Ever wanted to know the Capacity gang a bit better? Well, you’re in the right place. Each month we’ll be sitting down with a member of the team here at Capacity, spending 5 minutes asking them some of our burning questions. We’ll find out everything from why they joined Capacity, to what inspires them most, to who’d play them in a biopic about their life.
This month, we sat down with our Director of Design and Doing, Emma Lord, who’s been with Capacity since (almost) the very beginning.
Last month we spent time getting to know Heather Mackelden a bit better, and she nominated you for this month’s ‘5 minutes with’. We like to start with the basics. So, can you tell us about how you came to join the Capacity team?
I joined Capacity back in 2018, when there were only a handful of us and we worked out of a glass box in a corner of the Cunard Building.
Mental health was high on everyone’s agenda back in 2017 when I was leading a provider organisation in mental health. The system wanted our opinion on a lot of things, but it was always treated with a level of suspicion and a sense that we were trying to position ourselves to win work. Whilst we were always on the lookout for opportunities, we were – along with other provider partners – a great asset to strategic thinking. They wanted us around the table but never with any real equity. This ended up getting really tiring.
When I heard about the work Capacity was carving out, I saw that as an opportunity to be a more objective voice in public services. I thought that with no skin in the game maybe I could affect change.
What did you do before Capacity?
I ‘grew up’ in the third sector. My first step in was as a volunteer counsellor at Childline. I quickly realised the sector wasn’t all tin-shaking volunteers, but a backbone industry with as much (if not more) rigour, impact and skill as statutory services. With a degree in psychology, I knew my career would be people-focused, and more on the behaviour than the neuro! I was really lucky to work in an organisation that, at the time, was surviving on grants and trust money with very few red lines. This meant I was shaping services, not ‘just’ delivering them.
I spent 10 years at Lancashire Mind in different roles, all focused on delivering and designing early help, prevention and mental health services as well as business development and leadership. Working across an organisation at a time of rapid growth meant I learnt LOTS and tried my hand at every role you’d come across in an SME, which has stood me in really good stead for my current role.
What are you most looking forward to in your role?
Capacity is at a real turning point in its life cycle. We’re out of the start-up phase and maturing into an established organisation. We’re clearer on who we are, how we add value and what work we can drive the most impact in.
We’ve been lucky enough to work with lots of brilliant people (our team and our clients) doing tough work and the privilege I see is the bird’s eye view we get. The patterns, crossover and ultimately the potential to make change across places, beyond any one organisation. I’m excited for the role we can play in shifting the dial on collective working across public services.
Okay, now for some rapid fire questions. What three words best describe you?
Sense maker, facilitator, builder (not with bricks!)
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Always keep the moral high ground. This was from my dad before the infamous ‘when they go low, we go high’ from Michelle Obama.
What inspires you?
Lots! I guess 2 broad buckets get fire in my belly…
First up, working with brilliant people who are bothered about making change. I can be pretty agnostic about what the change is, but when I work with people who bring energy, kindness, brains, laughter and then take action – that’s what inspires me.
Secondly, really understanding a problem. Making sense of the opportunity, getting to the nuts and bolts of what needs to be better. Once I’m in this zone, I’m in.
If you could have a superpower what would it be?
I think it would be teleportation. I spend way too much of my life on the M6. If I could chop that out of my week I’d have much more joy!
What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you were younger?
Nobody has all of the answers…including the people who look like they do. Be curious, ask the questions.
If you had a magic wand, what’s the one thing you’d fix?
That everyone has a good place to live, someone to love, something to do and something to hope for.
What’s your favourite place in the Liverpool City Region?
I don’t live in LCR, I did live here as a student and I’ve worked in the city for almost seven years so I’m pretty familiar with the region.
I could pick The Raz from my days drinking Fat Frogs or the waterfront because who isn’t impressed by it? But I’m going to cheat this question and say it’s the people and culture that’s my favourite part of the city. That’s why I still work here. People are friendly, people are proud and people love where they’re from. It’s great to be in and around that.
What’s one thing on your bucket list that you want to tick off this year?
It’s been a busy year – like Goda I got married a few months ago. Unlike Goda, I didn’t run a full marathon (but did just do my first half)! We’ve got a familymoon to Mauritius booked over Christmas so I’m looking forward to exploring the country, snorkelling and reflecting on a busy but lovely 2024.
Who’d play you in a biopic about your life?
Oh jeez…. This is a head-scratcher. I was once delivering a resilience session to a class full of year 9s and a group of girls approached me at the end of the session to say how much I looked like Mandy Moore (dear reader, I don’t!). This was at least 10 years ago, but all I’ve got to go off for now!
What’s a skill you’re working on mastering?
I’ve recently joined the brilliant PossAbilities as a Non-Executive Director. I’m enjoying getting to know who they are and the change they’re making in the world along with figuring out how I can be most useful to them!
What are you most excited about in life right now?
Feels like a cop-out but just enjoying life– being Mum, quality time with friends and family. Cooking and eating good food, long walks… I’m lucky to have it.
One last question – who should we spend 5 minutes with next month?
I nominate Ailsa Horne.