Session One
(Thursday 5th March)
What a brilliant day yesterday! It was wonderful to meet everyone joining the cohort, as well as Helen, Charlotte and Chris Martin. The conversations were rich and energising. Lightbulb moments popped everywhere and important questions were raised throughout.
My own “aha” moment came within the first few minutes, as Helen and Charlotte set the context for the course. I realised I’m already equipped with strong foundations in volunteer expertise and networks to help me in that area, but there’s something about having confidence in that knowledge while also recognising the importance of dedicating time to reflecting on our responsibilities and our roles as leaders – and the opportunities, skills and expertise needed to advance professionally.
And all of this happened in an environment where the language of volunteering inevitably enveloped us. I overheard a conversation about microvolunteering in the loo, and then found myself discussing Volunteer Management Systems during a sunny break outside.
An excellent, energising, delightfully geeky, joyful day. I’m already excited for the next one!
Session Two
(Thursday 16th April)
Where do I begin? Perhaps with the leadership reflection wheel: the exercise of scoring our leadership skills and identifying ways to develop the areas that need strengthening. Or with the generosity of experience shared by Heads of Volunteering Mark Crosby, Jo Keller, and Liz Roberts‑Wilcox. Each one of them took on the formidable task of answering half a dozen searching questions within half an hour! We explored shifting perspectives from operational to strategic, managing time effectively, making the hardest strategic decisions, motivating teams, career highlights, and practical tips and tricks. Wow! Their insight was gold!
What resonated most deeply was the recognition of how vital peer support is within a role that can be, without the right networks, profoundly lonely. A role where we often absorb organisational friction, where many roads lead our way. On the positive side, this means holding an extraordinary breadth of knowledge across countless subjects. On the more challenging side, it can bring a quiet but persistent pressure, sometimes from the responsibility others place on our shoulders, and sometimes from the expectations we place on ourselves.
What a release it was to realise the commonality of this experience.
This Volunteer Recognition Day, I find myself once again acknowledging how deeply I value the work we do as professionals within the volunteer sector. It strengthens my commitment not only to the work itself, but to investing in the foundations that sustain it for the long term. A reminder to support ourselves and others through reflection, conviction and care for ourselves and one another.
Session Three
(Thursday 14th May)
One of the key insights from the session was recognising how instinctively my brain is wired towards problem-solving -advising, guiding and drawing from my own experiences to offer tips and solutions. I hadn’t previously considered how this approach, although well-intentioned, can be disempowering for others. In trying to be helpful, I realised I’m not always helping sustainably.
I’m incredibly grateful to have been introduced to Action Learning and Double Loop Learning so early in my management career. It’s a really valuable foundation that will help me avoid burnout or problem-solving fatigue in the future – I just need to grasp it!
It will take time to rewire these habits, and I’m thankful to be able to practise within the safe and supportive environment of the Aspiring Heads of Volunteering cohort. My focus now is to practise consistently, challenge myself and draw on the lessons learned by putting them into action. After all, “there is no learning without action, and no action without learning”.
Session Four
(Thursday 11th June)
Last week’s session allowed me to reflect more intentionally on the areas where, as leaders, we have genuine control or influence, versus those that we may care deeply about but ultimately sit outside our circle of action. It made me question how often I have spent valuable time, energy, and headspace focusing on things that are simply beyond my power.
I now feel equipped with a practical tool to help me recognise where I can act, understanding when something is directly within my control or ability to influence. This shift in perspective allows me to focus my efforts more purposefully, choosing battles where progress is possible rather than feeling disheartened by issues that cannot move forward at that time. There was also a reminder that, given our people skills within leadership, we can be brought into other people’s battles, and how important it is to remember what’s important to our teams and us rather than dedicate delicate emotional energy to opportunities without mutual benefit.
We also began exploring leadership energy styles and systems awareness. This encouraged us to be more observant of other leaders, understanding what drives them, what they care about, and how to build trust.
Ultimately, it felt like an invitation to look both inward and outward: to better understand ourselves as leaders, while also tuning into the people and systems around us. A key takeaway was the balance required between emotion, logic, and credibility, recognising that effective leadership depends on all three working together.
I would have loved a whole-day workshop on this, and now I’m going to invest time in learning more through the recommended reads and resources. Best session yet!
Session Five
(Thursday 2nd July)
The session last week, through Action Learning, gave me a valuable space to talk through what had been on my mind and make sense of some of the challenges I was experiencing. Being listened to with kindness and understanding helped me gain greater clarity and perspective on the situation.
Through the conversation, I felt encouraged and supported, which increased my confidence in approaching issues that I had previously been hesitant to address. The guidance and insight shared during the session helped me recognise practical ways forward and gave me the courage to have open and constructive conversations.
I left feeling reassured, empowered and better equipped to take the next steps, and I’m so grateful for the support I received.
Session Six
(Thursday 10th September)
The penultimate session of the programme focused on data and insight. Ironically, this is an area where I have always felt relatively comfortable. Throughout the programme, I have accumulated over 60 pages of notes, read the Value of Volunteering report cover to cover, watched insightful videos, listened to thought-provoking podcasts, signed up to newsletters, and opened an endless number of browser tabs. There is certainly no shortage of data to demonstrate the value of volunteering, nor the wealth of information I have gained through being part of this programme.
Collecting data has never been my challenge. Like a magpie, I gather information, inspiration and ideas wherever I find them. I have Trello boards full of resources, notebooks filled with thoughts, and spreadsheets comparing year-on-year trends, and yes, I have reported on the number of biscuits bought for volunteers. My instinct is to gather more, read more and save more.
As a leader, however, people are not looking to see everything I have collected. They want to hear my interpretation and, more importantly, my actionable insights. During the session, I realised that I have often assumed that if I presented enough evidence, people would naturally arrive at the same conclusions and therefore support the actions I was proposing. At times this has worked, but perhaps more because of persistence and persuasion rather than clarity.
The real gap is not content but concentration: the ability to distil complex information into something clear, concise and compelling (Although, judging by the length of this reflection, that may require a little more practice!)
Another learning was recognising that while we can measure almost anything, effective leaders are thoughtful about what they choose to measure and why. What do I need to know? Can I tell a story through the data? What am I trying to solve through it?
In true Charlotte and Helen style, the session left me neither overwhelmed nor discouraged by these realisations. Instead, it felt empowering. I have some tidying up to do and will need to make more deliberate choices about what I collect and why. Then again, I work in the heritage sector, so perhaps my tendency to accumulate things is less of a personal flaw and more of an occupational hazard.
Want to find out more about the Aspiring Heads of Volunteering™ Programme?
Applications for the 2027 programme are open from Oct 12 – Nov 6 – visit their website via this link to find out more information and apply.
You can also get in touch with Pippa to talk through anything she’s mentioned in more detail. You can find her on LinkedIn by clicking here.
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