Pick of the Month - November 2024

Welcome to November’s Pick of the Month! Dive in to discover insights from some truly inspiring individuals.

 

Charity Leader of the Month – Jenny Groves, Battle Scars

Jenny Groves founded Battle Scars in 2016. Originally a Facebook support group, Battle Scars quickly became a community group and later, in 2018, a registered charity. From her own experience with self-harm, to her life as the CEO spearheading support for others who self-harm, Jenny shared some of her journey, wisdom and hopes for the future with us. 

Jenny explained the vital work of Battle Scars, and why this is a much-needed resource:

“‘Battle Scars is a small 100% survivor-led and run self-harm specific charity with the clear vision to ensure nobody who self-harms, in whichever way, has to fight alone. We also help to break down the stigma surrounding self-harm and support people of all ages and genders with face-to-face, virtual, phone and online peer support while delivering training to a wide range of professionals about self-harm and eating disorders.’’ 

Jenny explained how Battle Scars was created, and the some of the journey so far:

‘’As the founder, my story links up to the Battle Scars’ history, which was formed after I discovered there was no support for self-harm in my area. At the time, following a massive breakdown and being unable to work, starting to build Battle Scars gave me the purpose and focus I needed to build myself up much stronger than I’d ever been. My role includes many of the “normal” CEO tasks like strategic, networking and fundraising work, but I also deliver all our self-harm training and attend various meetings as a self-harm expert. We recently fulfilled our dream and acquired our first ever premises, an 8,000sq. foot building, a massive undertaking requiring many months of work, adding the title building manager to my ever-growing list of responsibilities.’’ 

 

We asked Jenny what her advice is for prospective leaders:

‘’Strong ethos and values are vital. They shape what’s important, how we do things, how we project ourselves and our work. It’s who we are and how we’re seen. Be open and learn but stick to your principles. We all must make compromises but always keep your vision at heart. Ensure your trustees, staff and volunteers believe in this vision too and build a team made up of people who won’t be afraid to disagree with you. We can all learn from each other.’’ 

 

Jenny shared her visions for a more open and supportive future: 

‘’I’d really like to see more openness, more honesty and a proper holistic approach being adopted in the health and care sector, instead of trying to stick people into boxes and refusing support if they don’t neatly fit in. I’d also like to see the smaller and medium organisations having a better chance of obtaining longer-term unrestricted funding so we can do what we do best. If you like what we do, trust us to deliver!’’ 

 

Keep up to date with Battle Scars on Instagram @battle_scars_sh

 

Social Entrepreneur of the Month - Lucy Ferguson, Mediorite

Lucy Ferguson is the founder of Mediorite, a social enterprise with award-winning social impact and a vision to foster sustainable careers for diverse young people in a representative creative sector. Mediorite achieves this goal through delivering free film production training, work experience, film screenings and paid work for diverse young people in East London and Leeds.

Lucy’s journey to establish Mediorite was inspired by a desire for greater representation and a purposeful career change:  

“I was working for a big media owner and living in Brixton, as well as being on the board of trustees for a local arts charity. It became increasingly obvious that the young people I saw at home and volunteered with were not represented in my workplace. I just don't think that's right, and I wanted to do something about it!”

 

Reflecting on the challenges faced early on, Lucy says:

“I knew what I wanted to do but I didn't know how to do it. I hadn't taught young people before, I hadn't run a business before or written strategy or a marketing plan or reconciled a budget and I'd never made a film!”

 

For Lucy, the most rewarding aspect has been the people:

“It's always the people, seeing the lights go on for a young person and watching them start to thrive, or bumping into a young person or getting an email from them when they've gone on to do well really feels great. The ultimate example though is Ondre, he was a trainee on one of our first courses in 2012 referred following release from a custodial sentence. He went on to get a photography degree, become a media head of year and now he's starting his own social enterprise! I begged him to join our board and he did. I mean that's just chef's kiss!”

 

When asked for advice for aspiring social entrepreneurs, Lucy offers:

“Build strong relationships and be generous when you have time, seek out as many points of view and listen to those that ring true (remember sometimes it's the wrong time for you to use great advice but save it for later) ask for help and don't give up!”

To find out more about Mediorite, click here.

 

Fellow of the month - Charlotte Cole, Kings Place Music Foundation

Charlotte Cole is the Head of Development at Kings Place Music Foundation, a Trustee for Apples and Snakes and Co-Chair for the EU Development & Fundraising Tessitura Community.  Since 2015, Charlotte has worked across several fundraising and event management roles with Poet in the City, National Careers Week, Royal Court Theatre, Wilton’s Music Hall and Battersea Arts Centre. 

She is a former Board member for Young Arts Fundraisers, a professional network for early-career fundraisers in the cultural sector. 

During our conversation, Charlotte gave us a glimpse into her current role, sharing what initially drew her to it:

‘’As Head of Development, I lead our Individual Giving & Campaign strategy and support across other areas of income generation such as corporate giving. I’ve been at Kings Place since June 2023, and this is my first role as part of a senior team. 

I was attracted to Kings Place as they began developing fundraising as a sustainable income stream and I was excited to be part of building these foundations, particularly in an area of arts that I didn’t have previous experience in. 

Much of my background has been focused on theatre, as opposed to the music & spoken word programme presented at Kings Place. I particularly enjoy being exposed to the wide breadth of work here and taking part in the key conversations that shape the wider organisation. I am now a co-chair for our EDI Subgroup and that has been an exciting development in my role here.’’

 

Charlotte then highlighted some of the key opportunities for Kings Place in the current UK landscape:

‘’First, encouraging multiple gifts within a year from our audiences through memberships, annual campaigns and matched funding opportunities to support our music and spoken word programme. 
Secondly, capitalising on our space as a venue and surrounding area to offer exciting hire opportunities to corporate supporters/sponsors. 

Finally, developing key relationships with local community partners to expand our impact and reach new audiences.’’ 

 

Looking ahead to the coming year, Charlotte shared what excites her the most about being part of the Fellowship Programme:

‘’I can’t wait to learn new ideas from the other Fellows and expand my peer network. I’m also looking forward to applying critical thinking to my work on a day-to-day basis and taking what I learn on the programme to my colleagues and cultural sector peers.’’ 

 

Lastly, we asked Charlotte which changes she is most passionate about driving within the sector:

‘’I would like to see more opportunities for early to mid-career fundraisers to become Trustees. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to share your experiences, support others and diversify the voices making decisions at the level of charitable organisations. 

Secondly, I want to see a deeper appreciation for arts as a vital skill in education and as a career. It is disheartening to see its value brought down by those in government, misguiding the importance of what the sector can give to a community and an underappreciation for the income it generates.’’ 

 

Keep up to date with the work of Kings Place Music Foundation on Instagram: @KingsPlaceLondon

 

Trustee of the Month – Heather Bennett, City Catering Southampton

Heather Bennett joined City Catering Southampton as a trustee in October 2023, aiming to contribute her expertise in HR while supporting an organisation with a strong social mission. City Catering Southampton’s core work involves school meal provision, which funds charitable projects like the Cooking at Home scheme.

Heather brought with her a strong commitment to strategic development and values-led work: 

“I had been looking for a Trustee role for a while, having not had a volunteering role for a few years, that would give me more strategic and senior-level experience. After taking a career break when I had my two daughters, I began a brand-new career in HR – and I knew that a more commercial and strategic mindset would be a huge advantage to my personal and professional development.

Heather had also always loved educational cooking with her family:

“[W]e often forage, cook, bake and experiment in the kitchen together, so this really resonated with my personal values and aligned with City Catering’s motto of ‘Food for Good’.”

Heather's admiration for the organisation is clear:

“What I love most about working with City Catering is their unwavering, unrelenting passion for what they do. Their core purpose is strong, and every member of staff is truly invested in ensuring no child goes hungry.”

Heather’s experience as a trustee has come with its own set of challenges:

“Being a Trustee does of course have challenges, and my biggest has been the time commitment. It is so important to invest the time to read documents carefully and thoroughly, and that can feel difficult after a long day at my paid job. Taking a moment to remember why I do the role is the greatest motivation.”

For anyone looking to step into a trustee role, Heather’s advice is simple: 

“I wondered if I was ‘good enough’ to be a Trustee, and the reality is, that diverse and varied Boards, with a range of opinions, backgrounds and experience make the best decisions. Don’t be afraid to take the leap, the charity will provide you with all the support you need to succeed.”

To find out more about City Catering Southampton, click here.