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What's the Chari-tea?

What's the Chari-tea?

Louise Dawtry 12 Episodes Aug 18, 2026

Host Louise Dawtry speaks with people who work in charities and non-profits — paid staff, volunteers, trustees, and supporters — about the realities of the third sector. Each episode shares behind-the-scenes stories and honest insights into what it's really like working for a good cause. The show aims to connect those involved in charity work and offer a candid look at the challenges and rewards.

Episodes

Is the Charity Career Ladder Broken?
Is the Charity Career Ladder Broken? Aug 18, 2026 11:37 I'm back with another solo episode this week and this one is all about the charity career ladder...is it broken?If you want to keep the conversation going you can subscribe to the What's the Chari-tea? weekly newsletter - get Your Sector Survival Guide hereI'd love to see you at the next Chari-tea Talk for more info click hereAnd don't forget to join the waitlist for our very first WTC Live Event
We need to stop telling charity people to be more resilient
We need to stop telling charity people to be more resilient Aug 11, 2026 26:29 Ok here are my thoughts on burnout and reflections on my conversation from Ep 1 with Dr Claire Ashley aka The Burnout Doctor.If you want to keep the conversation going you can subscribe to the What's the Chari-tea? weekly newsletter - get Your Sector Survival Guide hereI'd love to see you at the next Chari-tea Talk for more info click hereAnd don't forget to join the waitlist for our very first WT
"I don't sugarcoat volunteering" - Louise Dawtry & Rachel King spill the chari-tea...
"I don't sugarcoat volunteering" - Louise Dawtry & Rachel King spill the chari-tea... Jul 14, 2026 48:55 Rachel King is the National Volunteering Manager for Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) charity. I was delighted to have her join me in the studio to talk about her career as in the VM community, the realities of the charity sector as well as her lived experience of living working with bipolar. If you want to keep the conversation going you can subscribe to the What's the Chari-tea? weekly
What's the Chari-tea? S02Ep04 - Louise Dawtry & Katie Stevens from Demelza
What's the Chari-tea? S02Ep04 - Louise Dawtry & Katie Stevens from Demelza Jun 16, 2026 31:52 Katie Stevens is the Director of Clinical Services at Demelza Children's Hospice. I was delighted to have her join me in the studio to talk about her career journey from an NHS Nurse to Demelza, a charity that has a special place in her heart. We talk about what nonprofit life is really like, the amazing bits and the challenges, and as always we reflect on our own wellbeing and share thoughts on
What's the Chari-tea? S02Ep03 - Louise Dawtry & Luke Barrow - CEO at Two Pints Deep
What's the Chari-tea? S02Ep03 - Louise Dawtry & Luke Barrow - CEO at Two Pints Deep May 12, 2026 39:21 Luke Barrow is the Founder and CEO of Two Pints Deep, a mens mental health and suicide prevention charity. I was delighted to have him join me in the studio to talk about how his lived experience of mental health difficulties and bereavement shaped who he is and developed into a social change movement. We talk about life and lessons learned as a grassroots charity CEO, and as always we reflect on
What's the Chari-tea? S02Ep02 - Louise Dawtry & Stef Sword-Williams - What is a Career Comedown?
What's the Chari-tea? S02Ep02 - Louise Dawtry & Stef Sword-Williams - What is a Career Comedown? Apr 14, 2026 50:28 This episode features the incredible Stef Sword-Williams, author of ‘F*ck Being Humble’ and ‘Career Comedown’, and professional development speaker. As well as all this she founded a community support group called, This Might Help, offering support to those caring for people with mental health difficulties.I was delighted to have Stef on the show and discuss her experiences, insights and thought l
S02Ep01 - Louise Dawtry & Dr Claire Ashley - The Burnout Doctor
S02Ep01 - Louise Dawtry & Dr Claire Ashley - The Burnout Doctor Mar 17, 2026 41:15 Series 2 begins with Dr Claire Ashley, GP, burnout specialist and author of ‘The Burnout Doctor’ to cut through all the noise around the term burnout and help us understand what burnout is, how we can prevent it and what we need to recover from it. I love to read your messages about what has resonated on each episode so please do keep them coming! And if you can spare a few mins please leave us a
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01Ep06 - That's a Wrap!
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01Ep06 - That's a Wrap! Feb 10, 2026 26:59 Series 1 of What’s the Chari-tea - that’s a wrap! In this episode I share my hot takes from the last 5 episodes of Series 1. Grab a cuppa and let’s chat through everything we learned from our 6 incredible guests that joined me for our very first series of the podcast. I also express my deepest thanks to you all for listening, sharing, commenting and supporting this journey.Stay tuned for Series 2…
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01Ep05 - Emma Kirby
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01Ep05 - Emma Kirby Jan 13, 2026 44:45 Emma Kirby is the Deputy Director of Digital at The National Lottery Community Fund, and has previously worked some other amazing organisations in both the charity world (Comic Relief, Yorkshire Cancer Research) and the private sector too (ITV, Skipton Building Society). Emma is incredibly knowledgable on all things digital transformation and we talk about this and more, including her experience o
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01 Ep04 - Eleshea Williams
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01 Ep04 - Eleshea Williams Dec 2, 2025 53:53 Eleshea Williams is the Social Media Officer at Amnesty International, LinkedIn Top Voice, Speaker and thought leader on social media marketing. I was delighted to have her join me (all the way from Surrey!) on the What’s the Chari-tea? sofa to talk all things nonprofit life. We talk about how Eleshea harnessed a passion for education and social justice into a career within the charity sector, as
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01 Ep03 - Eloise Bell
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01 Ep03 - Eloise Bell Nov 4, 2025 52:51 Eloise Bell is the Director of People, Culture and Governance at Leeds Mind. She is also my wonderful manager and I was so grateful to have her join me on the What's the Chari-tea? sofa to talk all things nonprofit life. We discuss her path from the corporate world to the charity sector, her passion for health and wellbeing and how she ensures she demonstrates her boundaries to her teams.If you’ve
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01 Ep02 - Rob & Heather Huggins
What's the Chari-tea? with Louise Dawtry | S01 Ep02 - Rob & Heather Huggins Oct 7, 2025 56:12 Heather and Rob Huggins. Rob is founder and CEO of Liberdade, disability arts charity, and with Heather they also run Gosforth Civic Theatre. We talk about a lot of aspects nonprofit life, the best bits; harnessing their passion for drama and dance to create something incredibly special for and with their community. But they also share vulnerable moments; the challenges of starting and scaling a c

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