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.” 

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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 [email protected] for further information.

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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 [email protected] for further information.

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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 [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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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 [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.

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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 [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.

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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 [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.

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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 [email protected] 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.

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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