“I didn’t realise how much we hold on to as we just try and get on with the day to day of the role we’re in.”
The voices captured in this report reflect anonymous survey responses from those directly involved in the Future Leaders programme.
Richmond Borough enjoys a vibrant voluntary sector, characterised by small, community-rooted charities. These smaller organisations are deeply connected to local needs and make up 80% of Richmond Foundation’s funded partners, each with a turnover under £1m.
Smaller charities face distinct pressures—governance, funding, and emotional strain—that can threaten their sustainability. Targeted investment in leadership development can ease this by improving succession planning, strengthening staff retention, and reducing reliance on a few key individuals.
At Richmond Foundation, we’ve shaped our approach to address sustainability challenges facing our local sector.
Our strategic framework sets out six objectives. These include strengthening the local voluntary and community sector as a priority across our grantmaking and influencing locally to unlock resources to use our position and perspective as a funder to test, advocate and set standards.
As part of this, in 2024 we worked with Richmond CVS and other partners to launch Future Leaders, to support emerging leaders within our funded partners.
What is Richmond Foundation doing?
Our Future Leaders programme included
ACEVO
Aspiring CEOs
3-month course
Group Coaching
tailored and facilitated by Clear Thinking Consultancy
Institute of Leadership Management (ILM)
Membership
ACEVO
Associate
Membership with further access to training, tools and resources
In-person socials
to bring our Future Leaders together incl. their Line Managers
The fully subsidised, six-month programme provided 11 senior managers and deputy CEOs with high-quality training, group coaching, and peer networking.
The programme had a 100% completion rate.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive from both the participants and their employers, with participants stating that the benefits exceeded expectations.
100% of participants would recommend the programme to others.
Participants accessed on average three additional benefits through their ACEVO associate memberships.
These include a comprehensive resource hub, personal leadership development tools, free mentoring and coaching, membership of The Institute of Leadership, networking events, access to podcasts and subsidised sector publications.
It was an acknowledged risk that the programme might stimulate some staff movement.
Since joining the programme, three participants have left their roles—one for a promotion, one for a trusteeship, and one due to ill health. Ten participants (91%) remain in the local sector.
Common themes and challenges identified through group coaching:
• Managing relationships
• Moving from operational to strategic and developing delegation skills
• Perception of the CEO role
• Workplace culture and environment
• Confidence and self-care
• Limiting and empowering beliefs
• Value of time and space for career and personal development
By launching the Future Challengers web series and Leadership Conversation vlog, we amplified the programme’s impact and championed local leadership.
Kita Ikoku (Clear Thinking Consultancy) and Phil Barron (Richmond Foundation) unpack leadership in this sector: stepping up, embracing risk, building confidence and networks, and investing in future leaders to sustain resilient organisations.
Click the image above to watch on our YouTube channel.
Future Leaders combined personal stories with insights into their organisations’ work. Visit our website to read more.
“Frequently we may feel we are working in a silo and focused on responding to need. We have a strong, experienced voluntary sector in Richmond and this enables us the time to spend to share that expertise, skills and knowledge that we have with each other.”
Sophie Richardson (Richmond Carers Centre) reflects on the value of creating a local support network as part of our Future Challengers series
1 Investing in leadership development is essential for greater impact and a stronger, more sustainable sector.
2 Leadership development must go hand in hand with organisational infrastructure and succession planning.
3 Development of leaders from underrepresented communities needs a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) lens throughout planning and delivery.
4 A place-based approach involves sensitivities around knowing each other’s organisations and colleagues, and competition for funding and resources.
Our learnings and response
5
Hybrid delivery works best, combining online learning with in-person networking and creative work.
7
Funders must remain flexible including making space for organisations to reflect, plan and prepare for leadership transition.
6
Capacity to engage was variable and reliant on the employer’s support. See how we’re responding
Co-development of a series of initiatives including Trustee Forward. We’re also working in partnership with Richmond CVS and local funders to develop future ways to help strengthen the local voluntary and community sector.
Publishing summary reports to share our learnings and actions, highlighting how we’re refining our approach.
Conducting nine-month check-ins with Future Leaders to assess personal and organisational impact.
Our learnings and response
• Encouraging core funded learning partners to make space to reflect, plan and prepare for leadership transition.
• Offering Third Sector Catalyst grants to upskill sector staff and boost capacity, especially where there’s a specific sector need.
• Progressing work placement plans at Richmond Foundation to attract new talent to the local sector and improve representation.
• Hosting events to share best practice and facilitate peer networks (eg Catalyst partners)
• Actively participating in peer networks (eg Richmond Funders, Richmond Advice Forum, Richmond’s Health and Wellbeing Network, Richmond CEO Network)
• Expanding staff development goals to include mentoring, coaching or trusteeship.
“The time to reflect pays dividends.”
“I’m considering CEO positions whereas before I probably wouldn’t have looked.”
“It was beyond my expectations. Full of practical things that will really help me to manage myself, team and the organisation.”
“The peer group is made of a diverse group of individuals from a variety of charitable organisations. I’ve learned something from each of them and we’re continuing to support each other.”
“It’s great to feel like I’m going into a situation secure in how and why I’m leading in this way.”
Our learnings and response
Our Future Leaders programme has deepened our understanding of how we can invest differently in the sector.
Richmond Foundation has developed a new focus on leadership development and succession planning as part of supporting sustainability.
We’re committed to learning from this experience and continuing to work with partners to build an even stronger, more resilient voluntary sector in Richmond.
Learn more by getting in touch with our Grants team.
