Congratulations are in order, faithful reader, for together we have made it to the end of the unloveliest of months – January. If, like Diary, you temporarily kicked the booze, meat or gratuitous swearing at the start of the year, rest assured because as of tomorrow normal service can resume.
Talking about faithful, donations poured into Mencap this week in honour of unsuccessful Traitors finalist Alexander Dragonetti. For those not glued to the Winkleman-fronted reality TV show, Dragonetti was a “faithful” who was “banished” by his fellow contestants for being suspiciously nice. Anyway, he was going to give some money to a learning disability charity if he had won so his generous fans have since stumped up some cash.
But enough about Diary’s winter viewing habits. As an end-of-January treat, read on as Turn2us boss Thomas Lawson sits down for a chat about moustaches, squats and the meaning of life.
Thomas Lawson, what’s the best thing about being you?
“That’s definitely a question to pose to someone else: probably my husband. On second thought, maybe we could ask someone who doesn’t know me that well. One thing I will say, with great weight, self-importance, and seriousness, is how critical it is to take yourself lightly.”
Last March, you bravely committed to 50 squats a day for Turn2us. Have you ever regretted a fundraising challenge?
“Oh crap, yes. 10 years ago, when I was at Leap Confronting Conflict, there was a young man, a programme graduate, who said he’d run the Brighton Marathon to thank Leap. I thought: ‘That’s leadership! Someone should run with him! Oh, why did I bloody think that?’ Then I thought: ‘How hard can it be? It’s probably flatter and gayer than the London one.’
“It was horrible, hard, painful, and I was graceless. Yards from the end, I tripped, spilled onto the ground, in front of a camera-heavy crowd.
“Anyway, because you can never have enough humiliation, in May I’m running the Hackney Half for Turn2us and its work tackling financial exclusion – half the length because I’m 10 years older, wiser, wider and lazier.”
Until 2023, you were non-executive chair of your family’s retail firm, Lawsons. What could charities learn from retailers?
“My sister, who’s the MD, is ace and I love her. She deals with things just like charity CEOs: balance sheets, forecasts, profit/loss, staff leadership, ESG concerns, suppliers.
“Retail is about sweating the bottom line, and the discipline required is like running a charity, where the margins are just as tight. During lockdown, my sister and her team visited older customers to check in on them while delivering goods. That similarity of practical help and human connection is something charities and companies can both do well.”
Should more charity leaders grow moustaches?
“I shaved mine off recently and cut my hair short to look like a ‘normal’ man. Big mistake. Someone very close to me commented: ‘You look like a… 50-year-old boy!’ It wasn’t said with love.”
Are you related to Nigella Lawson or any other celebrities?
“Not that I know of. I probably would know, wouldn’t I? Blimey, what a life to be a celebrity, to be constantly judged for your talent, or lack of it, or even for tackling social issues.”
Dogs or cats?
“I’m sure that cats are very nice, and people who like them are possibly quite nice too. I’d like to say that I count cat people amongst some of my closest friends. My husband, mistakenly, would like a cat to join our two dogs.”
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
“Sleep. Just to be able to, you know, stay asleep. None of this fragile, semi-conscious curse that besets older people.”
Yorkshire puddings or roast potatoes?
“I’m having both, thanks very much for offering. Also, some rich sauce to go with them. Will there be pudding?”
Go on then. If you weren’t charity sector royalty, what would you be doing instead?
“Eating carbs with wild abandon, walking dogs, gardening. Oh, and being a successful, soulful singer.”
As someone with charity sector experience dating back to the early 90s, what’s the meaning of life?
“There is no meaning, it’s all random. As I said earlier… Take yourself lightly, just focus on making the world better.”
