Episode 67! Debra, Peter and their producer Justin (or should that be José 🤷‍♂️) are back after a couple of weeks away, after Debra briefly rebranded the show at the start, and there is plenty to catch up on.Peter shares the slightly surreal experience of watching his son Bertie become one of the faces of Channel 4’s Virgin Island, complete with bravery, honesty and, apparently, the need for good rizz.Then the conversation turns to philanthropy, privilege and big civil society gatherings, as Peter reflects on his time around the Skoll Conference and the Marmalade fringe events. Debra and Peter explore what these spaces can achieve, where their limits are, and why charity work often sits in that strange place between being proud of what people do and deeply ashamed that the work is needed at all.The main discussion dives into trustee recruitment, board diversity and who really gets invited into governance. Prompted by Dame Julia Unwin’s comments on how few trustees are recruited through open application, Debra and Peter unpack the habits, assumptions and practical challenges that shape charity boards. From tapping people on the shoulder to recruiting young trustees, refreshing boards without losing vital knowledge, and challenging assumptions about age, experience and expertise, this is a thoughtful conversation about what good governance really needs.Send your questions to jblazquez@dsc.org.uk or comment below for the next episode!YouTube Subscribe: YouTube.com/@DSCOnlineMore Debra Allcock TylerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-allcock-tyler-8013214/More Peter WanlessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sir-peter-wanless-b43aa372/Produced by: Directory of Social Change https://www.dsc.org.ukPodcast Producer: José Blazquez (aka Justin from now on)

Episode 66, and Debra is on one about four-day weeks. Quite right too, because this is one of those topics she could probably keep going on about all week (see what I did there?). This time, Debra and Peter get stuck into a big conversation about four-day working weeks, productivity, public sector stereotypes, and whether politicians are actually paying attention to the evidence. Debra makes the case with plenty of passion, Peter pushes back in all the right places, and between them they explore what really makes organisations work well: trust, flexibility, investment, and better leadership.They also talk about switching off, or not switching off, when you are in a senior role. Can leaders ever really go on holiday without thinking about work? What happens when your phone stops ruling your life? And if good leadership means building other leaders, what does that say about the people who think everything falls apart the second they step away?There is also the usual dash of cricket at the start, including Somerset being described as a model county club, which Peter is naturally very calm and understated about.No episode next week, because José is off to Poland for a swanky AI conference. Lucky sod. Apparently this podcast cannot function without him, which is both unfair and, sadly, completely true.And if you urgently need Peter during the break, do write to his cricket president email account, which appears to be the only inbox he actually checks. We do not, however, know what that email address is, so this may not be a flawless system.YouTube Subscribe: YouTube.com/@DSCOnlineMore Debra Allcock Tyler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-allcock-tyler-8013214/More Peter Wanless LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sir-peter-wanless-b43aa372/Produced by: Directory of Social Change https://www.dsc.org.uk Podcast Producer: José Blazquez

Hello? Is that the government? … can we talk?Debra and Peter are back just as Easter arrives, and this week they take on a question that feels far too familiar: when government gathers the grown-ups in the room to tackle a national crisis, why is civil society still so often left outside the door?Starting with the latest response to oil price shocks, they explore why business is so often treated as a strategic partner while charities are seen as the people who arrive later to mop up the consequences. Drawing on lessons from COVID, local knowledge, fuel poverty, food insecurity and community resilience, they make the case that charities do not just respond to crisis. They help design better answers to it.Debra and Peter also get into the sector's own storytelling problem. Are charities still framed too often as worthy, gentle and grateful, rather than as essential contributors to the economy and society? And if government, business and civil society are all serving the same people, why are charities still fighting to be taken seriously as part of the solution?There is also a thoughtful discussion about the risks that come with funding and advocacy, prompted by debate in Scotland over whether government support makes charities less likely to criticise. It opens up a wider question about independence, influence and the vital role infrastructure bodies can play in speaking out when individual charities may feel too exposed to do so.And finally, in one of the most honest parts of the episode, Debra offers a message for charity leaders facing closure, burnout or impossible decisions: this is not a personal failure. Sometimes survival means stabilising, stopping, or recognising with pride what has already been achieved in a brutal environment.Sharp, frank, occasionally funny, and quietly determined as ever, this is a conversation about voice, value and not giving up.P.S. This is not a cricket podcast. Or is it?Send your questions to jblazquez@dsc.org.uk or comment below for the next episode!YouTube Subscribe: YouTube.com/@DSCOnlineMore Debra Allcock Tyler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-allcock-tyler-8013214/More Peter Wanless LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sir-peter-wanless-b43aa372/Produced by: Directory of Social Change https://www.dsc.org.uk Podcast Producer: José Blazquez