Board member: Welcome Lindsey!

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our new board member Lindsey MacDonald as our new Vice-Chair of trustees. Lindsey is passionate about tackling inequality and creating a charity sector that delivers on the promises it makes. She believes that effective and ethical use of data is central to this and unlocking charities’ potential to increase their impact.

Can you tell us about your background and your current role as Managing Director at Street League?

I’ve worked in the charity sector since moving to the UK (from Canada) in 2007. I shifted my focus from international development to UK-based causes after the financial crash — recognising the significant challenges, inequality and poverty being faced by so many people in our communities. I worked in the homelessness sector, co-founding the Homeless FA in 2012, before joining Street League — the UK’s leading sport for employment charity. I’ve been at Street League for six years and since last year, alongside my colleague Dougie Stevenson, have been co-leading the organisation as Managing Director.

Street League’s vision is to see an end to youth unemployment in the UK. Using the power of sport, we tackle poverty and support young people into sustainable jobs, education, or training. I’m obviously slightly biased (!), but I really do believe that Street League is an incredibly special organisation. The talent, passion, and commitment of the team is inspiring, as is the resilience and potential of the young people we support.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a youth unemployment crisis. 60% of the people who have lost their jobs since March were aged 16 to 24 and we expect to see higher youth unemployment rates than were reached after the global financial crisis. The economic impact is disproportionately hitting those who are young, vulnerable, and in low-paid work. Like so many charities that provide society’s safety net, Street League’s services have never been more needed while we work hard to adapt and respond to the changing world around us. Despite these challenges, our team has successfully supported 750 young people into jobs, education, and training since the start of April.

What led to your interest in social sector data use?

While I was working at Homeless Link the CEO, Jenny Edwards, asked us as a team what we’d do when we were out of work: once we’d ended homelessness in the UK. That has always stayed with me. To achieve the vision and impact we talk about in the social sector we need to be innovative, curious, focused, and brutally honest with ourselves when we could do better. We’re tackling deep-rooted problems and need to use everything in our arsenal if we’re going to make the difference we set out to achieve.

I’ve seen the power that data can have in driving an organisation forward and keeping it aligned to its purpose. Data can help us learn and improve. It can unlock a deeper understanding of the issues we are trying to address and identify new ways of looking at and tackling them. Data can also help us tell stories and communicate the difference we’re making.

What excites you about your new role as DataKind UK board member?

Being part of the DataKind board and helping to transform the impact of social change organisations will be a privilege and something I deeply care about. I also love to learn!

I can’t wait to work more closely with such a passionate and talented team. Working alongside and learning from colleagues on the board, the DataKind staff, and the incredible volunteers is what I’m most excited about.

What else are you passionate about?

I love being part of a team and working together in the pursuit of excellence. If that’s not in the workplace or voluntary work then it’s on the playing field. Football and rugby were my passions but too many concussions and injuries mean I’m more focused on running, hill walking, and cycling nowadays.

I’m also Chair of Well Grounded, a social enterprise that helps people in the specialty coffee industry through an award-winning traineeship programme. I love travelling to new and interesting places and enjoying a glass (or two!) of wine.