Lindsey MacDonald, CEO of Magic Breakfast, on her war against classroom hunger
In the latest episode of Heads & Tales, Henry Faber is joined by Lindsey MacDonald, PhD, who heads up Magic Breakfast – a charity tackling one of the most overlooked barriers to education: hunger. Every morning, far too many children arrive at school without a proper meal, and Lindsey's mission is a simple one: to make sure that no child in the UK is too hungry to learn. A powerhouse of ideas and action, Lindsey has built a career out of fixing things that don't work, from leading Street League to founding the Homeless Football Association.
From a childhood spent on a remote island in Canada to navigating the bleak realities of a running a charity in a cost-of-living crisis, Lindsey's journey is packed with lessons on leadership, resilience and making a genuine difference to the lives of those in need.
🎙️ Episode highlights
Lindsey discusses how her mentors have shaped her leadership at Magic Breakfast, from headteachers to business leaders.
She shares a weird and wonderful anecdote about taking over her local youth football club aged 13.
She reveals the toughest aspects of leading a charity and the lessons learned as a result.
After her time at the Homeless FA, a chance encounter 14 years later with one of her players proved how important timely interventions can be.
She's a podcast and book club addict, reeling off her content suggestions including her top read: The Chief Joy Officer.
Lindsey gets into the real issues at Magic Breakfast HQ: should hash browns be part of an English breakfast...?
She leaves Henry with a final thought on the importance of curiosity, both in children and in adults.