From the shyest girl in school to a voice for seriously ill children: Louise Griew’s story is one of quiet resilience and unexpected turns.

In this episode of Leading Lights, we meet Louise Griew, Chief Executive of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity - a role she never imagined for herself growing up in Pinner, North London.

Once described as the shyest girl in her class, Louise now leads a national charity supporting the families of over 40,000 seriously ill children through a network of more than 200 specialist nurses.

Her path to leadership has been anything but linear. Louise shares how her previous roles, including agency side working with clients such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, a formative stint as Fundraising and Marketing Director at the Mayor’s Fund for London during Boris Johnson’s tenure, and time leading an RAF charity have all shaped the leader she is today: values-driven, quietly confident, and rooted in the belief that “kindness is free.”

This is a conversation about forging strength through experience, navigating personal challenges, and staying grounded when life doesn’t go to plan. Louise opens up about the setbacks that taught her the most, and what it really takes to lead with heart in a high-stakes world.

About Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity provides specialist nurses and support for seriously ill children across the UK. There are currently over 200 Road Dahl Nurses caring for more than 40,000 seriously ill children, but there are many more children who do not receive this vital specialist care. The dedication and expertise of our nurses reduces A&E visits, hospital admissions and consultant appointments. They’re also a vital lifeline to the whole family, coordinating care and providing access to emotional support. That’s why we believe every seriously ill child deserves a Roald Dahl Nurse.

Find out more about the charity:

https://www.roalddahlcharity.org/

Or on Facebook or Instagram: @roalddahlcharity

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Are you a Head of Brand, Marketing or Creative at a charity? Join the MOREVER Meetup – an informal space to share ideas and connect with other women doing creative work in the charity sector.

Leading Lights is brought to you by MOREVER – an independent creative agency for charities and changemakers.www.morever.co.uk

From a challenging childhood to leadership of a ground breaking charity, Danielle Bridge has built her successful career out of being open to the range of opportunities that have come her way.

In this episode of Leading Lights, MOREVER Managing Director, Abi Mellor talks with the Chief Executive of Black Minds Matter UK about her role as the leader of a charity helping the Black community to access the mental health resources they need for better mental health, or to recover from mental illness.

This conversation covers a lot of ground.

• The mental illness challenges within Danielle’s own family that shaped her childhood.

• How being ‘unprescriptive’ has unlocked the opportunities that have led her into leadership.

• Her ‘driving force’ to do something with purpose.

• How she came to found ABC Life Support, a first aid training organisation.

• How the murder of George Floyd propelled her into her current role.

• Her thoughts on what she calls out as the ‘life epidemic’ impacting mental health.

• Her concerns around the impact on the Black community of the current political climate and the development of AI.

About Black Minds Matter UK

Black Minds Matter UK is a registered charity connecting Black individuals and families with free 1:1 talking therapy delivered by qualified and accredited Black therapists.

Its network of therapists work tirelessly to break down stigma and redefine therapeutic experiences for Black individuals.

Its three pillars of impact are therapy, awareness raising through education, and advocating for systems change in statutory services.

Black Minds Matter UK is working towards seeing a community of Black people readily accessing mental health support, recovering fully from mental illness, and thriving.

To find out more about Danielle, and Black Minds Matter UK, visit:

https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/

Instagram:

@daniellebridge_ceo

@blackmindsmatter.uk

@abc_life_support

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellebridge/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-minds-matter-uk/

Enjoyed this conversation?

Subscribe to Leading Lights to catch the next episode, and please consider rating and reviewing to help others find the podcast.

Are you a Head of Brand, Marketing or Creative at a charity? Join the MOREVER Meetup – an informal space to share ideas and connect with other women doing creative work in the charity sector.

Leading Lights is brought to you by MOREVER – an independent creative agency for charities and changemakers. www.morever.co.uk

Unfiltered conversations with women leading change in the charity and non-profit sector.

Leading Lights shines a light on female leadership, amplifying the voices of the inspiring women making a difference through purpose-driven work.

In each episode, we speak to non-profit CEOs about how they lead, what they’ve learned, and what keeps them going. Expect honest conversations, bold ideas and practical insights. It's the perfect listen for anyone passionate about the third sector, purpose-lead work or leadership.

Brought to you by MOREVER – the creative agency for charities & changemakers