Louisa Hobbs, Operations Manager of Milton Keynes Food Bank

Louisa Hobbs – operations manager at Milton Keynes Food Bank – joins Martin Theobald to talk about the unique challenges of leadership in the charity sector, and managing a large team of volunteers.

Louisa took the role of operations manager at the MK Food Bank in early 2020 – and calls it a baptism of fire, as it coincided with the first lockdown of the covid 19 pandemic and the following economic crisis.

With a tiny permanent staff, a rotation of over 100 regular volunteers, and a huge increase in those needing support from their community food bank, the vital service that MK Food Bank provides, and the support they receive from that community, brings unique leadership challenges. How has Louisa navigated the huge changes in the past four years, and what does the future of the food bank look like?

Martin asks Louisa just how she’s successfully embedded a positive workplace culture and embedded organisational values that keep MK Food Bank functioning: how do they raise awareness of their work, how do they get and process enough donations to meet the still significant needs of those in food poverty, and what is her secret for motivating a voluntary workforce?

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