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Leadership worth sharing

Leadership worth sharing

By ACEVO

ACEVO chief executive Vicky Browning talks to civil society CEOs about their careers, their experiences and what leadership means to them.
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Tackling power dynamics with Sarah Hughes (Centre for Mental Health)

Leadership worth sharingMay 18, 2020

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30:42
Warm Words, Cold Comfort special
Mar 22, 202401:02:44
Leading a campaigning organisation, with Nicci Russell (Waterwise)

Leading a campaigning organisation, with Nicci Russell (Waterwise)

In this episode, Jane Ide talks to Nicci Russell, CEO of Waterwise, about leading a campaigning organisation, getting involved with ACEVO’s climate action group, becoming a 4 day week organisation and why learning to jive is better than dancing the Argentine tango.

Transcript available: https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

Feb 02, 202439:55
Being bold and being vulnerable, with Jo Youle (Missing People)

Being bold and being vulnerable, with Jo Youle (Missing People)

Episode transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

Welcome to Leadership Worth Sharing, a podcast in which ACEVO chief executive Jane Ide chats with civil society leaders about their professional experiences, challenges, wellbeing, and their journeys in the sector.

In this episode, Jane talks to Jo Youle, chief executive of Missing People, the UK charity for anyone affected by missing or thinking of going missing. They talk about being bold, being vulnerable, and balancing playing by music with playing by ear.


Jun 16, 202335:30
Leading an infrastructure organisation, with Sarah Vibert (NCVO)

Leading an infrastructure organisation, with Sarah Vibert (NCVO)

Episode transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

Welcome to Leadership Worth Sharing, a podcast in which ACEVO chief executive Jane Ide chats with civil society leaders about their professional experiences, challenges, wellbeing, and their journeys in the sector.

In this episode, Jane talks to Sarah Vibert, chief executive of NCVO, the largest membership body for charities in the UK.

Sep 30, 202226:59
Bringing your whole self to work, with Raakhi Shah (The Circle)

Bringing your whole self to work, with Raakhi Shah (The Circle)

Read transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

Welcome to Leadership Worth Sharing, a podcast in which ACEVO chief executive Jane Ide chats with civil society leaders about their professional experiences, challenges, wellbeing, and their journeys in the sector.

ACEVO chief executive Jane Ide talks to Raakhi Shah, CEO of The Circle, a global feminist organisation that fights for the rights and supports the safety of the most vulnerable women and girls across the world.

Jul 15, 202231:43
The value of being different, with James Watson-O'Neill (SignHealth)

The value of being different, with James Watson-O'Neill (SignHealth)

Full transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

In this episode, Vicky talks to James Watson-O’Neill, chief executive of Sign Health, the Deaf health charity. They talk about the value of being different, how being a trustee can help CEOs to be better leaders, and what chief execs and actors have in common.

Apr 08, 202232:22
Class: the forgotten dimension of diversity, with Sarah Atkinson (Social Mobility Foundation)

Class: the forgotten dimension of diversity, with Sarah Atkinson (Social Mobility Foundation)

Full transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

In the first episode of 2022, Vicky hands the podcast reins over to ACEVO’s head of influencing Alan Lally-Francis. Alan talks to Sarah Atkinson, CEO of the Social Mobility Foundation, about the work the organisation does to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in their professional journeys, the importance of charities participating in the social mobility index, class, and why being a mentor can help us become better leaders.

Mar 04, 202238:31
Inspiring change, with Yvonne Field (Ubele Initiative)

Inspiring change, with Yvonne Field (Ubele Initiative)

Transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/2021/12/leadership-worth-sharing-yvonne-field-ceo-of-the-ubele-initiative/ 

In the last episode of 2021, Vicky Browning speaks to Yvonne Field, chief executive of Ubele Initiative, the social enterprise supporting the sustainability of the African Diaspora community. They talk about the similarity and differences of leading community activism in the 80s and today, those cataclysmic moments that inspire change, and how the next generation of leaders will continue the fight for social justice.


Dec 10, 202137:08
The climate emergency special

The climate emergency special

Transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

Welcome to this special episode of our podcast, Leadership Worth Sharing, in which three of our climate working group members talk about what they have been doing at their organisations to tackle the climate emergency. You will hear from Emma Gibson, Director of London Travel Watch, Janet Thorne, CEO of Reach Volunteering, and Gus Alston, CEO of the Stonegrove Community Trust about their first steps, challenges and motivation to get the work started.

Nov 11, 202136:36
Using economics to better understand ourselves, with Matt Whittaker (Pro Bono Economics)

Using economics to better understand ourselves, with Matt Whittaker (Pro Bono Economics)

Full transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

In this episode, Vicky speaks to Matt Whittaker, chief executive of Pro Bono Economics. They talk about whether economists can act as a Google Translate service between charities and the treasury, how we can use data to know ourselves, and how to make it unacceptable for politicians and policymakers to talk about the future of the country without including the social sector.

Oct 21, 202132:42
Thinking about the future beyond Covid-19 with Michelle Mitchell (CR UK)

Thinking about the future beyond Covid-19 with Michelle Mitchell (CR UK)

Transcript: https://www.acevo.org.uk/2021/09/leadership-worth-sharing-michelle-mitchell-ceo-of-cancer-research-uk/

In this episode, Vicky Browning speaks to Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK. They talk about how the pandemic changed the way we make decisions, how we can now start to think about the future beyond Covid-19, and what leaders and Olympic athletes have in common.

Sep 12, 202136:23
Leading through an unexpected crisis, with Catherine Johnstone (RVS)

Leading through an unexpected crisis, with Catherine Johnstone (RVS)

Transcript available here: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

Vicky Browning speaks to Catherine Johnstone, CEO of the Royal Voluntary Service. They talk about being a leader during an unexpected crisis, how the pandemic has transformed the volunteering landscape, the national versus local debate, and why collaborations are not for the faint-hearted.
Jun 20, 202140:31
Privilege miniseries l Episode 6 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Javed Khan

Privilege miniseries l Episode 6 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Javed Khan

Full transcript available: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

In this episode, Polly and Tessy talk to Javed Khan, CEO of Barnardo's, about setting milestones, listening to your people and letting them decide the destination rather than imposing one.
May 31, 202136:42
Privilege miniseries l Episode 5 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Stephen Hale

Privilege miniseries l Episode 5 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Stephen Hale

Transcription available: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

In this episode, Polly and Tessy talk to Stephen Hale, former CEO of Refugee Action and chief architect at Climate Catalyst, about the importance of being an optimistic leader, not falling into traps when telling stories and fighting for social justice, and sustaining momentum.
May 09, 202132:47
Privilege miniseries l Episode 4 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Saba Shafi

Privilege miniseries l Episode 4 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Saba Shafi

Transcription available: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

We handed over our podcast reins one more time to Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, and Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, for a miniseries that will discuss what privilege and anti-racism mean for the charity sector and the role of charity leaders in facilitating a shift of power both in our sector and more widely.
Apr 18, 202133:29
Working with the community you serve, with Jim Minton (Toynbee Hall)

Working with the community you serve, with Jim Minton (Toynbee Hall)

Transcript available here: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

Vicky Browning speaks to Jim Minton, CEO of Toynbee Hall. They talk about the importance of constantly learning as a leader, getting the community you serve involved in creating solutions for the issues they face, and why every chief executive can sometimes feel like they are a radio presenter.
Mar 28, 202131:00
Live from #ACEVOFest: Leadership at the Top Table

Live from #ACEVOFest: Leadership at the Top Table

With the voluntary and community sector struggling for recognition from government at a national level during the pandemic, the local picture in Bradford was very different. The VCS was viewed as a vital strategic partner, and sector leaders sat at the top table of local decision-making. In this special live recording of the Leadership Worth Sharing podcast, Vicky Browning chats to Kim Shutler, CEO, The Cellar Trust about being part of the Gold Command response in Bradford, and the role of local VCS leadership in strategic influencing.
Jan 03, 202131:40
Privilege miniseries l Episode 3 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Simon Blake

Privilege miniseries l Episode 3 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Simon Blake

Transcript available here: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

We handed over our podcast reins to Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, and Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, for a miniseries that will discuss what privilege and anti-racism mean for the charity sector and the role of charity leaders in facilitating a shift of power both in our sector and more widely.

In the third and final episode, Tessy and Polly talk to Simon Blake, chief executive of the Mental Health First Aid England, about being experimental and taking more risks when it comes to tackling racial inequalities in the charity sector.
Nov 29, 202030:45
Privilege miniseries l Episode 2 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Sarah Hughes

Privilege miniseries l Episode 2 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Sarah Hughes

Transcript available here: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

We handed over our podcast reins to Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, and Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, for a miniseries that will discuss what privilege and anti-racism mean for the charity sector and the role of charity leaders in facilitating a shift of power both in our sector and more widely.

In the second episode, Tessy and Polly talk to Sarah Hughes, CEO of the Centre for Mental Health about the importance of making yourself vulnerable, being part of the 'bigger picture' and practical ways to share privilege.
Nov 08, 202033:03
Privilege miniseries l Episode 1 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Michael Adamson

Privilege miniseries l Episode 1 l Polly Neate, Tessy Ojo and Michael Adamson

We handed over our podcast reins to Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, and Tessy Ojo, CEO of The Diana Award, for a three-part miniseries that will discuss what privilege and anti-racism mean for the charity sector and the role of charity leaders in encouraging tricky conversations.

In the first of three episodes, Tessy and Polly explain how the idea for the podcast miniseries came about, and talk to Michael Adamson, CEO of the British Red Cross
Oct 18, 202039:15
Listen to your comms teams with Adeela Warley

Listen to your comms teams with Adeela Warley

Transcription: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

In this episode, Vicky speaks with Adeela Warley, CEO of CharityComms, the membership body for communications professionals in the charity sector. Adeela talks about why civil society leaders should listen to their comms colleagues, the positives and challenges of creating a collaborative campaign and why things should not go back to business as usual when we get out of the other side of the pandemic.
Aug 31, 202032:11
Home Truths: Undoing racism and delivering real diversity in the charity sector

Home Truths: Undoing racism and delivering real diversity in the charity sector

Full transcription: www.acevo.org.uk/2020/06/special-podcast-episode-home-truths

Today ACEVO launched Home Truths: Undoing racism and delivering real diversity in the charity sector, a report that highlights the voices and experiences of Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic people working in the charity sector.

To accompany the report, we produced a special episode of the ACEVO podcast, conducted by ACEVO’s head of policy Kristiana Wrixon. Kristiana talks to Dr. Sanjiv Lingayah, lead author and Voice4Change England associate, and Sufina Ahmad, director at John Ellerman Foundation and a member of the ACEVO race advisory group.
Jun 16, 202043:52
Tackling power dynamics with Sarah Hughes (Centre for Mental Health)

Tackling power dynamics with Sarah Hughes (Centre for Mental Health)

Full transcription: www.acevo.org.uk/resources/podcast/

In this episode, Vicky Browning speaks to Sarah Hughes, chief executive of the Centre For Mental Health. Sarah talks about why we need to tackle the power dynamic in charities, how Scarlett O'Hara and Amazon boxes can help us contain our anxiety as leaders, and the positives we can keep from this pandemic that will help us build a better workplace.
May 18, 202030:42
The dangers of friendly fire with Raven Bowen (National Ugly Mugs)

The dangers of friendly fire with Raven Bowen (National Ugly Mugs)

Full transcription: www.acevo.org.uk/2020/04/leadership-worth-sharing-raven-bowen

Vicky speaks to Raven Bowen, CEO of National Ugly Mugs. NUM is an organisation that provides support to sex workers who have been victims of crime. This is the first episode of the podcast that we've recorded remotely, as we are all working from home in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis. From her bedroom, Raven talks about the challenges the pandemic poses to the community she serves, how she uses the lessons of agile working to keep the team laughing, and what she's learnt as a chief exec about the dangers of friendly fire.
Apr 05, 202031:14
From operational to strategic with Aleema Shivji (Humanity & Inclusion)

From operational to strategic with Aleema Shivji (Humanity & Inclusion)

Full transcription: https://www.acevo.org.uk/2020/03/leadership-worth-sharing-aleema-shivji In the first episode of 2020, Vicky speaks to Aleema Shivji, executive director at Humanity & Inclusion. Aleema describes her career journey from physiotherapist to charity chief exec, shares her experience of navigating the shift from the operational to the strategic, and reveals how home-made banana bread holds the key to inclusion in the workplace.
Mar 01, 202031:04
The importance of representation with Kiran Kaur & Amna Akhtar and Nicola Brentnall

The importance of representation with Kiran Kaur & Amna Akhtar and Nicola Brentnall

Full transcription: www.acevo.org.uk/2019/11/podcast-girl-dreamer

In the last episode of 2019, Vicky speaks to three fantastic women: the founders of Girl Dreamer Kiran Kaur and Amna Akthar, and the CEO of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, Nicola Brentnall. They talk about how girls of colour are seen in our society, why disruptors make the best role models and how you can find leadership in all sorts of different circumstances – including longboarding in the streets of Birmingham.
Nov 17, 201932:17
Trusting the next generation with Tessy Ojo (The Diana Award)

Trusting the next generation with Tessy Ojo (The Diana Award)

Full transcription: www.acevo.org.uk/2019/10/tessy-ojo

Vicky speaks to Tessy Ojo, chief executive at The Diana Award, a charity that builds on Princess Diana’s belief that young people can change the world. They talk about the hope the next generation of leaders offers, why it’s OK to drop a ball when we need to, and how Beyoncé gives the best leadership advice.
Oct 27, 201930:19
Ditch restricted funding with John Rendel (Peter Cundill Foundation)

Ditch restricted funding with John Rendel (Peter Cundill Foundation)

Full transcription: www.acevo.org.uk/2019/09/leadership-worth-sharing-john-rendel

Vicky Browning speaks to John Rendel, founder of PEAS, a network of over 30 secondary schools in Uganda and Zambia which transforms lives by providing high-quality secondary education to children who would otherwise struggle to go to school. John has recently moved on to his new role of director of grants at The Peter Cundill Foundation. In this episode, they talk about delegating leadership and using power to empower others, why trusts and foundations should ditch restricted funding for good, and why we need to balance innovation with doing the boring things better.
Sep 29, 201934:28
Working cooperatively with Debs McCahon & Sarah Welsh (Woodcraft Folk)

Working cooperatively with Debs McCahon & Sarah Welsh (Woodcraft Folk)

Full transcription: www.acevo.org.uk/2019/09/podcast-debs-mccahon-and-sarah-welsh

Today is a first for the podcast, as Vicky Browning is speaking to two leaders: Sarah Welsh and Debs McCahon, joint CEOs at Woodcraft Folk, a charity that runs cooperatively with children, young people and adults working together to learn about the world and develop skills and confidence. They talk about why the organisation decided to have two chief execs, and what it takes to do it successfully.
Sep 08, 201930:46
Leading with feminist principles with Girish Menon (ActionAid UK)

Leading with feminist principles with Girish Menon (ActionAid UK)

Full transcription: acevoblogs.wordpress.com/2019/08/05/podcast-girish-menon

Vicky Browning speaks to Girish Menon, CEO of Action Aid UK, the charity that works with and supports women and girls living in poverty. They talk about how you run an organisation on feminist principles, reflective leadership and self-doubt, and how CEOs need to be torchbearers for change.
Aug 05, 201934:12
The power of stories with Ruth Taylor (Abortion Support Network)

The power of stories with Ruth Taylor (Abortion Support Network)

Full transcription available here: acevoblogs.wordpress.com/2019/07/15/ruth-taylor/

In this episode, Vicky Browning meets Ruth Taylor, CEO of the Abortion Support Network. ASN provides information and support for women from Northern Ireland, Malta and Gibraltar who need to travel abroad to access an abortion. We talk about the power of stories, the challenge of working with charity founders and how leaders need to work on the business, not in the business.
Jul 15, 201932:49
Reclaiming love with Duncan Dunlop (Who Cares? Scotland)

Reclaiming love with Duncan Dunlop (Who Cares? Scotland)

Full transcription here: acevoblogs.wordpress.com/2019/06/24/duncan-dunlop

In this episode, Vicky travels to Glasgow to meet Duncan Dunlop, chief executive of Who Cares? Scotland, the charity that supports, connects and advocates for care experienced people. They talk about listening to the voices of people with lived experience, how to turn an organisation into a movement, and what happens when you host a love rally on the streets of Glasgow.
Jun 21, 201931:26
Setting brave goals with Kate Lee (CLIC Sargent)

Setting brave goals with Kate Lee (CLIC Sargent)

Full transcript available on the blog: acevoblogs.wordpress.com/2019/06/03/podcast-kate-lee

In the third episode, Vicky meets Kate Lee, CEO of CLIC Sargent, to talk about the lies we tell ourselves that make us feel good as leaders, what true collaboration means, why we have to be brave in setting goals and learning from failure, and why we should be better at handling the hot potato that is charity chief executives' salary.
May 31, 201932:04
Being a young founder with Josh MacAlister (Frontline)

Being a young founder with Josh MacAlister (Frontline)

Transcription available here: acevoblogs.wordpress.com/2019/05/13/josh-macalister

In the second episode, Vicky meets Josh MacAlister, CEO of Frontline, to talk about why and how he started Frontline when he still qualified for a young person’s railcard, how Nelson Mandela helped him tackle his self-doubt and how real leadership is about enabling freedom and responsibility and then getting out of the way.
May 10, 201934:51
Celebrating difference with Alison Lowe (Touchstone)

Celebrating difference with Alison Lowe (Touchstone)

Transcription available here: acevoblogs.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/leadership-worth-sharing-episode-1-alison-lowe

For our first ever episode, ACEVO CEO Vicky Browning travels to Leeds to meet Alison Lowe. Alison is the CEO of mental health and well-being charity Touchstone, as well as a local councillor. They talk about celebrating difference, mental health, co-production and how leaders need to give themselves permission not to be perfect.
Apr 16, 201930:30