having been established in 2015, during which time we have achieved notable successes in supporting a number of synagogue restoration projects while also becoming much better informed about the scale of the challenge, we are now poised to enter a new phase with a major expansion supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund – Preserving Jewish Heritage, Promoting the Hidden Jewish Story.
This major six-year project will see the Foundation secure the long-term future of a greater number of UK historic synagogues at risk by providing expert advice and guidance to enable congregations to maintain, promote and develop their heritage in the face of limited resources, declining memberships, environmental challenges, and rising antisemitism. Working with partners, we will act as a hub of support for the synagogue sector – building capacity, knowledge and skills to protect and future-proof synagogues, whilst making them more accessible as cultural and educational venues.
Saving at-risk Jewish heritage, including securing new community uses for redundant buildings, will contribute to wider cultural regeneration of communities across the UK, benefitting everyone.
This project will expand our ability to provide expert advice on conservation, archiving and recording, funding, education and outreach, governance and capacity-building, and will establish a Historic Synagogues Network to facilitate training, mutual support and sharing of best practice, as well as creating a Historic Synagogues Heritage Route.
Project Background
Development Phase Activities for the Whole Project
• Determining in detail the roles and responsibilities of the project partners – the Heritage Network and the Board of Deputies.
• Recruiting a Steering Committee (including Grants Subcommittee) – creating a brief and carrying out a skills audit to ensure the main skills are covered that will ensure the effectiveness of the Committee
• Recruiting an Advisory Body of heritage professionals – creating a brief and carrying out a skills audit to ensure the right mix of backgrounds
• Undertaking a fuller, more detailed assessment of the historic synagogues sector needs, working with the Board of Deputies of British Jews to facilitate connections to synagogue leaderships
• Developing detailed methodologies for working with the historic synagogues sector and the nature of the ‘contract’ between the Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the synagogues involved
• Pilot testing the types of support services the project will offer e.g. governance and capacity building, education and outreach etc
• Developing a plan for the creation of the Historic Synagogues Network in consultation with the sector
• Designing and creating the project website using a website designer
• Developing a strategy for the UK Historic Synagogues Heritage Route in consultation with the sector
• Assessing the approach to providing support for archiving and artefacts management
• Preparing a plan for the oral history project
• Creating the framework for the development grants funding scheme
• Formalising FJH’s Environmental Policy, as guided by the Heritage Network
• Drafting a Fundraising Strategy for the Delivery Phase of the project and undertaking fundraising activity to secure the matched funding
• Engaging an Evaluation Consultant to develop the evaluation framework and evaluate the Development Phase of the project, the learnings from which will help to inform the Delivery Phase
Delivery Phase Activities for the Whole Project
• Supporting historic synagogues to undertake assessments and surveys based on the quinquennial survey format to develop a clear understanding of their buildings, heritage significance, condition, maintenance and repair needs, level of risk, energy performance, and ability of the community to support restoration and development
• Advising synagogues on how to strengthen governance, recruit volunteers and improve capacity
• Working with synagogues to help them consider their futures, providing guidance on developing a sustainable strategy
• Working with congregations to sensitively consider how to promote synagogues to the wider public with a focus on learning activities and events – with specialist advice provided on interpretation
• Creating the UK Historic Synagogues Heritage Route – a dedicated website providing information about the heritage of each site and practical information
• Advising historic synagogues on how to preserve and manage their artefacts and archives
• Helping synagogues to collect and preserve the stories and memories of members through an oral history project
• Establishing a Historic Synagogues Network connecting synagogue leaderships with counterparts in other communities, and provide both online and in-person events to help with the sharing of experiences, best practice and new approaches, while also offering training and development opportunities to strengthen capacity
• Creating a dedicated project website providing resources for the historic synagogues sector
• Providing advice on funding and grants
• Operating a grants programme with small sums available to support synagogues in their survey and development work
A specialist staff and consultant team will be recruited to deliver this project which has a nationwide remit. The Historic Buildings Specialist Consultant will be a key member of the team in the Development Phase of the project, advising on the programme elements relating to the care and conservation of historic synagogues, working alongside the Learning and Engagement Consultant. The project will work with two partners – the Heritage Network and the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
Outputs/deliverables for the Learning and Engagement Consultant
During the Development Phase the Learning and Engagement Consultant key tasks are:
• To work with the Project Development Officer to determine the scale and scope of the Delivery Phase of the project, addressing:
o how synagogues will be supported in considering how they will address activity/outreach and educational work, the types of programmes that will be run, and how these will be evaluated
o working with synagogues to identify potential partners to work within piloting activities
o setting up an outreach/educational framework/policies that can be used in the long term by synagogues, and for assessing applications for funding
o how synagogues will be supported to build their capacity to make their buildings sustainable for the future
• Testing out the above on the three pilot synagogues and providing feedback on lessons learnt and improvements to the approach that can be made
• Working with our project partner the Board of Deputies as necessary
• Attending Project Team and Steering Committee meetings as required and holding regular meetings with the Project Development Officer and Projects Director
• Working collaboratively as part of the Project Team to ensure all project outcomes are met
• Submitting a monthly project update reporting against the approved grant purposes to the Projects Director
• Regularly reporting to the Project Development Officer
• Some travel will be required to Historic Synagogues in England for which there is a travel budget
During the first six months of the Delivery Phase the Learning and Engagement Consultant key tasks are:
• Concluding any outstanding work from the Development Phase
• Compiling a detailed summary document on what has been learnt from the Development Phase work, the frameworks and programmes that have been put in place and advising on any necessary changes
• Transmitting information on all contacts made and relationships established in the Development Phase
• Assisting in the induction process for the newly appointed Support Officers with a focus on the Activity Support Officer, ensuring they are fully briefed on the outcomes of the Development Phase
• Attending Project Team meetings and Steering Committee meetings as required, and holding regular meetings with the Projects Director
• Working collaboratively with the Project Team to ensure all project outcomes are met
• Submitting a monthly project update to the Projects Director
• Regularly reporting to the Projects Director
• Some travel maybe required to Historic Synagogues in England for which there is a travel budget
Person specification
The successful candidate should have:
• A track record in education and outreach work in the cultural/heritage sector
• Experience of working with organisations to help them make them sustainable for the future through outreach and engagement work
• General experience of working with charities/organisations to improve their activities
• Experience in financial management in the educational or cultural or heritage sector
• An understanding of and/or experience in initiatives to make historic buildings more accessible and inclusive
• A proactive, can-do, solutions-based approach to work, self-motivated, able to prioritise tasks effectively
• Excellent communication and engagement skills both written and verbal
• Ability to produce clear reports
• Ability to plan and implement programmes of work and to deliver within budget and on time
Fee
We have budgeted up to £13,000 – £13,500 (excluding VAT) for the Development Phase and £7,500 – £8,000 (excluding VAT) for the Delivery Phase.
Tender submissions
A maximum of 6 sides (excluding photos) for the first three bullet points of A4 covering:
• A methodology for carrying out the brief
• Two case studies of similar work on historic buildings undertaken previously, at least one should be a listed building
• Outline how your experience meets the brief
• Fee proposal, including VAT if applicable
• Two references
• Details of Professional Indemnity insurance, Public Liability insurance and Employers Liability Insurance
• A CV
Fee
Please state your fee separately for the Development and Delivery Phases for undertaking the work which should be exclusive of VAT and state whether VAT will be charged. The fee will be a fixed fee with increases only applicable if there is an extension to the brief. Please provide your day rate and number of days expected to be used on this contract for each of the elements in the above brief. There is an available fee in the Development Phase of £13,000 – £13,500 (excluding VAT) and £7,500-£8,000 (excluding VAT) for the Delivery Phase.
Tenders will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Quality – 70%
• Please outline your relevant experience of activities, outreach and education, including how you have helped organisations improve their work in this area (30%)
• Understanding and methodology for the project (20%)
• Two Case Studies (20%)
Fee – 30%
Quality Evaluation Assessment Methodology table:
Assessment Criteria Score
Unacceptable: either no answer is provided, or the answer fails to demonstrate that any of the Foundation’s requirements in the area being assessed will be delivered. 0
Poor: fails to demonstrate how the Foundation’s basic requirements in the area being assessed will be addressed, giving rise to serious concerns that acceptable outcomes would not be delivered against the project brief. 1
Weak: barely demonstrates how the Foundation’s basic requirements in the area being assessed will be addressed, giving rise to concerns whether acceptable outcomes would be delivered against the project brief. 2
Satisfactory: demonstrates how the Foundation’s basic requirements in the area being assessed will be addressed so as to deliver acceptable outcomes against the project brief. 3
Good: demonstrates how most of Foundation’s requirements in the area being assessed will be addressed so as to deliver good outcomes against the project brief. 4
Excellent: demonstrates clearly how all of the Foundation’s requirements in the area being assessed will be fully addressed so as to deliver excellent outcomes against the project brief. 5
Tenders should be emailed to Rachel Heller on [email protected] by Wednesday 7th October 2026.
If you have any questions regarding the role, please email: [email protected].
We reserve the right not to interview all candidates.
Suppliers shall keep their quotations valid and open for acceptance by the Foundation until the expiry of 90 days from the date for return of quotations.