On Thursday 1 October 2026, we visited the City of London for our next breakfast networking event, focused on careers in charity and social change. 

There was a buzz in the room, with around 40 OKS, parents and friends of King’s in attendance. Over coffee and pastries, guests networked, exchanged contact details and shared their own career experience with each other. It was particularly good to welcome some recent leavers, who were there to take part in their first networking event. 

Our panellists were: 

• Milly Baker (WL 2010-15) - Development Director, Charities' at LGT Wealth Management 
• Miranda Hurst (LX 1997-2002) - UK Policy and Advocacy Consultant at Search for Common Ground 
• Ed Butler (SH 1992-97) - Senior Trusts and Foundation Officer at Combat Stress  
• Tim Parritt (TR 1975-80) - Programme Officer, International Human Rights at Oak Foundation 

The discussion began with our panellists reflecting on their early careers and how they found their way into the sector. 

Milly explained that she studied Media and Communications before beginning her career in the creative and corporate events sector. The pandemic, however, prompted her to consider other career options. After networking with a King’s parent, she moved into finance, where her responsibilities at LGT Wealth Management quickly evolved. She now works as Development Director for Charities. 

For Miranda, advocacy had always been a passion. She recalled writing letters to MPs and travelling overseas as some of her first steps into the world of social change. She went on to complete a Master’s in Development and Emergency Practice, a course that helped develop her understanding of humanitarian practice, human rights and development. 

Ed explained that his career path was less linear. After working in the corporate world for two decades, he reassessed his career following a liver transplant and realised that the charitable sector was where he wanted to be. He highlighted some of the transferable skills that helped him make the move, including resilience and communication. 

When discussing the skills needed in his sector, Tim explained the importance of listening and being humble. It is important to remember who you are accountable to, such as the beneficiaries of your organisation and what your guiding values are. Like Ed, Tim’s path was also less linear, having started as a research analyst in a political risk consultancy, he moved into the social change sector when the right opportunity opened up at Amnesty International.  

The panel discussed some of the challenges facing the sector, such as financial pressures, government changes and the emergence of AI. Ed explained that he doesn’t use AI personally, but he has noticed that AI has changed the way that charities search and apply for grants, making the landscape even more competitive now. All four panellists identified financial pressures as a significant challenge in their respective sectors, while Milly offered an optimistic perspective on the future, highlighting changing patterns of generational wealth. 

The audience were then invited to take part in a Q&A session, where they raised thoughtful questions about the due diligence process for accepting donations, the benefits of becoming a trustee, and ways to get involved through volunteering. 

We would like to say a huge thank you to Milly for hosting the event at LGT Wealth Management, and to our other panellists, Tim, Ed and Miranda, for sharing their experiences and taking part in such an insightful discussion. 

Get involved!  

Our breakfast networking events are held termly in London and focus on different careers/sectors. If you’re interested in offering a venue, hosting an event, or being a future panellist, please get in touch with the Development Team: community@kings-school.co.uk  

Did you know that you can also network on our website? The King’s Association website is for all members of the King’s community, past and present. There are currently more than 2,900 online members, who can be contacted for networking and online mentoring. Visit the connect page to find out more.