THIRD SECTOR MAKES “VITAL” CONTRIBUTION SAYS ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE

The contribution of the Voluntary and Community Sector is vital to delivering public services and improving society says a new report from the Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee.

The Committee’s Report, entitled Creating Effective Partnerships between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector looked at the relationships between the Sector and Government departments.

For further information, please see the full release on the Assembly website.

TAKE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEY

We’re looking to pull together some info on how third sector organisations are using social media!

We want to know how, when and why you use social media for your organisation. What kind of traction do you get from it? What is it best at? What shouldn’t it be used for?

Everyone knows that social media can act as a real driver of interaction and engagement for third sector bodies – this blog is proof of that! But in order to use it most effectively, what are the most effective areas for focus? Take the survey and help us find out…

https://t.co/grF359L8

INTERVIEW – DAVID BOYD, BEAT INITIATIVE

What organisation do you work for? Give a brief summary of their activities.

David Boyd

David Boyd, Chief Executive of the Beat Initiative carnival arts company

I am the Director (Chief Executive) of the Beat Initiative carnival arts company. To bring communities together in celebration through carnival arts, Beat creates large-scale, participatory carnival arts events; engages communities with attractive weekly and project-based carnival arts programmes; and operates a Carnival Arts Centre of Excellence with facilities for training and production.

What contact do you have with other third sector bodies? How do you find that?

I have working contact with community regeneration, youth service and other bodies that we share development and delivery objectives with. This contact is crucial, as the carnival and community arts work is very much about partnerships where we make things happen through combining our specialisms. So networks of experts are one important aspect of the contact. Another aspect is the representation, the role that other 3rd sector bodies play in providing access to people and communities or representing areas and interests in our planning and programming.

What’s the most unique challenge faced by the third sector compared to bodies operating in the public/private spheres?

We have to make significant things happen without a big cushion of support and safety. Quite often the sector’s work is generated from new ideas – and new ways have to be found to understand, nurture and grow it, rather than having a long history of how things are done, or big teams of back-up staff. Of course therein is the opportunity, as well as the challenge.

What do you think the general public think of the work of the third sector? Do you think they understand what it does?

The general public doesn’t always understand the vulnerability that is hinted at in the previous answer. We are paid to do ‘good things’…easy as that, without realizing that the resources have to be found and constantly regenerated and it all has to be managed. The public sometimes think of the visible front line work as being ‘all we do’ – and of course ‘it must be very satisfying and great fun!’

What do you think is the current state of leadership is in the third sector?

We are fortunate to have innovative and resilient 3rd sector leadership in N.I. with people who are concerned to contribute to the wider sector as well as their own areas of interest.

Beyond funding, what is the greatest challenge a voluntary organisation faces? How does a leader manage in the absence of a profit-motive?

Assembling and sustaining the right organisational team is a great challenge. Material and security rewards may not be quite the same as offered by the competition in the other sectors, plus we have a pretty heavy regulatory and governance framework to work within so there may also seem to be less freedom and fluidity than people might expect in the sector. But people work in the sector because they are motivated by creating benefit rather than financial profit, per se, so in managing an organization, a leader has to ensure that appropriate, consistent values are kept to the forefront of the organisation’s strategy and implementation.

How do you think the concept of leadership works in a voluntary framework?

The concept of leadership works much the same as it does in other sectors, particularly in today’s hard-nosed, nitty-gritty environment. In some ways, leadership may be generally more advanced in the 3rd sector, for example in collaborative working practices or in alternative and non-hierarchical models. Of course such models still need to be better understood, communicated, experimented with – and again that may be where we have a practical advantage in this forward-looking sector.

Why do you think you won your award?

Maybe because of some of the things that I have already mentioned as being important in taking our business forward: identifying outside expertise to bring on board for crucial tasks; effectively balancing traditional vs new and innovative approaches and governance vs artistic direction; effectively building a broad, informal, collaborative team and voluntary goodwill to drive projects forward and sustain them (as well as the small team of actual employees)…. and I think in general, bringing a sense of inspiration and drive to starting and sustaining much needed creative work in the context of our local social history and needs.

 What differentiates you from other third sector organisations in your area of expertise?

Our expertise is in working creatively with a wide range of people, in their own local situations: but also with them, and together with others, in civic spaces to give visible expression of shared, community achievement and celebration for all. Working in ‘art’ really is about transforming situations rather than only managing them and we have seen the unique role that art can play in social transformation, particularly in conflict contexts.

What has the award given you and your organisation? Is it a signal of quality?

The award is a welcome signal of quality, but also a tremendously welcome signal of recognition and even ‘belonging’ in the sector, which we as an arts organization can feel to be at some far and insignificant edge of. It gives us a sense of increased relationship with others in the sector.

INTERVIEW – KERRY ANTHONY, DEPAUL IRELAND

What organisation do you work for? Give a brief summary of their activities.

I work for Depaul Ireland and we support some of the most vulnerable within our society. Our focus is primarily on addressing the issue of homelessness and many of the services we have opened have been the first of their kind including low threshold services for people with long term alcohol misuse issues, active drug users, women leaving prison, migrants, and for people with enduring mental health issues.

Kerry Anthony, CEO of Depaul Ireland

Depaul Ireland is a cross border organisation working in Northern Ireland and in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. We employ over 280 people and have an equivalent number of volunteers. Our turnover is somewhere in the region of €10 million. Since opening our doors to our first service in Dublin just 10 years ago we have grown to deliver 15 specialist services for people who are experiencing homelessness.
Depaul Ireland is also part of a group of International charities addressing homelessness elsewhere in the UK, Ukraine, Slovakia, America and this year also in France. As part of my role I sit on the Senior Management Group for Depaul International and we seek to share information across the group in the best interest of service improvement specific to each country.

What contact do you have with other third sector bodies? How do you find that?

As an organisation we know our limitations and we work closely with other organisations that compliment the work that our staff and volunteers are doing on a daily basis and this is most definitely in the best interest of our clients. We have a strong commitment to partnership working at all levels of the organisation.

In my role I sit on a number of voluntary sector groups, in NI and ROI, with peers and this is always beneficial in terms of sharing knowledge, and also providing a wider advocacy voice for the sector. A good example of this in Northern Ireland would be the Voluntary Sector Housing Policy Forum which has a number of members and has been successful in lobbying on a range of shared issues.

CO3 has also been a tremendous support to me in my role and has exposed me to some very impressive people and the opportunity for peer support is immense and it is difficult to see where else this support could come at this level.

What’s the most unique challenge faced by the third sector compared to bodies operating in the public/private spheres?

I think there are very many similar challenges but I do think that the uncertainty we live with particularly with regards to finance is a major challenge in our sector. At the moment we have dual uncertainty with decreasing statutory income coupled with the uncertainty of voluntary income and the potential reduction in this particularly from individuals, companies and charitable foundations. All this with a backdrop of increasing need and demand. This level of uncertainty year to year makes budgeting and planning very challenging.

What do you think the general public think of the work of the third sector? Do you think they understand what it does?

In general I think that the public understand well what the third sector is about and this is evident in the generosity of the public in terms of volunteering and giving of themselves which is in my experience incredibly humbling. On top of this people still continue to give financially to causes that they feel passionately about.

That said, I think there is a general lack of understanding about the accountability that the third sector has and the requirement to have good business sense. Like any other organisation in other sectors, to be the best we can we need to have proper strategic, business and continuity planning in place. We need to manage and support our workforce and volunteers. We need to be good stewards of the money we receive and all that goes with this. Of course we need to have the highest level of quality standards in place to ensure the best possible care and support for those who come to us in need. I am not sure that all of this is fully understood, but importantly the nature of the front line work still seems to strike a chord and attract support from generous people.

What do you think is the current state of leadership is in the third sector?

Generally speaking I think that the leadership in the third sector is of a high standard. I am constantly impressed by people’s ability to do a multitude of roles under the title of just one!

Generalising again, I think that largely people in the third sector don’t see what they do as simply just a job; I certainly don’t, and feel it is something of a vocation. It is this sort of commitment which gives leaders the ability to rise to the challenges that we face, think creatively and be more prepared to take some calculated risks if we think it will improve lives of vulnerable people.

In the past people tended to go for a career in a particular sector and stay in it, but now people are transferring across sectors and bringing their skill and expertise with them. The cross fertilisation of skills and knowledge between the corporate, public and voluntary sector is a good thing for leadership I think, if it is coupled with a commitment to the vision and values of the organisation. We certainly have been very lucky and benefited as an organisation by employing an exceptional Director of Finance who transferred out of the corporate sector to the voluntary sector.

The reach of the third sector is huge and the amount of people supported on a daily basis by caring professionals and volunteers is amazing. I think the creativity within the sector is phenomenal and to see more and more people pushing the limits further to think about new ways to generate income to do even more is quite amazing. I think some of our best leaders may be found in the third sector.

Beyond funding, what is the greatest challenge a voluntary organisation faces? How does a leader manage in the absence of a profit-motive?

I think the greatest challenge is remaining true to your organisations vision, mission and values. We have undertaken a great deal of work within Depaul to invest in this area. In a time when resources are limited and need is greater you really have to dig deep and work hard to inspire others and in my opinion for us in Depaul there is no better way than through the day to day application of our values in practice. Never forgetting the individuals whose life you can have an impact on in a positive way, no matter what your role is.

In 2011 we undertook the transfer of 2 smaller organisations to join with Depaul Ireland, this was not without its challenges but also the rewards have been great. Both of these organisations had shared values and sit well within Depaul Ireland but we all need to be mindful that with pressure for further collaboration we need to ensure that we do not compromise on our values.

In the absence of profit our motivation has to be the improvement in the well being of the people we are here to support. At Depaul one of our core values is that we believe in the potential of people – what better motivation is there than that?

How do you think the concept of leadership works in a voluntary framework?

I think in the voluntary framework you have to be mindful that at times you are doing more than simply leading an organisation you are also leading a movement of people.  This includes all stakeholders, not just staff and service users but those who are involved in the mission of the organisation, those who volunteer, those who donate.

In this regard communication and involvement becomes very important you need to find ways to inspire people, thank people and involve them in the mission of the organisation so that they can understand and believe that their contribution is making a difference.

Why do you think you won your award?

Mainly because someone was kind enough to nominate me and the judges were kind enough to see potential in me!

I won in the category of leader in vision and strategy and perhaps one of the things that I am most proud of is how we have collectively built a vision for Depaul in both NI and ROI. I hope that the award was recognition of the fact that within Depaul we have a clear understanding of who we are, what we are doing and why we are doing it. More than that I hope it also recognised our commitment to be visionary, innovative and creative in the interest of those most in need.

What differentiates you from other third sector organisations in your area of expertise?

Another core value in Depaul is that we believe in action over words, and as much as we value lobbying our commitment is to action and that is where our resources are expended. We also aim to talk from experience to those we meet and encourage them to visit our services first hand to understand our work. We are aim to introduce systemic change in this way.

I hope that we as an organisation have remained true to our roots, inspiried by St Vincent de Paul who was a priest 400 years ago in Paris. He broke with the conventions of the day, took risks, and aimed to reach out to the most in need, those that others struggle to work with. 400 years on we work in a very different way than Vincent and we are not a religious organisation but we are inspired by our history and background and continue to try to be innovative and risk taking in the service of those who most need us.

What has the award given you and your organisation? Is it a signal of quality?

It was lovely to receive the award. The tremendous thing about CO3 is that the focus is on Chief Officers and recognising the challenges that they deal with and providing support around that.

So, the award was given to me as the CEO but is for all of us in Depaul. I am supported by a wonderful Board and Senior Management Team who all have a hand to play in leading the organisation and creating vision and strategy for others. Also in our services we have many great leaders in all sorts of roles who are champions of our values on a daily basis. So I think an award like this is a great boost for us all and recognition of the work throughout Depaul.

I believe that it has recognised the quality of work particularly in regards to our strategic plan that everyone – staff service users, and volunteers – were involved in creating and has recognised cohesion within Depaul that we can be proud of.

JUDGING UNDERWAY FOR CO3 AWARDS

Majella McCloskey today announces that judging has commenced on this year’s nominations for the CO3 Leadership awards

The deadline for nominations has passed and judging is now underway for the CO3 Leadership Awards. There has been record interest across all the categories and those judging predict a close-run race between many talented executives.

 
The winners will be presented with their awards at the gala dinner taking place in the City Hotel Derry~Londonderry on the 23rd February. Categories open for nomination included ‘Leading on Political Impact’, ‘Leading Growth and Innovation’ and ‘Third Sector Chairperson of the Year’.

Sammy Douglas MLA welcomes the CO3 Voyager Leadership Awards and Conference.

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Sammy Douglas MLA welcomes the CO3 Leadership Awards and Conference

“What’s refreshing about these awards is that they show there is real strength and depth to the third sector in Northern Ireland. Talented people are working in a very wide range of organisations and it’s important that we take opportunities such as the CO3 Voyager Leadership Awards to give them the recognition they deserve.

 As a member of the All-Party Group on the Voluntary and Community Sector, I’ve seen first-hand the unique challenges that bodies operating in this field can face. Good leadership is the bedrock that other organisational functions – such as fundraising – depend on. In my experience the benefits that strong, progressive leadership brings to an organisation are visible at every level: something that is crucial when you consider the vulnerable stakeholders that these organisations are supporting.

 The CO3 Voyager Leadership Conference will be a real catalyst for the voluntary and community sector – good practice is hard to achieve and harder to maintain, so events like this, where leaders can share best practice, can only act to improve service delivery.”

INTERVIEW – RICK MOYERS, MEYER FOUNDATION

Rick Moyers, one of the keynote speakers at the CO3 Voyager Leadership Conference

What work does the Meyer Foundation do? What is your role within it? 

The Meyer Foundation is an independent, private foundation that makes grants to support nonprofit organizations that are working to improve the lives of low-income people in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. For most of our nearly 70-year history, we’ve also been particularly  interested in identifying and supporting visionary and effective voluntary sector leaders in our region, and in promoting our region’s nonprofit sector as a critical third partner alongside business and government in solving community problems and addressing unmet needs. As vice president for programs and communications, I lead the Foundation’s programmatic work. I joined the Foundation in 2003 as the program officer for the Foundation’s Management Assistance and Nonprofit Sector Strengthening programs, and I continue to have a strong interest in those areas.

What qualities are required for an individual to succeed in third sector management?

Although I think this holds true for most third sector managers, it is especially important for chief executives to have a broad skill set that includes both hard and soft skills. For example, the ability to motivate and inspire staff and volunteers, and the ability to read a balance sheet.  In the nonprofit sector in the United States, middle and senior managers are often spread thin and wear multiple hats, so flexibility and versatility are key. And especially over the past three years, optimism helps—the ability to see challenges as opportunities, and a stubborn belief that we can make positive lasting change in our communities.

What is the key to third sector organisations being able to make lasting changes to the lives of their stakeholders?

 I believe that third sector organizations make lasting changes in the lives of their stakeholders every day, and that an equally burning question is how we can get better at tracking the change, measuring our impact, and communicating our success stories. Of course, some organizations may lack clarity about what they’re trying to accomplish or may be pursuing strategies that are not very effective, but if we recognize the imperative to get better at measuring and communicating our impact, organizations would become clearer about the change they’re trying to make and would be better able to determine whether they were making a difference.

 Beyond getting better at measuring and communicating, financial resources, sustainability, and under-capitalization are always a challenge – one I think we’ve ignored or tried to work around for too long in the U.S. This challenge has been exacerbated by the economic conditions of the past three years, with government at every level looking for cuts and savings. But it’s hard to create lasting change on the cheap.

 How does a leader in the third sector strike a balance between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ management skills?

Both are essential, especially for chief executives. To some extent, leaders can compensate for a lack of hard or soft skills as they build their staffs and management teams. My own view is that we may have neglected or under-emphasized some hard skills, particularly around human resources and financial management, to our detriment.

In your experience, what’s been the most innovative piece of leadership you’ve seen in the third sector?

That’s a hard question. The increased use of executive coaching as a leadership development tool over the past decade or so in the U.S. has been a lifeline for a large number of third sector executives.

If you had to suggest one area for improvement in the third sector organisations you’ve been involved with, what would it be?

Stop believing that our status as nonprofit or voluntary organizations relieves us of the obligation to operate in a fiscally responsible way, including regularly turning a surplus or profit. It’s what happens to the profit that sets our sector apart, not the ability to make one. The importance of our work and the consequences of failure make it imperative that we make sophisticated financial management a priority.

Are there lessons that third sector organisations can learn from the public and private sectors?

Both the public and private sectors are better in some ways at talent management – developing and supporting managers and leaders – than we are. I also think that the private sector has better systems for capitalization – providing venture capital for innovation – than our sector. Business in particular also recognizes the importance of marketing and communications, and is not ashamed at trumpeting its own successes.

INTERVIEW – ALAN THOMSON, ORCHARDVILLE SOCIETY

What organisation do you work for? Can you give a brief summary of their activities.

I work for the Orchardville Society, which is a registered charity that provides employment skills as well as opportunities for social and leisure interaction for individuals with learning disabilities and those with an autistic spectrum disorder. As part of our work, we run two coffee shops, a bottling plant and a back-office skills training centre, both of which are profit-making enterprises that support the work that we do.

What contact do you have with other third sector bodies? How do you find that?

Well, we interact with a very wide range of third sector bodies, being part of the consortium of the East Belfast Partnership and the Now Project in North and East Belfast. We also interact with the Cedar Foundation and our Deputy Chief Executive, Margaret Haddock, is Chairperson of Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment and the President of the European Union of Supported Employment. I find the interaction is very mutually beneficial; no one organisation can meet all the needs of people with learning disabilities so it requires real partnership between voluntary and statutory bodies. The proof of the pudding is in the eating – we hear great feedback from our customers, so we know our collaborative approach is delivering us real benefits.

What’s the most unique challenge faced by the third sector when compared to bodies operating in the public/private spheres?

I think that it’s often seen as a bit of ‘Cinderella sector’ – a bit left out when it comes to these big media debates between public and private. I’ve had people express surprise that we do more than just fundraising. Employment, the kind of employment that we give training for, is somehow not seen as an option for people with learning disabilities. So I suppose I’d have to say that our main value lies in communicating the value of the sector as a whole and explaining our own mission very clearly.

What do the general public think of the work of the third sector? Do you think they understand what organisations in the third sector do?

I think it’s definitely improving – it’s something I can observe by the increase in interest in our placements. We have 290 young people and adults across all our programmes. As we run a business, we’re also developing awareness through the good work of our catering and our print and design teams. I would say that awareness has really improved markedly in the last 5 years. The unique challenge we face at Orchardville is that people naturally (and quite rightly) focus a great deal of attention on charities that help children with learning disabilities. We strive to spread the message that there are charities like ourselves who help individuals with these needs right throughout their lives.

What do you think is the current state of leadership in the third sector?

I think it’s hard to pin down, but I’d definitely say an organisation like CO3 is a great catalyst for promoting change and best practice. There are so many people doing so much admirable work in the voluntary and community sector; they’re articulate, driven and motivated. What I’d like to see at times is for leaders to avoid the trap of falling into too much introspection – fundraising can be hard, but leaders need to provide more strategic vision than that. There’s also a need to ensure that we don’t allow a ‘talent bulge’ to emerge, whereby the excellent young people we have in the sector don’t get the opportunities to take on real leadership positions.

Is there a difference in managing an organisation that doesn’t have a profit-motive?

<No difference. I’m driven to achieve long-term sustainability for the Orchardville Society and our customers – quite rightly – will not give us a break if we fall short of high-professional standards. I know what I want when I go into a coffee shop, regardless of who is serving it, and I’m determined that we achieve those standards. That supplies that our employment officers with great evidence to go out and sell our services and fund our work.
I do think that the work of the ‘social economy’ isn’t seen in this way – we’ve got to keep plugging away so that the government has full cognisance of what we do.

Why do you think you won your award?

I hope it’s because I’ve developed the organisation and delivered impact at a European level by achieving the Gold Standard in the European Framework for Quality Management, as well as a National Training Award. As I’ve said, I’m driven to ensure the long-term viability of the Orchardville Society.

What differentiates the Orchardville Society from other third sector organisations?

I think it’s the level of involvement afforded to parents and carers, particularly at board level. I’m not aware of any voluntary organisation that has 50% representation of those groups at board level, inputting into major strategic and operational decisions. Although I suspect such involvement occurs more in the community sector.

What has the award given you and your organisation?

On a personal level, I’m humbled. The CO3 awards has been a wonderful boost because it gives us something that’s almost taken for granted in the private sector – recognition. You see many of these kind of events pictured on a regular basis in the Ulster Tatler for private sector organisations and the prestige winning such an accolade brings is infectious.

LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS FOR LEADERSHIP AWARDS AND CONFERENCE

The City Hotel in Derry~Londonderry will play host to the awards, with keynote speakers Dr. John E. Brothers
Author (adjunct professor and Senior Fellow at Support centre for Non Profit Managers, USA) and Rick Moyer (Director, Non Profit Sector Fund, Meyer Foundation, USA)

Directions from Belfast

Distance: 73 miles / 117 km Time: 1hr 30 mins

– The M2/A6 runs directly from Belfast to Derry.
– Exit routes are clearly marked from the city.
– You will pass through Glenshane Pass, Dungiven and Drumahoe on your journey.
– At the Altnagelvin roundabout take 2nd exit signposted City Centre, forward towards Waterside roundabout and .
– Take 1st exit forward through Duke Street roundabout and you will arrive at the junction for Craigavon Bridge.
– Enter the city by the bridge and you will come to a small roundabout.
– Take 3rd exit & follow road by the River, forward through another roundabout & you’ll arrive at Queens Quay where the City Hotel is situated.

Directions from Dublin

Distance: 145 miles / 232 km Time: 3.5 hours approx

– From Dublin take the N2 north to Derry, (Derry is clearly signposted on the M50).
– Travel to Slane, Ardee, Carrickmacross, Castleblaney, Monaghan, and into Northern Ireland at Aughnacloy.
– From there travel on the A5 to Omagh and Strabane.
– You will arrive at junction for Craigavon Bridge
– Enter Derry city by the bridge and you will come to a small roundabout.
– Take 3rd exit & follow road by the river, go straight through another roundabout & you’ll arrive at Queens Quay where the City Hotel is situated.

co3 leadership awards and conference city hotel derry londonderry

Location for the CO3 Leadership Awards and Conference

INTERVIEW – PATRICIA HAREN, WOMEN’S SUPPORT NETWORK

patricia harren women's support network

1) What organisation do you work for? Give a brief summary of their activities.

Established in 1989, the Women’s Support Network (“WSN”) is an infrastructural umbrella organisation which aims to strengthen the collective voice of women’s groups and promote and develop networking opportunities With 63 community based women’s centres, groups and projects and 22 associated members across Northern Ireland, the scale and scope of the organisation enables collective action which can impact upon policy and decision making processes. WSN provides accessible, relevant and high quality support services and resources for its membership. The network is also an important information resource on issues relevant to local community based women’s organisations but also for other infrastructure groups at a national and international level.

2) What contact do you have with other third sector bodies? How do you find that?
As a network organisation WSN works in partnership with a wide variety of third sector bodies; for example NIACRO working with women in the criminal just system. I am also on the panel of the Joint Government Voluntary and Community Sector Forum(commonly known as the Joint Forum) which involves many third sector organisations. The Joint Forum was established in 1998 and facilitates regular dialogue between the sector and government departments. Working with these bodies is a very rewarding experience because it gives you an opportunity to take on board the challenges and perspectives that other community and voluntary bodies have to face in their respective fields.

3) What’s the most unique challenge faced by the third sector compared to bodies operating in the public/private spheres?
The constant challenge is to raise funds for the sustainability of the organisation both from government departments and charitable trusts and foundations. We also have to protect the ethos of the WSN:no matter what fundraising or management decisions we have to take, it all has to come back to improving the support that we offer to women from disadvantaged communities. The human resources element of the job can be challenging as many staff do not have the same length of contract due to the often short-term nature project funding as well as managing expectations about additional benefits..

4) What do you think the general public think of the work of the third sector? Do you think they understand what it does?
I think the general public would know of the work of the big voluntary organisations such as the Simon Community or Barnardos.For organisations like ours, who work on equality issues for women, the general public would perhaps know less about our work, apart from those women and families that we support.

5) What do you think is the current state of leadership is in the third sector?
The leadership in the third sector has always been very strong and vibrant. I think that the impact of looming funding cuts in the sector has made the job more stressful and challenging. Most leaders stay in the sector because they believe in and are totally committed to the ethos of the organisations they work for.

6) Beyond funding, what is the greatest challenge a voluntary organisation faces? How does a leader manage his/her organisation in the absence of a profit-motive?
I think the biggest challenge is to raise the profile and promote the work and ‘worth’ of the organisation to the statutory/public sector and general public. We also need to develop a great deal of research to back up our claims for example on equality issues so that we can strengthen our arguments, lead the debate and further the aims and objectives of the organisation. In the absence of profit-motive it is again believing in the ethos and supporting the cause that keep leaders committed to the work.

7) How do you think the concept of leadership works in a voluntary framework?
Good leadership is vital to the survival and ultimate growth of the organisation; you must be able to lead from the front and take your staff with you. A good leader will command the loyalty and respect of the staff and voluntary board of management.The most important resource the organisation has is its staff and volunteers so it’s important to make sure that you bring all these people with you.

8 ) Why do you think you won your award?
I believe my leadership skills have enabled me to achieve success despite the challenges I faced within WSN and the women’s sector as whole. I am an emotional intelligent person and have great tenacity and persistence. I think I’ve shown that I’m a strong strategic thinker; I can see the big picture and identify the detail that will make the difference in sustainability.
I am an expert communicator equally comfortable at grassroots or at ministerial level. I can build rapport, engage with others, source solutions and create partnerships between stakeholders. Fundamentally, I am passionate about the women’s sector and supporting women in disadvantaged communities and I have considerable energy and enthusiasm that has enabled me to drive the continued success of the WSN.