Law firm’s podcasts provide platform to promote best practice for charities

Leading law firm Wilkin Chapman Rollits has stepped up its support for the region’s charity sector by launching a series of podcasts featuring chief officers and trustees.

The firm’s specialist charity lawyers Gerry Morrison and Harriet Wheeldon kicked off the project by sitting down with Andy Barber, who has worked in the sector for more than 20 years.

The first podcast will go live as part of the build-up to Trustees Week at the beginning of November. Andy will be followed into the hot seat by Olly Burdett a trustee with The Tigers Trust, and Lisa Dawson, Director of Run With It. Three more charity leaders will feature later in the year.

Gerry, Partner and Head of Charity at Wilkin Chapman Rollits, said the idea of hosting podcasts came from delivering training and education sessions for charities in the region.

The candidates have been selected to highlight the different areas of knowledge and expertise which they bring to their organisations.

Gerry said: “Usually when someone becomes a trustee it’s because they bring certain expertise. Andy is a very well-known charity chief executive. He’s also a trustee of a number of charities, and in the podcast he talks to us about what makes a good and effective charity leader.

“Olly used to be an employee at the Tigers Trust so it’s interesting that he has made the transition to trustee. We spoke about that and about how he brings his marketing and comms expertise into the role. 

“As one of the younger charity trustees, Olly also talks about what motivated him to take on the role. It shows that these positions can be taken up by younger people and be a very good learning experience for them. 

“Lisa Dawson founded Run With It, a charity which comes from the idea of engaging children with learning in alternative settings to the classroom, such as a football stadium or an airport. It opens their eyes to different career options.”

Listeners to the podcasts can expect to hear more from the charities than the legal hosts. As members of the Charity Law Association, Gerry and Harriet are eager to provide a platform for their guests.

Gerry said: “There are a lot of legal podcasts out there but often it tends to be just the lawyers talking. It makes it much more interesting if people can hear from other charity trustees and learn from their experiences so we have brought in really interesting guests who have done some great work and can inspire and help other charity leaders.

“I have been a charity lawyer for more than 20 years and during that time I have developed some good working relationships with trustees and CEOs so I thought why not add their experience to my legal expertise?  We want to put the legal advice in the context of someone from a charity who has lived it.”

The podcasts will go on YouTube in their entirety and will also go on social media as short clips. Wilkin Chapman Rollits will also present two events during Trustees’ Week to explore issues around effective charity governance.

The firm will welcome people to its Hull office on Tuesday 4 November and to its Lincoin office on Thursday 6 November. To find out more visit https://www.wilkinchapmanrollits.co.uk/events