Third Sector Podcast (Third Sector)

Rebecca and Emily discuss the fact that two weeks after Baroness Barran was shuffled out of the Charities Minister job, her replacement has still not been appointed.

And there's a good news bulletin of quirky, upbeat news stories from the sector.

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Rebecca and Emily find out more about a charter designed to combat racism in charities dealing with violence against women and girls. They are joined by guests Gisela Valle, chief executive of the Latin American Women’s Rights Service, and the anti-racism campaigner and Labour Oxford City Councillor Shaista Aziz, who have been involved in creating the charter. 

And in the Good News Bulletin, Rebecca and Emily are joined by Andy Ricketts to chat about running the London Marathon, how much has been raised so far, and some of the fun records that were broken in this year's race.

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In this episode of the Third Sector Podcast senior reporter Stephen Delahunty and news editor Andy Ricketts discuss whether charities face having to pay the Charity Commission for its services. 

It comes after Ian Karet, interim chair of the regulator, was questioned about the measure at the commission's annual public meeting last week. 

In response to a question about whether the commission had abandoned plans to introduce charges for its services, Karet said he could not say for certain the idea had been scrapped, but described it as a “political decision” that had more traction under both of his predecessors.

Stephen and Andy look back over the history of this long-running story and chew over where it could go next. 

They also discuss the appointment of a new charities minister and in the Good News Bulletin discover the correct term for a baby porcupine and celebrate a major milestone for the online giving platform JustGiving. 

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This week, Rebecca and Emily discuss the upcoming COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, and chat about the cover article from the latest edition of Third Sector which explores how fundraising can be more environmentally friendly. Check out the full article on the Third Sector website.

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This week Rebecca and Emily chat to Mhairi Sharp, chief executive of that National Emergencies Trust, about the charity's eventful first two years in operation.

And as ever, they bring you their Good News Bulletin of positive or quirky news stories from the past week.

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This week, Rebecca and Emily discuss charity lotteries, which were one of the top 10 most complained-about fundraising methods last year, according to the Fundraising Regulator.

They are joined by Gerald Oppenheim, the chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator and Carmel Hudson, lottery manager at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, to talk about the benefits of lotteries, the nature of the complaints, and how charities can avoid them.

And in this week's good news bulletin, they chat about the rise of donations in lieu of Christmas cards.

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This week, Emily is joined by Kathy Evans, chief executive of Children England and James Watson O'Neill, chief executive of SignHealth, to talk about the objectives of the Civil Society Group. 

Plus, Emily and Andy reflect on the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, and swap stories in this week's Good News Bulletin. 

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This week Rebecca and Emily discuss the broad range of fraudulent activity that affects the charity sector - and what charities can do to protect themselves.

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This week, Rebecca and Emily discuss the impact that misinformation and conspiracy theories can have on charities. They speak to Will Moy, the chief executive of the fact-checking charity Full Fact, about what charities can do to tackle misinformation.

And as ever, there's a Good News Bulletin of positive or quirky news stories from the past week.

Links to the organisations and research referred to in the episode are available here.

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This week Rebecca and Emily discuss the news stories that have caught their eye over the past week, including the preferred candidate to chair the Charity Commission, Nowzad, the RNLI and royal charities coming under scrutiny over donations.

(Episode recorded 8 December)

And as ever, there's a Good News Bulletin.

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Rebecca and Emily are joined by Third Sector's news editor Andy Ricketts and senior reporter Stephen Delahunty to look back at an eventful year in charity news and discuss some of the standout stories for them from 2021.

Content note: Brief discussion of sexual harassment (from 28 minutes to 31 minutes in).

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This week, Rebecca and Emily chat to philanthropy expert Rhodri Davies about what challenges and opportunities the voluntary sector should be looking out for in 2022.

And new team members Alina Martin and Amy Houghton explore rare book theft and mystery boxes of money in this week's Good News Bulletin.

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Rebecca and Emily chat to guest Alex Farrow, about the National Council for Voluntary Organisations' The Road Ahead 2022, a report which looks at the major political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal drivers affecting the charity landscape over the next year.

And they are joined by Alina Martin for the Good News Bulletin - positive and quirky news stories from the past week.

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This week Rebecca and Emily are joined by Emmanuelle Andrews, policy and campaigns manager at the human rights group Liberty.

to discuss the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and the impact it could have on charities.

This week's good news bulletin features a record-breaking row across the Atlantic and a dog who's learned a new way to communicate.

Note: We did refer to Liberty as a charity a couple of times in the episode - Liberty is a campaign group which works in parallel with the Civil Liberties Trust (which is a registered charity). Apologies for any confusion caused.

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This week Rebecca and Emily chat to the chief executive of Getting On Board, Penny Wilson about the questions thrown up by the resignation of the interim chief executive of Cats Protection over the number of cats the chair had in her flat. They discuss trustee codes of conduct and the role of conflict in a healthy board.

And Rebecca is joined by Alina for the week's Good News Bulletin.

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In this episode, Third Sector editor Emily Burt chats to Comic Relief's chief executive Samir Patel about how digital tools can help a charity achieve its goals.

And in the Good News Bulletin, Rebecca and Andy chat about all the campaigning wins the sector has had so far this year.

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This week, Rebecca Cooney and Alina Martin find out more about how charities can get involved in the government's levelling up agenda. 

The levelling up agenda, which was a key part of the Conservative Party's 2019 manifesto, focuses on investing in communities across the country to address geographical inequality and improve opportunities nationwide. 

Earlier this month, the government published its long-awaited white paper, laying out how it plans to carry this agenda forwards. 

Rebecca speaks to Leah Davis, head of policy at the think tank NPC about what's in the paper, and what opportunities exist for charities to get involved. 

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Are awareness days an effective charity tool or a waste of time? This week Rebecca and Emily chat to Clare Laxton, director of communications and Influencing at women's charity Pause about how to make the most of awareness days, weeks and months.

And in the Good News bulletin we have news from Book Aid International's work to help restore the University of Mosul's library, and a woman who could be Britain's oldest trustee (maybe).

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This week Rebecca and Emily, are joined by Julia Mazorodze of Hope and Homes for Children and Carol Flint of Ramblers to discuss rebrands - what can they achieve, where should charities start and will we see more of them post-pandemic?

And Alina shares a good news story about a football club reaching out to support people in Ukraine.

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In this episode, Rebecca and Emily discuss how charities can run hybrid online and physical events, preserving some of the benefits of the pivot to digital which emerged during pandemic restrictions.

They draw on advice provided by Fundraising Everywhere's Nikki Bell for an article in the latest edition of Third Sector.

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Rebecca and Emily chat to Sarah Vibert, the newly-appointed permanent chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

And the Good News Bulletin, looks at the stance taken by English Heritage over the behaviour of its corporate partner and the success of the Disasters Emergency Committee's appeal for Ukraine.

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This week, Rebecca and Russell chat to Sarah Williams, legal director at BDB Pitmans, about what charities should consider when thinking about rejecting or returning donations.

And in the Good News Bulletin, they find out how a bad season for the Bristol Bears rugby club has been good for a local hospice.

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This week, Rebecca and Russell chat to Carol Mack, the chief executive of the Association of Charitable Foundations, about two recent reports which found that foundations were struggling with equality, diversity and inclusion.

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Rebecca and Emily chat to the chief executive of English Heritage, Kate Mavor, about turning a century-old government department into a charity, navigating the financial implications of the pandemic and what it’s like to be unwittingly dragged into the so-called culture wars. 

In the good news bulletin, they look at an English Heritage attempt to break a world record involving vampires, and 99-year-old veteran who is taking to the skies to raise money for Help for Heroes.

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Rebecca and Emily chat to Martha Awojobi about launching an anti-racism consultancy and the BAMEOnline conference - and what the sector has achieved in combatting racial discrimination in the past two years.

And in the good news bulletin, they discuss a story involving James Bond, a Picasso painting and a new charitable foundation.

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Rebecca and Emily Burt are joined by Gabby Edlin and Rachel Grocott - the founder and incoming chief executive of the period poverty charity Bloody Good Period.

Gabby Edlin founded Bloody Good Period in 2016, but plans to step down as chief executive at the end of the month.

She and her successor, Rachel Grocott, chat to Rebecca about how the charity has grown, why now was the right time for change and how they have navigated the handover of the charity's leadership.

This week's Good News Bulletin features the story of a potentially explosive donation to a charity shop in Wigan. 

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This week, Rebecca and Emily are joined by Maddy Desforges, chief executive of the infrastructure body Navca, to find out more about Vision for Volunteering, an initiative which aims to start a conversation about what volunteering should look like in 10 years time. 

More information about the project can be found here: https://www.visionforvolunteering.org.uk/

And as ever, there's a Good News Bulletin of quirky sector stories.

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Rebecca and Emily speak to Alan Lally-Francis, head of influencing at Acevo, about improving social mobility in the sector and encouraging charities to participate in the Social Mobility Index.

In this week's Good News Bulletin, a tale of tiny knitted hats.

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This week Rebecca and Andy talk to Angela Kail, director of consulting at the think tank NPC about how the cost of living crisis is already affecting charities and what they can do to support the people they work with.

And in the Good News Bulletin, there they look at how the new Crossrail line is benefitting the RSPB and how milliners are celebrating the Jubilee.  

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Listen in on a fireside chat session from Third Sector's Fundraising Conference.

Emily is joined by Sarah Shooter, head of development at the Theatre Royal Wakefield and Ama Ofari-Darko, fundraising manager at the Royal Opera House, for a session entitled “Going back to grassroots: building up individual giving with the local community”.

This week's Good News Bulletin, Rebecca and Russell look at the story of a man who raised £100,000 for charity by running the Everest marathon while wearing a 9ft tiger costume and the success of English Heritage's vampiric Guinness World Record attempt. 

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Rebecca and Russell are joined by Rhodri Davies, philanthropy expert in residence at the Pears Foundation, to chat about charities' relationship with cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

And in the good news bulletin, they look at a charity where more than 1,000 volunteers have met their spouse.

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This week, Rebecca and Emily chat to Jane Ide, the new chief executive of the charity leaders' body Acevo, about the leadership challenges ahead.

And in the week's Good News Bulletin, they look at the success of a Northern Irish scheme to combat loneliness and an appeal by The Dog's Trust for more dogs in workplaces.

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This week, Rebecca and Russell chat to Dr Clare Mills, director of policy and communications at the Charity Finance Group, about the Civil Society Group's recent report on the banking challenges charities encounter.

And in this week's Good News Bulletin, Rebecca and Emily discuss a man riding a lawn mower from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for MNDA, and an anteater who has been fitted with an blood monitor to manage her diabetes.

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Editor Emily Burt and senior reporter Russell Hargrave unpack the story of the Captain Tom Foundation, from record-breaking fundraising challenge to the launch of a statutory enquiry by the Charity Commission. 

They talk through the finer points of the governance responsibilities and charity laws that may apply to the commission’s enquiry, and reflect on other key moments in the Captain Tom story. For a picture of the life-sized Captain Tom balloon model discussed in this episode, click here. 

This week’s Good News Bulletin features the story of a charity worker who was heralded a hero after he alerted his neighbours to a fire in their tower block. 

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Editor Emily Burt talks to Zoe Amar, founder of Zoe Amar Digital, about the findings of the 2022 Charity Digital Skills Report. 

The annual report acts as a barometer for the sector’s digital progress – mapping out digital priorities, analysing key trends in tech adoption and identifying the skills gaps that still exist for charities. 

Emily and Zoe discuss challenges for charities including the digital divide between large and small organisations and the funding and support needs across the sector. 

And in this week’s Good News Bulletin, senior news reporter Russell Hargrave covers the partnership between Cancer Research Horizons and the University of Edinburgh, which will support ten cancer-related research projects to develop business ideas, build skills and secure funding.

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Senior news reporter Russell Hargrave and editor Emily Burt are joined by Alex Farrow, director of influencing and engagement at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations’, to discuss the latest Time Well Spent report. 

The research explores the impact of Covid-19 on the volunteer experience, and the challenges that lie ahead for charities as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies. 

This week’s Good News Bulletin features a story about sleeping on the job, and a vintage wedding photograph returned to its owners just weeks before their 57th anniversary. 

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News editor Andy Ricketts and senior news reporter Russell Hargrave talk to Ed Wallis, head of policy at the community organisation support charity Locality, about the UK’s escalating energy crisis. 

Fuel prices were rising before the war in Ukraine began at the beginning of the year but the conflict has exacerbated the situation, with a reduction in the use of Russian oil increasing demand from other producers, putting up prices. 

With many UK charities already facing rising costs and increased demand for their services because of the cost-of-living crisis, Ed shares his views on the challenging autumn to come. 

In this week’s Good News Bulletin, a team of horse-related stories: from the Exmouth Museum’s competition to name a new equine mural decorating its exterior, to the highs and lows of Patrick the therapy pony, who was last month installed as the unofficial ‘Mayor of Cockington’, only to be barred from his favourite local pub in the first weeks of his tenure. 

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News editor Andy Ricketts and senior news reporter Russell Hargrave meet Holly Riley, head of strategic policy at the Charity Commission, and Julie Dennis, head of diversity and inclusion at the conciliation service Acas. 

They discuss the regulator’s work with bodies across civil society to clarify responsibilities across the sector when dealing with bullying.

This week’s Good News Bulletin features a first-edition Charles Dickens, and a fundraising cancer walk with Britain’s comedy gold.

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Senior news reporter Russell Hargrave and editor Emily Burt discuss the two candidates hoping to be the next Prime Minister. Do Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have any history with the charity sector – and how are they proposing to handle the cost-of-living crisis? 

This week’s Good News Bulletin features a groundbreaking medical research breakthrough, and a panda with a special birthday. 

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News editor Andy Ricketts and senior news reporter Russell Hargrave are joined by Charles Keidan, editor of Alliance magazine, to talk about the controversies relating to some of the charities connected to Prince Charles.

Keidan has worked separately on some of the recent stories published by The Sunday Times on this subject and talks through the issues for the royal charities in question and the sector more broadly.

In this week's Good News Bulletin, a very old dog with a love of classical music is seeking a new home, while older people living on the route of the Notting Hill Carnival are being sent somewhere quieter for the weekend.

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Senior news reporter Russell Hargrave and editor Emily Burt sit down with Nicole Sykes, director of policy and communications at the think tank Pro Bono Economics, to discuss new research into a wage gap between charity staff and people working in other sectors. 

The findings revealed that voluntary sector workers faced a collective “wage penalty” of nearly £1.5bn in 2019 compared with workers elsewhere in the economy.

And Pro Bono Economics warned that with the size of the charity sector workforce rising faster than other parts of the economy, an increasingly large section of the UK’s workforce is earning less than they could if they worked in other sectors. 

The full report from Pro Bono Economics is available here. 

This week’s Good News Bulletin features two very different Guinness World Record attempts – and Emily signs off the podcast for the foreseeable future as she prepares for a brand new arrival.

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This week, senior news reporter Russell Hargrave and news editor Andy Ricketts talk to Gerald Oppenheim, chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator, about the regulator's new strategy. 

The organisation recently unveiled its plans for the next five years, which includes a review of the Code of Fundraising Practice and a likely uplift in the fundraising levy that is requested from large fundraising charities. 

This week’s Good News Bulletin features a Guinness World Record attempt involving a marathon and a body part plus yet more very good dogs.

Please note this episode was recorded before the death of Queen Elizabeth II. 

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This week, senior news reporter Russell Hargrave and acting editor Andy Ricketts reflect on the death of Queen Elizabeth II and discuss the charitable legacy she leaves behind.

They talk to Sir Stuart Etherington, long-time chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and who chaired the Patron's Fund, a charity set up as part of the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations in 2016.  

The trio discuss the role the former monarch has played in the hundreds of voluntary sector organisations she was involved with, the value of a royal patron and whether charities should cancel events planned over the long weekend of the funeral. 

This week’s Good News Bulletin features a conundrum involving Paddington Bear teddies and a man who is embarking on the world's most epic pub crawl - all in the name of charity. 

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This week, senior news reporter Russell Hargrave and acting editor Andy Ricketts examine the factors affecting volunteering among young people. 

They talk to Emily Morrison, head of the Institute for Community Studies, about research published by her organisation which found a "postcode lottery" affecting young people's ability to donate their time. 

The report, called Volunteering Journeys, says the place young people grow up in "powerfully determines if and how they are supported to volunteer".

This week’s Good News Bulletin features updates on the man bidding to complete the world's most epic pub crawl for charity and a record-breaking blood donation drive. 

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Acting editor Andy Ricketts and senior multimedia reporter Lucinda Rouse discuss the findings of a new report looking into corporate partnerships. Their guest, Manny Amadi of the consultancy C&E Advisory, explains how relationships between NGOs and companies have evolved over time, with an increasing emphasis on a shared purpose to solve problems. 

Manny raises the risks to voluntary sector organisations and provides suggestions for principles that charities should apply when developing new partnerships to increase the fruitfulness of these relationships.

This week’s Good News Bulletin looks ahead to aspiring record-breakers at the upcoming London Marathon, from one entrant hoping to become the fastest runner dressed as a tree to a sweaty Chewbacca, all in the name of charity.

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Senior multimedia reporter Lucinda Rouse and acting editor Andy Ricketts speak to David Fielding, managing partner of the recruitment firm Attenti, about the debate surrounding bonus payments for charity executives. 

David offers his unique industry perspective on the appetite for bonuses among candidates and organisations and suggests other ways of attracting and retaining stellar leaders in the context of depressed salaries. These include supportive, flexible trustee boards and commitment to a clear purpose.

The Good News Bulletin features Norfolk’s TikTok charity shop star and follows four friends on a whirlwind fundraising trip around 92 football league grounds in a campervan.

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Senior news reporter Russell Hargrave and reporter Alina Martin speak to Anne Fox, chief executive of Clinks, and Riana Taylor, chief executive of Circles UK, about the challenges of fundraising for charities working in the criminal justice system. 

Anne and Riana offer insight into the difficulties of fundraising from the general public when the general perception of their service users - people who have been in the criminal justice system - is low.

They discuss the potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis on this area of the sector and share advice on building relationships with funders.

This week's Good News Bulletin features an independent bookshop in Norwich whose crowdfunding appeal grabbed the attention of none other than the Hollywood star Russell Crowe.

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Lucinda and Andy speak to Sue Tibballs, chief executive of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, about attitudes towards campaigning by charities in the current political climate. This follows the release of a Charity Commission guide, the timing of which she questions in the context of a backlash to recent campaigns.

Sue tells us why, despite some renewed calls for charities to “stick to their knitting”, she is confident that civil society voices will increasingly be heard.

The Good News Bulletin has the bear facts about where the teddies left in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II are headed - and gives the gen on the generosity of Generation Z.

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Lucinda and Russ speak to Vic Turnbull, founder of the podcast production and training company MIC Media, about the various ways charities can use podcasts, from awareness-raising to educating service users.

Vic provides practical guidance for charities looking to start a podcast of their own, from considerations of purpose, audience and content to funding options and utilising in-house talent. She also demystifies the technical aspect of podcast production and demonstrates the ease of creating high-quality audio content on a shoestring.

We listen to extracts from two very different award-winning charity podcasts: Log Books from the LGBT+ helpline Switchboard, and Made By Mortals’ children’s podcast Armchair Adventures.

Later in the episode, Russ and Lucinda discuss the criticism surrounding English Heritage’s acceptance of a £1.25m donation from AirBnb.

Footnotes

• Grab the MIC
• The Log Books
• Armchair Adventures

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Russ and Lucinda celebrate Trustees Week by speaking to Liv Clarke and Ria Shah, trustees at the youth leadership charity Reclaim and the conservation charity The Wildlife Trusts, respectively. Liv and Ria explain what motivated them to become trustees in the early stages of their careers and why they object to the term “young trustee”.

They provide their views on the importance of including younger people on boards and highlight some of the barriers facing them, including heavy time commitments and imposter syndrome. They also suggest ways in which charities can help overcome the challenges common to younger board members.

This week’s Good News Bulletin explores the trend of politicians putting their pay-outs and I’m a Celebrity… appearance fees to philanthropic use.

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Lucinda and Alina seek to demystify TikTok with the help of Rebs Curtis-Moss, interim social media manager at Shelter, who previously worked at the RNLI and led preparations for the launch of the Lifeboats’ highly successful TikTok campaign. 

Rebs highlights the importance of TikTok for raising awareness of charity causes among younger audiences, but stresses the need for a clear strategy prior to posting, including defining success and allocating sufficient staff resources to produce regular, high-quality content.  

They provide practical tips for tracking algorithms and jumping on the latest trends to maximise audience numbers while ensuring the tone remains consistent with charities’ wider messaging. 

Equipped with Rebs’ advice, and after reviewing examples of successful content from the RNLI and Shelter, Alina and Lucinda set out to create Third Sector’s first TikTok video.

This week’s Good News Bulletin features involuntary charitable donations resulting from drug busts.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Zia Salik, head of fundraising at Islamic Relief, to discuss some of the innovations behind the charity’s record growth figures over the past four years.

Zia explains how a shift before the pandemic to increase digital engagement with younger donors allowed the charity to adapt to the suspension of in-person fundraising events. He describes the organisation’s willingness to take risks on volunteer-led innovations, including a cake-selling initiative which has become a regular feature in the charity’s Ramadan campaigns, and how taking a relationship-based fundraising approach has paid off.

This week’s Good News Bulletin covers the news that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to give most of his $124bn fortune to philanthropic causes during his lifetime. And Russ reports back from the Association of Charitable Foundations’ annual conference.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Antonia Bance, head of campaigns, communications and digital at the Trades Union Congress, and Idris Arshad, people and inclusion partner at St Christopher’s Hospice. 

In the wake of a recent strike announcement by more than 500 staff at Shelter, they discuss how organisations can prevent employee relations from deteriorating to the point of industrial action being called.

Idris provides guidance on maintaining open and honest communications channels between management and staff, which is particularly important during periods of financial difficulty, while Antonia notes the increase in online enquiries from third sector professionals seeking information about joining unions. She outlines the benefits of joining a union and provides information on the unions covering the third sector.

This week’s Good News Bulletin covers the growing trend of festive charity tractor runs.

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Lucinda and Alina visit London’s Portobello Road to peruse the rails and speak to the managers of some of the capital’s boutique charity shops about their views on the rising popularity of thrift shopping.

The Charity Retail Association has reported a 10 per cent year-on-year increase in charity shop sales, bucking the wider trend of declining high street retail. The studio discussion features the CRA’s chief executive, Robin Osterley, and Libby Gordon, chief executive of Fara UK, to discuss how charities can take advantage of this growing consumer appetite.

Robin outlines the four different categories of charity shopper, including an expanding group of consumers prioritising sustainability, and suggests ways in which charities can increase their appeal to the respective types.

Libby describes the creative ways in which Fara, which supports children and young people in Romania, has used its shops to increase its visibility and grow communities, including through interactions with social media influencers. She also discusses some of the changes Fara is making in response to rising overhead costs, such as reviewing the shops’ open door policy.

In the Good News Bulletin, Lucinda conducts a mini review of the range of 2023 charity calendars, with a tribute to the roundabouts of Nuneaton among the usual trend of nudes.

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by Nana Crawford, social media manager at the British Red Cross, and Hannah Akitt, strategist at the marketing agency Raw London.

They discuss their favourite Christmas campaigns of the year, including Shelter’s “Brave Face” television advert, Samaritans’ “Break the Silence” winter appeal and the British Heart Foundation’s “Gift that keeps on living” campaign, along with the increasingly popular phenomenon of the Santa Dash.

Nana explains how the British Red Cross integrates its social media channels into its festive campaigns. She stresses the importance of listening to audiences in order to communicate in a way that meets their needs and describes her organisation’s deliberate shift in December from e-commerce promotions to content focusing on supporters’ health and wellbeing.

Hannah provides inspiration for last-minute, low-cost Christmas fundraising ideas, aimed particularly at smaller charities wishing to take advantage of the Christmas Eve peak in donations. These include effective email campaigns, and an emphasis on two-way communication. She reminds us that a donor is for life, not just for Christmas.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Emily Wilson, chief executive of Irise International, and Martyn Drake, founder of Binley Drake Consulting, to discuss how charities can plan effectively in uncertain times.

Martyn outlines how scenario planning can be a useful way of stripping back uncertainty and identifying the most important things for an organisation to consider in any eventuality. He stresses the need to remain fixed on your vision while allowing flexibility to achieve it, and reducing pressure around big decision-making.

Emily describes how UK aid cuts demonstrated the importance of anticipating and planning to enable Irise International to continue delivering on its purpose at a time when the worst case scenario was trumped by reality. This involved avoiding groupthink and allowing plans to remain fluid as a means of retaining control.

They both stress the importance of collaboration to achieve results when resources are scarce, as well as treating staff as an organisation’s most valuable asset. 

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The Third Sector team looks back at the top stories of the year in a special festive episode.

Acting editor Andy Ricketts is joined by reporters Lucinda Rouse, Russ Hargrave and Alina Martin to discuss the top stories from the voluntary sector in 2022.

Lucinda provides a rapid round-up of the year’s charity news before the team discusses their picks in greater depth. These include sexual harassment in fundraising, the publicity around transgender youth support charity Mermaids and overcrowding in the senior ranks of Cats Protection.

They also identify recurring trends in the sector’s news, from growing attention on instances of racism to governance problems catching up with charities, as well as the increasing use of social media and user-generated content in fundraising.

In lighter news, the team recalls highlights from the Good News Bulletin, from the world’s biggest vampire gathering at Whitby Abbey, organised by English Heritage, to an update on Patrick the miniature therapy pony, who has released a Christmas single.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Debra Allcock Tyler, chief executive of the Directory of Social Change, to discuss the year ahead in the voluntary sector.

Debra provides insight into fundraising, campaigning and governance trends. As organisations who rely on government contracts are likely to be squeezed further in 2023, she emphasises the need to keep asking for funding, attract new volunteers and avoid self-censorship in the face of a hostile climate for campaigning.

She believes trustees need to be cognisant of societal pressures affecting their organisation and play a more active role in tackling institutional problems such as racism and homophobia. She also talks about the need to maintain hope, along with her conviction that the human instinct to help others means the voluntary sector cannot fail.

Charity Changed My Life is a new addition to the podcast, featuring stories from people who have benefited from charity services. Today, we hear from Gabriel Mallon, whose life has improved tenfold thanks to the Wheelyboat Trust, which provides accessible boats for wheelchair users.

Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! Click here to record a voice message like Gabriel’s, or email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for additional guidance. 

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by the Charity Finance Group’s chief executive, Caron Bradshaw, and special adviser, Pesh Framjee, to talk about how charities can effectively manage their financial reserves in times of stress.

Caron maintains that reserves are there to be used, rather than protected, to enable charities to continue fulfilling their mission during periods of financial difficulty. She stresses there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to optimal reserve levels, which should be decided based on an organisation’s individual risk profile.

Pesh explains the difference between unrestricted, restricted and designated reserves. He advises organisations to be open and transparent about expenditure to their supporters and stresses the need to communicate strongly about overhead expenditure requirements. 

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Bobby Bansal, who received invaluable information and support from Movember following two testicular cancer diagnoses.

Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! Click here to record a voice message like Bobby’s, or email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for additional guidance.

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by Ian MacQuillin, director of the fundraising think tank Rogare, to consider the ethics around accepting monetary gifts from donors with questionable morality.

They also talk about the implications of returning donations or other measures to atone for historical wrongdoing, following the Church of England’s recent acknowledgement of its connection to the transatlantic slave trade.

Ian stresses the need for charities to have a gift acceptance and refusal policy in place to help decide whether or not it is in the best interests of the organisation and its service users to turn a donation down. He points listeners to relevant guidance from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and the Charity Commission.

The Good News Bulletin features a moonlit owl flying display organised by the Hawk Conservancy Trust to raise funds and awareness for conservation issues affecting birds of prey. 

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by Lord Gus O’Donnell, former Cabinet secretary and chair of Pro Bono Economics, to discuss the findings and recommendations contained in the recently released final report from the Law Family Commission on Civil Society.

O'Donnell talks about the need for civil society to be involved in discussions and decision-making alongside the government and private sector. He outlines the profile of the ideal candidate for a proposed “philanthropy champion” and calls on charities to be more efficient while quantifying the benefits of their services to society.

The Good News Bulletin features the story of a Cartier watch, worth £10,000, which was found in a bag of donations at the British Heart Foundation in Hounslow.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Stephanie Draper, chief executive of Bond, to talk about issues affecting the international development sector.

Stephanie describes the impact of funding cuts on international development charities at a time of intensifying humanitarian crises. She suggests ways in which UK-focused charities can work with their international counterparts in campaigning to protect democratic rights and freedoms and promote local community-led decision-making. 

Also in the episode, Russ travels to Petworth in West Sussex to speak to Hilary McGrady, director general of the National Trust. They discuss redundancies, her optimism about the ever-increasing need for voluntary organisations and the future of the organisation she leads. 

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Razia Yazid Mohamed, a resident of the Kirandongo refugee settlement in Uganda who has received valuable leadership training from ActionAid.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Campbell Chalmers, strategic engagement lead for the third sector at the RNIB and Joseph Howes, chief executive of the grant-making charity Buttle UK, to discuss how voluntary organisations can benefit from working together. 

Joseph talks about Buttle’s experience of joining groupings such as the End Child Poverty coalition. He stresses the importance of taking time to build trust between organisations and drive long term change.

Campbell describes the need for persistence and maintaining focus on the desired outcome of a collaboration, along with other lessons from the RNIB’s work to galvanise the sight loss sector during the pandemic. This has included changes in internal culture.

The episode also features news analysis from Third Sector’s news editor, Steven Downes, and an appearance from acting editor Andy Ricketts to plug the upcoming launch of Third Sector TV.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Keith Valentine, chief executive of Fight for Sight, to look behind the scenes of the sight loss research charity’s ongoing merger with the Vision Foundation.

Keith describes how the merger was motivated by a quest for growth, responding to the absence of a national funder that combined scientific research with service delivery for visually impaired people.

He talks about the operational practicalities of bringing two organisations together, as well as his personal experience of being the only visually impaired chief executive working in the national sight loss sector.

The interview is preceded by a discussion on the findings of the recently published Good Merger Index, which revealed a sharp dip in the number of charity mergers in the past year. 

And Third Sector’s news editor, Steven Downes, provides analysis on his top stories of the week, from Islamic Relief’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake to the fake football ticket sale by scammers impersonating the Sick Children’s Trust.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by James Oakes, chief international officer at Omaze, and Paul McKenzie, director of engagement at the Teenage Cancer Trust.

James describes Omaze’s business model as a for-profit organiser of high-value prize draws, with a proportion of its profits shared with selected charity partners. He outlines what the company looks for in a charity partner and addresses some of the concerns about the model, including its potential to encourage gambling.

Paul explains how the Teenage Cancer Trust benefitted from being Omaze’s first charitable partner in the UK, with sums raised from two campaigns far exceeding expectations. He highlights the value of the exposure the charity received and provides advice for other voluntary organisations looking to get involved.

Also in the episode, news editor Steven Downes shares his thoughts on the voluntary sector’s top stories of the week, from a high-paying new role at the Wellcome Trust to a move by two charities to fully remote working.

And Andy provides details of the upcoming launch of Third Sector TV, featuring a live interview with the head of the Charity Commission at 11am on 2 March.

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by Kat Dixon, outgoing director of partnerships at Catch22, whose team tripled the charity’s voluntary income in the space of four and a half years.

Kat talks about the need to strategise and think deeply when forming and executing partnerships with forward-thinking corporate organisations, such as Microsoft and TikTok, in order to successfully link social and business aims.

She provides insight into the growth of her team, bringing in talent from outside the sector and gaining internal buy-in. She also gives her perspective on ways in which women can be better supported in the fundraising space. 

News editor Steven Downes provides analysis on two of the week’s top stories, namely the growth of Muslim charities and the rebrand of the music therapy charity, Nordoff & Robbins.  

Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for additional information.

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by Georgia Paton, gaming and streaming manager at the British Red Cross, and Tom Downie, UK charity manager at the fundraising platform Tiltify, to discuss ways in which charities can take advantage of the growing livestream world.

Georgia describes how the British Red Cross has reached a new fundraising demographic by collaborating with online content creators and their audiences, raising over £1m and gaining more than 6,000 new followers for the charity in four years. She suggests how other charities can get involved and engage creators, starting with immersion in platforms such as Twitch.

Tom explains the terms ‘fandom fundraising’ and ‘creator economy’ and provides an overview of how different charities make use of the streaming world. He describes how the tools provided by Tiltify help bring more traditional forms of fundraising into the online space.

Also in the episode, Alina talks about her recent interview with Jo Todd, chief executive of Respect, which covered the argument for supporting perpetrators of domestic violence as well as victims, and what Todd might do differently were she to start over.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Priya Singh, chair of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, who led the NCVO's internal reform after a review in 2020 identified structural racism, homophobia, sexism and classism.

Priya describes the role played by the NCVO’s trustee board in guiding the organisation through the process, knowing when to lean in and when to step back. She offers advice for other voluntary organisations embarking on a similar culture change, stressing the need to be open, listen and prepare for “comfortable conflict”.

In Charity Changed My Life, we hear from Ben Peters about the invaluable practical and emotional support he has received from the Teenage Cancer Trust since his cancer diagnosis.

To find out more about the Third Sector C-Suite Summit, please click here.

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by Kirsty Marrins, the digital communications specialist and a trustee of CharityComms, to talk about the minefield that social media interactions can pose to voluntary organisations.

The discussion follows a consultation by the Charity Commission on new social media guidance, which was prompted by a growing number of complaints about charities’ social media activity.

Kirsty summarises the objections from within the sector to the new draft guidance, including the impracticalities of trustees monitoring staff members’ personal social media accounts. She provides pointers for voluntary organisations seeking to refresh their social media policies and stresses the need to consider the mental health and wellbeing of the team members responsible for organisational accounts.

Later in the episode, The New Humanitarian’s Isabelle Roughol makes an appearance to plug the publication’s flagship podcast, Rethinking Humanitarianism.

To find out more about the Third Sector C-Suite Summit, please click here.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of the Royal Voluntary Service, and Matt Hyde, chief executive of The Scouts, to talk about the Big Help Out initiative, which aims to generate excitement about the possibilities of volunteering.

Matt highlights the need for innovation in charities’ volunteer recruitment efforts, such as using digital channels to attract volunteers from untapped social groups and communities.

Catherine suggests ways in which the sector can maintain the momentum generated by the pandemic for micro community-based volunteering. She stresses that volunteering opportunities need to be mutually beneficial to volunteers, the organisations they serve and their service users.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Meera Wiggett, whose family took comfort in the support provided by Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity when her daughter Maia was seriously ill as a newborn baby.

Do you have stories of people like Meera and Maia whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for further information.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind, to discuss her plans for the charity, her views on the need to reform the voluntary sector and the state of mental health in charities.

Sarah calls for bravery among third sector leaders in confronting notions of the role and place of charities in society. She identifies the heightened emotional relationship between charity staff and the causes they are fighting for, raising the risk of mental distress, and suggests ways of supporting mental health in the sector. 

She also discusses some of the challenges facing Mind, including the need to further the charity’s commitment to tackling racism.

Also in the episode, Russ and Lucinda talk about the difficulties facing social care charities, following a warning by Leonard Cheshire about the severe financial challenges jeopardising its future.

And Lucinda decamps to Third Sector’s C-Suite Summit to speak to some of the speakers and attendees at the event examining the future of the voluntary sector.

Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for further information.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Jonathan Chevallier, chief executive of Charity Digital, and Angus Gregory, chief executive of Biomni, to talk about how the arrival of low-cost natural language AI tools has opened up opportunities for the voluntary sector.

Jonathan outlines how ChatGPT could enable charities to deliver services more quickly and cheaply, from improving fundraising campaigns to content generation and information dissemination. He cites examples of charities which are already using AI solutions, including the Brain Tumour Charity, Unicef and Age UK.

Angus explains how Biomni’s CharityBot uses language models to access information and carry out repetitive tasks, freeing up human resources for more complex work. He describes how conversational interactions enabled by AI tools help to increase accessibility of charities’ services, enabling them to identify users’ needs through their early engagement with online resources and refine their offering accordingly.

Also in the episode, Russ gives his assessment of the Charity Commission’s leadership as chair Orlando Fraser completes his first year in post.

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Lucinda takes a look behind the scenes of Comic Relief’s grant-making team with Poonam D’Cruze, head of the charity’s poverty and injustice programme.

Poonam explains the various functions of her team and provides tips for organisations seeking grants from Comic Relief to strengthen their applications.

She describes her motivations for entering the funding space after years of working for small charities, driven by a desire to influence the funding landscape and create an ecosystem more responsive to the needs of the communities it supports.

She outlines Comic Relief’s use of experts by experience to inform the grant-making process, and the charity’s commitment to interrogate what is asked of funding applicants, in order to shift some of the onus and burden of applying to the grant-maker.

Later in the episode, news editor Steven Downes sheds light on the funding crisis facing hospices.

Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for further information.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Sarah Denselow, principal for effective philanthropy at the think tank New Philanthropy Capital, and Yvonne Field, chief executive of the Ubele Initiative, to learn about the need to adapt grant-making processes to better serve minority-led voluntary organisations.

Yvonne explains why there is a need to overhaul the system to address the disadvantage of small, black and racially minoritised communities. She outlines how funding opportunities such as Propel and the Phoenix Way are seeking to shift the power dynamic in grant-making and stimulate long-term change.

Sarah provides a preview of an upcoming NPC guide on how DEI considerations can be embedded within grant-making cycles. She emphasises the need to change perceptions of risk, away from the risk of money wasted to the risk of impact missed if the right charities fail to receive funding.

Also in the episode, Russ gives some background to his report on the merits of charities sponsoring football clubs, following the recent collaboration between the NSPCC and Derby County.

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by the diversity, equity and inclusion specialist Natalia-Nana Lester-Bush and Rick Dodds, creative partner at the advertising agency Don’t Panic London. 

They talk about the need for nuance in the depiction of service users in advertising campaigns by voluntary organisations working in the UK and overseas.

They discuss examples of effective and impactful campaigns such as Tearfund’s recent appeal video shot in Burundi, which contradicts and ridicules a more traditional narrative of development support to poor communities abroad, employing comedy to create a more interesting and authentic story.

Rick and Natalia-Nana provide guidance on how charities can avoid “context flattening” in their storytelling, such as by ensuring a diversity of perspectives in the creative process, whilst conveying meaningful messages to audiences that inspire action.

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Lucinda, Alina and Russ mark the Coronation by examining the royal patronage system and possible changes during the reign of King Charles III, with his vision of a slimmed down monarchy. 

They discuss the various roles of a royal patron, from generating publicity and exposure to removing stigma associated with sensitive charitable causes, and providing public endorsement of recipient charities’ achievements.

Alina cites data collected by the voluntary sector consultancy nfpResearch on the popularity of various royal patrons and their influence on donor patterns, as well as a 2020 study by Giving Evidence on the impact of royal patronages on their partner charities.

Lucinda provides information on the application process for charities seeking a royal patronage, which contains a heavy emphasis on aligning charitable cause areas with royals’ personal interests. And Russ explores the impact on charities when their royal patrons experience a decline in popularity.

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Lucinda and Russ are joined by Neil Heslop, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, to discuss how voluntary organisations can maximise their Gift Aid earnings.

Neil describes the need to digitise a process that was first introduced in the 1990s, to make it quicker and easier for donors to boost their charitable gifts by 25 per cent and raise a potential £2bn per year. 

He calls on voluntary organisations to put time and effort into understanding the process, and to participate in an ongoing government consultation on the future of the scheme.

Also in the episode, Russ and Lucinda discuss Third Sector’s reporting on the departure of Care4Calais’ boss. They consider the role of business publications in covering a story that has also attracted the attention of the mainstream media.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts, to talk about the need for voluntary sector leaders to contribute to debates on issues beyond the bounds of their specific cause areas.

Craig explains how the Charity Reform Group is working to shine a spotlight on the wider contribution charities can make to society and give their leaders the confidence to engage in public policy conversations.

He also gives his views on direct action movements for environmental causes such as Extinction Rebellion.

Lucinda visits the Chelsea Flower Show to speak to some of the charities and designers behind the gardens funded by Project Giving Back, namely the Royal Entomological Society, the Teapot Trust, Fauna and Flora International and Horatio’s Garden, which was awarded best in show.

The Third Sector Fundraising Summit is taking place from 6 to 7 June and will feature a live recording of the Third Sector Podcast. Click here for registration details.

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by Courtney Scott, head of policy and research at the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, and James Goodman, director of partnerships at the Local Trust.

Courtney and James make the case for why all third sector leaders need to be active participants in debates on food availability and affordability, regardless of their specific organisational focus.

James describes how food insecurity and food poverty are indicative of wider insecurity and poverty issues that community organisations are seeking to alleviate. Food, he argues, is a good place to start to strengthen communities and enable them to become better partners to third sector organisations.

Courtney stresses the importance of charities’ lived experience to help influence food policy, and draws on a new FFCC report on how funders and communities can work together on longer term food security solutions.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Phoebe, who attributes getting back on her feet following the breakdown of her relationship to the advice and support she received from Gingerbread, a charity that supports single parents.

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Acting editor Andy Ricketts is joined by reporters Lucinda Rouse, Russ Hargrave and Alina Martin and, for the first time, a live audience for a special podcast recording from the Third Sector Fundraising Summit on 7 June.

From Gift Aid to charity shops and more recent digital inventions, they each make a case for their chosen fundraising innovation and explain why they believe it should be considered the greatest. Will one of these be crowned the winner or will an audience member swoop in with a better idea?

Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for further information.

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Lucinda and Alina are joined by Sarah Vibert, chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, and Vic Hancock Fell, organiser of Small Charities Week.

They discuss the challenges facing small charities in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, combined with the closure of the small charity infrastructure bodies the Small Charities Coalition and the Foundation for Social Improvement. 

Sarah lays out the NCVO’s plan to fill the gap, acknowledging an inevitable deviation away from the “by small, for small” approach but highlights the work of new, complementary small charity-led support structures such as the Small Charities Advisory Panel.

Vic lists the existing peer-to-peer support networks available to small charity leaders and describes how Small Charities Week will aim to formulate concrete calls to action to stimulate long-term change for the sector.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Sandy Nash, a long-time volunteer for the Sobell House Hospice Charity who describes the privilege she feels at being able to contribute to the delivery of a valuable local service.

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Please note that in the episode we stated that the FSI took over from the Small Charities Coalition. While the FSI did play a part in continuing services such as the helpdesk previously run by the SCC, it had been supporting small charities for many years before, including through the creation of Small Charity Week.

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Lucinda and Andy hear from the head of the children’s charity on leadership, government engagement and sticking to a purpose.

They discuss the differences between his leadership roles in the Civil Service and voluntary sector and explore some of the challenges he is tackling now at the NSPCC, including falling volunteer numbers.

Peter also explains his use of social media as a charity boss and his reticence to back causes that are not directly connected to preventing cruelty to children.

Later in the episode, Justine Hendry, director at Ultimate Content, provides her top charity podcast picks, from Life After Prison by the Prison Radio Association to Diabetes UK’s Diabetes Discussions and Centrepoint’s Point Made. 

Listen to our previous episode, Podcasting for Charities, for more tips on starting a podcast for your organisation.

Do you have stories of people whose lives have been transformed for the better thanks to your charity? If so, we’d like to hear them! All it takes is a short voice message to be featured on this podcast. Email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for further information.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Cathy Pharoah, visiting professor of charity funding at Bayes Business School. 

Cathy provides tips on the right way for voluntary organisations to approach potential major donors, stressing the importance of building networks and emphasising shared local links.

She also suggests ways in which charities can offer something in return and points out that forward-looking activities tend to be most enticing to potential supporters.

Later in the episode, the consultant and podcast host Alex Blake makes an appearance to promote the Charity Impact Podcast.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Nick Daniel, marketing director at Dogs Trust, and Denholm Scotford, sector head for technology, media, telecoms and entertainment at the market research agency Harris Interactive.

Den breaks down the different aspects of a successful brand measured in Third Sector’s recently released Charity Brand Index, from public awareness and familiarity with individual charities to perceptions of their distinctiveness and relevance.

Nick explains how Dogs Trust has strengthened its brand in recent years, placing a heavy emphasis on positive messaging and cultivating a sense of uniqueness through its switch from blue to yellow to drive up public awareness for the charity.

Later in the episode, Lucinda and Andy discuss the finding in Enthuse’s latest Donor Pulse report that a sizeable proportion of donors are motivated to give in reaction to charities being criticised in the media.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Jabeer Butt, chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, to learn about how the climate crisis is disproportionately affecting already disadvantaged groups in the UK.

The discussion opens with a clip from a previous episode with the Wildlife Trusts' chief executive Craig Bennett, describing the interlinked nature of the climate and nature crises and economic and social issues.

Jabeer explains how some interventions to tackle environmental issues risk harming minority ethnic groups, citing the economic impact of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone on minicab drivers.He draws on NPC’s Everyone’s Environment programme, which examines how minority ethnic groups, younger and older populations and people living with a disability are impacted by the climate crisis.

He suggests ways in which voluntary sector leaders can address the issue and calls for greater representation of minority groups in climate-related leadership and activism.

Later in the episode, Lucinda and Andy discuss recent examples of collective climate action in the sector, including a call by 92 charities for the Prime Minister to honour the government’s climate financing commitment and NCVO’s Fuelling Positive Change campaign.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Janet Thorne, chief executive of Reach Volunteering, to hear how the charity has stepped up its efforts to fight climate change.

Janet describes the steps taken to incorporate environmental considerations into Reach’s mission and why a “greening” of the charity’s operations wasn’t considered worthwhile.

She flags the challenge of limited funding and highlights the importance of collaboration, providing pointers to sources of support such as Vonne’s Going Green Together initiative and Heritage Declares. 

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Hazel Carter, whose husband Alan received end-of-life care at the Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Graeme Marsh, head of the McCarthy Stone Foundation, to explore the evolving relationship between voluntary organisations and their corporate partners.

Graeme explains the growth in corporate foundations over the past three years as companies move away from traditional philanthropic giving and seek a greater level of input to support ESG (environmental, social, governance) considerations.

He provides tips on how smaller voluntary organisations can compete with major charity brands by offering local infrastructure and expertise.

He also suggests ways in which charities can reposition their offering through commercial products or services and explains why he doesn’t have a problem with company employees painting a wall.

Later in the episode, Richard Garside from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies shares his concerns about the news of the forthcoming closure of the Lankelly Chase Foundation. 

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Natasha Ratter, environmental sector lead at the Environmental Funders Network, and Rachel Heydecker, senior policy and engagement officer at the Association of Charitable Foundations.

Rachel explains how the ACF’s Funder Commitment on Climate Change is encouraging funders working across a wide range of cause areas to integrate climate considerations into their work. She highlights the opportunity for funders to support immediate and longer-term responses to the climate emergency.

Natasha describes the paralysis felt by many funders who are overwhelmed by the scale of the climate crisis as a key barrier to tackling the emergency, along with difficulties in measuring the impact of climate work.

She cites a blog post written by EFN trustee Nick Addington suggesting how voluntary organisations can play to their strengths in responding to the climate emergency and go further than making operational adjustments.

Also in this episode, news editor Andy Ricketts provides his take on two of the week’s news stories, from a change to NSPCC’s interview protocols to the uncertain future for legacy giving.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Leann Cross, director of the childcare support charity Home-Start Greenwich, to explore how inflationary pressures are impacting low-earning charity employees.

Leann discusses multi-year term public funding cycles, which are designed to improve long-term organisational sustainability but have negatively affected Home-Start’s ability to respond to rising costs. 

She describes the often blurred line between Home-Start’s employees and service users and provides insight into effective forms of supplementary support to staff.

Also in the episode, news editor Andy Ricketts provides his take on an undercover investigation exposing potentially unethical practices carried out by door-to-door charity fundraisers in Wales.

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Lucinda travels to London Zoo to meet the Zoological Society of London’s head of procurement, Sara Muller.

Sara gives the low-down on the ins and outs of her role and describes her motivations for working in procurement, including a special interest in promoting sustainability in the sector.

She provides tips for anyone interested in joining the procurement profession and outlines the key qualities she looks for in a budding procurement officer.

Lucinda is joined by Third Sector’s editor, Emily Burt, to reflect on the visit. 

And reporter Rory Poulter provides analysis on two of the top news stories from the sector, namely the dismissal of new employees at the eating disorder charity Beat just four weeks into the job and an initiative to raise awareness about firms impersonating charities online.

Watch footage and bonus content from the ZSL visit on the Third Sector TikTok page.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Carol Botten, chief executive of the north east voluntary sector network Vonne, and Jack Chellman, chief project officer at the Global Returns Project, to understand how voluntary organisations can measure the impact of their climate work.

Carol acknowledges the difficulties of measuring any form of impact and stresses the importance of establishing what it is you want to measure and why, framing the issues around people, place and planet. 

She describes some of the steps taken by members of Vonne’s Going Green Together initiative to reduce their environmental impact and measure the results using a carbon footprint calculator.

Jack draws on the Global Returns Project’s expertise of reporting environmental returns through its work with leading climate charities and advocates for a rigorous framework that captures both quantitative and qualitative results.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Michelle, who describes the credit facility offered by Fair for You’s Iceland Food Club as a lifeline for accessing essential food for her family in difficult months.

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Lucinda and Rory are joined by Judith Moran, director of Quaker Social Action, and Jehangir Malik, policy and engagement director at Mercy Mission UK, to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing faith-based charities. 

Judith stresses the importance of Quaker values as a guiding principle to Quaker Social Action, forming a precious part of her organisation’s identity, but acknowledges that the inclusion of the word “Quaker” in the charity’s name presents both an opportunity and threat.

Jehangir describes the Covid-19 pandemic as a pivotal moment in recognising the contribution made by Muslim charities in the areas of social action and civic engagement.

He highlights some of the challenges facing Muslim charities as minority organisations establishing themselves in Britain’s civil society tapestry, and comments on a recent government decision to pause funding to a mosque and community centre in Birmingham.

They also give their views on the advancement of religion as a charitable purpose.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Tiana, whose volunteering role at Barnardo’s proved to be a significant help in her own mental health journey.

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Lucinda and Rory are joined by the charity coach Steve Allman to discuss how voluntary sector leaders can be better supported in their increasingly demanding roles.

Steve describes some of the common issues clients bring to him and highlights the critical role of boards in cultivating a positive organisational culture which promotes professional development at all levels. 

He explains the distinction between management and leadership and warns against the pitfalls of measuring productivity through to-do lists, which he believes can set unrealistic expectations.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Claire Clark, whose life has returned to relative normality thanks to the swift intervention of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance after a serious accident.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by the fundraising consultant Lynda Harwood-Compton to discuss successful partnerships between charities and corporate entities.

Lynda, who was the head of philanthropy and partnerships at the Brain Tumour Charity until August, describes a general shift in mentality by corporates to be more strategic in identifying charities with a shared purpose and values, as well as an evolution from corporate social responsibility to environmental sustainability. 

She highlights three very different but equally effective corporate partnerships: Overgate Hospice and the Yorkshire Soap Company; the Marine Conservation Society and Fat Face; and Together for Short Lives and Morrisons. 

Lucy Crisp, head of corporate partnerships at Together for Short Lives, joins the discussion and explains how the Morrisons partnership leans on individual stores’ existing connection with children’s hospices. 

Also in the episode, reporter Rory Poulter provides his perspective on the findings of C&E Advisory’s latest Corporate-NGO Partnerships Barometer, including a predominant focus on the cost-of-living crisis and a likely shift to the use of artificial intelligence to select partners.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by James Cusack, chief executive of Autistica, to debunk some common misconceptions about neurodivergence and neurodiversity.

James, who is autistic, describes his own professional journey and his conviction that workplaces are enriched by colleagues who think in different ways.

He suggests basic workplace adjustments to accommodate neurodiversity to the benefit of all employees and points listeners to Autistica’s Employer’s Guide to Neurodiversity for further guidance.

Also in the episode, news editor Andy Ricketts shares his thoughts on new social media guidance published by the Charity Commission which has allayed the concerns of some in the sector about the role trustees are expected to play in monitoring employees’ social media activity. 

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Duncan Shrubsole, director of policy, communications and research at the Lloyds Bank Foundation, and Elizabeth Jiménez-Yáñez, policy and communications manager at the Latin American Women's Rights Service (Lawrs), to talk about charities’ influencing work. 

Duncan highlights the importance of enabling grassroots organisations to influence policy by amplifying their voices, while acknowledging the difficulties of doing so. 

He gives his thoughts on the outlook for influencing work in the current political climate and explains how the Lloyds Bank Foundation is helping to strengthen the capacity, capability and confidence of small charities to engage in influencing work.

Elizabeth describes Lawrs’ work to raise awareness of the plight of Latin American women in the UK who have an insecure immigration status and are experiencing domestic violence. 

She suggests different ways that charities can influence through storytelling and stresses the importance of working in coalition with other organisations, particularly on issues the government is less receptive to. 

Also in the episode, senior reporter Emily Harle makes her podcast debut, commenting on the worrying outlook for sector infrastructure bodies following the announcement that Children England will close after 81 years.

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Lucinda and Rory are joined by the talent director Paul Cullen to discuss how charities can form fruitful partnerships with celebrities. 

Paul provides his take on the move by numerous charities to distance themselves from Russell Brand in the wake of the multiple sexual abuse allegations made against the comedian.

The talent director suggests different ways in which charities can gain value from celebrity involvement, from fundraising to policy, as well as manage the associated risks of a charity-celebrity partnership.

Also in this episode, senior reporter Emily Harle looks at Alzheimer Scotland’s public criticism of a video released by Alzheimer’s Research UK, which aims to depict the reality of living with dementia.

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Lucinda and Emily introduce The Diff: a new podcast from Third Sector, currently in its pilot stage, which champions the work of small charities, grassroots organisations and social enterprises working on the front line.

The episode features snippets of conversations between The Diff’s host, Rhianna Dhillon, and five guests. These consist of Meg Doherty, founder of the social enterprise Fat Macy’s; Tom Slatter, head of insights and impact at the social mobility charity The Brokerage; the poet and educator Christian Foley; Alex Smith, senior adviser at the Obama Foundation; and Ben Sweet, manager at Love Squared.

Rhianna and her guests provide their perspectives on the sector and some of the shared societal problems that charities are working to overcome.

The Diff is produced by Inga Marsden, Til Owen, Jide Eguakun, Babajide Osikoya and Nav Pal.

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Lucinda and Rory are joined by Sophie Tebbetts, head of programmes at the food poverty charity FoodCycle, to learn about the different techniques used to attract and retain the charity’s 15,000 volunteers.

Sophie explains how FoodCycle’s roots in universities have informed its volunteer strategy and enabled it to maintain a healthy roster of volunteers, most of whom fall within the 25 to 45 age range. 

She stresses the importance of flexibility and streamlined induction processes, as well as open communication channels with the charity’s core team and events to recognise and celebrate the critical role played by FoodCycle’s volunteers.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of the forces veteran Brian Brown, who received vital support from Help for Heroes during his recovery from an alcohol addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Also in the episode, Rory sheds light on the news of strike-off action initiated against the English National Opera and the surprise departure of its music director.

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