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BQF is a not-for-profit organisation which specialises in Business Excellence. It was originally set up in 1993 to manage the UK Excellence Awards, a celebration of the best practices in UK industry across a range of categories.

Over the last 30 years BQF has branched out to become a vibrant member organisation which offers support through personal development and networking, a range of partner offerings and regular upskilling events. 

Emily Viarnaud is the Head of Sales, Membership and Marketing at BQF and joins Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen today to discuss the organisation.

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Karen Leftley is a business transformation professional with over 25 years of change, project delivery and operational experience and is the founder and MD of Boomster Consulting. 

Karen is also the President and non-executive Director of the British Quality Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit organisation who help other organisations learn from best practice, improve their performance and achieve sustainable excellence.

With a reputation for injecting energy, creating movement and unlocking the motivation in others, Karen is said to naturally captivate the hearts and minds of many with her infectious style and approach and is here with Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen today to discuss The Business of Continuous Improvement…

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Erik DaRosa, known as “Yoda” to friends and clients, is an inspirational speaker and both the Founder and Co-host of the From Survivor to Thriver podcast. 

Along with co-host Marc Fernandes, the duo tackle mental health topics through honest and relatable “kitchen table” conversations. The podcast, which began as a simple idea between friends, has become a movement across the US for people who want to shatter mental health stigma and inspire others to find their voices.

In 2011, Erik traded in a successful career as a New York City finance executive when he moved to Colorado and he hasn’t looked back. Erik also sits on the Board of Sacred Cycle, a Colorado based nonprofit whose mission is to empower survivors of sexual trauma through mountain biking and community and he is here with Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen today to discuss the Business of Inspiring a Movement…

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Louisa Ellins, owner at Line 29 Editorial, has always worked with words – as an English graduate, a public relations officer, volunteer magazine editor and a bid writer, working on multimillion-pound bids for catering in schools, universities and offices. She was made redundant in summer 2020 in the midst of the COVID-related turbulence and she started freelancing.

Within a few days Louisa had signed up her first client: a criminal justice charity. Fast forward nearly 2 years and she has raised £160,000 for the charity, and has worked with another charity and a community interest company and is here with Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen to discuss the Business of Grant Writing.

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Patrick Holford is a leading spokesman on nutrition and founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition. He is the author of 45 books, including The Optimum Nutrition Bible, Optimum Nutrition for the Mind and and Ten Secrets of 100% Healthy People and his latest books Flu Fighters, The 5 Day Diet and Optimum Nutrition for Vegans.

Patrick is also founder of the charitable Food for the Brain Foundation which helps those with mental health issues through nutrition and offers a Cognitive Function Test for Alzheimer’s prevention and joins Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen to discuss The Business of Avoiding Alzheimer’s…

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Alex Reid has worked in the not-for-profit sector for the past ten years, working on a number of six figure digital fundraising campaigns for leading UK charities. 

He has employed successful new digital fundraising strategies across a broad range of channels and is here with Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen to discuss the Business of Digital Fundraising…

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Darren Ayres has worked in mental health for 22 years both within Acute and Community settings. His specialist employment service The Richmond Fellowship is commissioned by NHS England to support people with mental ill health both into paid employment and to help retain employment if things become challenging.

Darren has a passion for early intervention and prevention, and is a firm believer in building a positive and progressive structure into people’s lives as the recovery tool to improve symptoms and reduce admission into hospital.

Last February Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen introduced Connections Radio listeners to Darren and today he is joining Wizzi again to recap on what The Richmond Fellowship and his work is all about and catch up on what’s been happening for him and the charity this past year.

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Since the start of 2021 James Pinnock has been focusing on launching SIGN – the so it goes network. The concept of which is to connect with ‘street communities’ in Manchester through the 4 C’s: compassion, creativity, communication and community.

SIGN have been working with two organisations in Manchester over the last 6 months – offering mindfulness sessions, educational workshops and one-on-one support / mentoring to help those without homes to get work.

James has appeared on the Business of before where he and Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen discussed mindfulness, meditation and being here now.

Now he’s back to discuss the Business of SIGN…

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Chris Gatfield is the Founder and Director of Dove Cottage Day Hospice, a centre that offers palliative day care to people in North East Leicestershire, Rutland and South East Nottinghamshire who are living with a life-limiting illness, such as cancer, motor neurone disease and COPD.

27 years ago Chris Gatfield had a remarkable, life changing experience leading to her setting up her hospice and is here with Louisa “Wizzi” Magnussen to discuss the Business of Fundraising.