Leading in Uncertainty

Online peer support sessions for charities.

About our peer support sessions

We want to offer useful, relevant support to the amazing charities who inspire us every day. To that end, we provide regular, facilitated spaces for leaders to share what is front of mind, and to receive support from peers in the current context of sustained uncertainty.

During these online sessions, we are listening – so we can learn about the live challenges leaders are facing and help funders to understand how they can best respond.

Register to hear about our drop-in peer support sessions, which run three times each year.

The basics

We run 90 minute peer support sessions for up to 12 charity leaders at a time, via Zoom.

Attendees experience a safe space to share challenges – like increasing or changing demand, taking care of your team (and yourself!), blending online and face-to-face, and managing multiple balancing acts. In some instances, we may work with partners to support their networks.

There are also pathways to influence the practice of over 100 funders who have signed up to our community of open and trusting grant-making.

Frequently asked questions

Who is this for?

Leaders of charities, community organisations and social enterprises, based in the UK.

This Leading in Uncertainty initiative builds on the emergency support sessions which we have been providing since April 2020. Over 500 people have taken part so far; their organisations are active in 17 fields including the arts, criminal justice, education, equality, infrastructure and migration. For a feel of what the sessions are like, read this short blog from Patricia Kieran, Director of the Irish Institute for Catholic Studies or explore our ‘How is this useful’ section of this webpage.

What kind of space is it?

The precise focus of conversations is generated by the participants or partner organisations we work with – you shape what this needs to be, to ensure that the sessions are useful for you.

‘It was really powerful to be part of one of these sessions … incredible to hear about the wide range of experiences and challenges faced by colleagues and to identify together commonality within that diversity.’

The sessions are co-facilitated by IVAR staff and associates, all of whom have been supporting charity leaders across the UK since April 2020.

When are the sessions?

We run three rounds of drop-in sessions each year. Please register for updates if you would like to hear when new dates are announced.

Please note

The online support sessions are facilitated peer support spaces; they are not information or advice surgeries.

Through these sessions, we’re building our understanding of the live situation in the sector – and calling for funders to respond. So, as well as a safe space to share what’s on your mind, this is also an opportunity to influence funder practice. You can see examples of this in our briefing series and our call for open and trusting grant-making, which has been shaped by what we’ve heard from charity leaders.

Rest assured that we won’t share anything without your consent.

We do periodically produce anonymised briefings to:

Share advice for other voluntary sector leaders
Inform UK-wide funders decisions about the kinds of support needed by the sector

How is this useful?

The benefit of the IVAR sessions has been listening to how others have coped during this time, and I hope that leaders will give themselves the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned and what works for them.

It’s good for mental wellbeing and to have the opportunity to talk and share with others in similar situations.

Meeting others from different areas provides the opportunity to be frank about challenges faced and therefore allows for open discussion, which can identify strong solutions.

It is important to take time out. To know that people around the country are dealing with the same things and feel that we have each other’s back. I am glad I didn’t make an excuse.

I found this space highly valuable to hear and empathise with other charity leaders grappling with similar challenges. I also enjoyed hearing about their unique context and specific challenges; it is great to get out of your head and hear what is important for others. I learnt a lot about how other leaders approach their work and its pressure from these conversations. It prompted me to reflect on my own priorities and approaches.

Three charity leaders share how peer support can help.

Peta Wilkinson, CEO of Willen Hospice

Chris Hailey-Norris, Chief Officer of Selby District AVS

Jenny Groves, CEO of Battle Scars

Meet the facilitators

Meet some of the people who facilitate our peer support sessions.

We are from the kinds of organisations and communities that we seek to serve. Having worked in and around the voluntary sector as volunteers, paid staff, leaders, trustees, teachers and researchers – we understand and care about the distinctiveness and independence of the sector.