An Interview with Lucy: CEO of We Hear You

We sat down with our CEO Lucy Kitchener and talked all things small charity. 

Q. Running a charity is no small feat, what's a typical day like for you? 

Lucy: There’s no such thing as a typical day for me!  

For all of us, our first responsibility is towards our clients, so my day tends to flex around what is needed from me so that we continue to do what we do best, provide counselling and therapeutic support to children, young people and adults impacted by cancer and life-threatening conditions.  

It’s the kind of role where you can make a plan about what needs to be done – and this might be supporting the team, financial planning, reviewing our accounts, prepping for trustee boards, ensuring we are legally complaint, gathering data for applications for grants, liaising with other colleagues in the sector – and then I might find I’m needed to do something else completely different. You might also find me tidying the storeroom, running a tombola, dressed as an elf and cleaning the kitchen… 

 There’s never two days the same. 

Q. How did you first get involved in WHY & how do these experiences guide you as WHY CEO? 

Lucy: My son and I both received counselling from WHY around ten years ago during the time my Mum was dying from a brain tumour. When I saw the role advertised, I felt an immediate pull towards giving back to a charity which had helped me at arguably the most difficult caring experience I have ever been through. 

Two years ago, my son was diagnosed with epilepsy, and I often still draw on my previous counselling experience to sit with the emotion of this diagnosis. 

I have a deep understanding of the impact of the compassionate support we provide due to my personal experience. It’s this personal connection to WHY that drives my commitment to ensuring others facing similar situations receive the same level of support that I was so lucky to have. I feel like it gives me a unique perspective in my role as CEO - I understand the grief, the emotional toil of being a carer, and the need for a safe space to process emotions. This insight influences my decision-making, from championing our services, to ensuring that our whole team remains empathetic and client-focused in everything we do. 

Q. What’s one moment that stands out to you as especially rewarding as WHY CEO so far? 

Lucy: The small charity sector is in an incredibly difficult place right now, with serious challenges in income generation, rising costs, and more and more beneficiaries who need our support. I am incredibly proud that together, as a small team, we are still here and still providing our much-needed services. 

Q. Fundraising in this sector is crucial. What's the most creative or fun fundraising event you've seen your team pull off? 

Lucy: Our 30th anniversary WHY ball will always hold special memories for me. It was filled with emotions, laughter and generosity and really embodied who we are and what we do. 

Q. What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a CEO, and how do you stay motivated through them? 

Lucy: The biggest challenge currently is ensuring that we remain financially resilient. I feel very fortunate to work within an incredibly supportive team, and we are each other’s biggest motivators! We have a brilliant board of trustees who support us all through the highs and lows of small charity life. 

Q. What do you think people would find surprising about what WHY does on a daily basis? 

Lucy: Such a small team having such a large impact 

Q. You often undertake big challenges for WHY’s, are there any particularly memorable moments from your challenges which have stayed with you? 

Lucy: My personal connection with We Hear You stems from my own experience 10 years ago when my Mum died from a brain tumour. The pre-bereavement counselling I received from WHY helped me to navigate that time, fund some acceptance and access the strength I so desperately needed. I’m absolutely committed to ensuring others can also benefit from WHY’s invaluable services and a little way in which I choose to give back is by doing some fundraising in my own time. For the past year I have been raising funds as part of a challenge event I’m taking part in…on Friday I fly to Lapland to sled over 240k through Sweden through untouched nature. This is going to be a real “hands on” challenge – we will be putting up our own tents, cooking for ourselves, and looking after our teams of huskies! It’s been a year of training and fundraising and I’m excited (and nervous) to be setting off.  

Two years ago, I completed the Northern Lights trek in Iceland for WHY with two good friends of mine. I have so many precious memories of that trek, but I will never forget the almost magical and ethereal nature of the environment, landscape, people and their way of truly living in the moment. 

Q. Looking ahead, what are some of the goals you're most excited about for the future of WHY? 

Lucy: Looking ahead, I’m really excited about how we continue to grow and strengthen WHY. For me, it’s about making sure we’re reaching more people who need us, expanding our support into more communities, and making our services as accessible as possible. 

I want to make sure we’re building WHY in a really resilient way - so that no matter what challenges come our way, we’re in a strong position to keep offering the support that so many people rely on. That means investing in our team, our resources, and the way we work, so we’re always able to adapt and respond to the needs of those we help. 

Ultimately, it all comes down to making sure that no one has to face tough times alone, and that we’re here for as many people as possible, for as long as they need us.