It seems almost unnecessary to start by saying how unusual 2020 has been. We all know what the world has been through, and every single individual has been affected by the pandemic personally, emotionally, relationally and economically. As the year (thankfully) comes to an end, I wanted to share a few reflections on the journey that The Door has been on these last 12 months. –
I think I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard the phrase roller-coaster or corona-coaster as people try and describe how they’ve been feeling. Right now, I want to focus on the high points – the tops of the track the anticipation as you climb the lift hill. That’s not to ignore or belittle the challenges, the falls or the lows, but we are an organisation built on Hope and Faith, and both of those drive me to be optimistic and positive, even in the most challenging of times.
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If you’ve seen our Celebration and Awards Night, you will have heard stories and reflections from staff on the themes of our year: Adaptability, Continuity, Faith, Trust, and Resilience. And throughout this year within those themes we’ve been forced to be innovative, creative, brave and fearless. As directors we’ve challenged ourselves and our teams to think differently, push through the challenges, and re-imagine what it is that the The Door is and does. At each challenging stage we found great things amongst the difficulties, new ideas and solutions which aren’t just for the now of pandemic, but for the future too. And with these innovations and new learning I believe that as we head into 2021 we are stronger, more resilient, more robust and even more ready for now and the future than we have ever been before.
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As always none of this would have been possible without the amazing team of staff we have at The Door. From Pete, our cleaner, making sure our buildings are COVID-secure to Bev our administrator, keeping the offices open for vital face to face meetings and everyone in between youthworkers, mentors, family workers, shop staff and fundraisers all doing their bit to keep The Door open. And not forgetting my amazing co-CEOs Victoria and Graham. Every single person has worked tirelessly to serve young people, parents and families – keeping their changing needs at the very forefront of all we do.
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Our volunteers are equally impressive. Whether we have asked them to change a process, practice, or technology, they have continued to to put the needs of those they support first, staying in touch and keeping spirits high even while wading through a sea of issued and re-issued risk assessments. Thanks to their dedication Our charity shop was the first to re-open, youthwork never stopped, mentoring seamlessly moved to phone and video calls, and parents even starting meeting over WhatsApp.
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Financially we have been truly blessed too. Councils which contract our services have seen the the impact and value of the changes we made, and have continued to honour contracts even though our delivery methods had changed. You, the public responded in your hundreds when we launched the extraordinary #KeepTheDoorOpen campaign in March raising over £30,000 in just 3 months. And Trusts and Foundations have been generous in providing emergency grants and funding.
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I want to conclude the year by saying a massive Thank You to everyone who has been a part of The Door’s journey this year. Every single one of you has been a huge blessing on us. Wishing you a very Happy Christmas.
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Barrie Voyce (Business Development and illuminate Director)
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The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
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You can read much more about the last year at The Door in our Story of 2020.
Directors Chair Dec 2020
