Pick of the Month - March 2025

Welcome to March’s Pick of the Month! This month, we are thrilled to highlight individuals making significant strides in the charity sector. From innovative social entrepreneurs to dedicated charity leaders, their stories exemplify resilience, creativity and a profound commitment to positive change. Join us as we delve into their journeys, explore the challenges they’ve overcome and celebrate the impactful work they’re doing in communities across the UK.   

Charity Leader of the Month – Sharon Berry - Storybook Dads

Storybook Dads helps incarcerated parents connect with their children through storytelling. The charity provides a platform for parents to record bedtime stories, fostering emotional bonds despite physical separation. Sharon Berry, the CEO, leads the organisation in its mission to strengthen family relationships. We spoke to Sharon about the charity’s work and her experience in charity leadership.   

We asked Sharon to share the important work of Storybook Dads:   

“Each year, over 300,000 children in the UK are affected by the imprisonment of a parent. Many of them suffer feelings of abandonment and shame, leading to poor educational performance and increased risk of inter-generational offending.  Storybook Dads (and Mums) helps to maintain family ties between parents in prison and their children by recording imprisoned parents reading a children’s story, edited to remove background noises and mistakes. Music, sound effects and pictures from the book are added and then the audio or video story is sent to the child. The children love these stories as they can hear their parent’s voice whenever they need to, and imprisoned parents feel that they are doing something tangible for their children. For many families Storybook Dads/Mums can be a lifeline.”   

 

Sharon explained how Storybook Dads was created:  

“I started the charity in 2003 when working as a literacy teacher in HMP Dartmoor, in Devon. The more I got to know prisoners, the more I realised that family contact was very important to them but often difficult to maintain from behind bars.  I had some experience of audio editing and production, so combined with my knowledge of prison life, Storybook Dads was born.”    

 

We asked Sharon what advice she would give to prospective charity leaders:  

“As a founder and leader of a charity which was doing something completely new in a prison, my experience was undoubtedly challenging. There were so many security and operational rules to abide by.  At times it felt like I was trying to climb a mountain without enough experience, back up and resources.  My advice to charity leaders is to have tenacity and adaptability. If you believe in something, make others believe in it and find ways to achieve your shared goals. Develop a strong team of passionate and capable individuals. A great team can be such a huge support when trying to overcome challenges.”   

 

Finally, Sharon shared a little of her hopes for the sector, specifically small charities:  

“Funding is a big challenge for small charities, especially for causes that may not be popular such as penal affairs. It would help enormously if funders offered long term grants for core services that are already having a big impact, rather than wanting charities to develop new ideas to attract funding.  Long-term funding ensures charities can focus on making a lasting impact, rather than scrambling to meet immediate financial needs.”   

 

Keep up with the work of Storybook Dads by following on Instagram @storybookdads.  

 

Social Entrepreneur of the Month – Kike Oniwinde Agoro - BYP Network

BYP Network connects Black professionals and students across the world to  employment, mentoring, networking and upskilling opportunities. BYP Network also helps organisations of all sizes with their DEI goals by attracting, retaining and engaging Black talent. Kike Oniwinde Agoro, the founder and CEO of BYP Network, spoke with us about the creation and mission of the organisation.   

Kike shared what led her to establish BYP Network:  

“BYP Network exists to change the narrative around Black professionals and their contributions in the workplace. We fill a gap where Black talent often struggles with visibility, support and access to career opportunities. Our goal is to bridge the gap between talented Black professionals and forward-thinking corporations, empowering individuals while fostering real accountability in diversity, equity and inclusion. Ultimately, we are creating a space where Black professionals can connect, grow, and thrive globally.” 

 

Kike talked us through the biggest challenge she faced in setting up the organisation:  

“The biggest challenge is shifting the mindset of both Black professionals and corporations. For Black professionals, this involves showcasing the importance of networking and mutual support. For corporations, it is about helping them move beyond performative diversity efforts to understand that hiring Black talent is not charitable but essential for innovation and success. Overcoming scepticism, educating stakeholders and building trust requires persistence, strategy and unwavering belief in our mission.” 

 

Kike shared her favourite part of the process so far:  

“My favourite part of the journey is witnessing the tangible impact BYP Network has every day. We are connecting thousands of Black professionals with career opportunities, helping organisations attract and retain diverse talent, and building a community that inspires, supports and empowers. It is deeply fulfilling to see individuals break barriers, achieve their goals and thrive because of the platform we’ve built. Knowing that we are contributing to a global movement of Black excellence is both humbling and motivating.” 

 

We asked Kike what advice she would give to aspiring social entrepreneurs:   

“Never give up and stay consistent. Progress may feel slow at times, but every small step you take contributes to your larger vision. Do something every day that aligns with your goals and believe that great things are on the horizon. Do not be afraid to share your achievements and let the world know what you’re building - visibility matters. Most importantly, stay true to your purpose and remember why you started. The impact you create will be worth it.” 

To see more from BYP Network, follow on Instagram @BYPnetwork  

 

Fellow of the Month – Sarah Bird - OUTSIDE 

Sarah Bird is Director of OUTSIDE, a Creative People and Places Project in the Staffordshire Moorlands, who are working with communities to reimagine what a confident, creative and collaborative rural community and regenerative future looks like. She is also one of the Founders/Directors of Wild Rumpus, a community interest company and one of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations, producing large-scale outdoor arts events, most often in wild natural landscapes. Sarah is a Clore Leadership Fellow and sits on the board of Outdoor Arts UK and the advisory board for Pif Paf Theatre.   

We met with Sarah last year and asked her to tell us a little bit about her current role and the work of OUTSIDE:  

“I've been a Director of OUTSIDE, a Creative People & Places (CPP) programme since December 2022, working in a rural area which has been historically overlooked and underfunded. We work collaboratively with communities to create projects that are meaningful and relevant to them and their place. This often starts as a conversation with no predetermined outcomes. We are a small team who work with a large number of freelancers and partner organisations across a variety of sectors.”   

 

Sarah shared some of the key opportunities for OUTSIDE, given the current context of the UK:  

“Staffordshire Moorlands District Council are currently developing their first Cultural Strategy and there’s a great opportunity to influence this and ensure it aligns with our values and that we have a place-based approach to local arts and cultural development. We’re focusing on ensuring we collect, analyse and share really useful evaluation that foregrounds residents’ voices, telling relevant and meaningful stories that feed into our advocacy, comms and fundraising strategies. Building strong cross sector partnerships is key to our place-based approach.”  

 

Sarah explained what she was most looking forward to as part of the fellows programme:  

“Meeting the other fellows and hearing about their work. Finding out more about areas of fundraising that I haven't previously explored e.g. Capital development, legacy giving etc. Making time and space to think about how to be more ambitious and strategic about development plans.”   

 

Finally, she shared what changes she is passionate about seeing change in the sector:  

“I'm currently thinking a lot about the power of storytelling to amplify community voices. When we truly listen, deeply and with intention, we can enable more fundamental change. The arts have such huge potential to be both a mirror and a catalyst, but only if we make space for all voices to be heard and valued.” 

 

To follow the work of OUTSIDE, follow @outside_arts_ on Instagram   

 

Trustee of the Month – Debbie Richards - Northern Broadsides

Northern Broadsides creates bold, accessible, and irreverent theatre shows and inspiring creative engagement programmes which celebrate the diverse voices of the North of England. Recent projects include Research & Development at the National Theatre Studio; community programmes inspired by Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man & The Iron Woman; the development of a youth theatre including over forty young people from the South Asian community; a young playwright’s programme and The Writers’ Refuge which works with asylum seekers. 

Debbie Richards, Chair of Northern Broadsides, shared what inspired her to become a trustee:   

“I was attracted by Northern Broadsides’ belief in the power of theatre to shape and change lives. I was impressed by the company’s model for co-creating artistic work - bringing its social and artistic objectives together, rather than operating these areas in silos. An aspiration to harness a wide range of skills and experience on the organisation’s Board was also appealing. I joined the Board in January 2021 and was appointed Chair two years later.” 

 

Debbie described the importance of the organisation’s work: 

“Northern Broadsides has a tremendous impact on people’s lives in its local community and in the creation of ambitious touring theatre with national scope. The company’s output bridges social divides as it explores the diversity of Northern voices in the development of new work, in creative engagement projects and in developing new takes on classic plays. This is not without challenges, especially, identifying financial resources and managing the scale of our ambition in the context of a small – albeit exceptionally talented! – team. But my favourite thing about being a trustee is the creative thinking and collaboration between the Board and executive team to stimulate ideas in response to these questions. I have enjoyed learning from a diverse group of people and watching talent flourish.”  

 

Debbie was enthusiastic in recommending trusteeship to first timers: 

“Challenge your imposter syndrome! Two of our most recent appointments were first time trustees. Boards seeking to diversify will look for individuals with different perspectives, regardless of experience. Equally if trusteeship is not for you - perhaps you are time poor or prefer working more informally - we also encourage individuals to get involved with our Eco Squad, Arts Squad or Equality, Diversity & Inclusion sub-committee.” 

 

For more information about Northern Broadsides, follow on Facebook, X, Instagram or head to the website.