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. 

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 [email protected] for further information.

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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.

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 [email protected] for further information.

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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.

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 [email protected] for further information.

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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.

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 [email protected] for further information.

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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.

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 [email protected] for further information.

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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.

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 [email protected] for further information.

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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.

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 [email protected] 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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