It’s been a busy few months, as always for everyone at AMAT, and since my last blog we’ve hosted our annual friends and family day. Our opportunity to celebrate our wonderful staff team with their nearest and dearest and enjoy an afternoon in the sunshine playing games and socialising together.
We’ve also held our AGM on World Homeless Day. Where we officially launched our impact report which demonstrates the highlights of our achievements in 2022-2023. Available to review here. WWW.AMATUK.ORG.
Often as an organisation we don’t really stop and celebrate our wins. We gather data in the form of reports via our CRM and we survey the Residents each year. We also chart our progress from our strategic intentions. All of this informs our Trustee’s report for our annual audit. Taking the time to thoughtfully reflect on the impact of our work day to day for our Residents, or analyse some of the organisational changes we make to improve the service, has previously felt like a luxury when we’ve got to keep things moving and respond to the needs of the 300 plus people that we provide homes for at AMAT.
Recently – in an attempt to shift everyone’s thinking towards developing a more reflective practice and to celebrate the success stories that are a daily part of our lives – we’ve started to have monthly meetings, which we’re calling Good News Wednesday. We meet as a team and talk about what our Residents have accomplished, how the various staff teams have worked together or with another service to support these accomplishments. My hope is that we maintain this and build on it year on year until it’s fully embedded in the service as it focuses our attention on what we’re getting right – so we can build on more of that. An advantage is that it gives the fundraising team some vital case studies and makes reporting easier. But crucially it improves morale for the team and keeps our Resident’s success and achievements at the heart of what we do. For me, it will also make our mission, vison and values more tangible
Like the rest of the world, we’re getting organised for the festive period, which we always kick start with our choir Alive & Singing’s Christmas show and this year is no different. The event will be held on the 4th December at 6.30, at the Cannon Café at Fort Amherst. Tickets are available for just £5. There will also be a raffle on the night.
You can also support us by donating during the week of 3rd– 10th December as part of the Big Give Christmas Challenge. All donations made during this time are doubled and you will be supporting a project called Creative Connections. This is a programme of performance and creative arts, designed in consultation with people experiencing homelessness and vulnerable community members that we work with. Creativity plays a huge role in helping people connect, reduce social isolation and increase physical and mental wellbeing.
https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002TPTS0AAP.
I will sign off here, but before I go I would like to wish you all a peaceful Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.
Jodie x
