time to shine

Blog Post: “­My time at the Rank Foundation: Supportive Leadership”

by Leave a Comment

In this blog post, Saana Taussi, Rank’s 2024 Time to Shine Leader and Events and Engagement Officer for the Start Here Programme, reflects on her past year’s journey at Rank, the impact of supportive leadership, and what she’s learned about fostering development in the sector.

I joined The Rank Foundation in January 2024 as an Events and Engagement Officer for the Start Here Programme. Alongside my role, I also took part in Rank’s Time to Shine (T2S) leadership programme. As my time at Rank is coming to an end, I’m reflecting on the impact this role has had on me, and what I’ve learned about leadership in the sector.

I have always been passionate about social justice, and I believe in the power of communities as catalysts for positive change. Before my role at Rank, I was driven to work in a charity, but I was becoming disheartened in my struggle to land my first paid position in the sector.

I had been working in hospitality roles after graduating from university when the Events and Engagement role came up. Reading the job description, the role was exactly what I was looking for, and a statement that stood out to me in the posting was along the lines of: “for someone who feels like they are not using their full potential in their current work”. It summed up how I had been feeling.

As I started my role, I learned that Rank’s ethos of investing in community sector leaders and building networks that improve life is not just an inspiring idea, but it’s reflected in every stage of their work. Having the opportunity to actively take part in that work has been a transformative professional experience for me. My work at Start Here has focused on increasing engagement and offering new learning to the programme’s network of community and sports organisations in Northern Ireland. During my time, I have supported the delivery of events that help programme members build their skillset and create impact in their roles. This has involved getting together with the members to learn and connect, whether at training events, peer-learning sessions, conferences or residentials. I have also worked with organisations and individuals in the programme to share their development stories through case studies.

With 100 organisations taking part in Start Here, I had a lot to wrap my head around at the beginning of my post. The first T2S conference in Leeds was two weeks into my new role and getting together with my fellow leaders who were going through the same stages set the tone of our development journey from early on. T2S connected me with so many likeminded charity professionals and encouraged me to build my confidence in the work that I do. The skills gained during my time in the programme will undoubtedly support me into future endeavours.

In many ways, the development I was going through as a T2S leader mirrored the journeys of our Start Here Programme members in their development. This helped me relate to the incredible group of people taking part in Start Here, and to bring this understanding into my work. Both T2S and Start Here are special in bringing together so many people working in different ways to improve life in their communities and championing their capability as changemakers. Seeing, hearing, and experiencing the impact of these Rank programmes from both the side of participant and deliverer has been the most unique and rewarding part of my time at Rank.

As I’ve prepared for the end of my role at Rank, I recently read over my original job application for the Events and Engagement Officer role. In summing up my motivation for the job, I have written: “Working for the Start Here Programme would give me a unique opportunity to support those in the voluntary and sports organisations who are positively impacting their communities.” Although I couldn’t have known it at the time, my immersive experience of taking part in a leadership programme while encouraging leadership in others has shown me that leadership really is about supporting those around us to succeed. I’m happy to know that I will still be a part of Rank’s supportive Network of charity leaders going forward, and I look forward to the opportunities I will have as a member of this community.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfil my potential in my work at Rank. I have been especially lucky to do this by working with so many people who are a driving force for good: the facilitators who have collaborated with me in the past year to share impactful learning, our Start Here programme members, my fellow Time to Shine leaders, the Rank team and my wonderful line manager. Thank you to everyone who was a part of my time at The Rank Foundation.

Blog Post: “A New Chapter – My First Steps as a Time to Shine Leader”

by Leave a Comment

In this blog post, Rosalie Kerr—Rank’s 2025 Time to Shine Leader and Alumni Development Officer—reflects on her first steps in the programme, the challenges and opportunities she’s encountered so far, and what she’s looking forward to in the year ahead.

I’ve always had an interest in the third sector, probably because so many people around me—family, friends—work in roles connected to it. It’s always felt like a natural path to follow, but I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d get there. 

I graduated in July 2024 with a degree in International History and Politics from Leeds, and like most students, I had that post-university moment of uncertainty. The stats around graduate employment, especially in the sector you actually want to work in, aren’t always reassuring. I had my time unemployed, figuring out my next steps, but then I came across The Rank Foundation’s Time to Shine programme.

The Alumni Development Officer role stood out—it was a great fit for my interests, and the fact that it included structured training alongside the job made it even more appealing. I interviewed, and the next day, I got the offer. I was very pleased, not just because I’d secured a job in my preferred sector, but because it was one where I could actually develop and grow. 

Starting the role, it was clear that Time to Shine (T2S) is more than just about the job itself—it’s designed to give you the chance to learn on the job while developing professionally. That was reinforced straight away at the two-day residential conference at The Royal Foundation of St Katharine. This was a great chance to meet the other T2S leaders, get familiar with the Rank team, and get a feel for the programme. The sessions were engaging, and the icebreakers helped break down any initial awkwardness, making it easier to settle in. 

A standout moment was Jen McKay’s Growth Mindset session. It was one of those sessions that stuck with me—not just about leadership in theory but about how we actually approach challenges. We did an activity where each group had to sing Happy Birthday in different languages (ours did Welsh), but the twist was that there was a saboteur in each group who had been secretly told to act like they couldn’t do it (a fixed mindset). Our saboteur, Elijah, played the role convincingly, saying he wasn’t up for it. But as a group, we managed to encourage him to join in, and we ended up giving a solid (may I add, winning) performance. It was one of those silly but memorable moments that actually summed up something bigger—the importance of encouraging people and working as a team, which is something that really matters in the third sector. 

Another session that stood out was Four Seasons Work Preference Profiling, where we explored different communication and work styles. I found out I’m a “Summer”, which means I tend to be proactive, ambitious, and focused on getting things done. My line manager, Sonia, is a “Winter”, which is the opposite—more calm, measured, and reflective. I wasn’t sure how much this would come into play day-to-day, but it has turned out to be a really helpful way to understand how we work best together and set the tone for a strong working relationship. This focus on self-awareness and collaboration is something that really stands out at The Rank Foundation—since starting in the Shoreditch office, the team has been incredibly welcoming, and the environment is supportive and easy to settle into. Having two former T2S leaders in the office has also been a great bonus, as they’ve shared valuable insights from their own experiences, giving me a better sense of what to expect from the year ahead. 

I’m now about to take part in my first Action Learning Set (ALS), which is a regular session where we reflect on our work, discuss challenges, and offer each other advice throughout the year. From what I can see, it’s a good way to problem-solve and get perspective from people who aren’t directly involved in your work. Since I’m still finding my feet in my role, I think having that space to talk things through will be really useful. 

The year ahead looks busy, with regular Action Learning Sets, the Halfway Conference in Bristol, and, of course, the Annual Rank Conference in Leeds. I’m looking forward to getting more involved in my role, understanding where I can make an impact, and seeing how my work develops over the year. The first month has been a mix of learning, settling in, and meeting new people—now it’s time to get properly stuck in. 

If there’s one thing I’ve already taken from this experience, it’s that Time to Shine isn’t just about gaining work experience—it’s about building confidence, developing leadership skills, and figuring out how you can contribute in a meaningful way. I’m looking forward to the challenges and experiences ahead, and I can’t wait to see where this year takes me. 

Blog Post: “Dream Big. It’s Time to Shine!”

by Leave a Comment

In this blog post, Nhung Phung, Rank’s 2024 Time to Shine Leader, reflects on her transformative journey throughout the Time to Shine programme.

Almost a year ago, I embarked on an incredible journey as a Time to Shine Leader with The Rank Foundation, stepping into the role of Communications & Impact Officer.

Back then, I could never have imagined how much this experience would transform me, not just professionally, but personally too. Today, as this chapter comes to a close, I’m filled with gratitude and pride. I want to take a moment to reflect on the journey, the growth, and the lessons I’ll carry forward. 

If you’ve read my first blog post, you’ll remember I wrote about my apprehensions and self-doubt. At the time, I felt unsure of myself, overwhelmed by the challenges ahead, and unsure if I belonged in a space filled with such accomplished leaders. Looking back now, I stand as a much more confident and capable version of myself, enriched by the incredible opportunities I have been given to try, learn, and thrive in ways I never thought possible.

Through my role, I’ve had the opportunity to actively contribute to Rank’s external and internal communications: producing communications & marketing materials, managing communications platforms, supporting communications for the Fellowship, and marketing and event organisation for our coworking space—Rank’s first social enterprise. These experiences pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop a multidisciplinary skill set.

One of the proudest moments for me was stepping onto the stage at Rank’s Annual Conference in Manchester, doing the showcase alongside my Time to Shine team to over 300 guests. A year ago, public speaking seemed far beyond my reach, but thanks to the support and learning sessions, like the one led by Jen Mackay during the Review Conference, I found the courage to face this challenge.

But perhaps the most profound lesson I’ve learned is about leadership itself. Before this programme, I never thought of myself as a leader. I was timid, and thought leadership meant having followers or wielding authority. Rank showed me otherwise.

For me, leadership is about leading by example: staying true to your values, uplifting others, and embracing humility. This journey allowed me to reflect on my roots and the example I hope to set. Coming from a small, mountainous area in Northern Vietnam, I was the first in my family to pursue higher education. I dreamt of becoming a communications practitioner in the social sector, working for social impact organisations as inspiring as Rank. Today, I see how my journey has (somehow unknowingly) inspired others, especially young Vietnamese girls, to dream big and pursue the seemingly impossible.

Although the Time to Shine programme has come to an end, my journey with Rank continues. I’m ready to embrace new opportunities, challenges, and moments of growth. This is not an end—it’s a new beginning.

I want to say thank you, to The Rank Foundation for believing in me, to my incredible line-manager, colleagues, facilitators, and my fellow Time to Shine cohort for walking this journey with me. And thank you to my younger self for daring to dream and never giving up.

To anyone reading this, especially those wondering if they’re capable of something bigger: Dream big. You might surprise yourself.

Ripples Story: “Overcoming inequalities”

by Leave a Comment

In this article, Varsha Parmar, Chief Executive of Equality Action, writes about how the organisation has embedded equality, diversity, and inclusion in service provision across Leicestershire and Rutland with help from our Profit for Good Programme.

Equality Action applied for Profit for Good in 2021 because we wanted to set up a trading arm that would generate unrestricted income. Historically, we heavily relied on grant funding to deliver much-needed services to people from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds in Leicestershire. Over the last few years, the challenges everyone faces have highlighted the need for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to be embedded in service provision across all sectors. Through our work, we know health and well-being are vital areas in which to embed EDI so that people marginalised by society are less reluctant to access health services.

Our charitable aim is to build EDI capacity within communities. We do that by offering training to grassroots organisations, youth groups and the NHS. We work with them to ensure EDI is at the heart of whatever they plan and deliver. This includes ensuring they consider cultural and other barriers in service delivery. Course content includes things like:

  • EDI terms and sensitive use of language
  • Bias and microaggressions
  • Equality Act 2010 and the nine protected characteristics.

Since our Profit for Good funding, we’ve helped embed EDI in many of the services and support provided here in Leicestershire and Rutland. The funding has enabled us to create a flexible pricing strategy so smaller organisations aren’t excluded, and it has covered the costs of some casework. It’s a tough sector to work in, but our relationship with Rank is fantastic. They understand the reality of being a small charity. With Rank’s support, we’ve strengthened our team with a Time to Shine leader, which has set us up for growth. Profit for Good has helped us open doors we didn’t think possible. Last year, we had seven commissions for our EDI training, and we’re aiming for 10 this year.

A significant achievement was reaching hundreds of local people by working with the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR-ICB). We helped them identify ‘connectors’ with lived experiences of cancer, hypertension, respiration and long-term COVID-19. We work with connectors to support them in sharing their experiences and any barriers they may have faced in accessing services, raising awareness, and encouraging others to take up early interventions and manage their health.

We’re delighted to have seen an increase in the way service providers and professionals, particularly those in the health sector, take feedback from service users and incorporate it into their service delivery. Putting EDI at the heart of their service enables providers to better understand the needs of their target audience, address barriers around culture, language, and digital access, and tailor their services.

Listening to people share their experiences, both negative and positive, and listening to suggestions on what can be done to improve their services is making their services more accessible and increasing their use. It is a slow process, but we are seeing service users’ confidence grow, and they are now less reluctant to see health specialists. They are also more confident in self-care, spotting signs of health issues, and taking early interventions. More are now regularly checking their blood pressure etc., and staying on top of cancer screening, etc.. They can see that the professionals are tailoring their services to address cultural needs and sensitive matters in a more inclusive manner.

These results show how an enterprising approach can help increase social impact.

Varsha Parmar

Chief Executive of Equality Action

Ripples Story: “The power of circular economies”

by Leave a Comment

In this article, Fiona Keir, Operations Officer at Green Hive, shares how the Green Hive workshop became self-sufficient in income from selling their recycled products, in order to meet their running costs.

Green Hive is a community development and environmental charity based in Nairn, on the Moray coast in the Highlands. We have been operating since 2015, with 2022 seeing the most significant evolution in the charity, which coincided with our becoming a Rank Network member.

We have two sites in Nairn. One is a plastic recycling workshop that upskills volunteers and empowers them to create outside furniture using recycled plastic. We can recycle plastic locally, and the volunteers love nothing more than a local project using locally recycled plastic with the new product being used in the community – an actual circular economy. The Green Hive workshop has always run as a social enterprise. In 2023, we became self-sufficient in income from selling our recycled products. This has been a target to reach in the four years since it opened and one we are proud of. Some of our recycled plastic benches can be found outside the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. A custom-made accessible picnic bench is on the riverside beside the kids’ play park, and we are about to install a newly designed table and seating at the beachfront as part of a new accessible path project.

We expanded in 2022 with the acquisition of Seaman’s Hall. We were successfully inducted into the Profit for Good programme at a timely point when we looked to create a sustainable community hub in a Victorian community hall that had been out of public use for some time. Last year was a whirlwind of learning for our staff as we appointed new positions and embedded an ethos of social enterprise across all business aspects. Even our Outdoor Volunteering section took on the task of diversifying income streams. It was successful in gaining commissions to teach other community groups how to create community orchards and to share learning about social media and volunteer tracking software that we use. With a new riverside location, our e-bike hires exceeded expectations, and we continue to look at ways to expand our offer to the community and visitors sustainably.

We were successful in securing a Time to Shine candidate in January 2024, and already, we have seen a significant increase in our capacity to run fabric workshops. Using fabric diverted from landfill, we’re teaching the community how to sew. One of our biggest successes in this area has been parent-child workshops, where parents and children learn together, and young people’s workshops, where the next generation begin their dressmaking futures.

One of the biggest challenges we have faced has always been how to create a social enterprise model without excluding the vulnerable and marginalised in our community through a fair pricing structure for our activities and workshops. We have managed to overcome this hurdle by predominantly using a ‘pay what you can’ offer. This has proven successful and exceeded our income projections in almost all areas where we have deployed this pricing option.

Seaman’s Hall is flourishing and has become a ‘much loved’ community asset. Hall hire from external groups continues to grow month on month. In our first year, we focused on community engagement, ensuring an open-door policy and offering events to bring the community over the threshold. Word has quickly spread, and we now have regular bookings every night of the week and a diverse calendar of external events using our space. We have formed a crucial connection and partnership with the local leisure trust, Highlife Highland. They use the hall six days out of seven for community fitness classes and will soon offer NHS classes.

Everything we have achieved to date, has centred the cornerstones of our work: we are entirely community driven and volunteer led, and we focus on environmental impact in all we do.

Fiona Keir

Operations Officer at Green Hive