Our new way to search for purposeful work

Issue 863, Sun 27 September, 2026

Dear Escapees,

New Zealand has named its Bird of the Year, and the winner is a tiny black robin with a very committed all-black wardrobe. It’s a good result for a bird that came alarmingly close to not existing.

In 1980, there were five left in the world, including just one breeding pair. Their recovery involved moving birds to safer habitat and getting another species to foster their eggs and chicks. Every black robin alive today descends from that last breeding female, Old Blue. The population now numbers in the hundreds, although the species remains critically threatened.

Old Blue, understandably, gets a lot of the credit. But follow the story back and you find people working out what might help, trying things, learning from the results and keeping at it over many years. Their work has left us with a species we might otherwise know only from photographs.

There’s plenty in the environmental news to feel helpless about. A story like this makes us want to find out who’s working on the problems, what they’ve learnt and whether they need any help.

Applications for Escape to Impact are open. It’s our new programme for experienced professionals who want to move into work tackling some of the world’s most important problems, with support to investigate where they could contribute and start pursuing opportunities.

Explore Escape to Impact and apply >



And below are this week’s Top 10. Have a read of what the organisations are trying to achieve. There may be something you’d like to help keep in the world.

Happy Escaping,

Team Escape

• Job Title: Director, People Partnering

  Organisation: GiveDirectly

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• Job Title: SENIOR CAMPAIGNS MANAGER / HEAD OF CAMPAIGNS / HEAD OF DELIVERY

  Organisation: Think-Film Impact Production

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• Job Title: Campaigns Content Specialist

  Organisation: 38 Degrees

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• Job Title: Campaigns and Communications Manager

  Organisation: Good Law Project

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• Job Title: Investment Manager

  Organisation: The Big Issue

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• Job Title: Legal Operations Manager (Maternity Cover, 9-12 months)

  Organisation: Apolitical

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• Job Title: Finance & Operations Manager

  Organisation: Impact Ops

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• Job Title: Talent Program Manager

  Organisation: GovAI

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• Job Title: Head of Programme Development - King's Trust International

  Organisation: The King's Trust

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• Job Title: Philanthropic Partnerships Lead – Trusts and Foundations (Parental Leave Cover)

  Organisation: Global Greengrants Fund UK

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