Let’s Reboot the Future
This podcast is for anyone who has ever been called naïve for thinking that we can create a world that is a kinder, more equitable and beautiful place to live.
It is a treasure trove of evidence that there are people out there leading with kindness, caring for our planet and thriving. These are their very human stories of how they are doing it - so that you know you are not alone, this is possible, and you can find your way to help Reboot the Future.
Tune in to the consistent frequency of inspiring, relatable stories, learning how people are navigating challenges and acting with courage.
Let's create the momentum towards a better way of being, let's Reboot the Future.
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Let’s Reboot the Future
The Right Thing To Do : Samantha Ward OBE
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What happens when you refuse to accept that nothing can be done? In this episode, we hear from Samantha Ward OBE, Deputy CEO of Royal Voluntary Service, whose lifelong conviction that the world can be changed for the better has shaped an extraordinary career in service and volunteering.
From childhood, Sam had a powerful sense of right and wrong and the grit to go with it, always asking not just "why is this happening?" but "what can we do about it?" Where others saw naivety, Sam saw possibility, and she never stopped acting on it.
That conviction was tested most visibly when the pandemic hit and Royal Voluntary Service stepped forward while others battened down the hatches. The result? The NHS Volunteer Responders programme, built in a matter of weeks, which mobilised 750,000 volunteers and delivered support over 2.6 million times to people who might otherwise have been completely cut adrift.
Sam also shares the more recent launch of GoVo, RVS's flexible volunteering platform now home to nearly 1,800 charities, designed to meet people where they are and make volunteering work for modern life, whether that's 20 minutes on the way home or a Saturday afternoon trying something completely new. As Sam describes it, it was built on the same quiet certainty that it was simply the right thing to do.
More about Samantha:
Samantha Ward OBE, Deputy CEO and Chief of Services and Volunteering at Royal Voluntary Service
As well as Deputy CEO responsibilities, Sam is also responsible for Royal Voluntary Service's volunteering, safeguarding & service delivery, including health, social care, community services and Armed Forces support.
Sam is also a qualified Leadership Coach, Mentor & Consultant for Leaders who feel driven to serve and are born to lead. She was awarded an OBE for services to charity in 2022.
Links and resources:
Want to think more about the issues raised in this podcast?
Read our blog 'The Girl Who Wouldn't Look Away' here.
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