About
Whether you are considering an NPO application for the first time, currently part of the National Portfolio and preparing for the next round, or were previously part of the portfolio and are hoping to rejoin, Everyone’s NPO Club is for you.
Thinking about or making an NPO application can ask a great deal of an organisation and the people carrying the process. Everyone’s NPO Club gives you a regular place to bring the questions, decisions, uncertainty and pressure that can arise along the way.
Every fortnight, we’ll convene a supportive online space where you can pause, test your thinking, ask questions and hear how other people are navigating the same journey. You’ll have access to shared insight, sector intelligence, honest conversation and learning from peers, including people from established NPO organisations and experienced practitioners.
The Club is responsive to the people in the room rather than built around a fixed course that everyone must complete. Come to the sessions you need, bring what is happening for you and your organisation, and draw on a community designed to offer insight, connection and care throughout the NPO process.
Come be a part of the community
Your facilitators
Azieb Pool
Azieb Pool is a Director at people make it work, as well as a senior creative leader, arts strategist and writer. From 2019 to 2025, she led Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham, securing National Portfolio status for the first time in the organisation’s history and founding Tottenham Literature Festival and BGAC Windrush Festival. She also built partnerships with organisations including Talawa, Dance Umbrella and LIFT. Previously, Azieb was Senior Programmer at Southbank Centre, where she led Africa Utopia and helped expand the Women of the World Festival internationally. A former journalist, she has written for The Guardian, The Times, Stylist and Vogue UK.
Through Everyone’s NPO Club, Azieb brings recent firsthand experience of developing an NPO proposition while leading an organisation, alongside expertise in creative ambition, artistic strategy, equity and inclusion. She will draw on this experience to help you test your thinking, clarify your creative ambitions and consider how equity and inclusion can run through your proposition and organisation.
Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu
Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu is a Director at people make it work, the Lighter Leadership™ Coach, a choreographer and cultural leader. She is Founder and Joint CEO of Uchenna, a national touring dance company that celebrated its 17th year in 2026 and is currently preparing to apply to join the National Portfolio for the first time. This means Vicki is navigating many of the same questions as the people joining the Club, particularly those considering or making their first NPO application.
Through Everyone’s NPO Club, Vicki will bring care, connection and collaborative insight to the process. She will create space for you to pause, breathe, bring your whole self and consider what care and compassion looks like for you individually. She will also make room for fun, laughter and shared learning, reminding you that although making an NPO application can feel lonely, none of us has to navigate it alone.
Richard Watts
Richard Watts is a Director at people make it work and the company founder, supporting cultural organisations and their leaders to realise their potential and turn ambitious ideas into resilient, impactful organisations. He works closely with leaders to understand their strengths, identify opportunities for development and explore what’s possible. Richard is passionate about building positive organisational cultures where relationships, values and shared purpose enable people and organisations to thrive. He believes in the transformative power of arts and culture to broaden perspectives, connect us to our shared humanity and create meaningful experiences. Richard brings curiosity, encouragement and a deep belief in people’s capacity to grow and create change.
Through Everyone’s NPO Club, he will help create space for you to explore what you want investment to make possible, test your thinking and consider what your ambitions might require from your organisation.
Sandeep Mahal
Sandeep Mahal is a Director at people make it work, as well as a coach, facilitator, mentor and consultant passionate about equality, inclusion and representation. She works with leaders, boards and organisations to explore ambitious visions, strengthen inclusive cultures and create meaningful, lasting change. Sandeep specialises in supporting organisations through leadership transitions, anti-racist practice and strategic development, helping them champion new voices and embrace new ways of working. Her clients have included Coventry City of Culture, Museum of London, Royal Shakespeare Company, UNESCO Creative Cities and Women’s Prize Trust. She is committed to collaborating with people who want to build a more equitable future and create positive impact through culture and leadership.
Through Everyone’s NPO Club, Sandeep brings a strong focus on equity, representation and inclusive leadership, helping you consider how you ambitions, values, governance and organisational culture connect. Bringing clarity of focus and assisting you to set priorities.
