It was a very warm welcome to Shelagh Goldie at the beginning of May as she took up the role of Mentoring Team Leader. Shelagh introduces herself:

“I write this in my third week as the Mentoring Team leader, here at The Door, and I can now remember where I sit, how to switch on my computer, and where the kettle is! Other things are taking slightly longer – the computer system, who is who, which form to fill in….

Prior to joining the staff, I had experienced The Door from  the outside – I have been a volunteer mentor for three years, and I worked with Gloucestershire County Council as a manager in the Children and Young People’s department. The Door was one of the first organisations we would contact when looking for support for young people in the Stroud area.

Stepping through The Door to the inside opened my eyes to the ‘back office’ where the skill, patience, care and commitment of staff shines and impacts all that The Door is and does. In working with 11-25 year olds and their families, they take an approach of doing whatever needs to be done, to get alongside vulnerable people wherever they are, and not giving up. This is all done in a friendly supportive manner, yet in a way that engages young people and encourages them to take responsibility for the part they will play in helping themselves.
Of course, it doesn’t always work, and it is not magic, but after a few days in my new job, I had a sense of my hands being untied to enable me to join this prayerful team to “walk the walk” in today’s world with those young people who need us.”