Latest / The Charity Changemakers Podcast / Season 3 | E12 Roxanne Lawrance on why she brought her business brain to the charity sector
Transcript
- Roxanne Lawrance: the best charities are completely and utterly mission driven, but they're extremely commercially disciplined. So if you have it the other way around, it doesn't work. However, you have to have both of those things kind of on. full pelt at the same time to deliver the outcomes that our governing documents say that we're here to exist to do, but also you have to have that kind of financial stability to enable you to provide those sensibly. Adam Stacey: pleased to have Roxanne joining us on the Charity Changemakers podcast. Say thanks so much for being here. Roxanne Lawrance: Thank you for having me. Adam Stacey: that's brilliant. And look, I always like to hand over to the guests first of all to give you a minute or so just introduce who you are. tell us a little bit about the job and what you do. Roxanne Lawrance: Perfect, thanks Adam. I'm Roxanne Lawrence. I have the absolute privilege of being the CEO of Teams Unite, a charity founded 20 years ago by Karen Millen and Debbie Pisani. They volunteered their time on cancer wards and identified that there was a significant gap in the cancer care system. Surviving cancer is critical and something we've all heard about. However, overcoming cancer is about more than survival. It's about allowing people to rebuild their lives again. So Teen Tonight exists to do exactly that. We provide young people 13 to 24 with the opportunities and the support that they deserve to ensure that their cancer diagnosis doesn't define their future for them. We're based in Hertfordshire, but we support young people across the country. And interestingly, we are embarking on quite a significant project to build the first dedicated retreat for young people to provide them with short residential breaks to enable us to deliver our programs for young people living with. the long term emotional, social and physical effects of cancer. So, yeah, it's an absolute privilege to lead a really exceptional organisation making a real difference to the lives of other people. Adam Stacey: Yeah, absolutely. We're really pleased to have you on the podcast today to find out more about obviously the organization and the incredible work that you've just given us a snapshot there that that that you're doing. And yeah, we'll we'll move into hearing more more about that and obviously your career career journey. but before we get into the big stuff, we've always we've got these quick fire questions that we like to throw at our guests the opportunity for the listener to get to know you a little bit, Roxanne. So what does a day off or a or a weekend off? Hopefully they come round fairly regularly for you, those days days off. What what do they look like, for you? Roxanne Lawrance: wishful thinking. Interesting, these are the trickiest questions. No, so on my time off, I have two pre-teen daughters, so I spend lots of times chauffeuring, cheerleading them on from the sidelines of all their sports and spending time with friends and family. Adam Stacey: That's great, good. And setting quite a quick fire for you. What's what's a small thing that brings you a disproportionate amount of joy? Roxanne Lawrance: This is the one that got me stumped. So I would say probably the calm moments. They don't happen very often in a very busy work that's extremely demanding kind of sector and also family life too. So the calm moments that happen surrounded by the people that mean the most to me, preferably on a beach with a cocktail in hand and watching the sunset, but if not just having nice quality time together. Adam Stacey: Yeah, absolutely. I love that. It's been a bit of a theme, I think, of the qu of that question through this series is there's been something about getting outdoors. so you talk there about the beach, you we've had talk with you know people about yeah, a whole range of different things. But actually some one of that common denominators has been about, and also we you know we really have chief execs and directors of of charities on the show, has been about finding space and and and some solitude as well, for some people. yeah, and and being out. So no, that's great. And thinking about your role, what's what's one thing, there might be more that people assume about your job that just isn't true? Roxanne Lawrance: I think there are two main things for me which kind of are reoccurring and have been reoccurring throughout my kind of charity sector role. The first is as soon as you mention cancer people go, that's really sad and the mood changes in the room significantly when actually for me the role here is far from that. We bring significant amount of hope and joy for young people and their families at their most vulnerable time. So it really is a role that brings me great pleasure and I feel really privileged to be part of. And then secondly, I suppose similar kind of theme is that people kind of have that pity like, the charity sector. I think they then expect me to bend down under the table and get out of bucket and start shaking for them to put coins in. That kind of perception of it not being a proper job, which is so far from it. For me, running a charity is no different than running a business. You have to have a kind of real responsibility, sometimes even more so, I would question. around a laser focused on your strategic direction. We are responsible for other people's money and for me and our team, we take great pride in making sure that that money works the hardest it can to have the greatest outcome. So I would say that I actually lead a business, it just happens to have a charitable purpose. The only real difference is that our profit that we generate improves the lives and changes the lives of other people rather than pounds and pence distributed at the end of financial year. So yeah, that for me is a kind of real strength of the sector, but it's a really under hidden part that people don't really understand. Adam Stacey: Yeah, absolutely. No, that's really, really helpful. I think we're probably through the conversation, Roxanne. We're probably going to delve into into more of that, I I imagine, because I guess we always start off really by asking the questions to, you know, how did you get into the charity sector? How how did it come about for you? Recognizing that for a lot of people it wasn't the sort of planned career path when they were yeah, setting out the setting out sites as to where things were gonna go for them. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, most definitely. Interestingly, I actually go into schools for careers days to talk about, does anyone actually really know what sector they want to go in and actually more, is it more about, and it should be more about what are your skills, what are your strengths and then how can you apply them? So yeah, that's definitely a kind of reoccurring theme that will come up I would have thought today in the podcast. Adam Stacey: How did it all how did it all start for you? How did you get into the sector? Roxanne Lawrance: So interestingly, going back to the kind of school part, know, we all probably remember those dreaded conversations, what do want to be? And for me, it wasn't a doctor or a teacher, and I wasn't really sure. So I left school with really good grades. There was an expectation to go to university. Personally, that wasn't for me, even though I had some fantastic spaces at some really good top universities. I found an employer at the time. and most importantly, actually a boss that really believed in me. I worked hard. I actually studied concurrently while I was in that employment. So I went on to qualify as a business analyst and I later then in my early twenties managed a huge large contact center for a major publishing house with significant sales targets. Yeah, and was really on that kind of career trajectory again. wasn't, if you asked me what I wanted to be, that wasn't what I would have said. However, I really got the buzz for working in large dynamic team, striving towards achieving something. While I was doing that, I grew older and I volunteered for Teams Unite. So I was on maternity leave with my first daughter and I wanted to use my skills to make a difference. I fell in love with the charity's mission and vision and I realised very quickly that they were driven by a significant amount of passion. So both of the co-founders of the charity, you know, I touched on at the beginning, the reason they established the charity. They had every amount of passion and they were laser focused on why we existed. However, the strategy and the kind of goals around how that could scale didn't exist. And that's the bit that excited me. So I volunteered while I was on my 20th leave. I helped them define what that strategy would look like. to make sure that all of the young people's lives that they were touching had the opportunity to thrive beyond their diagnosis. I went back to my job and I continued to volunteer for several years. I remained really committed to the charity and the ethos of what they were trying to achieve and loved watching and cheering them from the sideline. I had genuinely built a career that I absolutely loved, I traveled around the country. And stepping away from that felt extremely scary, but I knew that there was a point that work must be more than money. Adam Stacey: Yes. Roxanne Lawrance: And as a parent, that became closer to home, I think. So then nearly nine and a bit years ago, I said to our charity founders and their trustee board at the time that, okay, I'm happy to come on board and use my, your passion alongside my kind of structure to really drive Teen Tonight to the place that it... should be and therefore the more young people that we could help. So I decided to join the team. I said I would join for two years, interestingly, and make a difference and then kind of just tweet back into my career. And actually this became my career. It became a job that I absolutely loved. It's a reoccurring theme with most people, especially the CEOs and kind of leaders I speak to in other charities. They kind of come into the charity sector for a period of time. And it does definitely kind of tick different boxes that get you up in the morning. So I Adam Stacey: Yeah. Roxanne Lawrance: kind of talk about that I don't, I didn't leave a business to join a charity. I've actually brought my business skills to a charity and completely fell in love with the difference that we can make and the purpose that we can deliver every day. Adam Stacey: Yeah, absolutely. And I love that journey from the sort of volunteering in the organization to to then up clearly obviously then then then leading the organisation. w was there a reason as to why you sort of put that this is two years, I'm gonna come and do it and then and and then transition back? Well yeah, I'm interested in that in in the mindset there. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, I'm somebody that's extremely ambitious and always have been so I kind of they talk about like a two year career itch. I have always worked towards pushing different goals over a period of time for myself personally and therefore the people that are around me and that could be learning something different so I believe you should always be learning as a leader that could be encouraging those around you to learn and lead and for me that was the kind of period that I'd set that I knew that I could join the organisation, make a significant difference and actually set them up to be in the best possible place to thrive without me. However, now I've kind of got that FOMO factor, I suppose, where I wouldn't want to not be part of what we are continuing to drive and achieve. Adam Stacey: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I I g I guess it gets under the skin once you've once you've thrown thrown yourself in. But I g I guess I was interested in that sort of coming from a commercial mindset as to okay, we're gonna go do this, this and this and then there's gonna be something next next for me. But but but clearly obviously what you what you were building and and being a part of at Teens Unite, it was like I I yeah, can't can't walk away. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, exactly. And we went into the pandemic literally like a few weeks after. So that was after I kind of moved and created the structure of the team that I wanted. We then went into the pandemic, which was a whole new set up for charity organizations. But it proves to me that I think you move and evolve over a period of time. And for me, we've been able to have the kind of freedom, but also the structure to create that here in this organization. Adam Stacey: It's a big transition for the organisation that's, you know, from from being founder led to having somebody else coming in and helping, you know, lead as well. Just talk us through a little bit, I guess, how how that was. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, of course. There are some fantastic strengths in that in terms of actually, you know, to be a successful charity, I do believe that you have to be laser focused on that mission, but also accountable for, you know, the finances and a strategic direction. And actually those charities that are kind of most successful in terms of the impact they have, have both of those running concurrently. And that's something that I've been really privileged to have here at this charity. So our founders are still very much laser focused on. you know, why we exist, what we're here to prove. And that really does feed through in all of the setup we have. You know, I'm delighted that we've introduced kind of youth boards that mean that we actually hear and feel from the young people that we're supporting and that of their parents. So I think it's important to have that so close. We talk about having their voice at the heart of our organization. We very much do. And I think sometimes in a business, you don't have that. And then it's having that kind of level of responsibility that I cascade quite loudly to my team that actually we have a duty and a responsibility of protecting that heart with the actions that we take. So whether that be funding decisions or, you know, partnerships that we create or relationships or equally how we spend the funds that we've raised. Treating those with the utmost care means that we can help more young people in the long run. Adam Stacey: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. and for the team, for the organization, obviously having someone come in from a commercial background and and and and and that experience, what what do you think that brought to the organization that that you know has helped it you know, grow, evolve, thrive? Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, no, definitely. I think it's about how leadership skills are, you if we go back to what I spoke about in terms of when I go in and speak in schools, know, skills are transferable. So for me, the leadership skills that I was very lucky to have kind of funded and structured in that kind of commercial world are extremely transferable into the charity sector. So people are people, whether they're customers or donors, volunteers, staff, and actually the kind of ethos that I've created in my team here is about how we can have targets and drive and work towards those very similarly to you would in a commercial space, which I think sometimes is shied away from in the charity sector. But actually it's that level of accountability and performance. So how we can come together, build those relationships, whether that be with the beneficiaries that we support and their families or with our donors or volunteers or supporters to make sure we have the best outcome from those conversations. So yeah, that's what I would say in terms of what I've created for my team. Also I create a space for them. So I believe all of our superpowers as a leader is the people that we have around us. And so for me, creating an environment where my team feel genuinely kind of inspired, driven and motivated by achieving that common denominator of having a greater outcome is really what people buy more than a kind of strategy on paper per se. That strategy is the kind of foundations to the people that sit above that. Adam Stacey: Yes, yeah, yeah, absolutely. I'm really interested in that, I guess, that developing of team and bringing team team team with and like you say, that that that superpower that you know, c kind of feels that you brought brought to the organisation. how how do you go about building building something like that? And obviously you've been doing it for the l for the long term, but building that within within the within the organisation, within the team and and an organisation that's, you know, obviously going been going through transformation over the last last few years as well. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, I think it goes back to that kind of perception people have of charities around, you know, creating an ethos inside the charity that it isn't about, you're a charity, kind of get your bucket out, petty kind of, is about what is our attitude? What is our purpose? How can we be accountable for what we're set to achieve? You know, my team in the strategy session that we delivered at the beginning of January are kind of completely focused on how they can grow, how they can push. creating that culture really is not built by accident, is hard work, takes a lot of time, but it's about choosing the right people and keeping your standards at the right level and constantly reinforcing that. know, in just as talking to somebody yesterday about, you know, why do people wait for feedback in kind of performance conversations or one to ones? And actually that isn't something that we... you know, I drive here in our team, it's about how we really acknowledge and recognize success and we give each other honest feedback around when things aren't working, but quickly. We're a small team and things have to move quickly. Part of that momentum builds enthusiasm and responsibility and I'm really lucky that I kind of push my team because I see the potential that they have. I give them the opportunities they deserve and through them growing, I have the opportunity to grow. Yeah, that's one of my biggest kind of take homes when I do go home eventually have an evening and kind of put your feet up not that ever actually exists but it's about thinking and acknowledging what's the people around me are achieving and seeing that in them is you know is really what makes me come to work each day. Adam Stacey: It feels a little bit like a shar shared ambition. I mean, you talked about obviously, you early career working in a sales, you know, you when you work in that sales sort of environment where you're working towards a towards a target, is that sort of a transferable thing that you've learned that you've then brought across and I know we're not chasing top dollar here for for a different reason, but about that shared ambition about you know, clearly wanting to make the most impact in in you know in in in your beneficiaries' lives. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, 100%. And actually it's kind of a strain. There was a transition that I found kind of difficult initially is having that kind of focus on targets in terms of sales, no different to that of kind of income generation and our kind of funding strategy. However, having that so closely aligned to the impact that you see. So as an organization, we do get to see firsthand the impact that we have. So as a team, we kind of sit in exactly the same office. Half of the team very much are in contact every day with young people. and half are driving that income. And what that means is there's a real purpose around why we're driving that income. So yes, it isn't for an annual bonus at the end of the year that you might get in the commercial sector, but it is around seeing, okay, now we can deliver another beneficiary opportunity this year, or actually because of a partnership we've created, we can work with another fantastic organization that probably really sets the young people that we exist to support ahead of others should they then go out and... progress their career after their interactions with us. Adam Stacey: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And and do you think there's been things that have helped you in that that transition, I guess, from commercial to to charity world, things that, you know, so I guess it's a I obviously you were volunteering, so you had that exposure to it, but it is a little bit different then when you start working it, you know, twenty four seven, in i i in in a chief executive's case, I think, within an organization. Roxanne Lawrance: I'm glad you said that rather than 9 to 5. Adam Stacey: Yeah, well I nearly said nine to five and then I was like yeah, I was like, No, that's yeah, that's not gonna that's not gonna be right. Roxanne Lawrance: This is. Adam Stacey: so yeah, but It and but there is that that huge trust what is it, you know, what are some of the things that have helped you to then, you know, want to stay and to to build you know, build build your career with within the charity world? Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, definitely. So I think even before I joined the charity sector, I've always kind of strived to lean into conversations and have the right people around me that I can either observe or ask questions to and the opportunities that arise from being in those kind of rooms. It's kind of one of my biggest things around remote working and stuff at the moment is how can our future leaders be in the right rooms if you're not actually physically in the room. So for me, I've always sought advice from other people around me. I've always kind of Asked the right questions, encouraged others to have me in the right room. You know, I talked about that boss right early on in my career. You know, she really gave me that opportunity to sit in on meetings that I might not have had the kind of experience or confidence to. And through that, I've kind of kept that as a kind of real driver in my career and the opportunities I've had. And that's no different to when I joined the charity sector. I reached out to some of the largest charity organisation CEOs and kind of said, Can I meet with you? Can you share your tips and feedback with me? So I've always had career mentors and I would encourage everybody to do the same. I would say be bold in who you ask. I've asked really some people who I genuinely thought would say no and they've said yes and we're kind of had a formal mentor kind of relationship I suppose for like a 12 month period as we kind of all set out as our boundaries but they've gone on to be a real kind of. toolkit to me when there are moments that I've kind of gone, I'm not really sure about that, or this doesn't quite feel right that I've been able to lean into because, you know, as a leader in any environment, but particularly here in a charity, can at times be quite a lonely place. You kind of expected to know all the answers and your team lean on you. And as much as that motive of changing lives is the driver, it also can become quite heavy shoulders to carry. having those people around you that you can lean into to ask have given me some of the best sometimes advice and sometimes just reassurance to say yeah that feels about right and I would say I've never reached a stage and I don't imagine I ever will reach a stage where I felt like I haven't needed that kind of support network around me and then I have to mentor other people so I learn equally as much from them probably as I do from my mentors so those kind of questions that they ask me or that advice that they seek kind of opens my perspective to their thoughts, their opportunities and challenges. And also what's going on in other sectors around, other charitable kind of sectors. as much as we're focused on teenagers and in the cancer sector, there's lots going on in the evolving charity landscape that we're kind of part of and the pressures we're becoming under in terms of, you know, funding being tighter than ever. but also demand on everybody's services being greater than ever. How can we kind of come together to collaborate or tackle some of those challenges, which is my top kind of tip to people really who either are a leader and haven't got one. Definitely find somebody that you can have in your corner with you or anyone that's aspiring to be a leader. I would say, you know, look at the leaders that you aspire to be and ask them the questions you want to know because people are really open to share that kind of. opportunities and actually from that comes lots of opportunities usually so actually some of the biggest collaborations we've had as a charity have been through relationships that me or my team have made and I encourage my team to do the same too so you know it can feel quite daunting if you're not a kind of out there personality and relationships some for some people are not their kind of main motive however building those kind of career relationships. and conversations do open people's lenses to different ways of doing things and I've significantly for my team, particularly in the last kind 12 to 18 months, I've seen a real transition in several members of my team where they're realising their strengths because they're having it reinforced by somebody that isn't me giving them that feedback. Adam Stacey: Yes, yeah, absolutely. And and just having that outside perspective sometimes to a to a to a challenge or an opportunity and just, you know, like I say, being able to bounce to someone who's not as invested in, you know, in in the work environment is is is absolutely really important. And I love the fact that you, you know, reflect on the fact that people are really open to to respond. I think the sector's brilliant at that. And yeah, that sort of peer to peer career mentoring yeah, is is there. But like you say, it takes it takes a bit of braveness, doesn't it, to sometimes go and ask the question. Roxanne Lawrance: Definitely. And I think actually that's kind of true of those relationships, but actually lots of things that happen in your career. So for me, some of the biggest opportunities that have happened in my career, even if you think about that transition into the charity sector has happened when I've thought, I'm not sure this is right. Am I really ready? So I would kind of say like, are we ever really ready? Sometimes you have to act, you have to kind of be bold, which is a kind of big ethos that we're talking about internally as a team here at the moment is be bold, say the things you want to say. consider how and where you're saying them but actually some of that discomfort actually drives you to a place where you didn't think was necessarily achievable before. Adam Stacey: And and as you say, particularly in the current funding environment for for organisations, that's the you know, that's that that's absolutely key, isn't it? About being open and honest with with one another. yeah, to be able to have, like you say, the greatest impact with the young people that you're working with. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, and also to manage the setbacks that the charity sector is extremely motivating when you are delivering significant impact and we are really lucky as a charity our kind of service delivery arm of what we provide is exceptional. You know, I would go as far as saying it's sector leading. We work with some of huge organisations, charity organisations that refer young people into us, which is a real big endorsement of our work. However, sometimes there are challenges, know, and particularly there are funding challenges, you know, that can be really tough to kind of recover from as a team. You know, we had a really big funding no at the end of last week, which we're pretty certain was going to be a yes. That changes a lot that's about to happen and to be planned for the year ahead. And I suppose part of that kind of charity culture and ethos I touched on around the kind of team culture I'm, you know, endeavoring to build here or have built here is how you also overcome those things as a team because as a leader, I'm equally as disappointed in those as the team are, but we have to transition from that and we have to take those learnings and move on to the next thing. So none of us really always know the answers. Part of the mentor relationships help that, but also my team do. So being vulnerable to them at times is, is really key, particularly in those kinds of areas of challenge. You know, I talk quite openly about my personal weaknesses and how my team can help. turn those weaknesses into strengths because they actually endorse and provide those things. And that's how I grow and that's how they grow. So yeah, there's no kind of picture perfect career path, I don't think it's about learning through experience and taking those opportunities, those successes and those challenges and really transition them into a future opportunity that you can kind of unlock. Adam Stacey: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. But I guess one of those common common things that I'm hearing i i is relationship, right? You know, you talked about obviously you know about how you build relationships with obviously y y your team, that openness, that vulnerability, that, you know, that that transparency across the team, but also part you know, the relationships that you've been able to build outside of sector or with other organizations to help you know, obviously y you know, demonstrate, show the services that you you offer and and build those those partnerships. That that that kind of feels as well as, you know, bringing that clearly from your commercial world. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, 100%. And I think that's what it is, people by people. And through that, you have learned and evolved. So this is probably somebody else's quote that I've stolen. I don't know their name, but I say it regularly, which is, know, success isn't necessarily what you achieve, but it's what continues when you aren't in the room. So actually I can kind of create an environment where people around me, whether that be my direct team or their teams. or the other people that I have the interactions with in terms of mentors or business partners, but it's, know, how do they talk about you and your mission and vision when you aren't in the room with them? And that's where we've had the biggest success as a charity, even with our kind of corporate partnerships, relationships is, you know, seeing those people that are still very much in that commercial and corporate world say, okay, that's how it works in the charity sector and kind of opening their eyes to it. Yeah, it's a big part of what those relations, but that's all driven by the relationship you create with them. Adam Stacey: Yeah, absolutely. And I guess we'll have people that are listening to this that are feeling, you know, they may well be working outside of of the sector and hearing more about, you know, the opportunities that are there. wha yeah, what's a piece of advice that you would give give to them? Would you absolutely sort of recommend that going down the volunteering, volunteering path? Roxanne Lawrance: Most definitely. think people don't realise the skills they have, whether that be kind of technical skills or kind of mindset skills or just from a rapport and relationship perspective that they can bring into the charity sector. So I would 100 % say there is so much in volunteering, which actually I was reading an article earlier in the week where they're saying volunteering is probably at its all time low, which I think is a real shame because there is so much for... value for the sector and that because you know it kind of doubles, trebles, quadruples a charity's resource instantly but also what that individual and then their organization take away from it so we have some fantastic corporates that come and do their kind of team CSR days with us but actually lots of those individuals then go on to become volunteers in their own right which I think is fantastic you get something so significant from that kind of satisfaction perspective. But also your skills are really skills that the charity sector are crying out for. know, people think the charity sector CEO is glamorous and I introduced myself as, you know, I'm the CEO and they go, gosh. And that kind of perception of it being, you know, black tie dinners that I'm on stage to give her a presentation at, you know, in rooms or boardrooms with some big organizations. Actually, it means kind of putting the bins out, sweeping the floor, loading and unloading the van on occasion. I think volunteers can add quite a significant amount to it. a charitable team. I would say definitely. I know a great charity, Teens Unite, that they could come and volunteer for. But if not, then in their community, do look for an organization that really, the charitable organization need their resource. But actually what I can guarantee will happen is the volunteer will gain far more from it. Interesting, it was one of my biggest kind of misconceptions, I think, when I joined the sector. had a retail outlet and I was kind of worried about it being volunteer led because, are they going to show up? Are they going to call in sick? Like no offense to contact center well that I was in before, but kind of employee management was kind of the biggest challenge I suppose that I had there. And I was worried that that would be replicated in volunteers. Actually, they are the most loyal, dedicated, passionate advocates of your work. And yes, it's really inspiring to be one of Adam Stacey: Yeah. Roxanne Lawrance: them. Adam Stacey: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. No, that's great. And to tell us a little bit more about the organisation. Love to hear a little bit, I guess, of the the the journey of Teens Unite over the last well under your leadership over the yeah, and how things have have changed, evolved and yeah, and and then I guess yeah, tell us a little bit about how we can get involved. Roxanne Lawrance: Thank you very much. As I touched on at the beginning, those of you that missed that part, Teen Unite exists to rebuild the lives of 13 to 24-year-olds who are living with or more importantly beyond a cancer diagnosis. Until recently, was very much a taboo topic. Cancer survival is something we all talk about. However, actually living with that long-term late effects of a cancer diagnosis were unheard of and I can hold my hands up until I came into the sector I wasn't aware of. thanks to the Princess of Wales, she's now very openly talking about that actually is far more than survival and what that impact has had on her life with the support network she's had around her. So 13 to 24 year olds are going through kind of significant development years and cancer has taken that kind of development opportunity away from them. So Teen Genite provides opportunities for those young people to come together, to learn new skills, to regain their confidence. and to create a community where they really do then have the opportunity to go on and thrive beyond their diagnosis. We understand that that impact can extend far beyond the medical environment. you know, people are clinically kind of cancer free after a kind of two or five year period, but actually the kind of burden that that cancer diagnosis has on you lives right through your lifetime. So yeah, we provide those opportunities to young people. We've touched the lives of thousands of young people every year and it's an absolute privilege. As I touched on, we're based in Hertfordshire, support young people across the country and we are literally embarking on a very transformational project that will help us to triple our support provision. once open will enable us to kind of provide 30,000 opportunities to young people over our first 10 years. But first we have to have it built. So this is a kind of new transition for the charity in terms of entering into a capital build period. So we've got four and a half million pounds to raise. to build the first dedicated centre. will be a 10 purpose built bedroom facility with a dedicated activity and sports hub alongside it to provide those Adam Stacey: Yeah. Roxanne Lawrance: young people with a safe, inclusive environment to have short residential stays like lots of young people go on in kind of their school journey. But these young people haven't had the opportunity to. So we provided them in a safe space. So yeah, we're embarking on that, which is a new challenge to me and our team around us. So. from raising our core funding that we do every year to enable us to deliver our current service. We have a capital funding project that has been launched alongside that. So yeah, watch this space. We're due to commence our build, subject to raising the next million and a half pounds next April. And Adam Stacey: Yep, I could. Roxanne Lawrance: then from then it'll be a 12 month build program. So come early 2028, we will have the facility open and ready to welcome young people here. Adam Stacey: Yeah, okay. So yeah, hu huge projects. I'm sure we can make sure there's links in the show notes through to through to the website. I'm sure there's more details. if people, you know, want to find out how they can get involved. Roxanne Lawrance: Perfect, thank you so much Adam, that would be really appreciated. Adam Stacey: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. And it sounds like a really exciting project, as well. I mean, do do facilities like that already exist or is this something that's kind of you know, for for for this you know, for obviously young people in in this space? Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, of course. So this will be the first of its kind. It's a dedicated facility for that age group built purposely alongside their kind of inclusive and accessibility needs. So it isn't a kind of holiday home, which, you know, there are some fantastic facilities around the country that exist to provide those young people with that break away from a medical environment that them and their families need. When young people stay with us, we deliver our programmes of support, whether that be through employment, you know, sharing your emotions through art and therapy or through physically learning to move your body again. So While they're here, it really is a kind of rehabilitation space where young people, once they leave, do have the skills, confidence and toolkit they need to reintegrate and thrive beyond their diagnosis. Adam Stacey: Yeah. And do you think the organisation I mean, did it have have they you know, ten years ago, did it have the ambition to to to to grow and to get to places like this, or is that something that you think, you know, that you that you've brought into the organisation under your leadership? Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, I think our founders always had that kind of focus on the impact they wanted to have. they've delivered residential stays always at the moment we hire boarding school facilities to deliver them. So they have always had that real focus on providing young people with the support that they need to kind of on their terms in an accessible way. However, we have kind of grown and evolved that service provision. So I have a fantastic service delivery team. Actually, all of my team are fantastic, but particularly I have a service delivery team. So we've kind of evolved that service proposition. it's providing an opportunity for young people to meet up in person. We also do that digitally so that they have the opportunity to be able to reach our support from further afield or from their hospital bed, should that be the place that they're in at the moment. And then our residential stays have just grown and evolved over time. initially we delivered one of them, then the kind of wait list for them becomes oversubscribed. So then we deliver two each year and they're kind of the demand for them is it is all time greatest. So I think the... The founders and our trustees have always had the kind of goal to continue to expand our service when the demand for our service expansion has existed. So, you know, we had a 45 % increase on our registrations last year. So there very clearly is a demand for our services. And then we spent quite a lot of time over the last kind of five or six years, which interestingly kind of happened at that time where we were what next? What do we do next? Is how can we make our services sustainable for the long term? So. actually hiring and relying on external venues across the country that don't meet the demands and needs that the young people that we have can be challenging. So actually let's design, deliver and build a purpose-built facility that can enable us to triple our service provision in a kind of more sustainable way too because the costs are then controlled by us internally and gives the charity the kind of platform and base that it deserves as a kind of dedicated space to continue that growth. Adam Stacey: Yeah, no, really exciting and yeah, incredible to to see the journey. And I and I guess you talk about that sort of five five, six year journey. I guess that kinda hit at the same time as obviously COVID pandemic as well. Like you say in you know, you'd sort of done that two years and then move into that that space. But it sounds like that that ended up being quite a transform transformative time for the organisation. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, it really was. So we transitioned our services digitally, literally the Friday that we went into the pandemic. Thankfully, due to one of our partners, we had the technology and the infrastructure from an IT perspective to do that, which then saw our services become kind of highlighted across the sector, I would say, because, you know, nurses and social workers weren't able to be on the ward delivering their exceptional service at bedside to young people. So Teens Unite really kind of stepped up and took a part and played a significant role in that. You young people were being diagnosed on their own and we were there virtually to provide them with that support around a group of other people that had that kind of same journey going. So we kind of doubled our service offering instantly when the COVID pandemic, we came out the pandemic because we maintained digital as well as reintroduced our in-person meetups. And then, yeah, the delivering of the purpose-built facility just will enable us to kind of treble those. residential stays that we provide at the moment at facilities that are only available during school holiday time, which obviously isn't the service provision we want to be able to offer. Adam Stacey: indeed. It's just inc yeah, like you say incredible to see that that that continual growth and in and evolution and and and look into that next next project and obviously, yeah, real yeah, I guess coming together of the team to to be able to try and, you know, yeah, deliver deliver against some fairly hefty income targets as well. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, definitely. So and try and have some fun while you're doing it. And people talk about fundraising and it's new. We have to motivate and encourage others to raise money for other people. And it's how you can kind of be creative in that space and make it as fun wherever you can, because really is no different than driving towards a commercial target. It just has that impact at the end as opposed to, you know, financial gain. Adam Stacey: Yeah, absolutely. And you talked about some of the partnerships that you've been able to build to help, I guess, elevate the organisation. within the sector and I guess also corporate partnerships you talked about as well. I I guess that that real sense of of working together seems to have been a really common theme to our conversation. Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, I think working together, know, collaboration, asking when you don't know, and being bold. So bold for you in your personal development, bold for the team around you, also bold in the relationships that you've endeavoured to build. We are working with some exceptional brands that as a small, know, Hertfordshire based charity, probably seemed out of reach a few years ago. But actually, once they kind of understand the mission, they kind of invest in the people, some of those relationships have been really transformative, not only for us as a charity, but also for the young people they have. You know, I talk very much about the young people that we support are at a point in their life where they've kind of been disadvantaged as a result of their cancer diagnosis. And actually what advantage can we give them so that when they then do go on to their phase of employment in their life, that they have an advantage above their peers that they can shout about rather than the disadvantage that cancer's caused to them. So I'm really, I'm about not only making sure I'm in the right rooms and my team are in the right rooms, but also making sure that the young people that we support have the kind of brand network around them to go into an interview and say, you know, actually I've been and had a mentoring session delivered at X organization. And then what that means for them in terms of their future opportunities is, is really inspiring. Adam Stacey: Yeah. But there's a persistence and a consistency that's needed, I think, isn't there, to build in those partnerships 'cause it just yeah, they don't they don't happen overnight or in a you know, one meeting and it's it's Roxanne Lawrance: definitely. There's a small terror sitting on the floor that has to come out regularly to kind of push and Adam Stacey: Yeah. Roxanne Lawrance: drive those conversations. People do get people, but you have to get the right person to get you. So it's being persistent, being quite tenacious. You're not always ready for some of those conversations. And I can look back at some pictures I've been into and gone, yeah, we weren't quite ready for that. But equally, some of those that we weren't ready for turned into fantastic relationships. And some of them weren't right for us at that time. It's about being tenacious in those kind of opportunities as well. Yeah, you kind of nailed it there. Adam Stacey: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I mean, yeah, we need to bring the podcast in to to to land these conversations the the the Roxanne Lawrance: No. Adam Stacey: conversations could just I always feel like we could keep we could keep going. I th I say to quite a few guests, I'm gonna have to get you back on for a second for a second second Roxanne Lawrance: Thank you. Adam Stacey: show. But if you I I guess as you reflect as to where you are today, I mean this are there lessons that you've, you know, potentially learned the hard way through, you know, not just career in the sector, but career as a whole that have sort of shaped you as the leader that you are, leader that you are today? Roxanne Lawrance: Yeah, definitely. So I think I've touched on them during the thing, but kind of to summarize, I would say there's lots of times when I haven't felt ready, but you've kind of pushed myself in those opportunities to grow, whether that be a learning or, you know, kind of pitching or an opportunity. I'd say sometimes the things that scare us are the things that make us grow. So kind of be bold in that. We've talked a lot about people and the kind of career relationships you build. So whether that be with your board or your leadership team or your internal team or those externally. And that really is a big learning. I think it's something that I'm kind of trying to, even though my children are still young, embedding them now, it's, what you put into those conversations is what you gain out. So that's a really important lesson for everybody. Sometimes it can make you feel uncomfortable. Even things like this going on a podcast can make you feel uncomfortable. But actually what you gain in return is significant than that fear. And then I suppose the kind of thing to round off with, which are I mean, it's probably isn't salient for this audience because I imagine the audience get this because they're in the charity sector. But for another podcast or another time in terms of those that aren't is actually that the charity sector is no different to a business or commercial sector. So the best charities are completely and utterly mission driven, but they're extremely commercially disciplined. So if you have it the other way around, it doesn't work. However, you have to have both of those things kind of on. full pelt at the same time to deliver the outcomes that our governing documents say that we're here to exist to do, but also you have to have that kind of financial stability to enable you to provide those sensibly. Adam Stacey: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Roxanne, I'm so grateful for you coming on the show and for the insights that that that you've shared with us today. I I think, you know, so much that people are going to take away from the conversation, but I think we you know, as I reflect on it and and and think about what we've talked about, I think when you put tenacity and passion and those two things together, you see organizations like yours that that grow, evolve and you know, just yeah, continue to deliver more on great services and you know, and still have that ambition to want to keep growing and to re reach more people. So it's just really inspiring. So so grateful for for you and your team and all that you do for taking time to come and talk to us today on the Charity Changemakers podcast. Roxanne Lawrance: It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for having me, Adam. And I want to close with something else. I'm going to ask you, what's your small moment then that brings you joy? Come on, tell me. Tell me now. Did I fluff it at the beginning? Adam Stacey: Yeah, no, no, no, not at all. look at this. Yeah, being thrown back straight at me. not many people know this about me, but I am I am a bit of a twitcher. I love bird watching. And so that's my that's i my opportunity to to get out, take the binoculars and and disappear to one of the local nature reserves and yeah, no screens, no nothing, and just yeah, turn everything off and spend an hour in my binoculars. yes. i i in the woods, that sounds quite strange. But yeah, that's absolutely Roxanne Lawrance: I'm Adam Stacey: yeah what I enjoy doing. So yes. Yeah. Roxanne Lawrance: Perfect. Pleasure. Thanks. You were quick off the mark with that. So thank you for sharing that with me. Adam Stacey: Yeah, no worries. Psy, got away with it. So yeah, that's right indeed. I know it's like on the other side. So yeah. Roxanne Lawrance: I know. Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It's been an absolute pleasure. Really, thank you very much. Adam Stacey: Yeah, no, you're really welcome and yeah, thank you for coming on.