We would like to say a massive thank you to our trustees who are such an integral part of our small but mighty charity. We couldn’t do this without you Karyn (Chair), Jon (Treasurer), Ella, Jill and Per. This amazing group of people form our board of trustees, who are all highly experienced in their field and have a shared purpose to make Little Lifts the best it can be. Together they guide, monitor and govern the way Little Lifts operates. When they aren’t at a board meeting you will see them at our events, packing up Little Lifts Boxes or out on deliveries. We are so grateful for our trustees past and present.

We interviewed our current Trustees Karyn and Jill to celebrate their contribution to Little Lifts and also for them to reflect on our growth as it is our 5th birthday this month. 

Karyn Maier – Founder of Maier Leadership Consultancy & Chair of Trustees for Little Lifts

1. Why is Little Lifts important to you?

I have been a non-exec director on several Boards, all great organizations, but none as special to me as Little Lifts. It’s personal!

The Little Lifts team, led brilliantly by Oa, embodies the whole spirit of what a successful charity can be about. The desire to help as many women and men with breast cancer as we possibly can gives laser focus to all we do. Ambitious, brave, pioneering, true to the cause, ethical, humble, tireless, inventive – none of the Little Lifts team or Board of Trustees gives up – ever. Our mantra ‘small but mighty’ couldn’t be truer.

2. What do you love about being a Trustee?

Having been with Little Lifts since it started 5 years ago round Oa’s kitchen table I am amazed and thrilled by how much it has grown, exceeding all expectations in terms of time frames. But this is not just in terms of hospital partnerships (which are of course key to how we operate as a charity, enabling us to reach so many women with breast cancer) it’s the sense of community Oa and the team have cultivated and nurtured. I attend a lot of Little Lifts’ events, all quite different, but the shared quality of all of them is the love expressed and shared within the Little Lifts community. It’s inspiring and humbling and wonderful to feel that as Trustees we have helped to contribute to this success. It’s a welcoming, inclusive, warm and open organisation which shines through at all levels.

3. Any standout moments from the last 5 years?

 So many! Our first anniversary event at The Sanctuary and our first May ball were such important milestones and although they were perhaps not quite as well organised and smooth running as our later events, they were full of enthusiasm, energy and belief in the cause which later has come to epitomise Little Lifts.

My most emotional event was the most recent fashion show in partnership with John Lewis. To see those models looking so gorgeous and proud strutting their stuff, willing to share their vulnerabilities and experiences of breast cancer (both directly or indirectly) was extraordinary. I’ll never forget it.

4. Challenges that Little Lifts has faced and how it has overcome them?

 The pandemic was of course a huge shock, we were still a very young outfit in its first stages of growth and fundraising events were our main sources of income. Covid meant a complete rethink of how events could be run along with the challenge of how to maintain and grow the sense of inclusivity and community that the charity is built around. Couple this with brave decisions to extend our boxes to the secondary cancer community and to radiotherapy as well as chemotherapy patients the ambitions were on the up.

Typically, Little Lifts responded with a ‘yes, we can do this’ attitude. We took a hit on income generation, but a short lived one as it turned out. We also recognised the need to work even harder on additional income streams such as Trusts and Foundations, getting the right expertise in to ensure success.

What wasn’t allowed to suffer was the connection with our box recipients and supporters – through sheer dedication and ingenuity this was built on and the current size of community is testament to not losing our nerve during this testing period.

5. Any other reflections or comments?

 Our community includes our wonderful business supporters, Patrons and Ambassadors. Too many to list but a couple are especially important to me. Sinclair are clients of mine and I was thrilled to be able to introduce Colin Woodward, CEO and Kathryn Woods, Director of People to Oa and the team. Since this first meeting they have been dedicated, committed and generous supporters with company wide involvement (their coastal walk in the summer was just one example of this). They have been with us every step of the way. I want to also mention Harriet of Spacemasks, a small business owner with the most witty, kind, warm-hearted and clever contributions to Little Lifts imaginable. She is so part of the team I couldn’t imagine Little Lifts without her.

 We joke that Oa can get anyone to do almost anything for Little Lifts, she is hard to say no to and why would you! Her story of cancer, her determination, charisma and delightful exuberance has made Little Lifts what it is and what it will undoubtedly become. However tough things are it’s always a joy to work with her and offer support when needed. I was honoured when she first asked me to become a Trustee, and I have just continued to feel privileged to be part of it.