CEO Phil Barron joined a panel discussion at London Funders’ Festival of Learning to talk about our charity’s ambitious strategic review and transformation. It was an insightful evening with fellow panellists Emma Horrigan (City Bridge Foundation), Emma Corrigan (The National Lottery Community Fund), Gabin Sinclair-Constance (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) and Michael Parsons (Impact on Urban Health).

After the event, I had the chance to sit down with Phil to chat about the transformative time for our charity and his reflections on the panel discussion. This interview preceded our launch as Richmond Foundation in November 2024.

Phil, you joined Richmond Parish Lands Charity in October 2022 and since then we have seen a transformation to refresh and modernise the organisation. Can you tell us about your journey with the charity?

Before joining, I spent five years leading a start-up organisation, the Young Westminster Foundation, and established the strategy there as a brand new funder. Moving from there to Richmond Parish Lands Charity (RPLC), a much more established funding organisation, was a significant shift, especially as I was brought in to lead a period of change.

When I arrived in Richmond, there was a lot of work to do to support the team and the trustees in overseeing the charity’s work. But right from the start, there was also a strong feeling across the team and trustees that it was time for a new chapter.

How did you identify what this new chapter would be?

It took some time to get to grips with the work of the charity, but soon we started planning the strategic review. We asked ourselves two critical questions: What do we need to do to stay relevant, and what do we aspire to achieve to be better? Although RPLC was already a respected charity, we recognised that there was clear scope for improvement. We wanted to be ambitious and took on the challenge to make our charity the best it can be.

What steps did you take to begin this transformation?

Engaging with both internal and external stakeholders was crucial, along with careful planning and clear communication. We conducted well-prepared workshops facilitated by external experts, which helped bust myths and maintain momentum. There were also quick wins, like renovating our office, which provided psychological boosts and symbolised our modernisation efforts, too.

The framework of the review allowed space for all the team and trustees to engage in important discussions around the key issues. This holistic review included evaluating our governance, diversity, expertise, and systems with the support of a learning partner to facilitate workshops. This was complemented by a deep dive into the issues in Richmond through desk based needs analysis research.

Phil Barron with Festival of Learning panel, 21 May 2024. Photograph: Alex Powell