Explore every episode of the podcast BTA Charity Voices

Our host Anne Hughes is joined by Dr Patricia Armstrong for the first episode of Series 4 of BTA Charity Voices Podcast.
This series plans to focus in on resilience and so we kick off by discussing the publication of Pat's new book, "Holistic Leadership, Resilience, whole life lessons from the 3rd sector".
The book, published in December and based on Pat's three year doctoral studies,  focuses on the importance of considering all aspects of life for resilience in leadership. It also explores the concept of resilience in the third sector, the importance of having a supportive network, and the need for leaders to be adaptable in a rapidly changing environment. 
A great conversation emphasising the importance of holistic leadership, self-care, and resilience for leaders in managing the challenges of the charity sector.

Purchase the book here using code ESA04 
https://www.routledge.com/Holistic-Leadership-Resilience-Whole-Life-Lessons-From-The-Third-Sector/Armstrong/p/book/9781032627151

In this episode of the BTA Charity Voices Podcast, host Anne Hughes is joined by Dan Rous to discuss church and community development. Dan, a BTA Associate, shares his journey into this field, highlighting his 22 years of experience in Scotland working within the third sector, often with faith-based organisations.

In this episode of the BTA Charity Voices podcast, Anne Hughes is joined by Karen Moore, an interim leadership expert and BTA Leader. Karen shares her experience of starting her interim leadership work in 2018 after leaving her organization as a substantive CEO.
Karen also discusses the services offered by BTA, emphasising that as well as being a recruitment agency, BTA also provides consultancy support and sector knowledge - highlighting the BTA Leaders Programme, which offers specialised support for CEO recruitment and consultancy services. 

BTA offers a wealth of expertise and knowledge that any charity can access, depending on their needs and budget. Anyone interested in knowing more is encouraged to visit the BTA website www.brucetaitassociates.net or email leaders@brucetaitassociates.com 

In this episode of BTA Charity Voices our host Anne Hughes and Billy Farrell, Director of Income Generation at Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland, discuss the potential of the metaverse in charity work, with CHSS charity shop being the first on the metaverse. 
The conversation also touches on the potential of the metaverse for fundraising, improving understanding of conditions, and as a recruitment tool, with Billy sharing his experiences of transitioning from retail to fundraising and the benefits of a collaborative approach.

This episode of BTA Charity Voices Podcast was recorded with an audience of fundraisers at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Scotland Conference in Glasgow on Tuesday 24th October.
Joining the panel were Katie Docherty, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising; Nicola Gunn, Director of Development, Brand & Engagement at Scottish SPCA and Managing Director of BTA Mhairi Cameron.
A great conversation about what collaboration can look like within Fundraising, some lessons learned and some gems of wisdom.

In this episode of the BTA Charity Voices Podcast, host Anne Hughes and Jon Dushinsky discuss purpose-driven leadership, emphasising the importance of understanding an organisation's purpose and destination. They also explore the concept of two paths in life, the path of a predictable future and the path of a highest value, and the need to operate from a place of confidence and purpose. 
Most excitingly they invite listeners to a two-day program called the 'Purpose Driven Leadership Journey Essentials', designed to help Charity Leaders connect with their purpose and highest value path.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-purpose-driven-leadership-journey-empowering-non-profit-leaders-tickets-1021509150367?aff=oddtdtcreator

An insightful discussion looking at the concept of sustainable organisations and the introduction of a new service from BTA - a survey tool designed to help organisations align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

www.brucetaitassociates.net/how-to-improve-your-income-generation-and-fundraising

Anne Hughes is joined by Emma Patmore, Associate Consultant Trustee Recruitment & Development at BTA for a discussion about the importance of trustee recruitment and development within the Third Sector, emphasising the need for diverse skills and experiences, and the significance of good governance practices. 
This episode of the podcast is filled with lots of advice and tips for those who are considering becoming a Trustee and for those organisations looking to succession plan and recruit new trustees.

emma.p@brucetaitassociates.com

In this episode I'm chatting about the community of Drumchapel with Laura Divers of 3D Drumchapel and Peter Divers of G15 Youth Project. 
This conversation shares a wonderful example of how communities can thrive when they journey with the people who use their services and makes a call for us all to begin mapping how we can collaborate for the greater good.

Emma Wolfe, the founder of Safe Havens, a charity born out of her service accommodation management company, Pillow Partners, joins us for this weeks podcast to discuss her organisation's mission and make a call for future collaborations. 
Safe Havens aims to use properties for good causes, providing funded stays to those in need, repurposing linens and food, and supporting young entrepreneurs. Emma seeks collaborations collaborations with other charities and wants to connect them via this podcast.

emma@pillowpartners.co.uk

Joining us on this episode of BTA Charity Voices Podcast is Ross McCulloch of Third Sector Lab for a discussion about digital trusteeship, focusing on the challenges and potential solutions to increase board diversity and improve digital skills in the charity sector.  We also discuss Board Recruitment more widely and the importance of a more flexible and clear approach, the value of board diversity, and the need for a culture of digital leadership.

https://thirdsectorlab.co.uk/

The Chartered Institute of Fundraising and PwC recently conducted some research into the future of fundraising. The result was a report titled 'Future Proofing Your Fundraising'.
With the intention that Big Challenges Require Bold Thinking the report focussed on ensuring future fundraising success amid continued uncertainty and change presents significant challenges for charities - yet almost half of charities say they feel underprepared to respond to change and tap into the opportunities that exist.
Joining me in this conversation are Sam Martin of PWC and Rob Cope of CIOF.

https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/charities/future-proofing-your-fundraising.html 

It was great to chat with Grace Reilly & Rebecca Campbell of Cash For Kids West of Scotland, about how the organisation have created their own online granting and fundraising platform - Giving Is Easy.
This conversation offers a real insight into how a spirit of being open to looking at things in a new way, and discovering what is possible has helped the organisation really capitalise in many ways. It's also reassuring to understand that for the team at Cash For Kids, that it's not about the size of the charity or the opportunity presented - but that we can all attempt to relook at our practices and habits and perhaps find better and more innovative ways to move forward.

Joining this episode is Arthur McNeaney, Head of Operations at DRC Youth Project to talk about what collaboration and partnership looks like in a local setting.

Joining our host Anne Hughes for this conversation is the Chief Exec of Accord hospice Jackie Smart.
From the outset Jackie shares her wisdom and insight on the current context we are in when we consider what collaboration and innovation looks like and how the climate and pressures throughout society contribute to this.

Joining us for this episode is founder and chair of global charity Think Equal, Leslee Udwin, and the Director of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit Jimmy Paul, to chat about their collaboration which they believe could change the future of Scotland.

This weeks episode of 'Charity Voices Podcast' with Dr Jane Haley takes a journey into research.  Jane explains how as a charity MND Scotland have prioritised patient feedback and found new ways to collaborate in order to find the very best outcomes for those living with Motor Neurone Disease.

In this episode of Charity Voices Podcast our host Anne Hughes is joined by Lazara Canton, a Development Specialist with more than 20 years experience in the private sector.
Anne and Lazara discuss team development and empowerment within the charity sector from an outside looking in perspective. Emphasis is placed on the importance of concentrating on strengths, aligning partnerships with the organisation's strategy, understanding potential corporate partners, and personal growth and development. They also touch on the importance of mentorship, being proactive in seeking guidance, and caring for and developing team members. 
This conversation perfectly highlights the benefits of fostering a positive work culture to retain talent and investing in employee development.

www.lazaracanton.com

In this episode our host Anne Hughes, is joined by William McGowan of Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity who shares insights into the charities move into Retail Fundraising in recent years. William generously shares their thinking, process, and many of the lessons learned as the organisation took the leap into retail. 

In this episode of BTA Charity Voices Podcast Anne is joined by Bethany Biggar, Director of Edinburgh Food Project which operates seven food banks in the city. 
The discussion centres around how the Edinburgh Food Bank, identified what else was needed through research and evaluation and how this dictated the direction in which the organisation would grow.

Anne Hughes was joined by Alex Cummings and Sarah Grant of SAMH to discuss a partnership project with the Co-op, and in collaboration with two other organisations, that focused on mental health and wellbeing, involving fundraising and service development. 
Sarah, who coordinated the project, explains how it evolved from fundraising to service activation. Alex also emphasizes the holistic approach of the project, which included collaboration with other charities and a focus on local community needs. The project involved designing and implementing services based on local needs, with a focus on system change.
A rare opportunity to take glimpse behind the curtain of how to run a large scale project and the result and learning gleamed from it.

Managing Director of BTA, Mhairi Cameron, joins host Anne Hughes for a conversation about Series 3 of BTA Charity Voices Podcast and some reflections on the episodes of 2023. 
In 2024 the plan is to focus on Innovation & Collaboration and BTA invites colleagues from across the sector to get in touch and tell us what they'd like to talk about and listen to. 

mhairi@btaassociates.co.uk

Joining me for this episode of BTA Charity Voices Podcast is Cara Spence, Director of The Junction, a youth work organisation based in Leith to chat about the sustainability of local organisations and the difficulties they face.

Gilly Mendes Ferreira, Director of Innovation & Strategic Relationships @ SSPCA & Alex Cumming, Executive Director of Operations @ SAMH join this episode of Charity Voices Podcast to talk about Partnership Working and how their unique collaboration began. 

A conversation with Rami Okasha, CEO of CHAS about leadership, the importance of fundraising, work place culture, being courageous and so much more.

A great opportunity to chat directly with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator - OSCR.
Martin Tyson, Head of Regulation & Improvement joined us for a conversation about the wide variety of charities we have in Scotland; the ups & downs of being a charity trustee; the responsibilities of charities and new things on the horizon for our sector regulator.

Joining us for this episode is Vanessa Rhazali, fresh from winning the 'Fundraising Team of the Year Award' at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Scotland's Annual Awards Ceremony.
 We chat about how SiMBA's Fundraising and Communications Team has achieved outstanding results through collaboration and exceptional teamwork. The Team faced significant challenges this year and tackled them with positivity, resilience, and proactivity to save the Charity from closure. 
Their Urgent Appeal in December 2022 had a target of £220,000 and raised more than double this amount. Here we get to hear how Vanessa, a fundraiser of 30 years, took on the challenge and let her team to exceeding expectations.
 

A wonderful conversation about collaboration, and interestingly about unlikely collaboration. 
Joining us for this conversation three seemingly unlinked organisations come together to show what collaboration can look like when the focus remains firmly on shared impact and are committed to communication, open mindedness & cooperation. 

Jimmy Paul, Director of the 'Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland' joins me for a conversation about how we all have a role to play in redesigning Scotland's economy.

Weall Scotland need others to collaborate with them in how we redesign Scotland's economy to put people and the planet first. Their network is made up of more than 50 ally organisations who share their vision - from grassroots community groups and national NGOs to purpose-driven businesses.

weallscotland.org

In this episode we're joined by Ann McKechin, the vice-chair of Public Health Scotland, for a conversation about sustainability. 
Ann has a deep understanding in this area having approached it from many angles - these include her experience as a Member of Parliament; an Executive Officer with Scottish Power; and her significant Third Sector Governance experience.
Sustainability and the UN Global Goals are perhaps something that could have slipped our minds in recent years, so in this conversation we're chatting about how we can refocus on them and why it's so important that we do.

In this episode Mhairi Cameron, the new Managing Director of BTA fills us in the huge amount of work BTA does in the Charity Sector in Scotland.
We're chatting recruitment, interim support, consultancy, governance, building a case for support, telling the story of your organisation and lots more.

You can get in touch with Mhairi directly by emailing: mhairi@brucetaitassociates.com

Virginia Anderson of Disability Snow Sport UK has been in her role as CEO for 18 months and Iain McWhirter of Revive MS for a year so it was great to chat to them about the first year in their new roles.
Both share their biggest learning curves; the aspects that surprised them; their top tips for others thinking about making the leap to CEO and how they take care of themselves too.
Both Virginia and Iain share very openly in this episode which is packed with really useful insights and tips.

Jamie McIntosh joins Anne Hughes for a conversation about the CIOF in Scotland and how it aims to support fundraisers for all third sector organisations regardless of size. 
Jamie, who has been a fundraiser for 13 years, is the CEO of 'Scottish Love in Action' and 8 months ago became the chair of the Scotland Committee of the CIOF. As well as chatting about how the support of the CIOF has guided him throughout his career, we also hear about the just launched CIOF Scotland Conference which takes place in Glasgow on 5th & 6th September. 

In this episode we take a dive into how to prepare for interviews with Abeer Macintyre who has many years experience in both charity and charity recruitment.
In her work with BTA, Abeer has received thousands of applications, helps hundreds of people prepare for interview and advised many third organisations on the skills they need to fulfil their roles.
Lots of wisdom, hints and tips in this conversation and essential listening for anyone looking to make a move in their career.

In this episode we bring 67 years of joint fundraising experience together to chat about some of the stresses of fundraising in this time we're living through. We also look at the opportunities that exist and suggest some possible priorities that fundraising teams could be focussing on as we look forward.

Mentoring in the Third Sector is the topic for this episode of BTA Charity Voices Podcast.
Guest, Andrew Penker, of XSector Mentor joins our host Anne Hughes as they reflect on their experience of mentoring, and being a mentee. They also offer some advice about how to begin on this journey for your team and the impact it can have for organisations and individuals.

A conversation about culture with Interim Leader Karen Moore, and Global Director of Purpose and Inclusion at SThree, Gemma Branney who previously worked in the Third Sector.
This episode shares so much reflection, learnings and wisdom on how more Third Sector Organisations could begin to tackle the issue of work place culture within their organisations. As the quote says, 'Culture eats Strategy for breakfast' so it should be a priority at the top of everyone's list.

BTA Insights | Team Motivation

We are joined by Hazel Brown or Cornerstone and Iain McAndrew of CHAS as we kick off Series 2 of the BTA Charity Voices Podcast. In this episode we focus in on Team Motivation and what we can all do to ensure our team not only thrives at work, but feels rewarded and recognised.

As we reach the end of 2022 and the end of Series 1 of the BTA Charity Voices Podcast I spoke with Bruce Tait, CEO and Mhairi Cameron, Head of Interim at BTA to reflect on all the conversations we've captured through 43 conversations about Third Sector Careers.
We also looked forward to 2023 and the plans afoot for Series 3 of 'Charity Voices Podcast'.

The recently appointed CEO of ACOSVO (The Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations) joined me for a chat through her career just three months into her new role.
Lots of wisdom and insight on the strength that comes when we partner and collaborate and the collective achievement that can be found in this space. We also chatted about the opportunity ACOSVO aims to provide to Third Sector leaders in the year ahead. 

In this episode I chat to Elizabeth Balgobin as she reflects back on a forty-year career and shares her reflections that so many of the moments in her career were at the forefront of change.
We also chat about the importance of honesty, empathy, connection and lived values. 

Nela Popovic shares the journey of her career of staging large scale events in this episode. We kick the conversation off the the London Olympics of 2012, moving onto the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 and then onto current charity events The Kiltwalk & The Enchanted Forrest. 

Shivonne Graham has been in her Third Sector career for 25 years and walks us through all the twists and turns she's made on her way. A great insight into working for a diverse set of organisations and the depth of knowledge she gained on her way. 

Harvey Tilley, Chief Operating Officer of Independent Living Fund Scotland joins us in this episode to chat through his career which began in the military. That role, Harvey believes, led him to instinctively look for ways to to be in service, supporting our society to be better.
As well as chatting us through his career, and also roles on Boards, Harvey gives real insights on following our instincts when it comes to timing and knowing the right thing to do as we move through life.

Director of External Relations at the University of Dundee joins the conversation in this episode to chat about the career that carried her into the HE Sector and the parallels with the Charity Sector.
Collaboration, having impact and being clear on what you achieve are just some of the wisdoms that Rebecca shares. 

Adele Mills, the Head of Recruitment at BTA, joins us for this conversation as she chats about her journey from the private sector to working exclusively with third sector organisations at BTA.
This episode also shares some great insights into finding the right person, for the right job, in the right organisation and at the right time. A lot of plates to juggle but one that Adele and her recruitment team at BTA delight in.

Hazel Crombie has recently joined the Chartered Institute of Fundraising as the new Head of Scotland. As well as chatting us through her plans to support the Fundraising Community in the future, we also take a walk through her career which has its roots in Supporter Care and Legacy Fundraising.

In this episode with the Deputy CEO of CACE, Bronwyn takes us through her career from volunteer to CEO. Being committed to her own ongoing development and placing importance in building and nurturing her network have played a huge role so far, and there is still plenty more to come.

In this episode we talk Volunteers. With thousands of volunteers giving their time freely every year to the Charity Sector it was great to have some insights into how this role develops, what it adds to organisations and those who care so passionately about them.
Ronnie Young has recently taken up the post of Volunteer Manager at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising after holding this role in a variety of organisations. A great look at the sector from yet another angle in episode #33 of BTA Charity Voices Podcast.

BTA Insights Series

This conversation offers a new aspect to the BTA Charity Voices Podcast. In these occasional conversations we will focus in on a particular area of support open to organisations in the Third Sector. Here Mhairi Cameron, Head of Interim at BTA, chats about the advantages of getting some interim support within an organisation to offer fresh eyes, new perspectives and different knowledge to the wider team.