Lankelly stood out for its openness

Why can’t we have this relationship with other funders?

By Mel Larsen

When I was first brought on as a consultant for Lankelly Chase, alongside my team of two fellow associates, I honestly didn’t quite know what to expect.

We were commissioned to undertake a national insight study, speaking to around 45 people across the UK to understand how Lankelly was perceived and what kind of impact the organisation was having. That’s a lot of listening. A lot of deep, searching conversations. But from the very beginning, it was clear to me this wasn’t going to be a regular consultancy project – Lankelly was different.

In a field where many organisations can seem quite set in their ways, Lankelly stood out for their openness. They weren’t just ticking a box or paying lip service to ‘learning’. They genuinely wanted to grow. They weren’t afraid to question anything – including themselves – and they welcomed challenges.

As a consultant, that kind of environment is a breath of fresh air. I was given freedom in my approach. It felt like a real partnership – and that doesn’t always happen.

As the project progressed, I started to get a stronger sense of what they were trying to do. Lankelly is a funding body, yes, but not in the traditional mould. They’re trying to disrupt the very systems that often keep people marginalised: economic, social and political structures that too often go unchallenged.

And they’re doing this while still fulfilling the role of a funder. That combination – being a source of money and a force for systemic change – is unusual. It’s brave. And it’s not without its tensions, and they understand that.

I was struck by how unafraid they were to fund work that might be seen as challenging – organisations addressing mental health, racial inequity and other areas that don’t always get easy access to funding. Lankelly seemed to move towards the hard questions, not away from them.

Through the study, we heard from dozens of people in their network – grant partners, collaborators, stakeholders – and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Lankelly was seen as trustworthy, open and honest. People spoke highly of the staff, not just as professionals, but as people who genuinely cared. One phrase stuck with me: ‘inspirational people to work with – challenging, thought-provoking, bringing new ideas into organisations and leaving a legacy of new ways of thinking that will last, agile and brave’. That’s the kind of impression they leave.

Many we spoke with saw Lankelly as a learning partner – an organisation that didn’t pretend they had all the answers, but one that was committed to evolving. That’s a rare quality in any organisation, but particularly in the funding world, where hierarchy and rigidity can often dominate. People felt seen and heard. One person even said, ‘Why can’t we have this relationship with other funders?’

For me, one of the most remarkable things was Lankelly’s willingness to make space; to slow down and be present. I’ve only experienced that kind of spaciousness before in Sweden, in meetings where everyone is given time to speak and be part of the process. It challenges our fast-paced, outcome-driven culture. But Lankelly showed that you can be reflective and impactful at the same time.

I came away from the experience with a renewed sense of what leadership can look like. Lankelly could easily have taken a more ‘establishment’ route. They didn’t. They asked hard questions, looked inward and remained committed to being authentic. And, in doing so, they’ve changed the way I think about funders, leadership and even the role I play in the systems I move through.

It felt like a privilege to be part of this journey. I was invited to take a deep look inside organisations, to hear their struggles and hopes, and to reflect on it all with Lankelly’s team. Those meetings were alive with insight, curiosity and intellect. And perhaps most importantly, respect. The respect they showed me reflected my own deep belief that how I work, and who I am when I work, deeply matters.

That’s stayed with me. It’s given me confidence. It’s made me think more deeply about what it means to be honest about inherited systems, to examine privilege and bias not just in others but within the organisations we all help shape.

Lankelly didn’t just teach me something about funding – they reminded me what change can look like when it’s rooted in integrity and partnership. That’s a lesson I carry with me every day.

Story Weaving by Peter Pula

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