Opinions

Ed Paxton: Overcoming the pitfalls of growing volunteer teams
Ed Paxton, volunteering manager at Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation discusses the ways they overcome the difficulties in a growing volunteer team.

Laura Coryton: How academia can supercharge your organisation
Laura Coryton MBE, Director of Sex Ed Matters, discusses how her organisation harnessed the power of research and academia to boost impact. She also explores how others can do the same.

Sacha Rose-Smith: A pause in accepting new applications – and a plan for the future
Sacha Rose-Smith, chief funding director at City Bridge Foundation describes why London’s biggest independent funder closes applications to rolling programmes.

Alex Skailes: If charity chairs are to succeed tomorrow, they need support today
Imagine this. You are the newly recruited chair of a charity. How are you going to move the charity forward in the direction required and from where will you access the support you need to successfully deliver your new role?

Sarah Cashman: The local brand partner is the sector’s best kept secret
Sarah Cashman, fundraising manager of Age UK Hammersmith and Fulham talks about what it can be like working for a federated charity, particularly when people in the sector don't know the difference - let alone the public.

Q&As

Kids OR: From problem solving to an award-winning charity

Kids Operating Room installs operating rooms and provides specialist training around the world to help save children's lives. Last year, the charity won two Charity Times Awards for its innovative Solar Surgery Programme. Melissa Moody finds out more about its path to success.

>Q&A: “There’s just so many charities in our sector who are struggling”
The National Youth Agency’s (NYA) CEO, Leigh Middleton, OBE, discusses his journey into youth work, the challenges facing the sector and the future of the NYA.

Q&A: “It’s important to celebrate the wins”
Chloé Lortal is a young woman of 28 years old, a Biotechnologist and Pharmaceutical Scientist who’s a board director of the Square Foundation, a UK and Canadian registered charity that supports healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa by improving pharmacy education.

Q&A: “Managing and leading can often be a lonely place, reach out to your peers”
Nicola Graham, CEO and founder of Reuben's Retreat, which supports families who have suffered the loss of a child or have a child living with medical complexities answers some questions on leadership, the sector and her work.

Q&A: Recruitment in a difficult climate
Sarah Smith, charity manager at The Sheffield Cats Shelter answers some questions on the charity's recruitment practises and gives tips to other organisations


Leadership diaries

Leadership diaries: “Every week and every day is different”
Jane Glitre is director of The Spitz Charitable Trust, a London-based charity taking professional musicians into care homes, day centres and hospitals to help overcome loneliness and isolation in residents and patients.

The charity was born out of The Spitz, one of London’s best-loved music venues which Jane ran from 1996-2007 when the venue closed its doors for the final time.

Leadership diaries: “We’re small yet mighty”

Nikki Barraclough, chief executive of Prevent Breast Cancer, the only UK charity focused entirely on the prediction and prevention of breast cancer details a week in her life.


Leadership diaries: Juggling conferences, plumbing and cannoli
The life of a CEO is often perceived as one of glamour and effortless decision-making. However, the reality is far more dynamic, involving a constant juggling act of strategic planning, team management, and unexpected challenges. This week was no exception. From prepping for a major conference to dealing with last-minute plumbing emergencies, it was a whirlwind of activity that showcased the diverse demands of leading an organisation.

Leadership diaries: “Civil society is the backbone of crisis response and recovery”
Helen Goulden, CEO of the Young Foundation details a week in her life.

Long-reads

Council funding: Feeling the pinch
Councils up and down the country are being forced to cut services and funding, causing a knock-on effect for the charities relying on their money. Melissa Moody explores.

Charity shops: On borrowed time?
Second-hand marketplaces such as Vinted and Facebook Marketplace are on the rise, but is their success posing a threat to the future of charity shops?

Cat Jones: Five hacks to break down silos in charities
If you ask a charity professional what their biggest work gripe is, the chances are that ‘teams working in silo’ will be high on the list. A boom in hybrid working (an increase of 900% in the voluntary sector since the pandemic*) is likely have exacerbated what is an issue for organisations across sectors. A recent survey from Charity Comms revealed that just over half of charity professionals felt cross-team communication was effective within their charity**. So why are siloes an issue and how can we dismantle them?

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