Charity Champions Podcast

Learn from inspiring leaders in the Charity Champions Podcast, powered by Charity Recruit. In our podcast, we share powerful stories from charity leaders. We talk to them about their journeys, their passion for the sector, and the challenges they have faced along the way.

Charity Champions Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Emily Formby, with 24 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Emily Formby hosts Charity Champions Podcast, a business show with 24 episodes published.

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  Episode #8

  Charity Leadership Lessons From Vicky Beevers, Founder, Sleep Charity

  Sep 22, 202642 minS3

  Charity Champions Podcast S03 E08: Vicky Beevers, Founder and CEO, The Sleep Charity In this episode of Charity Champions, host Emily Formby is joined by Vicky Beevers, founder and CEO of The Sleep Charity. Vicky shares her journey from deputy head teacher to national charity leader, built from her own family's experience of sleep deprivation. Vicky talks openly about starting the charity alongside her teaching career, the naivety and ambition that drove her early years, and the moment growing national media attention forced her to choose between the two. She explains how the charity grew through grant funding and local commissioning, pivoted online during Covid, and went on to win the GSK Impact Award despite her own imposter syndrome. The conversation also covers the realities that no one warns you about as a founder, from funding constipation and single-year contracts to burnout, boundaries and living with ADHD as a charity leader. Vicky reflects on the value of mentoring and networking, and why hearing the difference the charity makes keeps her going.

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  Episode #7

  Building an LGBTQ+ Safe Space: Liam Swanston, The Proud Trust

  Sep 8, 202645 minS3

  Charity Champions Podcast S03E07: Liam Swanston, Director of Development and Partnerships, The Proud Trust In this episode of Charity Champions, host Emily Formby is joined by Liam Swanston, Director of Development and Partnerships at The Proud Trust. Liam shares his full circle journey through LGBTQ+ youth work, from growing up as a young carer in Bury to leading national LGBTQ+ youth charity work in Manchester. Liam talks openly about losing his brother at eleven, becoming a young carer for his mum and how the support he received from youth workers shaped the career he has now. He explains the moment he first discovered youth work as a job rather than "just what you do," his path from frontline delivery to charity leadership, and how The Proud Trust supports LGBTQ+ young people across the UK today. The conversation also covers what changes when you move from hands on youth work into a leadership role, why lived experience matters in charity leadership, and what keeps Liam hopeful for the next generation of LGBTQ+ young people and youth workers.

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  Episode #6

  From Homelessness to Charity Leadership

  Aug 25, 202643 minS3

  Charity Champions Podcast S03E06: Brian Willmore, Non-Executive Director, Riverside In this episode of Charity Champions, host Emily Formby from Charity Recruit sits down with Brian Willmore, a charity and housing sector leader of more than three decades, non-exec director at Riverside Housing Group and advisor to the Ministry of Defence on veteran support. Brian shares how experiencing homelessness as a teenager shaped his path into charity leadership, why compassionate decision making matters in the not for profit sector, and what he tells anyone stepping into their first CEO role. If you work in the charity, non-profit or housing sector, this conversation on authentic leadership, neurodivergence at work and staying connected to frontline services is one you won't want to miss.

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  Episode #5

  From Trustee to CEO: Navigating Charity Leadership Transition with Andrew Caudell

  Aug 11, 202640 minS3

  Charity Champions Podcast S03E05: Andrew Claudell, CEO, Kids for Kids Andy Caudell, CEO of Kids for Kids and former trustee of the Child Brain Injury Trust, joins Charity Champions to talk honestly about stepping into charity leadership after 25 years under founder Patricia Parker. From the chance encounter that first drew him to international development to the realities of leading Kids for Kids through Sudan's humanitarian crisis, this episode is packed with practical advice for anyone navigating charity leadership and succession. In this episode: What it's really like taking over from a founder who built the charity from nothing Why Andy believes charity leadership means picking up a "moral obligation," not just a job title How Kids for Kids supports communities across Darfur, Sudan, amid the world's worst humanitarian crisis What Andy learned from trusteeship before stepping into the CEO role Why authenticity, not a polished CV, landed him the job

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  Episode #2

  Charity CEO Burnout, Charity Boards and Ukraine Aid | A Chat with Dr Craig Dearden-Phillips MBE

  Jul 28, 202650 minS3

  Charity Champions Podcast S03E04: Dr Craig Dearden-Phillips MBE, Founder of Social Club UK Dr Craig Dearden-Phillips, former charity CEO and founder of Social Enterprise UK and Stepping Out, joins Charity Champions to talk honestly about burnout, board relationships and his recent trip supporting charities in Ukraine. From the loneliness of the top job to why diverse boards make better decisions, this episode is packed with practical advice for anyone leading in the charity sector. In this episode: What it's really like supporting Ukrainian charities on the ground Why Craig stepped back from being a chief exec, and what he learned from it How to manage your board instead of being managed by it What makes a successful charity spinout leader Why trustee boards can sometimes block progress

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