Written by Jodie Geddes.
In February 2020 I was promoted to CEO. What an 18 months it’s been! I really cannot believe it is June already.
This month I really want to celebrate our 411 HUB.
It was 4 years ago this month that I learnt that our application to the National Lottery Fund had been successful. I was on leave, and waiting at the airport to board a plane, so I decided to check my emails because I wouldn’t be able to do so for a while. I was overjoyed and really had to stifle my reaction especially my squeals of delight.
When I reflect on 411 HUB, the journey it has been on since then is quite incredible. The number of services delivered for the community from the space has increased; we now have a nurse practitioner, mental health nurse, and trainee counsellors offering talking therapies. And we have really developed our peer-led activities.
Covid-19 impacted what was possible last year, but we only fully closed the service for 6 weeks, and we then adapted the space and our timetable so that we were keeping people safe.
We are now open for longer hours, more days and able to offer more as restrictions have eased. We are there for more people, so they can drop in and be sociable, look for a job, borrow a book, a laptop or a film. We’ve held more events – inviting people to speak to our resettlement officer or take part in some training.
The biggest achievement of the 411 HUB is our partnership-working and the fact that because we have a clinical room, 165 people from the community are now fully vaccinated, which makes me extremely proud.
As tentatively we look forward to 21st June- there will be even more development of the service. In the spirit of celebrating the 411 HUB we will be running a month-long social media campaign, so please check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
This year, June marks a month of new beginnings as our new Senior Manager of Support Services joins the team. I want to be the first person to officially welcome Laura. I’m excited to see what you will achieve.
Saying Hello to Laura means that we had to say Goodbye to her predecessor, Wendy. We wish Wendy well in her retirement and thank her for all her hard work and dedication over the past 7 years.
I will end my very first blog by letting you all know that our amazing choir, Alive & Singing, are going to be rehearsing again this month; I can’t wait to be singing and laughing with everyone again, it’s the highlight of my working week and a big stress reliever.
Speak to you all in a couple of months 😊
Jodie
