Civil Society Podcast

In this episode, Civil Society talked to Debra Allcock Tyler, chief executive of the Directory of Social Change (DSC). We discussed Allcock Tyler's 25-year tenure at DSC, leading through tough times and dealing with moral fatigue, among other things.

To mark Volunteers’ Week, the RVS's head of DEI discusses digital volunteering platform, GoVo, issues surrounding accessibility across the volunteering sector, and more...

The latest Civil Society Podcast episode has been published with David Holdsworth, chief executive of the Charity Commission. In this interview, Holdsworth discusses increasing casework for the regulator, mooted new powers for it to clamp down on extremism, the debate over paying trustees and the need to boost philanthropy in the UK, among other areas.

In this episode, Civil Society spoke to Jen Shang about her book Meaningful Philanthropy. We discussed the psychology behind giving, donor motivations, engagement strategies for charities and moral conviction, among other subject areas.

The Fundraising Regulator chief executive talks the recently revised Fundraising Code of Practice, the new soft opt-in rules, AI in fundraising, and more... Editor's note: This podcast was recorded at the end of January 2026, prior to the formal implementation of the soft opt-in rules in early February 2026.

Anand Shukla, chief executive of the Henry Smith Foundation, and Emma de Closset, chief executive of UK Community Foundations, discuss their thoughts, feelings and reflections on their new partnership and the expansion of the care leavers’ programme so far; the benefits of multi-year funding; the importance of creativity in grantmaking; the role of community foundations and the future of place-bas...

A new episode of the Civil Society Podcast has been published today, featuring an interview with Lily Caswell, head of retail and volunteering, and Jo Turner, chief executive of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity

James Blake, CEO of the Youth Hostels Association (YHA), talks to the Civil Society Podcast about the impact of Covid on the charity, the broader impact of government cuts on the third sector and the short and long term aims of YHA going forward.

Nicole Sykes, director of policy, comms andresearch at the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, talks to the Civil Society Podcast about the financial challenges facing small charities, the role offunders in supporting them and reasons to be optimistic about the years ahead.

In this interview, Olivia Barker-White, chief executive and co-founder of Kids Club Kampala, discusses the challenges of running a small NGO, her advocacy work for other small charities, and the effects of the recent foreign aid cuts on charities like hers...

In this interview, Neil Heslop, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, talks to Civil Society about the changing landscape of the charity sector, advocating for disability rights and the role of philanthropy...

To mark the one-year anniversary of the Women in Charity Network, Emily Moss is sitting down with its foudners, Harriet Edwards and Laura Williamson, to discuss its brilliant work encouraging more women to take up senior roles across the sector. 

In this new podcast episode, Debbie Weekes-Bernard, London’s deputy mayor for communities and social justice, outlines what the Mayor of London's office is doing to help the charity sector and what it’s looking for in the upcoming Spending Review.

Philanthropy experts Fozia Irfan and Rhodri Davies join Rob Preston to discuss some of the key milestones in the history of philanthropy in the UK.

In this episode, Junior Reporter, Emily Moss, will be speaking with Chris Parsons, the director of Landworks, the winners of this year’s Charity Awards and they will discuss Chris’ experiences helping to found Landworks, and its experiences of the Charity Awards, including how it feels to win. For more info, visit: https://charityawards.co.uk/

Charity Awards judging panel chair joins Civil Society news editor Rob Preston to discuss all things Charity Awards. Chris shares tips for charities thinking about entering the 2025 Awards, what impressed him most about previous winners and how he finds managing a lively panel of sector experts. For more information about the 2025 Awards or to enter, visit: charityawards.co.uk

To mark Charity Finance Week, Helena Wilkinson, partner and head of not-for-profit at Price Bailey, talks to Civil Society about the quality of charity reporting. In this episode, Helena Wilkinson reflects on nine years of reviewing reporting at the UK's largest charities. She discusses why she started this research, what has changed over the years and what the future might hold.

Alison Taylor, CEO of CAF Bank and CAF Financial Solutions Limited, talks to Civil Society ahead of the upcoming Charity Finance Summit. In this episode, Taylor discusses the long-standing banking issues facing many charities, financial resilience in challenging times and sustainability. 

Paul Parker, recording clerk of Quakers in Britain, talks to Civil Society ahead of the Faith Charities Forum. In this episode, Paul Parker talks about the relationship between government and faith charities, the importance of charities campaigning and the legacy of Quaker philanthropists in today’s voluntary sector.

In this new podcast episode, Chris Walker, policy and public affairs manager at NCVO outlines what charities can expect in the lead up to the general election, the opportunities it presents to them and what they should keep in mind when campaigning around this time.

In this interview, Harriet Whitehead speaks with Jabeer Butt, the CEO of the Race Equality Foundation. He speaks about his hopes from government, campaigning, and how he became involved in the charity sector.

Our Elevate fundraising conference special podcast episode featuring an interview with Arthritis Action interim CEO Noha Al Afifi. Noha discusses her career in marketing, communications and fundraising which began in her native Qatar before she moved to the UK in 2011. She offers some key insights for charity professionals around impact measurement, investing for long term growth and using emotion...

Freedom From Torture’s digital campaigns manager Agustina Oliveri gives the inside track on the charity’s award-winning Stop the Flights campaign.

Freedom from Torture's director of survivor empowerment discusses his work alongside fellow survivors, his conversation with the late queen and accepting the overall award for excellence at last year's Charity Awards.

Welcome to the very first Civil Society Podcast episode with news editor Rob Preston and deputy news editor Harriet Whitehead. In this episode, we make up for lost time by discussing the origins of the charity sector in the UK. To help us with this tall task, we are joined by sector expert Ian Allsop.