Pick of the Month - July 2026

Welcome to July's Pick of the Month! We’re excited to feature individuals who are making a real impact in the charity world. From creative social innovators to tireless charity leaders, their work is all about driving change and improving lives. We’ll take a closer look at their unique paths, the challenges they’ve navigated, and the incredible contributions they’re making to communities across the UK. Come join us in celebrating their inspiring efforts! 

Trustee of the Month - Gawaine Batchelor, Art in Perpetuity Trust

Art in Perpetuity Trust (APT), is an artist-led organisation that encourages and supports creative thought and artistic vision.

We spoke to Gawaine Batchelor, one of APT's new trustees.

Gawaine told us a little bit about what his mission is:  

"I've recently become a trustee of the Art in Perpetuity Trust, APT. From an ex-warehouse on Deptford Creekside that it bought in 1995, APT provides 42 artist's studios, a contemporary art gallery, and a working sculpture yard. APT's mission is to actively encourage and support creative thought and artistic vision.

APT is artist led, with each studio artist becoming a member of the charity and taking an active role in its direction and doing work to support it. I see a key part of my role as understanding how best APT can operate to help support these artists to develop their practice, together with providing an accessible gallery space and developing diverse educational programmes to support APT's mission. I believe strongly that art and culture are vital to society, and that it is a huge privilege to be a part of an organisation like APT."

We asked Gawaine how he got to where he is today and what his role involves:  

"For over 20 years I've been a lawyer working in financial services in the City of London, now with Aviva, and before that I did a  PhD in Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Since 2019, I have also been a trustee director of Aviva's Staff Pension Scheme, giving me hands on-experience in the governance of a trust, and driving home that diversity of thought and perspectives on a trustee board are essential to enable it to make the best collective decisions."

Gawaine shared some advice for aspiring trustees: 

"Be curious, don't be afraid to ask questions that might turn out to be stupid - it's the best way to learn fast! - and take opportunities to do new things and learn from the people around you. Everyone brings their own perspective and it's very important to listen carefully to try to appreciate it and learn from them."

Finally, Gawaine discussed what he's passionate about seeing change in the sector:  

"I'm still very new to it, and very much learning, but making art more accessible and giving more people a chance to understand and appreciate it, are something I would love to learn how to do better."

Read more about the work at Art in Perpetuity Trust.

Charity Leader of the Month - Jonathan Mayes, CEO of Cathedral Music Trust

Cathedral Music Trust is a charity that started life in 1956 as a volunteer-led organisation but which became a professionally run Trust in 2020. It exists to support the living tradition of 'cathedral music', broadly encompassing the rich history of choral and organ music that has been performed in religious institutions and concert halls over the past 500 years.

We spoke to Jonathan Mayes, CEO of Cathedral Music Trust.

Jonathan told us a little bit about what his mission and vision is:

"As the national advocate for cathedral music across the UK and Ireland, our vision is that everyone deserves the opportunity to benefit from a high-quality, well-resourced and valued cathedral music community, regardless of background or circumstance. We achieve this through direct financial support, targeted programmes and public campaigning. On that last point, I'm particularly excited by the campaign we have been running for UNESCO 'Living Heritage' status (UNESCO Living Heritage | Cathedral Music Trust), which we hope to achieve by the end of 2026."

We asked Jonathan how he got to where he is today and what his role involves:  

"My career to date has always revolved around music in one way or another. I still remember very clearly graduating with a music degree back in the early 2000’s and realising that most of my peers were going into shockingly low-wage positions in London, getting their foot into the door of the music industry.  That propelled me towards an internship year at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra which had a huge impact on me professionally and still resonates in my work today. Reflecting on that start to my career in a different country, I realise how important it was to develop good relationships and communicate effectively. Those things are even more true now that I’m sitting in a leadership position, being responsible for the delivery of the Trust’s strategic objectives and, especially, developing our connections with stakeholders and funders.   Building relationships is also what propelled me to undertake a ‘cycling pilgrimage’ over the last 12 months – travelling on two wheels to the c.130 places across England and Wales funded by Cathedral Music Trust. Beyond the fundraising, it was an amazing opportunity for me to meet musicians and other Trust beneficiaries doing such amazing work to sustain the cathedral music tradition.  Especially in a post-pandemic world, nothing beats meeting people face-to-face and witnessing charitable work in person."

Finally, Jonathan shared some advice for aspiring leaders: 

"I feel hugely lucky to work in a sector I feel so passionately about and if I had to offer any advice to prospective leaders it would be to follow your passion; leading inevitably asks a lot of you, so you’d better be doing something you feel motivated by!"

Read more about the work at Cathedral Music Trust.

Social Entrepreneur of the Month - Simon Wales, CEO of Bristol Beacon

Bristol Beacon is a music venue, a music education hub, civic partner, major employer and a cultural anchor in Bristol. The aim of the organisation is to inspire and connect people through the unique power of live music, staging over 700 events a year for 500,000 visitors.

We spoke to Simon Wales, CEO of Bristol Beacon. 

We asked Simon how he got to where he is today and what his role involves:  

"I grew up in a musical family and I played various instruments and sang in choirs from an early age. I then studied Music and English at Lancaster University, before working in various administration and management roles for Warner Music, London Symphony Orchestra and the Town Hall & Symphony Hall concert venues in Birmingham. After a detour into the Heritage sector for 12 years including working for the National Trust, I am now firmly back in the world of music.

As Chief Executive, I am a “generalist” who gets to work with many specialists in their fields of expertise. It’s my responsibility to support the wider team and ensure that we have the roadmap and the resources to get to where we want to be in the future, as well as keep the daily operation running successfully.

I spend time with our Chair and Trustees, I lead various committees and the leadership team, I watch many of our concerts (often with invited guests), and I engage with our creative learning programme as much as I can. It’s an enjoyable, challenging role and no two days are the same. A big part of my job is advocacy and getting the message out there about who we are and what we hope to achieve."

Simon shared some advice for aspiring leaders: 

"There’s a quote by the author Brian Tracy that I really like: “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new”. Taking risks and accepting change can sometimes feel daunting and perhaps something to avoid, but I think this quote rings true for me, when I consider my own leadership journey over many decades!"

Finally, Simon discussed what he's passionate about seeing change in the sector: 

"Most cultural organisations are really stretched these days and our jobs can feel like one endless hamster wheel that never stops spinning, with no time to breathe or reflect. Training and development opportunities are so important, I was lucky to benefit from opportunities over the years, and I am very keen to ensure these opportunities are prioritised, even when times are tough financially for organisations."

Read more about the work at Bristol Beacon.

Fellow of the Month - Ruth Harvey, Wolverhampton Arts Centre

Wolverhampton Arts Centre is the creative heart of Wolverhampton, committed to fostering new talent and ideas, while providing a welcoming space for all to enjoy and engage in the arts.

We spoke to Ruth, Capital Campaign Manager at Wolverhampton Arts Centre, about her role and her experience so far as a fellow.  

Ruth is an accomplished arts fundraiser, manager & producer. They have recently taken on an exciting new challenge as Capital Campaign Manager at Wolverhampton Arts Centre, helping them raise much needed funds to take the building forward for future generations

Given the context of the UK right now, we asked Ruth what the key opportunities for her organisation are:  

"Key opportunities include making the most of the strategic opportunities being in a levelling up & arts council priority place, and the governments’ investment priorities on capital & infrastructure."

We asked Ruth what she was most looking forward to as part of the Fellowship Programme:  

"Getting to know a new cohort of wise and interesting people with different challenges & opportunities."

Finally, Ruth discussed what she's passionate about seeing change in the sector:  

"Culture is seen as a nice to have. We know from how people turned to books, film, music & streamed theatre during the pandemic actually how vital it is to survival."

Read more about the work at Wolverhampton Arts Centre.