COO Graham, CEO Victoria, Intensive Support Manager Shona, Youthwork Manager Chris and Operations Manager Anne reflect on life at The Door in 2024 and what 2025 might hold.
Taken from our 2024 Annual Report “The Story of 2024”.
Graham: What were our personal highlights of the last year?
Victoria: For me, it’s been how we’ve consistently navigated through so many challenges with the additional workload and always acted as a team. I really feel like we’re all pulling in the same direction.
Shona: I agree, and I really appreciate how in the SMT we get to be really raw and honest and talk about challenging things where there are differing opinions, always with mutual respect and balance. Also the closing of mentoring relationships – seeing the journey mentees have been on since their initial assessment, and the difference in self-belief and hope.
Chris: I’ve particularly appreciated the way the Community Youthworkers have really pulled round each other in a well-oiled ‘we’re in this together’ way, whether covering long-term sickness or helping Maddie set up new projects in the Cotswolds.
Anne: It’s about ‘team’ for me too. Bringing in our Apprentice Administrator it now feels like a ‘proper’ admin team. It’s been great to be able to invest in our T-Level work experience students too, and have fundraising acting as a team again.
Victoria: Fundraising was on my list too – the turnaround of a £100,000 deficit into a greater surplus was a real highlight.
Graham: All good ‘big picture’ stuff, but my highlight was a snapshot – at the Awards Evening seeing four completely different young people from completely different backgrounds and with completely different stories all on the stage confidently telling 200 people how brilliant The Door has been for them. You couldn’t have manufactured that. Gold.
So what about the greatest challenges of the year?
Shona: A bit of a no-brainer really – having to close referrals was a really difficult decision. We’re a small team with an increasing workload. Also the end of funding for the Gloucestershire Mentoring Programme which filled a huge hole for high-risk young people. And staff changes – we’ve received some challenging feedback – I hope that people know how important it is to the SMT to listen and how much we reflect on what we hear. We value the relationships we build.
Victoria: We spent a good chunk of the first quarter focussing on our bid for part of the Gloucestershire Youth Services contract. It was a big challenge navigating their systems and processes, but there have been so many positives to take away in terms of raising our profile and developing relationships and networks, and the teamwork that went into it.
Victoria: My other challenge has been how to stay connected to staff I don’t see day-to-day and letting them know we’re still here to support them.
Graham: Indeed. My challenge is trying to maintain the connectivity of our workforce as we’ve expanded (peaking at 40 staff) with lots of part-timers working hybrid or remotely in more widespread geographies and fewer human ‘touch points’.
Anne: Mine’s a more universal challenge for charities – how volunteering and people’s expectations of it have changed since the pandemic, making it harder to recruit into some roles, and how giving is changing in a more cashless society. We need to respond to this and ensure that barriers to donating are reduced, and adapt to the climate of ‘pay as you feel’.
Chris: For me the challenge has been pressure both personally and professionally, with many new projects and staff members to take on. I’ve had to prioritise, so some people have got less and my team have had to support each other more. And that includes prioritising self-care, and I’ve appreciated that where there’s a need there’s been a real generosity of spirit and flexibility.
Graham: And finally, what are our hopes for the next year?
Shona: Reopening referrals well! It’s not just about getting it right for the people who need us: it’s also about getting it right for the team to make it sustainable, allowing us to manage well as a team with time for self-care.
Chris: Definitely illuminate. I’m sensing that God has been moving things round organisationally and financially for this, and I’m excited about the potential for faith-based work in the district which is really beyond imagination.
Graham: I hope we can find a sustainable level of operations and get things more on an even keel. And I’m hopeful of finding an amazing successor!
Victoria: It feels like we’re going into a new season and a year of transition, so I’m hoping for a year of consolidation, which includes saying ’no’ where we need to, plus a smooth transition of management team, and sustainable funding, particularly for core costs and staffing.
Anne: I’m hopeful that we can roll out a really, really good marketing plan, be less reactive about how we present ourselves to the world, and actually realise the higher level we are now operating at. I also hope to equip and empower our supporters better so that we have a real community of ambassadors reignited about The Door!