Pick of the Month - September 2025

Welcome to September'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! 

Charity Leader of the Month - Roz Paul MBE, Scene & Heard

Scene & Heard, a highly commended organisation in the recent Charity Governance Awards, is a unique mentoring charity that partners the inner-city children of Somers Town, London, with volunteer arts professionals. The aim of its work is to boost confidence and raise aspiration through realising young imaginations on and off the stage. CEO and Artistic Director, Roz Paul, spoke to us about her role and her desire to restore the value of arts in education and in society. 

Roz shared a little bit about her work and mission:  

"Scene & Heard is a theatre mentoring charity in Somers Town, London. We use the skills of volunteer theatre professionals to transform the social and educational prospects of children in one of the UK’s most disadvantaged areas. Through one-to-one mentoring, children write mini plays that are performed by professional actors in high-quality theatre productions. This raises aspirations, boosts self-esteem and empowers young voices to create lasting social impact. We offer more than a one-off experience, providing playwriting courses and opportunities to our beneficiaries throughout their adolescence and beyond."

We asked Roz how she got to where she is today and what her role involves: 

“I began my career as a professional actor, performing in national and repertory theatres whilst also working as a director, teacher and drama facilitator with the National Youth Theatre, in schools and Service Children's Education. I first volunteered at Scene & Heard in 2003 and immediately fell in love with the charity. It reminded me why I went into acting - the imagination, the shared experience, the emotional impact and the sense of purpose. 

I became Associate Artistic Director in 2008 and CEO & Artistic Director in 2010. Today I lead both the artistic vision and strategic direction of the charity, shaping our courses, productions and creative programme, as well as managing our staff, running workshops and overseeing pastoral care. I also build relationships with funders and work closely with our trustees on governance, priorities and staying true to our mission. It’s a role that combines creativity with care, strategic thinking with hands-on delivery and it is a privilege to be at the heart of it.” 

Roz shared some advice for aspiring leaders: 

"Listen. Your team, your community, your stakeholders all have perspectives that can challenge your assumptions and strengthen your decisions. Lead from the front. Be visible and hands-on, leading by example to set the tone you want others to follow. 

Don’t be afraid of problems. Difficult conversations and unexpected setbacks are part of leadership, facing them directly builds resilience and trust. "

Finally, Roz discussed what she’s passionate about seeing change in the sector:  

“I am passionate about restoring the value of the arts in education and in society. The arts teach us how to imagine, collaborate and communicate. These are essential life skills, not luxuries, yet creative subjects continue to be pushed to the margins, especially in schools in low-income areas where they’re needed most. 

We know from experience and evidence that the arts can dramatically improve outcomes for children and young people in confidence, academic engagement, wellbeing and long-term aspiration. At Scene & Heard we see this every day. Our programme helps children find their voice, believe in their ideas and realise that they can shape the world around them. I want every child to have access to this, regardless of background or postcode."

To hear more about the work at Scene & Heard, visit the website.

Social Entrepreneur of the Month - Pippa Hockton, Street Talk

Recent winners in the social care category at the Charity Governance Awards, Street Talk, was founded in 2005 by an NHS therapist who had become troubled by the inequalities within the provision of mental health care. It was founded in a spirit of experimentation, setting out to discover whether it was possible to engage extremely vulnerable women in therapy. Street Talk also works to ensure that women’s mental health is taken into consideration in court and by other agencies and professionals who make the decisions that affect these women’s lives. The charity shares an understanding of the impact of trauma in order that other agencies support women’s recovery. The outcome is that fewer women are sent to prison, fewer children are taken into the state care system and more women who would be in grave danger in their country of origin gain asylum in this country. 

Pippa shared a little bit about her work and mission: 

"I worked as a psychotherapist in the NHS where I became mindful that the most vulnerable people were excluded and that the most vulnerable people of all seemed to be women selling sex on the street. I founded Street Talk to take psychotherapy to those women in hostels and day centres. The mission is to enable women to exit exploitation, to live in safety and with dignity. The work involves meeting women where they are, creating a safe relationship where they can make the connection between childhood trauma and their current circumstances, often including addiction, exploitation, violence, homelessness, mental and physical illness. The aim of the work is to enable women to encounter their own humanity in the relationship with the therapist."

Pippa shared some advice for aspiring leaders:

"My advice to prospective leaders is to follow your heart, do work which you believe in and keep going. Find friends who believe in your mission; none of us can lead alone."

Finally, Pippa discussed what she’s passionate about seeing change in the sector:  

"The change I would like to see would be investment in services for vulnerable children. All of the women we have worked with over 20 years have been abused in childhood. None of them would have ended up on the street if they had been safe in childhood."

To hear more about the work at Street Talk Info, visit the website. 

Trustee of the Month - Rhiannon Harrison, Making Music

Making Music is a membership organisation for leisure-time music groups of all musical genres, representing over 200,000 musicians and promoters of all levels and experience. Making Music provides them with practical services, guidance, artistic development opportunities and a collective voice for advocacy. Making Music aims at supporting, standing for and celebrating groups of people who make and present music in their leisure time across the UK. Chair of the Board, Rhiannon, spoke with us about the charity's "why", and her impact as a leader. 

Rhiannon shared a little bit about her work and mission:  

"As Chair of the Board at Making Music, I’m very privileged to be involved with policy work, the overall direction of the charity and providing input on how to best help our members. Making Music represents roughly 4,000 leisure time music groups in the UK, and helps empower them to make or promote music in their communities, which is so rewarding to be a part of. Our members are so valued where they operate, and we are incredibly proud to support them with the running of their groups."

We asked Rhiannon how she got to where she is today and what her role involves: 

“After graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, I was involved with running and conducting several music groups who were Making Music members, and one of them alerted me to the vacancy on the board. Our oboist suggested I go for it, and what a lovely surprise it was that I got elected! The lobbying and proactivity Making Music showed to help member groups keep making music together when we were all socially distanced was incredibly inspiring, as I joined the board in 2020. When the previous chair, Dorothy Wilson, came to the end of her term in 2024, I took over the role. This means I now sit on most sub-committees, attend events as a representative and generally try to shout about how great Making Music is – both the charity and the concept!” 

Rhiannon shared some advice for aspiring leaders: 

"Every charity exists to fulfil a need, and that is what you should always try to keep in mind. It can be very easy to get bogged down by the nitty-gritty of issues, but as a membership organisation our fundamental question is always, “how does this help our members?”. If you find your charity’s “why”, it helps keep you focused!"

Finally, Rhiannon discussed what she’s passionate about seeing change in the sector:  

“I would love to see community music groups being celebrated more in the media and really brought into the public eye. Our members do so much in their areas, and everyone should know about it! Currently, groups have to do so much self-promotion for concerts, vacancies, fundraising events, etc. I know firsthand how frustrating it can be when someone (well-meaningly!) says “oh I had no idea this even existed!”. 

A lovely example of this is the Classic FM annual “Carol Competition”. We always promote it to our groups, but I’d love to see another high-profile event that showcases the breadth of musical talent in the UK, like an “Amateur Prom” for example. From the brass bands that were tied to the pits, to the Welsh tradition of male voice choirs, enjoying music together is a wonderful part of our heritage. We should all celebrate that together as a nation, because music connects us!"

To hear more about the work at Making Music visit the website.