Steve Allman facilitated our Strategic Away Day in December 2023 at a time where the organisation had faced some real challenges across its governance and finance. The focus was tailored entirely to our needs and Steve brought a sense of calm, focus and fun to the day which allowed us to critically think about our vision for the remainder of our new strategic plan. His facilitation style, in my opinion, really suited the room where we have incredibly dedicated and passionate trustees who can often veer of course in conversation. Steve allowed for this discussion time, but kept us on track so that we let's the day coming out of it with what we had hoped for. Steve offered very honest feedback after the session and concluded our outcomes to revisit in our 2024 board meetings which was very useful. I can't recommend Steve enough for any away day facilitation. 5 stars from me!

Ryan Beasley, Executive Director, BELMAS

When I first approached Steve Allman, I knew we needed support with our management and leadership team but wasn’t sure where to start. Steve talked me through the (very!) wide variety of services he could offer and made some recommendations on what could work for our Charity that came well within our training budget. There was absolutely no pressure from Steve throughout the scoping process and after following him on LinkedIn, it was quite clear he was the person for the job with his extensive Charity background and varied leadership journeys. We had a diagnostic workshop with 2 follow up workshops to deliver on what he had discovered about us as a group and as individuals. You can’t get more bespoke than that! Steve's no PowerPoints approach was refreshing and created an open forum of ideas being exchanged in a way I’ve rarely seen on leadership workshops before. Steve’s workshops have brought us closer as a leadership team, allowed us to have a better understanding of each others personalities in an extremely engaging few sessions. His approach has definitely made me think twice about how we deliver our messages and projects internally especially when trying to initiate some more cultural changes. A huge thank you to Steve Allman for his expertise and inspiration of changing up some of our delivery.

Gemma Bradley, Head of Operations, Trading & Governance, The Children's Hospital Charity, Sheffield

We had the most fabulous Governance Workshop with Steve Allman. He encouraged creativity, banter (if you know us, you know that's helpful!) talking, flow and best of all drawing! If you haven't looked into Steve honestly go and follow him and if you need his amazing service I would encourage everyone to book him now! As funny in real life as he is on here but really gets to the nitty gritty and has a way of explaining things so you can actually understand it! Coffee4Craig have a relatively new board so it was lovely to get together and really look at any issues and how we start the ball rolling. Me and Hendrix Lancaster are really looking forward to working with the board and hopefully more with Steve Allman.

Risha Lancaster, General Manager / Co-Founder, Coffee4Craig

Steve Allman provided a valuable and impactful training day for We Too! SC045895. His friendly and warm style helped alleviate the team's anxiety, enabling them to focus on the workshop tasks and achieve the objectives efficiently.

The abundance of usable information generated during the workshop empowered the Board of Trustees to strategize and address organisational challenges effectively.

Moreover, the realisation of the organisation's achievements and impact, despite its size, serves as a testament to the effectiveness of Steve's approach in fostering a positive and empowering environment.

I would positively recommend Steve's services to help teams maximize their potential and celebrate their successes.

Tori Chamberlain, Chair, We Too!

Steve Allman recently delivered an excellent second workshop for Greater Manchester Youth Federation. He is a fantastic facilitator and brought a great deal of experience, warmth and humour to our discussions. He knows when to challenge, when to encourage and when to have a break for a well-earned cuppa!

Steve is really enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the charity sector and is great at reading the room and getting the best out of people. Thanks Steve for your support, it was very much appreciated by all who attended.

Helen Robinson, Chair, Greater Manchester Youth Federation

Steve kicked off our first-ever event, and it's safe to say it was an overwhelming success! His talk on "How to Navigate the Minefield of Charity Leadership" was not only engaging but also provided great insights, offering valuable takeaways to our attendees.

Despite the event being virtual, Steve's presence and energy made it just as engaging as an in-person event, and he had us all laughing at his jokes!

The communication process throughout was seamless, a refreshing change from the challenges often faced when organising and liaising with speakers, and he promptly posted a write-up of his talk on our website.

The feedback we received from his talk was amazing, and I can't think of a better speaker to have launched our events. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Steve and recommend him to my colleagues every chance I get!

Ocean King, Community Executive, CharityJob

We recently worked with Steve to explore our ethical framework for fundraising and investment. It's a potentially challenging topic so I felt a little trepidation but Steve immediately put me at ease.

After introducing the work to the Board he followed up with individual calls with each Trustee to explore their personal perspectives before facilitating a half day workshop to tease out any issues and develop a shared approach.

Steve's style, use of humour and real world examples encouraged everyone to contribute, question and collaborate. He skilfully managed the workshop to help us reach a conclusion that everyone was comfortable with and both staff and Trustees enjoyed it.

Steve's report was a focussed summary of what we'd agreed and we are now using it to build our policies and processes. He was a dream to work with and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Steve.

Kat Lee, CEO, Family Holiday Charity

Steve facilitated a charity development day for our small NHS charity. It was a first for us and we were all amazed at how much we achieved in just half a day! It was invaluable to have an outside perspective to draw out conversations and perspectives from the group. Steve worked brilliantly with all the attendees who represented a broad range of roles from within the charity and from the NHS Trust. Our aim by the end of the session was to have worked our way to an agreed Vision for the Charity, which we did! I would highly recommend Steve, we found the day very valuable, energising and have used our feedback report as a jumping off point for further development.

Sophie Burt, Head of Fundraising & Community Development, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity

Steve facilitated our board away day at North Kent Mind.  He delivered a dynamic, entertaining and thought-provoking day.  Steve gave his time before, during and after the day.  I felt it was of excellent value and our board came away with concrete actions and plans.  His facilitation is first class and Steve is a very likeable, approachable consultant, who makes people at all levels feel at ease.

Lindsey Stukalov-Stone, Chair, North Kent Mind

Steve delivered two sessions for us at our NHS Charities Together national conference; one on Terrific Terminology and one on Marvellous Methodology.  Feedback from attendees was particularly positive on the Terrific Terminology session. 

Steve really engaged the room, pitching the session at the right level, and managing to get a lot of information across in a short space of time – with a good level of humour and a confident, relaxed style.

The planning and development process wasn’t without its challenges, but Steve turned up and delivered, creating a good foundation for further conversations on impact!  I am looking forward to working together on a webinar later in the year.

Amy Woolger, Head of Evaluation, Learning & Insights, NHS Charities Together

Steve worked with us recently as a facilitator on our Learn, Test, Change series for local trustees. 

I find Steve so thoughtful and curious, just as you’d hope a great facilitator to be – he really wants to get the best from working together. 

Steve’s knowledge of our work and the wider sector helped greatly and he brought a sense of perspective and humour to some difficult circumstances. I look forward to when we can work together again.

Alan Webb, Assistant Director, Home-Start UK

We really enjoyed our Values Workshop with Steve, he’s a brilliant facilitator and trainer.

Not only was it fun with amazing colourful sticky notes, pens and string but it felt as if everyone’s views and, most importantly, values were listened to and validated.  That’s no mean feat with such a large group and range of people!

This is what I was really keen to achieve when briefing Steve and I really felt like he spent the time listening to me.  The other great thing is that he adapted his plan on the day to meet the additional needs within the group, so we really appreciated that.

I highly recommend Steve and look forward to working with him again soon.

Amy Griffiths, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice Diss & Thetford

I worked with Steve in his capacity as a facilitator for Home-Start UK.  The work took place over 3 months and had a focus on trustee, governance and succession planning.  

Steve supported the structure of the work-plan and supported participants in the main group and breakout groups.  He made suggestions and proposed ideas to aid conversations and discussions and was at all times flexible when participants had issues they need to explore in-depth.

Steve has an in-depth understanding of the charity sector and of Home-Start.  At all times Steve was personable, accessible, flexible and professional and I would recommend him for similar work.

Tracey Simpson-Laing, Chief Executive, Home-Start Leeds

Steve gave a presentation on Working Together at a recent Stronger Kent Communities event.  He was engaging, funny and very informative – he gave loads of good ideas for people to take away. I’d definitely recommend him.

Sue Tucker, Operations Manager, Stronger Kent Communities

Steve has a superb knowledge of all aspects of the charity sector all the way through from volunteering to Chairing the Board of Trustees. 

He is generous with sharing his knowledge and expertise and does so in such a way that you really remember what he says – and the humour that accompanies it.

Steve has just led a strategy development session for us and in a short space of time enabled us to see so many aspects and make decisions that no amount of work over the previous 8 months had achieved. 

Thanks, Steve, you are thoroughly recommended!

Karen Wilson DL, Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Youth Federation

Steve nailed our team away day today. He listened to the brief, developed a great session plan which was engaging and fun and he managed the energy and pace brilliantly. It’s Steve’s experience in the charity sector (he’s been there and got the t-shirt) coupled with his fun and engaging style that made him a perfect fit for us. If you’ve over away days that feel like PowerPoint overload or where you’re expected to build a life raft out of two pencils and a paper clip, then I’d highly recommend a conversation with Steve, you won’t be disappointed.

Emma Clarke, CEO, Weston Park Cancer Charity

Steve’s training at our away day for The Cowshed Charity was an incredible experience.  

His humour, unique ideas, friendliness, and ability to make us think outside the box left a lasting impact on our team. 

Steve created an enjoyable and inclusive environment that empowered us to embrace our strengths and explore new possibilities. 

We are immensely grateful for his exceptional guidance and highly recommend him for transformative training experiences.

Sally Russell, CEO, The Cowshed Charity

Steve sat on a panel at a Getting on Board discussion on "Boards behaving badly". He was funny, hard-hitting, perceptive and entertaining! He has a lovely way of always being the person to cut through the noise and point out how the people involved with charities can do better.

Penny Wilson, Chief Executive, Getting On Board

Steve ran a great session on internal values and behaviour at our recent staff residential. He was highly professional and very personable from our first point of contact. He listened to what I thought we needed as an organisation, gave suggestions and guidance and shaped the session to achieve our desired outcomes. The session was relaxed, well-planned and extremely productive. Steve managed the room really well, keeping all 55 team members engaged (and smiling) during the 3-hour session. Feedback from staff has been very positive. I would definitely recommend Steve to other charities.

Kate Steele, Chief Executive, SHINE

Steve ran a really engaging Governance Workshop for our Trustees at Home-Start in Suffolk. We left the day refreshed, re-invigorated and with a plan of action – just what we needed. 

Sometimes a Board of Trustees needs to step away from the usual routine to think and work together. This was a perfect blend of personal thinking time, team activities, teamwork and ultimately establishing a way forward. I heartily recommend Steve.

Rob Thacker, Chair, Home-Start in Suffolk