Nathan Singleton

Nathan is passionate about improving the lives of young people and their families. Nathan draws from the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." He believes community is the component that is missing in the modern western society and the key component that would benefit young people. Nathan believes we are there, not just to help others but to support them to become agents of change within their communities.

The future of the Mentoring Quality Framework

Here at LifeLine, we have been working closely with the Mayor of London to mentor young people across the capital for the last 15 years.And, while the holder of the title has changed, we are pleased to see that this commitment to mentoring has remained broadly consistent throughout.Now, more than ever, we hope that the power of mentoring is something...

3 hours ago

by Nathan Singleton

Absenteeism: the legacy of lockdown

Educational neglect. Emotional-based schools avoidance. School refusal. Non-attending. Persistent absence. Serious absence. Missing. It's often said that the Inuit have dozens (or more) different words for snow, because they have a lot of it. We, however, seem to have a lot of different names for those repeatedly absent from school. What then does that say about the state of school...

1 month ago

by Nathan Singleton

Mind the Gap: Are the wheels coming off the system?

A couple of weeks ago I was listening to the excellent BBC Sounds programme, World of Wisdom. On this episode, a listener called in with a problem concerning the 24-hour news cycle of the world we now live in. She said that all the negative reporting, especially of world conflicts, was making it hard for her to raise a child...

2 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

Using social media for good

This is my first piece of the year—but I won’t be talking about the New Year resolutions you should consider or how 2024 will be your year for personal growth. I’m returning to a theme that often comes up—change, particularly when it comes to new technology. We live in the Information Age, where we have immediate access to a vast...

3 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

Do what you can, with what you have

Each December, as it gets closer to the end of the year, I find myself becoming more reflective– thinking on what we've gained and what we've lost over the past twelve months.We've taken on quite a few new staff, lost a couple along the way, and welcomed back some former colleagues to LifeLine once more. We've forged new partnerships, helped...

4 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

We want to double down and provide more support in London

Last month, I shared some thoughts I had whilst on sabbatical. I hope you didn't mind the excessive sharing or personal photos. I expected that, on my sabbatical, I might reconsider LifeLine's vision, mission, and activities. I thought visiting other charity leaders would inspire me with new ideas that I would be raring to apply to East London. I was...

5 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

Returning, reflecting

Having worked at LifeLine for 19 years now---with 15 years as part of the Senior Management Team and 5 years as CEO---the trustees suggested that I take a sabbatical. When it was first suggested to me, I thought the idea was outrageous. How would the organisation cope? How would I cope? What would I do? Would there be an organisation...

6 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

Why does a boomerang come back?

This is my first month back at work after taking a sabbatical. Luckily for me, as I step back into the role, not much has changed. Same desk, same office space. The one thing that has changed is me–but that's a story for another time. It did get me thinking, however, about other members of our team who moved on...

7 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

Creating a workplace that’s like a friendly open home

One of the things I love most about watching the finals of competitions is how the first-time winners react. These moments seem to sum up so many things that we value in life–hard work, the miracle of succeeding, teamwork, family, sacrifice, and the tears of joy. When Carlos Alcaraz won his first Wimbledon men's title and he ran up to...

9 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

A duty of care: supporting employees though the cost of living crisis

Last month I wrote about how many of us struggle with the idea of change and how LifeLine' programmes evolve according to the needs of our ever changing communities. This month I want to highlight how charities are modifying and updating their employee support to reflect current issues. When we made the switch to remote working, we quickly realised that...

10 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

Let’s talk about change: how to deliver a successful support programme

It's funny how change affects people. I'd say many of us struggle with the idea of change. That may be because we see it as something that undermines our stability, that unsettles the status quo. We'd rather stick with what we have than risk it all for a better deal.Yet change is all around us. Think about your favourite meal,...

11 months ago

by Nathan Singleton

Local needs require local solutions

I have a friend that works in the music industry as a tour manager. He's worked on some of the most extravagant rock shows I've ever seen. I once asked him if he got bored of touring, putting on the same show every night for months on end. He told me that, even though if it was the same artist...

1 year ago

by Nathan Singleton

Share on