It started on the street - in conversation with Charlotte Forrest

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Charlotte about what street fundraising really teaches you — not just about asking for money, but about leadership, confidence, and influence.

Charlotte was managing a region at just 21 years old, leading teams in some of the toughest conditions imaginable. From rainy mornings in Newport to motivating hungover fundraisers, those early leadership experiences shaped how she shows up today — and why presenting to a boardroom now doesn’t faze her.

We explore how face-to-face fundraising builds rapid rapport-building skills, and why the ability to earn trust from a complete stranger in under a minute is a foundation for effective leadership — whether that’s asking for bank details on the street or leading teams and influencing senior decision-makers.

Charlotte also shares why she thinks charities are missing a trick when it comes to street teams as a source of insight. While organisations spend thousands on market research, fundraisers on the ground are having real conversations every day about what messaging works, what doesn’t, and how the public truly sees a cause.

We talk about the importance of field presence — why Charlotte continued team-leading two to three days a week even as a manager, and how leaders who can still do the job earn trust and credibility in a way that no amount of admin ever will.

And finally, we unpack the storytelling framework learned on the street — problem, solution, urgency — and how that simple structure carries across every form of fundraising, from direct mail and events to trust applications and corporate pitches.

It’s a conversation about leadership learned the hard way — on the pavement — and why those lessons matter far beyond fundraising.