Third Sector: Recent Episodes

Third Sector

A weekly podcast from Third Sector, the UK’s leading publication for everyone who needs to know what’s going on in the voluntary and not-for-profit sector.


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Lucinda and Emily are joined by David Welch, chief executive of the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance, to consider how charities can effectively build trust with their staff, service users and donors.

David describes the role trust played in enabling KSS to raise almost double its £1m fundraising target during a six-week emergency campaign. He stresses the importance of open communication and transparency with all stakeholders, in good times and bad.

He also outlines the challenges of fundraising for an air ambulance service, and the need to cultivate a sense of relevance as well as raise public awareness and understanding of the vital role it performs.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Helen, whose participation in the Bristol Rovers Community Trust’s football and mental health programme, Rebound with Rovers, has become a highlight of her week.

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 Liz Cooke, chief executive of The Hive Avon, and Kevin Barker-Lee, a people partner at Lloyds Banking Group and chair of the charity.

Liz outlines the broad range of skilled volunteer support provided to The Hive, from fundraising planning to an annual visit from a florist. She notes that the most valuable skilled support is often short term and requires careful advance planning.

Kevin recommends charities make greater use of LinkedIn to recruit volunteers and capitalise on a growing appetite among professionals to provide skills-based support on a voluntary basis.

They also discuss the pros and cons of corporate volunteering opportunities and instances when it is better to decline approaches from companies.

Also in the episode, senior news reporter Emily Harle shares extracts from a recent interview with Alison Wyman, chief executive of the Actors’ Benevolent Fund, in which she explains how the charity is moving forward from a public spat involving former trustees.

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 Denise Hayward, chief executive of Volunteer Now, which supports and promotes volunteering across Northern Ireland, and Margaret Starkie, partnership and communications manager at Volunteer Scotland.

In a conversation recorded before the general election announcement, they discuss the trajectory for volunteering in their respective nations, including the impact of short-term funding patterns on charities’ ability to support their volunteers.

They outline the need for more government support and suggest ways of attracting cause-driven younger people into volunteering and trustee roles, including better communication about the flexibility of volunteering commitments.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Kyle McIntosh, who received a scholarship and mentorship from the Longford Trust after being released from prison, enabling him to complete a mathematics degree and land a dream job.

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 discuss the road ahead for charities following Wednesday’s general election announcement.

Later in the episode, Lucinda and Emily are joined by the strategy specialist Sharath Jeevan and Hannah Stevens, chief executive of Elect Her. They discuss the importance of inflection moments in planning an organisation’s strategic direction.

Then Lucinda travels to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to look around three of the charity gardens sponsored by Project Giving Back.

She speaks to Richard Angell, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust; Daniel Magson, director of engagement, marketing and income at Bowel Research UK; Debbie Hoods, head of philanthropy, partnerships & ambassador engagement at Muscular Dystrophy UK; garden designer Ula Maria; and Hattie Ghaui, chief executive of Project Giving Back.

Read and listen to Third Sector's pre-election coverage:

How can charity campaigners cut through the political noise?

How can charities connect with politicians ahead of a general election?

The challenge of campaigning to a broad public base

How did charity leaders react to Labour's civil society pitch?

The End of Charity: The political chokehold

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 Emily are joined by Paul Streets, chief executive of the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, to reflect on more than a decade of working with small charities as he prepares to step down.

Paul celebrates the resilience of small charities, likening them to cockroaches for their ability to endure challenging environments, and suggests ways in which funders can step up to better support them. He calls on charities to join forces in advocating for change that transcends cause areas.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Haixia, who received support from the Harbour Project in Swindon while awaiting the outcome of her asylum application.

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 Emily are joined by Fola Komolafe, chief executive of World Vision UK, to discuss the charity’s role in a wider drive to integrate African philanthropists into the established global charitable landscape.

Fola also provides her views on the merits of child sponsorship and the growing recognition of the importance of faith-based charities in delivering programmes in the UK and abroad.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of a couple whose lives were turned around after the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance came to their rescue in a moment of critical need.

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 Emily are joined by Mary Rose Gunn, founder and chief executive of the small charity funder The Fore, to discuss the challenging funding environment facing small charities.

They start by listening to an account by Jane Evans, chief executive of West Norfolk Carers, about the growing difficulty of securing enough funding to keep the charity afloat.

Mary Rose explains why trusts and foundations have historically erred towards supporting specific projects rather than offering unrestricted funding to small charities.

She describes how this is shifting with the emergence of a new generation of largely self-made philanthropists and provides tips for small charities seeking to strengthen their funding applications.

Also in the episode, Debra Allcock Tyler, chief executive of the Directory of Social Change, outlines some of the common pitfalls associated with appointing corporate chairs to charity boards and provides suggestions for overcoming them.

Hear more from Jane Evans in Third Sector’s podcast documentary, The End of Charity: What is a world without charity?

Read Debra Allcock Tyler’s column: Corporate chairs – a blessing or a curse?

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Holly Penalver, founder of Indigo Volunteers and volunteer development manager at ShelterBox, and Karolina Praskova, a volunteer at the education charity Climate Ed.

Holly provides pointers for effectively managing the volunteer recruitment stage and stresses the importance of an induction to motivate new volunteers and make them feel appreciated. She also outlines the value of conducting an exit interview when volunteers leave an organisation.

Karolina describes her volunteer journey at Climate Ed, from her motivations for applying to the charity to the importance of simple, open communication channels with staff and the value she takes from volunteer social events.

Also in the episode, senior news reporter Emily Harle shares the headline figures from a record-breaking London Marathon.

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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In November 2023, the finance officer of West Norfolk Carers came to a devastating realisation: after more than a year of rejected funding applications, the charity wouldn’t be able to stay afloat for longer than four months.

Several months earlier, the Lankelly Chase Foundation, a grantmaker tackling severe social disadvantage and extreme marginalisation, had reached a similarly terminal conclusion.

After finding that its very existence perpetuated past harms and injustices, the foundation’s leaders decided the best way forward was to shut down.

In the final episode of The End of Charity, Lucinda Rouse is joined by Jane Evans and Julian Corner, the chief executives of West Norfolk Carers and Lankelly Chase, respectively, to ask: what’s next for the charity sector?

Rhodri Davies, Martha Awojobi and Eshe Kiama Zuri consider the road ahead for doing good, while Steve O’Donnell, a recipient of West Norfolk Carers’ services, lays out the impact of the recent rash of charity closures on vulnerable citizens.

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If you have enjoyed The End of Charity, please consider rating and reviewing the series on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcast platform of choice.

Series writer and presenter: Lucinda Rouse

Editor: Emily Burt

Executive producer: Ollie Peart

Production manager: Louise Hill

Series producers: Riham Maged, Penny Bell, Matt Hill

Studio producers: Nav Pal, Inga Marsen, Til Owen

Art director: David Robinson

Videographer: Julian Dodd

Video producer: Til Owen

Sub-editor: Rachel Jerden-Cooke

Contributing editor: Andy Ricketts

Voicing support: Emily Harle, Dami Adewale

Concept developer: Rebecca Cooney


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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Matt Corbishley, deputy chief executive of Ashgate Hospice, to discuss the charity’s use of new tech solutions in its operations and service delivery.

Matt explains why Ashgate Hospice encourages staff to experiment with new forms of IT and artificial intelligence, and outlines the benefits of a digital apprenticeship programme to train existing team members.

He provides pointers for other charity leaders considering their approach to new technology and recommends resources such as Hospice UK, Forrester and Gartner.

Also in the episode, news reporter Dami Adewale considers the findings of recent research into legacy giving by Cancer Research UK and Remember a Charity.

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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When The Times newspaper’s chief reporter Sean O’Neill broke the story that senior Oxfam aid workers had committed sexual abuse while working in the disaster zone of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, it sent shockwaves around the charity sector and wider society.

O’Neill reflects on his memories of uncovering the scandal, while experts including Chilande Kuloba-Warria and Martha Awojobi discuss how the very foundations of charity can create imbalances of power – and environments in which abuse can thrive.

How do the ways we think about the “haves” and “have-nots” perpetuate these inequalities? And how have the historical roots of charitable work steered us in this direction?

Kolbassia Haoussou, director of survivor leadership and influencing at Freedom from Torture, suggests how the balance can be tipped to allow the people that charities exist to serve to exercise power on their own terms.

With commentary from the philanthropy expert Rhodri Davies.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by the author and mental health consultant Dimple Dhabalia.

Dimple warns of the dangers facing organisations that focus on their charitable mission at the expense of staff wellbeing. She notes the sense of guilt often felt by humanitarian workers suffering the effects of workplace trauma.

She provides pointers for how organisations can make staff wellbeing a cornerstone of internal policies and processes, including prioritising social connections, supporting rest and recovery and providing constructive feedback.

Also in the episode, senior news reporter Emily Harle provides insight into a recent piece of research into the “NGO halo effect”: a mindset which can lead to unethical behaviour going unchecked in voluntary organisations.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.


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In May 2018, three climate activists called time on lukewarm campaigning over the climate crisis. They wanted a different and radical approach.

The plan: mass civil disobedience. The name: Extinction Rebellion.

And the first major act of the movement? Stage an occupation – of the Greenpeace offices in London.

Why is it that charities are so often perceived to be “the opposite of disruptive?” Experts including The Wildlife Trusts’ chief executive, Craig Bennett, and the domestic violence campaigner Janey Starling outline the legislative and political challenges that defang charities’ ability to campaign.

Lucinda also speaks to Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, and the Trussell Trust’s Emma Revie about the tussle encountered by charities seeking to both deliver services and advocate for change. With commentary from the philanthropy expert Rhodri Davies.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Philippa Cornish, head of client experience at the Charities Aid Foundation.

They discuss the implications of CAF’s report into individual giving, which found a smaller pool of donors giving more led to a total uplift in 2023 in spite of the median monthly figure remaining stagnant at £20 since 2017.

Philippa provides suggestions for how charities can encourage donors to adjust their monthly donations in line with inflation, including by enhancing trust, and to contribute to unrestricted funding pots.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of a family receiving support from the Martin House Children’s Hospice.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

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Why donate to a charity if you can just help out a fellow human yourself – or buy a piece of premium fashion that promises to generate a similar result?

In episode three of The End of Charity, Lucinda Rouse explores two very different alternatives to the charity model: mutual aid theory, and the rise of buzzy “for good” business.

The activist and founder of Mutual Aid UK, Eshe Kiama Zuri, discusses mutual aid as an alternative to the “oppressive dynamics” of traditional charitable structures, suggesting that charities could act more effectively and meet community needs by devolving funding to grassroots organisations.

Theo Clay, the former policy manager of the think tank New Philanthropy Capital, identifies the UK’s charity "deserts" – causes and geographical areas that receive insufficient funding.

And the finance and enterprise development expert Tej Dhami explores the opportunities and pitfalls for businesses looking to capitalise on socially conscious customers while attempting to solve some of the world's biggest problems.

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Lucinda and Emily Burt are joined by Dhivya O’Connor, chief executive of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

Dhivya provides insight into her previous experiences as an interim chief executive, describing the pros and cons of holding a short-term leadership role, and stresses the importance of cultivating a healthy organisational culture from the outset.

She talks about the foundation’s recent research into the use of artificial intelligence by female entrepreneurs and the need for charity leaders to be mindful of the high potential for women to face abuse in the online space.

Also in the episode, senior news reporter Emily Harle shares some snippets from a recent interview with Delyth Morgan, the outgoing chief executive of Breast Cancer Now.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

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Meet Jimmy Donaldson, perhaps better known as MrBeast – the 25-year-old YouTuber who some say is on the verge of sparking a revolution in online philanthropy.

With more than 236 million YouTube subscribers and an estimated net worth of $500m, MrBeast has turned his focus from filling houses with Lego bricks to curing blind people and building wells.

Lucinda asks Darren Margolias, the executive director of Jimmy’s charitable venture Beast Philanthropy, why MrBeast’s storytelling may have the edge over charities in reaching a younger generation of potential donors.

Plus, the philanthropy expert Rhodri Davies and the anti-racism consultant Martha Awojobi ask: is there anything charities could learn from the ways MrBeast taps into the natural human instinct to give back?

And exactly how ethical are his approaches to making the world a better place?

Listen to The End of Charity: Can MrBeast save humanity? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcast platform of choice.

Read the transcript.


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Lucinda and Andy are joined by the fundraising historian Marina Jones to track the development of the fundraising profession and perceptions of charity fundraisers through the ages.

Marina, who is leading a history project for the think tank Rogare, traces the roots of fundraising back to the time of Moses. She draws parallels between contemporary fundraising methods and instances of their use centuries before, as well as past mistakes that could be avoided by better knowledge of fundraising history.

She recounts some of her favourite fundraising stories, including a cathedral tower which was constructed by incentivising donors through a reprieve on a ban on eating butter during Lent.

Also in the episode, Andy and Lucinda discuss the recent appointment of three interim chief executives to lead ActionAid UK, and a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in Comic Relief’s recent Red Nose Day telethon.

Read more about Rogare’s history project here.

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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Subscribe and listen to The End of Charity.

Read the transcript to this episode.


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Last year the UK food bank network the Trussell Trust distributed almost 3 million emergency food parcels, 1 million of which were for children, up from 50,000 a decade ago.

How has the UK landed in such a severe hunger crisis – and can food banks ever be the solution?

In episode one of The End of Charity, journalist Lucinda Rouse hears from the Trussell Trust’s chief executive, Emma Revie, about the need to reimagine our social contract at a time when demand for charities is greater than ever.

And the philanthropy expert Rhodri Davies traces the history of charity from its mediaeval and Victorian origins to its present state – where “something is fundamentally broken.”

Read the transcript.

To listen to the uninterrupted series, subscribe to the End of Charity on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.


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Lucinda and Emily are joined by the digital specialist Zoe Amar and Karen Marter, head of technology strategy at the British Heart Foundation.

Zoe outlines key developments in the AI space over the past year and how charities are reacting to them, including the use of virtual assistants in working life. She stresses the need for a sector-level response to the increasing normalisation of AI usage.

Karen describes the function of the BHF’s AI working group, which focuses on education, governance and conducting an ongoing value assessment of AI innovations to the organisation.

She explains how the BHF is learning by doing, supported by infrastructure and frameworks to ensure safe and ethical AI usage, as well as an informal community set up to share information on the latest developments between colleagues.

Also in the episode, Lucinda and Emily introduce The End of Charity, a new six-part podcast documentary from Third Sector which will be launched on 19 March.

Fill in the survey for the Charity Digital Skills Report 2024 here.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

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In a world where need is spiralling out of control and new, radical forces are shaping the landscape for doing good, can charity be the answer to the world’s social and environmental problems?

Lucinda Rouse presents The End of Charity, a new podcast series from the makers of Third Sector.

Guided by some of the leading voices of the philanthropy world, as well as radicals who believe the current model is on the brink of implosion, Lucinda asks: what are the flaws and contradictions baked into the ways charities work? How has the sector’s problematic past shaped its present? And who are the disruptors – from MrBeast to Extinction Rebellion – who could shake it up for good?

The End of Charity launches 19 March.


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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, to reflect on the voluntary sector’s female-dominated workforce and the challenges facing women on their path to senior leadership positions.

Charmaine stresses her conviction that charities need to be representative of the communities they exist to support. She describes heart disease as a disease of inequality, reflected in the fact that only one in eight cardiologists are women.

She acknowledges that more work needs to be done to level the professional playing field for women and minority groups within the voluntary sector, but warns there are few quick fixes to effect the necessary culture changes.

Also in the episode, news editor Andy Ricketts recounts how an appeal led by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to uplift public service contracts as costs rise appears to have fallen on deaf ears at the Treasury.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

Read the transcript.


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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Anaish Yilma-Parmar, head of legacies at the British Red Cross, and Lucinda Frostick, director at Remember a Charity.

Lucinda (Frostick) provides an overview of the legacy market, worth more than £4bn annually, and expectations for further growth in spite of current economic challenges and a probate backlog.

Anaish describes how the British Red Cross takes a collaborative approach across the charity’s fundraising and marketing teams to engage supporters through clear and consistent communications and introduce new and existing donors to the possibility of making a legacy gift.

Also in the episode, Lucinda (Rouse) and Emily assess the wider implications of the announced closure of the Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom, following the unexpected withdrawal of government funding.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Liz Tait, fundraising director at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, to discuss progress with the charity’s biggest and most ambitious fundraising appeal to date.

Liz describes the planning process, including the use of campaign peaks to structure and maintain momentum during the multi-year appeal. She provides insight into Gosh Charity’s use of new fundraising methods, such as gaming and streaming channels, and shares learnings for other charities planning appeals during the cost-of-living crisis.

Also in the episode, Andy shares some highlights from his recent interview with Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK. These include fixed term contracts for charity bosses and a ban on AIUK running TV adverts.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

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The interview with Liz Tait was recorded prior to news coverage alleging improper practices by fundraising agencies contracted by Gosh Charity.


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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Suzy Edington, fundraising consultant at JustGiving, and Ellie Putt, senior participant experience manager at the Alzheimer’s Society.

Suzy outlines the changes in fundraising behaviour on the JustGiving platform since the Covid-19 pandemic, with greater volumes of smaller donations and rising levels of regular giving contributing to revenue growth in 2023.

Ellie explains how the Alzheimer’s Society personalises communications with its supporters and equips them with the necessary information to maximise the value of their individual fundraising appeals.

Both stress the importance of making regular updates to fundraising pages and give their tips for sharing strategically on social media platforms.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of a service user of BeLifted, a grassroots organisation supporting women and girls in north London.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by the organisational psychologist and author Dr Susan Hetrick to discuss the drivers of and barriers to workplace toxicity.

Susan identifies unreasonable performance pressures as a key trigger for organisational toxicity. She explains the terms 'normalisation of deviance' and 'cognitive dissonance', which are the key drivers of a toxic working environment.

She stresses the importance of training to equip charity managers with the necessary skills to foster an open and trusting workplace culture and the need for leaders to live and reflect their organisation’s values.

Also in the episode, Andy gives his take on the findings of the latest Good Merger Index, which suggests voluntary organisations weathered the Covid-19 pandemic better than anticipated.

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.

Tell us what you think of the Third Sector Podcast! Please take five minutes to let us know how we can bring you the most relevant, useful content. To fill in the survey, click here.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Hatty Evans, head of brand and marketing at Magic Breakfast, and Georgie Howlett, managing director of Stand Agency, to discuss the importance of language in appealing to donors and service users.

Hatty explains how Magic Breakfast, which works to end morning hunger in schools, takes different approaches in its messaging to teachers, parents and donors, emphasising food insecurity, child poverty and academic attainment, respectively.

She stresses the importance of centring the experience of children and families in storytelling and avoiding portrayals of shame, which, although often striking a chord with donors, are isolating and disempowering for parents.

Georgie explains how the incorrect use of language can create unwanted siloes between a charity’s donors and service users, missing opportunities to deepen engagement and build supportive communities.

She describes how the use of simple, humanising and equalising language has opened up access to mental health services in recent years by removing the stigma around mental illness.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of a service user of One in Four, a charity that provides counselling support to survivors of child sexual abuse, violence and trauma.

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.

Read the transcript.

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Lucinda and Andy dissect a recent speech delivered by the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to charity bosses, in which he pledged to reset the relationship between the government and the voluntary sector should his party win the next general election.

Senior news reporter Emily Harle joins Lucinda to explore some of the causes and solutions to burnout affecting charity social media teams.They hear from Paulina Stachnik, head of communications at Women for Women International, about how the charity prepares for a crisis situation on social media.

Paulina describes the need to balance thoughtfulness with timeliness when responding to negativity and explains how Women for Women International is using ChatGPT to help identify and respond to trends in online interactions with the charity.

Later in the episode, Lucinda and Andy are joined by Shivani Menon, senior researcher at the think tank Onward, to discuss the findings of a new report on the state of philanthropy in the UK.

Shivani elaborates on the recommendations contained in the report to stimulate giving by the country’s highest earners, including streamlining the Gift Aid system and incorporating philanthropic considerations into financial advice packages.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Ashling Cashmore, head of impact and advisory at the Charities Aid Foundation, and Mandy Rollins, chief executive of Disability Solutions West Midlands.

Ashling explains the six characteristics of a resilient charity, as described in a framework formulated by CAF to guide charities on a strengthening journey. These include effective leadership, financial and operational fitness, and a clearly articulated and understood sense of charitable purpose and impact.

She stresses the importance of ring-fenced funding for long-term investment into organisational sustainability and calls for other funders to support resilience initiatives.

Mandy describes how financial and technical support from CAF through its resilience programme has helped DSWM to bounce back from a turbulent few years. She identifies the charity’s biggest challenge as being the disconnect between its management team and board of trustees, and blurred lines between strategic and operational responsibility.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Kevin Massiah, who, thanks to a trip organised by the Willow Foundation, was able to take some much-needed respite from the everyday reality of living with Behçet's disease, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the blood vessels.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Tom MacInnes, chief analyst at Citizens Advice, to discuss how the charity is using its unique position to improve understanding of the cost-of-living crisis.

Tom explains how his team used client enquiry data to identify rising energy and private rental costs as two of the most significant drivers. He highlights the growing trend of clients approaching Citizens Advice with more than one problem and explains how the charity is using its service data to strengthen its advocacy work.

Also in the episode, news editor Andy Ricketts reports on how squeezed local authority budgets are placing pressure on voluntary organisations, particularly those providing arts services.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Jane Ide, chief executive of Acevo, and Sue Tibballs, chief executive of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, to discuss some of the themes and challenges facing the voluntary sector in 2024.

These include the upcoming general election and its implications for the sector; the growing trend of charity closures; and opportunities for collaboration, both within the voluntary sector and with other entities driving social change.

Sue puts forward her conviction that the coming year represents a powerful moment of reset for charities as they become confident agents of reform, while Jane describes her frustration with the lack of progress in tackling racism and inequality in the sector.

Also in the episode, news editor Andy Ricketts provides insight into the findings of Third Sector’s recent Charity Pay Study, which identifies the highest-paid charity leaders.

And Charity Changed My Life features the story of a resident of an almshouse apartment provided by the St John’s Foundation in Bath.

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Lucinda, Andy and Emily discuss the leading stories and trends from the voluntary sector in 2023.

Lucinda delivers an against-the-clock round-up of the year’s charity news before the three discuss their selected top stories. These include the closure announcements by Children England and Lankelly Chase - for very different reasons - and the success of the Big Help Out volunteering initiative.

They share their nominations for the year’s strangest stories, namely the ongoing Captain Tom Foundation saga; tweets from the British Trust for Ornithology falling foul of Twitter; and the logistical nightmare facing the small charity that receives funding from 35 different sources.

Finally, they reflect on some recurring trends in the sector’s news over the course of the year, from the appetite for and reception to campaigning by charities to the rise in instances of strike action and thoughts on flexible working measures.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Ian Joseph, managing director of Trustees Unlimited, to talk about what charities need to think about when creating an effective board.

Ian describes the key qualities of a good trustee, from having an emotional connection to a charity’s cause to humility, courage and conscientiousness. He provides pointers on how to find the right trustee, starting with a charity’s personal links before casting the net wider, and stresses the need to formulate both a business and a moral case for board diversity to avoid tokenism.

Also in the episode, senior news reporter Emily Harle shares some clips from her recent interview with James Needham, chief executive of Help for Heroes, in which they discussed cross-charity collaborations and the rising importance of legacy giving for the veterans charity.

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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Miriam Turner, co-executive director of Friends of the Earth, and Victoria Benson, chief executive of the single-parent support charity Gingerbread, to discuss their respective organisations’ move to a four-day working week.

Miriam explains how the change is helping to strengthen the environmental justice movement by enabling a more diverse staff body to further the charity’s cause effectively and authentically.

She provides insight into the necessary preparations and adjustments, from streamlining meeting culture to ensuring effective cross-team collaboration.

Victoria describes how Gingerbread, which is in the early stages of a six-month trial of a four-day week, prepared for the change with the help of a staff working group to balance employee wellbeing and sustained productivity.

They also identify some of the challenges of reducing working days, including meeting congestion on core collaboration days and problems faced by some staff in adapting to new ways of working.

Also in the episode, Andy and Lucinda discuss the implications of the Autumn Statement for the voluntary sector.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Julie Bentley, chief executive of Samaritans, to find out how the charity has rebuilt its volunteer base after it shrank by 30 per cent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Julie describes how Samaritans’ more flexible volunteering packages aim to attract volunteers from all corners of society. She provides her views on the campaigning climate for charities, and the need for more consistent core funding to help the sector overcome the present financial challenges.

She also stresses the need for a more joined-up and compassionate social care system to identify and assist people with overlapping needs, from financial to mental health support.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Duaa Falah, executive director for the Iraqi grassroots organisation Mercy Path for Women’s Affairs. Duaa explains how her involvement with Mercy Path and its sister organisation, Mercy Hands, has enabled her to become a force for good in her community.

Also in the episode, Emily provides some background to Third Sector’s new podcast series, The Diff. You can submit your feedback on the first three episodes by recording a voicenote here.

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Lucinda and Rory are joined by Wajid Akhter, founder of Charity Week, a student and volunteer-led campaign of Islamic Relief, and Harry Twohig, communities officer at the Brilliant Club, to discuss how charities can tap into students’ inclination to support societal causes.

Wajid outlines the aims of Charity Week, which he established in 2000, and describes how its partner charity, Islamic Relief, provides important support while allowing students and volunteers to assume full leadership of the initiative.

Recent graduate Harry stresses the need for charities to allow students to have genuine ownership of their voluntary work, fostering trust and a sense of belonging.

He explains why he considers Amnesty International and the blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan to be particularly strong examples of effective charity-student engagement.

Also in the episode, Rory explains the ins and outs of charity job shares, the number of which has gone up by 900 per cent since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.

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From the team at Third Sector comes The Diff – a new podcast that spotlights the work of small charities and not-for-profits.

In the final episode of its pilot series, The Diff visits the Synergy Theatre Project to hear about its work with prisoners and ex-prisoners. Guests explain how working with prisoners, ex-prisoners, young offenders and young people at risk of offending reveals the many factors that perpetuate cycles of violence in today’s society. They also share the vital importance of lived experience in Synergy’s work.


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From the team at Third Sector comes The Diff – a new podcast that spotlights the work of small charities and not-for-profits.

In the second episode of our pilot mini-series, airing 13-17 November, host Rhianna Dhillon learns how the first-aid charity StreetDoctors empowers young people to become part of the solution to knife crime. Volunteer and medical student Suleiman Shurafa gives a quick-fire guide to the vital first-aid skills that can to save the life of someone who has been stabbed or injured in a violent incident. And chief executive Lucie Russell explains the importance of the charity's trauma-informed work.


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From the team at Third Sector comes The Diff – a new podcast that spotlights the work of small charities and not-for-profits.

In the first episode of our pilot mini-series, airing 13-17 November, we ask: what causes a knife crime epidemic – and what would it take to end one?

Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, and Nathaniel Peat, founder of the Safety Box CIC, discuss the multi-layered factors driving knife crime in the UK, and explain how their work helps to tackle the crisis. Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon.


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Lucinda and Andy are joined by Katy Saunders, director at Social Finance, and Mark Jarman-Howe, chief executive of St Helena Hospice, to discuss how charities can make effective use of social investment mechanisms.

Katy explains how the social investment market works and describes its growth over the past decade, presenting opportunities to charities to be both investors and recipients of social finance.

Mark describes St Helena’s journey into social investment as traditional fundraising streams failed to keep up with rising demand. He explains how the charity now provides lottery services to 35 other charities, with an annual turnover of £5m.

They also discuss the potential risks and downsides of social investment, stressing the importance for charities to conduct due diligence into potential partners and acknowledge that grant funding is often preferable.

Earlier in the episode, senior news reporter Emily Harle discusses ways in which charities can engage politicians in the wake of party conference season and with a general election around the corner.

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Lucinda and Emily are joined by Rebecca Gray, chief executive of Maudsley Charity, a grant-maker for mental health projects.

Rebecca describes how the recruitment of a new board in 2018 helped the charity to change its approach to funding across thematic, strategic programme areas with input from stakeholders to help influence the charity’s direction of travel.

She explains how the charity balances considerations of need, potential for change and the most appropriate type of funding to make a difference, investing in local projects targeting social groups that lack trust in statutory mental health services, with a view to generating a national ripple effect.

Charity Changed My Life features the story of Lydia Eccleston, who received life-changing support from Endometriosis UK that enabled her to confirm and manage her diagnosis with the chronic condition and the realities it presents.

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Lucinda takes a look behind the scenes at Barnardo’s as she shadows a day in the life of Becky Rice, the charity’s senior policy adviser for mental health and wellbeing.

Becky outlines the different aspects of her job: from conducting research to responding to government announcements and speaking to children, young people, practitioners and parents to ensure their perspectives and priorities are at the forefront of the charity’s policy recommendations.

She describes her professional path to her current role and provides tips for anyone interested in joining the policy profession, as well as outlining the key qualities she looks for in a budding policy adviser.

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

Also in the episode, reporter Rory Poulter provides insight into a range of leading sector perspectives on how charities can collaborate effectively.

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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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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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 the 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 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 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 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 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.

Jabeer describes 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 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 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 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.

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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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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?

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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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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 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 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 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 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.

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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 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.

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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.

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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 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 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 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.

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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 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 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 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.

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 Razia’s, or email lucinda.rouse@haymarket.com for additional guidance.

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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 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 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 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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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 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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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 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 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 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 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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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 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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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 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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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 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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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 chats to Russell about one of his favourite soapbox topics - impact measurement. They discuss what impact is, how charities should approach it, and whether the whole thing has become overcomplicated.


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

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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 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 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 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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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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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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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 speaks to Manny Amadi, chief executive of C&E Advisory, about the findings of the 2021 Corporate-NGO Partnerships Barometer report. Emily and Andy round up the week's good news.


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Rebecca and Emily hear from Becky Hewitt, Sarah Vibert and Akiko Hart about the Flexible Working Group, a panel which aims to explore how increased opportunities for flexible working could benefit the sector.


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This week Rebecca and Stephen discuss the latest protests by the environmental group Extinction Rebellion, and what the implications are for the charity sector.


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Content note: This episode does contain some discussion of sexual harassment.This week Rebecca and Emily discuss some recent charity headlines, including developments in the Chartered Institute of Fundraising sexual harassment investigation, the closure of Virgin Money Giving, possible changes to the General Data Protection Regulation and the situation with the Kabul-based animal charity Nowzad. This episode also includes a regular Good News Bulletin, of positive charity stories from the past week.


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Rebecca and Emily are joined by Mathew Lagden, the chief executive of the Institute of Legacy Management, to discuss the current situation for legacy fundraising. And this week's Good News Bulletin looks at an intriguing find in a charity shop book.


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This week Rebecca and Emily discuss charity reserves and hear from Caron Bradshaw, chief executive of the Charity Finance Group.Plus a good news bulletin of positive charity stories from the past week.


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This week Rebecca and Andy chat about what the government's Community Life Survey revealed about how volunteering changed during the pandemic. And as ever, they bring you good news stories from the past week.


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This week Rebecca and Emily discuss whether leaders are leaving the sector as a result of the strains of the pandemic, and chat to Martin Edwards, chief executive of the children's hospice Julia's House, about how leaders can support each other. Plus there's a good news bulletin of fun stories from the past week.


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This week Rebecca and Emily take a look at how the sector is doing in the wake of the pandemic based on a number of intriguing news stories over the past week.And this week's good news bulletin features a Northern Luzon giant cloud rat (for pictures and information on how people are choosing to spend money post-lockdown.


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In this episode of the Third Sector podcast, news editor Andy Ricketts and editor Emily Burt discuss the GDPR and the risks that data security incidents can bring to UK charities. They recap a report into a data breach that occurred at the transgender young people’s support charity Mermaids and a ransomware attack at The Salvation Army. Features and analysis writer Rebecca Cooney talks to the privacy and data protection specialist Rowenna Fielding, also known as Miss IG Geek, about how charities can ensure they are protecting themselves and the data they are responsible for.


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This week Rebecca and Emily discuss why payroll giving has never really taken off and a new project, WeAreGoodGiving, which aims to put it back on the map.And in the good news bulletin, they find out about the Spennylympics (for more info see https://www.spennylympics.com/) and the first beaver born on Exmoor in 400 years.


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This week, Rebecca and Emily discuss the recent negative press coverage experienced by the RNLI and the National Trust. They chat to the National Trust's director of communications Celia Richardson and PR Week's news editor Arvind Hickman about how charities should manage negative and untrue media stories.


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This week, Rebecca and Emily discuss the the Directory of Social Change's move to a four day working week and speak to DSC chief executive Debra Allcock-Tyler about the challenges and benefits. They also unwrap the latest Coronavirus Care Package of charity good news stories.


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In this week's episode, Rebecca and Emily chat about the surprising results of the CAF World Giving Index, a survey which looks at levels of generosity around the world. And as ever, they unwrap their coronavirus care package of good news stories from the past week.


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In this episode, Rebecca and Emily discuss The Shaping the Future with Volunteering Group, and how thanking volunteers can keep them engaged. And as ever, they share their coronavirus care package of good news stories.


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In this week's episode, Rebecca and Emily listen in to a session on diversifying income streams in the age of Covid-19 from the Third Sector Fundraising Conference. During the session, Sarah Medcalf, Peter Grant and Hamid Azad discuss how charities can create real, lasting and positive change in their fundraising practices in response to the covid crisis.Rebecca and Emily also chat about The Telegraph's recent coverage of charity executive pay.


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This week Rebecca and Emily chat about the charity sector news stories that have caught there eye in the past couple of weeks. (Episode recorded on Wednesday 26 May).They also open their latest coronavirus care package of good news stories from the sector.


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Rebecca and Emily chat about live television fundraising events and how they might need to adapt to the current media landscape. Plus they open the latest coronavirus care package of good news stories.At one point, Rebecca refers to Martin Sheen. She meant Michael Sheen and apologises profusely to Mr Sheen and Mr Sheen.


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This week Rebecca and Emily chat about the situation for aid and development charities following the decision to merge the Department for International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They also unwrap a coronavirus care package of charity good news stories from the past week.


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This week Rebecca and Andy chat about the findings of Third Sector's Charity Pay Study, and they speak to Kristiana Wrixon, head of policy at Acevo, about some of the issues it raises. And as ever, they unwrap a coronvirus care package of good news stories from across the sector.


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This week Rebecca and Emily discuss what charities can be doing to help in the fight against climate change.And they discuss the unusual mobile library that has sprung up in a remote area of Pakistan in the coronavirus care package https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/apr/26/bearing-gifts-the-camels-bringing-books-to-pakistans-poorest-children


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In this episode, editor Emily Burt and senior reporter Stephen Delahunty explore the role of charities in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. They discuss Cancer Research UK’s work trialling Camostat, a drug that could prevent severe symptoms of Covid-19, and printing visors from their living Rooms. Stephen also describes the inspirations and motivations of the volunteers delivering Covid-19 vaccines, and they discuss the work of charities working to reduce vaccine hesitancy in at-risk groups. In this week's coronavirus care package, Darth Vader auctions his worldly belongings for Alzheimer’s Research UK.


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Rebecca and Emily chat about the report from the Association of Chairs which found that chairs are feeling the strain of the pandemic. They also unpack this week's coronavirus care package.


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Rebecca and Emily reflect on the past week in charity news, from the latest on the National Trust and the Brexit museum to Oxfam and the Captain Sir Tom Moore memorial fundraising event. Please note: This episode was recorded before The Foreign, Commonwealth and Diplomatic Office announced it would suspend Oxfam's right to apply for new government funding. For the latest on this story, check out the Third Sector website.


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This week Rebecca and Emily discuss whether and how charities will approach returning to the office when coronavirus restrictions lift later this year.Later, they bring you a coronavirus care package of good news, including an uneaten 1924 Easter egg which was bought by a Bygones museum in Torquay (pictures here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-56419025)


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Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual harassment and assault.In this month’s bumper special episode, Rebecca and Emily are joined by the fundraiser Ruby Bayley to chat about at sexual harassment and assault in fundraising.And as ever, they unwrap their coronavirus care package of charity sector good news.If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, you can access support though Victim Support by calling 08 08 16 89 111 or visiting https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-and-support/ . Legal and employment advice is also available from Rights of Women https://rightsofwomen.org.uk/get-advice/sexual-harassment-at-work-law/


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Rebecca and Emily discuss the charity news of the past week, including what the Spring Budget offered charities, Kevin Watkins departure as chief executive of Save the Children and survey data showing the popularity of children's charities has fallen. They also unwrap another coronavirus care package of charity sector good news.


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This week Rebecca and Emily look at what the roadmap for lifting coronavirus restrictions means for in-person fundraising events.Plus they chat about Boris Johnson's proposed charity to refurbish Number 10, and bring you their usual coronavirus care package.


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This week Rebecca and Emily discuss the #RightNow campaign and what the Chancellor could do to support charities in next week's Spring Budget. Plus the usual Coronavirus Care Package.


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In this month’s bumper special episode, Rebecca and Emily are joined by Zara Todd, co-author of the 'Hidden Leaders: Disability Leadership in Civil Society' report, published earlier this month. They discuss the report's findings and what needs to happen next.Third Sector reporter Stephen Delahunty also drops in the talk about the long-awaited Kids Company High Court verdict.


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This week, Rebecca and Emily discuss the resources available for those affected by the issues raised by the NCVO EDI report and #NotJustNCVO. They also share a coronavirus care package of good news in the sector from the week.


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This week Rebecca and Emily explore some of the arguments around the perennial debate in the charity sector - should trustees get remuneration for their work?They also chat about spinach sending emails, and comedian Eddie Izzard's fantastic 32 marathons in 31 days fundraising achievement.


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In this month's bumper episode, Emily and Rebecca talk to Dr Daniel King of Nottingham Trent University and Alex Farrow of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to find out what the Respond, Recover and Reset project can tell us about the impact of lockdown on charities.For more information about the Respond, Recover and Reset project and the monthly barometer, visit http://cpwop.org.uk/what-we-do/projects-and-publications/covid-19-vcse-organisation-responses/ or email the team at cpwop@ntu.ac.uk or daniel.king@ntu.ac.uk.


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This week, Rebecca and Emily discuss some of the implications of the Brexit deal agreed on Christmas Eve 2020 for the voluntary sector. They also chat about ‘Crafting J.O.Y with CAFOD’ – a monthly Facebook live set up by volunteers to help parents keep their children entertained during the lockdown.


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This week, Emily and Rebecca chat about how charities can support their employees and volunteers as the UK settles into its third national lockdown. They discuss the resources available from Mental Health First Aid England, Mind, the City Mental Health Alliance and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.


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On the monthly bumper edition of the Third Sector Podcast, features and analysis writer Rebecca Cooney and editor Emily Burt look back over the year with Karl Wilding, the chief executive of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations.Rebecca also chats the poet Hollie McNish about her work to raise money for the parenting charity Home-Start by selling colour-in copies of her poem "You Do Not Need a Chimney" (Available here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/901985968/colouring-sheet-you-do-not-need-a)


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In this Third Sector's second weekly podcast, features and analysis writer Rebecca Cooney and editor Emily Burt chat about the history of Kids Company. The charity collapsed in 2015 and now its former trustees and chief executive are in the High Court as the Official Receiver seeks to have them disqualified from serving as company directors. Third Sector’s senior reporter Stephen Delahunty has been in court at various points throughout the case and gives a run down of some of the key issues.


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The Third Sector Podcast has gone weekly! In the first weekly episode, Third Sector's editor Emily Burt and features and analysis writer Rebecca Cooney discuss Giving Tuesday.


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This month, we’re looking at job hunting in the charity sector. We’ll be talking to Joe Edmonds , commercial director at Haymarket, and Linda Griffiths, associate director at Prospectus, a recruitment agency specialising in the not-for-profit sector. And as ever, we’ll be bringing you our coronavirus care package - good things in the sector that have grabbed our attention this month.


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This month, we look at Facebook. It's a vital fundraising tool, but can charities justify giving money to an organisation that has been criticised for allowing fake news and hate speech? Third Sector’s senior reporter, Stephen Delahunty, explored this issue in the most recent edition of Third Sector and speaks to Sarah Clarke of CharityComms and digital expert Zoe Amar to find out how the situation has developed.This episode of the Third Sector podcast is sponsored by Markel UK. https://uk.markel.com/Although it’s been a difficult year for everyone, you’d struggle to find a sector that’s been more on the front line than the care sector. That’s why, from the get-go of the COVID-19 pandemic, Markel’s priority has been going above and beyond to make sure its care customers felt supported so they could focus on doing what they do best.


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This month we look at what impact a recession could have on the charity sector. We talk to Daniel Fluskey of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Adeela Warley of Charity Comms and Rita Chadha of the Small Charities Coalition about the effect on fundraising, campaigns and small charities. And as ever, we bring you our coronavirus care package of good news stories from the past month.


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This month we discuss how charities have responded to the Black Lives Matter movement. Emily Burt speaks to Kunle Olulode, chief executive of Voice 4 Change England and Saba Shafi, an organiser for CharitySoWhite, about the steps charities have already taken and what more needs to be done.Stephen Delahunty looks at how charities should be talking publicly about their anti-racism policies, and Rebecca Cooney and Andy Ricketts discuss good news stories from the sector this month.This episode is sponsored by Salesforce.org www.salesforce.org/


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This month, Rebecca and Emily discuss Third Sector's reader manifesto for the future, which appears in the latest edition of the magazine.


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This month, we listen in to a Third Sector webinar on how the non-profit sector can plan for the “new normal” following the coronavirus crisis, featuring Kate Lee, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, Tufail Hussein, director of Islamic Relief UK, Allison Dufosee, chief executive of World Bicycle Relief and Jo Crease, chief executive of Together Co.Rebecca also speaks to Claire Rowney, the new chair elect of the Institute of Fundraising, and we’ll be bringing you some much needed good news, in our coronavirus care package.This episode is sponsored by Salesforce.org https://www.salesforce.org/


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This month, Rebecca and Emily discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the charity sector and look at the #EveryDayCounts campaign which is calling on the government to provide meaningful support to the sector. They also talk about three positive things they've seen since the restrictions began.


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This month we discuss online fundraising platforms with Jo Barnett, Marcus Missen and Gerald Oppenheim. We also talk to Zoe Amar about charities' use of digital and Paul Cullen about controversial patrons.


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This month we discuss the international development sector with Stephanie Draper, chief executive of the development umbrella group Bond, Richard Hawkes, chief executive of the British Asian Trust, and Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, chief executive of Christian Aid. We also hear from Chloe Setter, head of anti-trafficking at the children’s charity Lumos about its campaign #HelpingNotHelping, and Martyn Dicker, director of people, Unicef UK, about his charity’s decision to give all new parents a whole year of parental leave.


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As 2019 comes to a close, Emily and Rebecca are joined by Third Sector's editor Andy Hillier and 'Last Word' columnist Debra Allcock Tyler to reflect on the year in charities.


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Emily and Rebecca speak to candidates from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour about what their policies offer charities.


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This month speak to Dr Patrick McGurk, Adrienne Sanders, Noama Chaudhry and Adarsh Ramchurn about Queen Mary University of London's new degree in social change, Chetal Patel about Brexit, and Francesa Trotman and Andrea Biden about how their charity Love the Oceans was highlighted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.·


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This month we speak to Fatima Iftikhar and Henna Shah from the #CharitySoWhite campaign about racism and representation in the sector, Mark Flannagan about charity leader bonuses and Oliver Frost about the Tower of London's Choose Your Own Adventure Twitter campaign.


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This month Rebecca and Emily talk to Shaks Ghosh and Vicky Browning about leadership, Rebecca interviews Ed Aspel and Liam speaks to the British Stammering Association about its Stamma campaign


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This month Rebecca speaks to Jason Lomas, head of portfolio development at the disability equality charity Scope, Reena Mukherji, director of the Octavia Foundation, which provides community support and opportunities in west London, and Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association about charity shops. She also talks to Priya Warner, head of policy at the Fundraising Regulator. Meanwhile Emily speaks to Kirsty Marrins, Third Sector blogger and commentator about how to handle social media crises.


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This month, Third Sector's deputy editor Emily Burt talks to Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieston from the British Youth Council, the National Youth Agency’s Lydia Allen, and Alex Cheney, a volunteer at Brook Charity and Bloody Good Period about how charities can connect with the under-25s. She also speaks to the co-founders of NGO Safe Space, Shaista Aziz and Alexia Pepper De Caries. Later, senior reporter Liam Kay speaks to Ali Harris, chief executive Equally Ours, about their eye-catching new campaign.


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In this episode, Rebecca Cooney talks to Clare Laxton, associate director for policy and influencing at the children's cancer charity Clic Sargent and Chloe Stables, head of communications at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, about the current environment around charity campaigning. She also drops in on the Extinction Rebellion protesters, to find out how they think charities should be supporting direct action. And finally, following on from last month's discussion on toxic workplaces, Rebecca speaks to Mind's Dane Krambergar about mental health in the workplace, and how you can support colleagues and yourself.


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In this episode, Rebecca Cooney discusses toxic workplaces, what can be done about them and how to avoid them with Shaista Aziz, co-founder of NGO Safe Space, and Susannah Drury, director of policy, research and people at Missing People, which was included on the Sunday Times list of best non-profit organisations to work for. Rebecca also speaks to Sajda Mughal, the chief executive of the Jan Trust about why having charity leaders with lived experience of the issue their organisation tackles can be enormously beneficial.And following the Third Sector charity pay study, available in the latest magazine, we speak to members of the public about their views on executive salaries.


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Liam Kay talks to John Tizard, an independent strategic adviser, Brexit Civil Society Alliance co-ordinator Jane Thomas and Jo Cox Foundation chief executive Catherine Anderson about the implications of Brexit for charities. Later, Andy Hillier visits Tendring and speaks to Pauline Mann, chief officer at Tendring Community Transport, Kizzi Keast, centre leader at Into University Clacton on Sea, Christopher Wetton, chief executive, of Essex Carers Support, Brenda Ellis, chair of Tendring Community Voluntary Services and Annalisa Andrews, deputy chief executive of Tendring Community Voluntary Services. He asks them about the challenges local charities face in one of England's most deprived areas. And finally, Rebecca Cooney speaks to Julia Lynch, founder of the Global Girl Project about International Women's Day, which takes place on 8 March.


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Rebecca Cooney discusses fundraising with Paul Amadi from British Red Cross and Victoria Smith from Shelter, plus: the role of technology in fundraising with Rhodri Davies of Charities Aid Foundation; reporting from the IoF Major Donor Conference


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Eleanor Southwood from RNIB and fundraising consultant Kemar Walford join Third Sector's Rebecca Cooney to discuss if the voluntary sector is doing enough to encourage diversity in its workforce.


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