Katie Buckingham is the founder and director of Altruist Enterprises - a provider of wellbeing at work courses and mental health training.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN YOUR CURRENT JOB? I started Altruist in 2013 when I was 19, and have been working with my incredible team ever since.
PLEASE GIVE A VERY BRIEF SUMMARY OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER TO DATE. I started experiencing anxiety at the age of 10 and didn’t receive appropriate support until I was 16. During my recovery at the age of 17, I discovered that the lack of mental health awareness and support wasn’t unique to me.
With the support of a leadership development programme called Changemakers, I gained funding from Solihull Council and delivered mental health workshops in schools to ensure that young people got the support they needed earlier without fear of discrimination. I created a mental health resource for teachers which was one of the first of its kind and went on to win multiple awards.
From here, I worked briefly as a consultant for youth mental health services and was responsible for engaging with young people to assess the transition process between child and adult mental health services. I presented recommendations to commissioners and my work formed part of a young people’s emotional wellbeing strategy which led to the development of a brand-new youth mental health service in Solihull and Birmingham.
DID FURTHER/HIGHER EDUCATION SET YOU UP WELL FOR YOUR PARTICULAR VOCATION? I was keen to turn my passion into an organisation that could make a real difference so, instead of attending university, I chose to found the business and attended the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy to learn entrepreneurship skills.
From here, I trained as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health.
HAS THE FALLOUT FROM THE PANDEMIC PRESENTED ANY OPPORTUNITIES? The pandemic definitely raised awareness of mental health, meaning that a lot more individuals and businesses are keen to learn and talk about it.
HR directors want to do the right thing for their people, but they often don't know where to start. This is where Altruist comes in. The experience we have gained over 10 years in the mental health arena allows us to offer support and advice in addition to training.
CAN ONLINE MEETINGS SUCCESFULLY TAKE THE PLACE OF FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT? I think it’s all down to planning. Whether it’s in person or virtual, we’ll always put together an agenda which is sent out a week in advance. This way everyone has plenty of time to prepare if they need to.
I think that meetings that require a little more creativity are best done in person. The team always ends up having really great conversations that often lead to an interesting discovery or two. I think this is something that can’t always be replicated virtually - that's why we like to be in the office together at least once each week.
HOW DO YOU GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR STAFF? At the forefront of a productive team is an environment where people feel safe. This means creating a workplace where employees feel comfortable taking risks, sharing ideas, and making mistakes. We pride ourselves on making it okay to challenge each other and get things wrong.
HOW MANY EMAILS DO YOU TEND TO GET IN A DAY, AND HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE TO READ THEM? If I leave my inbox for a day, I tend to have around 70 unread emails. I tend to read and respond to emails in blocks, depending on what I’m working on.
HOW DO YOU HOPE YOUR COLLEAGUES WOULD DESCRIBE YOU? The general consensus seems to be 'honest, fair, thoughtful and entrepreneurial, always keen to explore something new - it's exciting and exasperating.’
HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR? Along the way there’s been plenty of stand-out moments - whether that’s the speed in which we successfully adapted to COVID-19 protocols by transitioning to online training, or more personal achievements like winning the prestigious Cambridge Social Innovation Prize.
Being one of the first Department for Education senior mental health lead training providers was a landmark achievement and was an incredible opportunity to train over 300 school leaders in mental health.
PET HATES? I don’t like it when people speak differently to others based on their position or perceived importance. Treat everyone with the same level of respect.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF SOME WISE ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? The best piece of business advice I've been given is to stick to your values. For me, knowing I am doing what I am doing for the right reasons and with the right people means I can continue to strive to make the business better and overcome any obstacles.
HOW DO YOU RELAX AWAY FROM WORK? Being active really helps me switch off and decompress from a day at work. I play competitive 11-a-side football and have a personal training session once a week. A good dog walk always helps me switch off, as does everyday mindfulness practice.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS SPECIAL ABOUT THE BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS COMMUNITY? It is an incredibly supportive community. There’s also so much support for entrepreneurs which is incredibly valuable at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey - including Innovation Birmingham, School for Social Entrepreneurs, and NatWest Accelerator, to name a few!
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOU THAT MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY WOULDN’T KNOW. I was a member of the choir that sang to Queen Elizabeth II in Solihull as part of her majesty’s tour for the Golden Jubilee in 2002.
YOU CAN TAKE ONE BOOK, ONE FILM AND ONE CD ONTO A DESERT ISLAND – WHAT WOULD THEY BE? Book – SAS survival guide; film – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; CD – Chicane. The place you can’t remember, the place you can’t forget.
YOUR FIVE DREAM DINNER PARTY GUESTS, DEAD OR ALIVE? Maya Angelou,Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (they come as a pair), Jamie Oliver (it would be great if he could cook the meal too!), Miriam Margolyes, and Marcus Rashford.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO EAT FOR YOUR LAST SUPPER? Starter – cheese board (although many would argue that this is a dessert); main course – Butter chicken curry; dessert – Ben and Jerry’s Caramel Chew Chew Ice cream.
