The Charity Changemakers Podcast

Season 3 | E7 Jess Camburn-Rahmani on building charities and leading with humility

Adam is joined by Jess Camburn-Rahmani, Chief Executive of Cerebra, a UK charity supporting children and families living with brain conditions. Jess takes us on a fascinating career journey from a VSO placement with an indigenous communities NGO in Uganda, to community development in Swansea, to building Elrha (a humanitarian innovation organisation) from a single grant into a 40-staff organisation with over £40 million of lifetime funding, before making a significant move into the disability sector. This is a conversation full of hard-won wisdom: about what it really means to lead without being the expert, how to build an organisation that isn't dependent on its founder, and why the relationship between a CEO and their board is one of the most undervalued assets in the charity sector. Together, Adam and Jess explore: * How a VSO placement in Uganda shaped a career built on humility and listening * Building Elrha from a £250k project grant into a global humanitarian research and innovation organisation * Leading through personal loss and learning to know when it's time to move on * The 18-month wobble many working parents experience and why having a brilliant board chair can make all the difference * Why calling your charity "a family" might actually be doing your team a disservice * The dangers of founder syndrome and how to leave an organisation at the right time * What drew Jess to Cerebra and the growth journey she's leading there now * Why every CEO has imposter syndrome and why that's actually a good thing * The leadership mantra she's carried with her: give credit when things go well, take accountability when they don't Takeaways * Career journey and international development * Building organisations from the ground up * Founder transitions and succession * Board and trustee relationships * Leading dispersed and remote teams * Parenting and leadership * Imposter syndrome * Organisational culture About Cerebra Cerebra supports children and families across the UK living with brain conditions, from neurodivergent conditions through to rare diseases and birth injuries. All services are free of charge. Find out more at cerebra.org.uk [http://cerebra.org.uk] and listen to their podcast, The Calm and the Complicated, on all major podcast platforms. Chapters * [00:00] Introduction and quickfire questions * [04:38] How Jess found her way into the charity sector * [06:27] Reflections on VSO and the ethics of international development * [08:41] Community development in Swansea and the role of Save the Children * [12:42] The origins of Elrha, from a grant project to a global organisation * [16:36] Leadership lessons from building something from scratch * [19:35] The importance of a brilliant board relationship * [21:43] Knowing when to move on and the guilt of leaving * [26:13] Cerebra, what the charity does and why Jess was drawn to it * [32:58] Leadership qualities that take organisations on growth journeys * [34:42] Building culture across a dispersed team * [39:48] Advice to your earlier self, nuggets of leadership wisdom #CharityLeadership #NonProfitLeadership #CharityChangemakers #HumanitarianSector #CharityCareers #DisabilitySector #Podcast #LeadershipLessons #ThirdSector #CharitySector #BoardGovernance #SocialImpact #PurposeDriven #OrganisationalGrowth

Season 3 | Ep 6 Rob Avann on governance, trusteeship and building boards that actually work

In this episode of the Charity Changemakers Podcast, Adam is joined by Rob Avann, charity consultant, interim leader and seasoned trustee, for a conversation that gets into the real nuts and bolts of charity governance - and why so many organisations are still getting it wrong. With 20 years in the sector, eight years as a permanent CEO, a spell as interim CEO, and 16 years across five trustee boards, Rob brings a rare 360-degree perspective. He shares how his career began in local government - commissioning services around crime, domestic violence and community safety - before a growing connection to the charity sector pulled him across. His first trustee role came before his first charity job, and that sequence, he argues, shaped everything that followed. Adam and Rob dig into what makes the board-CEO relationship work, why it so often doesn't, and what both sides consistently get wrong. Rob is candid about the mistakes he sees in his consultancy work, from the absence of clear governance frameworks to boards that drift into the operational when clarity breaks down, and explains why governance is never a destination, always a journey. Together, Adam and Rob unpack: * Why every CEO should serve as a trustee somewhere else - and what it changes * The chair-CEO relationship as the most important dynamic in any charity * How to build trust across the board without letting challenge slide into blame * What a governance review actually looks like - and how to handle findings that surprise people * The honest realities of transitioning from CEO to consultant, including the sleepless nights * How interim and permanent CEO roles differ in mindset, not just tenure * The power of mentoring and where to find it - from Cranfield Trust to the Kilfinan Group * Why delegation isn't optional, and burnout is what happens when leaders forget that Rob also reflects on the managers who shaped him, why he wishes he'd told them so at the time, and what he'd say to his younger self about not carrying the weight of an organisation alone. Takeaways * Trusteeship | Governance | Board-CEO relationships | Interim leadership | Charity consulting | Mentoring | Delegation | Career development Chapters * [00:00] Introduction and background * [08:23] Why trusteeship is pivotal — for trustees and CEOs alike * [10:08] What goes wrong between boards and chief executives * [16:44] Navigating the line between governance and operations * [21:44] Leading through COVID and the value of strong foundations * [23:36] Mentoring, great managers and how to find support * [28:10] The transition to consulting — variety, freedom and the odd sleepless night * [32:17] Permanent vs interim CEO — a different mindset entirely * [36:55] Governance reviews — holding up a mirror to organisations * [40:27] Leadership advice and what Rob would tell his younger self #CharityGovernance #Trusteeship #CharityLeadership #NonProfitLeadership #CharityChangemakers #BoardDevelopment #CharityCareers #CharitySector #InterimLeadership #ThirdSector

Season 3 | E5 Jonny Cobbold on mental health, mission alignment and leading with humanity

In this episode of the Charity Changemakers Podcast, Adam is joined by Jonny Cobbold, Director of Development at Change Mental Health, a Scottish mental health charity supporting around 12,000 people a year. Jonny brings rare candour to the conversation, sharing his own lived experience with mental health, the career pivot that changed everything, and what it really takes to lead with consistency, humanity and purpose. Jonny opens up about his early career in recruitment - a world that left him in tears and led him to quit - and how that moment of misalignment set him firmly on the path into the charity sector. From there, he charts his journey through education charities to his current role at Change Mental Health, a place he describes as an incredibly personal fit, both culturally and because of his own mental health history. Together, Adam and Jonny unpack: •       Why a bad six months in recruitment became the defining moment of his career •       His lived experience of anxiety and how it shapes the way he leads today •       The fine line between being open about mental health and oversharing as a leader •       How working remotely for a Scottish charity while living near Liverpool actually works •       Building team culture across a dispersed organisation •       The power of long-term executive coaching and knowing yourself as a leader •       Why energy and enthusiasm will only take you so far •       The nuts and bolts of consistent, reliable leadership that teams actually need •       Change Mental Health's growth and the ambition that drives it •       Mental health in the workplace: why Jonny is passionate about training and prevention This is a warm, honest and thought-provoking conversation for anyone navigating senior leadership, working through their own relationship with mental health at work, or looking for a reminder that sustainable leadership starts with knowing yourself. TAKEAWAYS •       Career journey and sector entry •       Mental health and lived experience in leadership •       Remote working and team culture •       Executive coaching and self-awareness •       Consistent and reliable management •       Mission alignment and values-led leadership •       Workplace mental health training CHAPTERS [00:00] Introduction and quickfire questions [08:00] How Jonny got into the charity sector [14:00] Lived experience of mental health and leading with empathy [18:00] Work-life balance and working remotely across borders [23:00] Building and maintaining team culture across distance [30:00] The role of executive coaching over 14 years [34:00] Change Mental Health - who they are and what they do [39:00] Mental health in the workplace and what comes next [41:00] Where to turn if you're struggling with your mental health [42:00] One leadership lesson learned the hard way HASHTAGS #CharityChangemakers #MentalHealth #CharityLeadership #NonProfitLeadership #CharityCareers #MentalHealthAtWork #Leadership #WorkplaceWellbeing #ThirdSector #CharitySector #PurposeDriven #SocialImpact #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipLessons #ScotlandCharity

Season 3 | E4 Lee Barnett on compassionate leadership and bereavement support

In this episode of the Charity Changemakers Podcast, Adam is joined by Lee Barnett, Chief Encourager of Sandy Bear Children's Bereavement Charity, for a warm and candid conversation about life, leadership and supporting bereaved children and families across Wales. Lee shares a career journey that began in catering, moved through NHS dementia care, youth work with the Red Cross and public health commissioning, before arriving at Sandy Bear three years ago. He reflects on what compassionate leadership really looks like, why it's so often mistaken for weakness, and how personal life experience has shaped him as much as any formal training. Together, Adam and Lee unpack: * How a career without a clear plan can be the best kind of foundation * Why bereavement work involves far more laughter than people assume * Sandy Bear's model of supporting families before, during and after a bereavement * Why early grief support can reduce risky teenage behaviour and improve educational outcomes * The challenges of funding a small charity and the freedom that comes from reducing statutory dependency * Why Sandy Bear is "bigger than bereavement" * The origin of the Sandy Bear name, rooted in the beaches of Pembrokeshire * Why being the least important person in the room might be the mark of a great leader A generous, grounded and joyful conversation for anyone working in the charity sector, leadership, or the often overlooked world of bereavement support. Takeaways Career journey | Compassionate leadership | Children's bereavement | Funding challenges | Grief and young people | Wales charity sector Chapters * 00:00 Introduction and Career Journey * 09:13 Transition to Sandy Bear and Challenges of Funding * 14:46 Working with Local Authorities and Long-Term Planning * 20:54 Impact of the Charity's Work and Positive Memories * 26:21 Collaboration with Hospices and Family Support * 32:44 The Origin and Name of Sandy Bear * 40:51 Lessons Learned and Compassionate Leadership #CharityLeadership #Bereavement #ChildrensCharity #CompassionateLeadership #CharitySector #Wales #NonProfitLeadership #CharityChangemakers #SocialImpact #ThirdSector

Season 3 | E3 Kit Powney on AI, digital strategy and the future of charities

In this episode of the Charity Changemakers Podcast, Adam Stacey speaks with Kit Powney, Head of Digital Maturity at Tearfund. Kit shares her journey from campaigning and advocacy into digital strategy, and explains how charities can approach digital transformation in a practical and thoughtful way. The conversation explores how technology, data and AI are reshaping the sector, but also why strategy, values and people must remain at the centre of any transformation effort. Kit also offers practical advice for organisations that feel overwhelmed by the pace of change, explaining why starting small and building a digital mindset across teams can unlock real impact. From AI adoption to organisational culture, this episode provides a thoughtful look at how charities can navigate technology while staying focused on mission and impact. Takeaways * Digital transformation is about organisational change, not just technology * AI can unlock efficiency and innovation if aligned with strategy and values * Many charities already have powerful tools available within Microsoft and Google ecosystems * Small changes and experiments can deliver significant improvements * Developing a digital mindset across teams is critical for successful transformation * The charity sector must balance innovation with ethical considerations and human oversight Chapters * 00:00 Introduction and Background * 05:27 Transition into Digital Strategy * 13:39 The Role of Digital Transformation * 21:19 Opportunities and Risks of AI * 35:23 Career Advice and Future Outlook If you enjoyed the episode, please like, share and leave a review. Your support helps more charity leaders and changemakers discover the show. #CharitySector #AIForGood #DigitalTransformation #Podcast