We were delighted that our Founder and Chairman, Mike Clare, was able to find the time in his busy schedule to co-host a “Business Leadership – Insights and Experiences” workshop for CEOs and charity leaders with Damon Clark. Mike and Damon shared their wealth of knowledge and experience of running businesses, including strategy, leadership and staff motivation and related these to the charity world. With amusing anecdotes and examples of best practice they complimented each other perfectly.
Everyone was invited to pitch for funding with the following charities being successful:
- Action4Youth
- Autism Early Support
- Chiltern Rangers
- Helen & Douglas House
- Maytree Suicide Respite Centre
- One-Eighty
Mike Clare, Founder, The Clare Foundation
“I am full of admiration and the belief that we have some of the finest charity leaders in the UK right here in Buckinghamshire. I was delighted that we were able to provide not only some small grants for charities in light of all that is happening in the economy, especially given that many families are struggling with fuel and food poverty, but that Damon and I were able to provide some insights from our experiences and also that I could share my business knowledge gained founding and running Dreams.”
Here are some of the testimonials we received:
Rebecca Chandler-Wilde, Trustee, Bucks SafeStep Foundation
“Mike and Damon are a formidable double act with Mike providing amusing but pertinent insights into the practicalities of running a business and motivating staff, and Damon putting an excellent and clear structure around business principles, formulation of business strategy and the relevance of that to a charity. It is easy to get lost in the day to day issues of running a charity and Damon’s clear guidance on the areas that the board should be concentrating on was excellent.”
Simon Rudiger, CEO, Aylesbury Youth Action
“Mike and Damon’s Leadership Seminar offered a real blend of theory and practical advice, Mike’s stories from business connect well with the challenges and opportunities of much of the charity world. Damon presented really useful content for self-development and learning, with a gentle nudge to read more about leadership and strategy. They’re a great double-act! And as always, a chance to connect with new and existing colleagues over a cuppa and a sandwich is very welcome.”
Susie Besant, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, One-Eighty
“The ‘Business Leadership – Insights and Experiences’ workshop led by Mike and Damon was the perfect session to wrap up 2022. It was an inspiration, and huge encouragement to have two people with a wealth of knowledge, experience, theory, and innovation, share their perspective and business skills with like-minded and passionate CEOs. In the space of a few hours I felt I took away not only the opportunity to meet more incredible leaders but left with more enthusiasm, confidence, and motivation to re-ignite my team with some fresh ideas and perspective to enable One-Eighty to strive towards exceeding our strategic objectives and achieve our vision for working with more vulnerable young people. It was a very timely session for me and One-Eighty as we are working on being more ambitious and impactful as we grow. A huge thank you to The Clare Foundation for inviting me to this session.”
Sarah Sweet-Rowley, Chief Executive, Autism Early Support
“This session landed at the perfect time for me as I was working on our 5 year plan which I present to trustees this month. It was an excellent reminder of where to remain focussed as CEO, allow for thinking time, divide time between working on and in the business etc. It aligned with my ambition to be aspirational and to follow the HAG! It was a comforting reminder that the challenges leaders of charities face are common to us all, and that perseverance and determination are key to getting through. There were great take-aways including good reading suggestions and it was also great to be in the company of peers. Mike & Damon complimented each other well. Mike’s insight, examples and experience made for memorable stories and Damon’s content was highly relevant and delivered well. The bonus of taking away £5,000 for our charity was of course brilliant. I enjoyed the challenge of having to pitch – it’s another great skill to develop, so thank you for the opportunity! I very much look forward to the next seminar.”
If you are the CEO of a charity or not-for-profit organisation and would like to work with us please do get in touch. Every year we run a series of workshops and seminars on a range of topics suitable for Charity Leaders and their staff; details can be found on our Events page. We can provide one to one support via our CHAT programme and are available to give guidance and support to all charities across Buckinghamshire.
