Female Leaders interviewee, Lauren Rosegreen, with a pink fan and pink sunglasses enjoying life at Glastonbury

A multi-award winner before she’s 30, Lauren Rosegreen found the power of being herself

We talk about prioritising wellbeing, life as a multipotentialite and being who you want to be.

Editor CAROLINE PAIGE

I wish I’d known the power of that sooner.

I wish I’d known the power of just being yourself.

My sixth interview for the FEMALE LEADERS series is with Lauren Rosegreen. When Lauren moved to Manchester it changed her life. She saw city life for the first time and felt she’d entered another world. The diversity of people and experiences was new and exciting. But, seeing the impact of homelessness, she realised her law degree wasn’t the career path she wanted.

I met up with Lauren at the Swan Buildings in Manchester – a converted Victorian warehouse where she works for part of the week. It was a hot day. We took our water and sat in one of the rooms off the open-plan office. Exposed brick walls framed the huge steel windows and sun spilled onto the books and plants scattered along the sill. I found a spot on a little sofa and Lauren sat in a tub chair upholstered in a faded, floral fabric. It looked perfect in that homely office – busy with things.

So, Lauren…

How did you get into the charity sector?

I was born in a small village in the Midlands, where there wasn’t much diversity. I went to small primary and secondary schools and was quite academic. I was pigeonholed a little into going to university. My favourite teacher went to university in Manchester. She told me I’d meet so many different people with different backgrounds.

When I came to Manchester it changed my life. I met lots of people and really saw city life for the first time. I saw people affected by homelessness on the streets. I was thrown into another world. I realised there are so many different people in the world, seeing things in different ways and having different experiences. It got me thinking about what I wanted to do as a career.

After university, I went travelling for a bit. When I got back, I knew I wanted to help people affected by homelessness. I started by going out with a friend to feed people. I’d met people who were handing out leftover food from Greggs and asked if I could help. I loved that experience and realised I was good at chatting to all kinds of people.

But I started thinking it was really just a sticking plaster and not getting to the root of the issue. I wondered if we were doing more harm than good. Now I’ve been working with homelessness more, I know that if you’re giving people food they’re not going to services to get it. At services they can get more wrap-around support.

I was working in marketing and saw an opportunity to run Invisible (Manchester). They train people who’ve experienced homelessness to become tour guides. It’s a bit theatrical – lots of storytelling and performance. I’ve a background in dance and love all that. It’s also about helping people into employment, so I felt I was doing more. It was a small team. If I had an idea, I’d have to set it up (as well as writing the content, supporting guide training and running social media campaigns).

After Covid, I began volunteering more and my network grew. I started volunteering at Manchester Refuge Support Network as an immigration adviser (and still do). I joined GM4Women and took a chair position in the Homelessness Action Network. I began to get more involved in strategy. I loved what we were doing at Invisible Manchester and could see the impact we were making. But I began to feel I could do more by being involved at a GM (Greater Manchester) level. Then, I became a trustee of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity.

How do you become the trustee of a charity?

A friend told me about it and said I should apply. So, I did. Because I’m talking to people working with and living with homelessness, I bring lived experience to discussions. People on the board have valuable experience needed for their roles, but they’re far removed from those experiencing homelessness. That’s the reality I can bring to the conversation.

Have you faced any challenges?

It was hard to get into the non-profit sector. Once I got a foot in the door, I was able to show them what I could do. It’s hard to move sector, but lots of us want to. The one TED Talk I’ve watched was on multipotentialites. Loads of people sent it to me. I watched it and thought this is me! It means you don’t want to do one thing – you want to learn and do lots of things.

What would you like to do?

I’d like to write a book. Probably a funny coming of age story – the sort of book I like reading. I’d like to be a TV presenter. I’d like my own dance school. And I love what I’m doing now as a policy and influence adviser. I could continue to work in the non-profit sector helping charities forever. But I’d love to do something relating to dancing and performing too.

Can you recommend a good read?

My favourite book is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. It’s about a woman who can use books in a library to live different parts of her life. She sees how they would’ve turned out if she’d done things differently. It’s about decision-making and how life leads you one way and another.

Lauren Rosegreen wearing a bright coloured jacket and laughing, posing with her arms flung wide

It’s important not to live for work.

How do you look after your wellbeing?

I’m quite an anxious person and aware of other people’s feelings. If someone’s feeling uncomfortable, I have to remedy the situation. Anxiety is talked about a lot more now and I’ve accepted that I feel that way sometimes. I’ve got a good support network and I can talk about anything. Wellness is something I prioritise. Apart from some anxiety and trying to please people a little too much, I do OK. I read a lot. I’ve got a target to read fifty-two books this year. And I make sure I go out with friends. It’s important not to live for work.

That relates to social media too – we’re more than our work. You can share what you want to share and don’t share what you don’t. When people say something’s not for LinkedIn, I ask why. To bring your best self to work you have to understand how all the other parts of you fit together. You can be the whole of you. That doesn’t mean sharing everything, but sometimes it’s good to share something that’s happening to you.

I shared that my grandma passed away. I didn’t want comments, so I turned them off. I wanted to share that because she’s a massive part of who I am at work. I think it’s good to remind people that we have lives outside work. You’ve only got one life. And one chance to share and be who you want to be. So don’t do things just because you think that’s what other people want you to do.

You’ve only got one life. 

And one chance to share and be who you want to be.

Tell me about your grandma. How has she influenced you?

Both grandmas have been a big influence. It’s funny. As I’ve got older, I’ve realised I am them. They’re both the life and soul of the party – they’re first on and last off the dance floor. My grandma who passed away is from Jamaica and my other grandma is from England. There are so many similarities between them – funny, loads of friends and a warm energy that draws people to them. Grandma Frances came from Jamaica to Bristol on a boat on her own when she was twenty-two – that takes guts. She came for a better life. And she had struggles. My other grandma has travelled the world.

I think those guts – or the gumption – to just do stuff you want to do is something I’ve brought into my work and my life. I’m lucky I live at a time when it’s easier to do that. I speak English and I’ll be accepted in most places if I want to visit them. I try not to take that for granted. My mum is super caring too. She’s always made me think I can do whatever I want to do.

Is that self-belief something you’re trying to give the people you help?

Definitely. I realise how lucky I am to have that instilled in me. I love helping people figure out what it is they want and how we can get them there. My biggest fear is regretting not doing something. You’ve just got to go for it. Not everything will work out – and that’s fine.

Finally, what advice would you share with women who want to become leaders?

Surround yourself with people who genuinely want you to succeed and who you want to succeed. Engage with people you have a genuine connection with. There are a lot of people who’re super competitive and will trample on others to get to the top. They can do that, but I don’t want it in my community. We can all succeed together. There’s enough room for everyone. I love helping to make connections for people. If you can help other people grow, it will make you feel good.

I don’t have family connections that can make things happen for me. The people I’ve met and the things I’ve achieved I’ve done myself. I realised the other day that it’s actually a great position to be in. It means I’ve chosen the people who surround me. I wish I’d known the power of that sooner. I wish I’d known the power of just being yourself. And that you can ask your connections for advice and help.

Lauren Rosegreen with a pink fan and pink sunglasses at Glastonbury

Lauren has won too many awards to list in this short bio. She’s also the youngest person to become a board member of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, she’s a volunteer immigration advisor, a One Young World ambassador and policy and influence manager at Macc (and much more). And she’s embracing her life as a multipotentialite.

www.macc.org

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