I have been reflecting for some time about what has happened over the last year and how our organisation has managed and coped in the face of constant change and worry. As an organisation, we have grown quite considerably in terms of work that we deliver. I am very proud of what we have achieved. Working with our partner, Humber NHS Foundation Trust, we have developed the mental health support line for all members of the public to contact if they feel worried about themselves or need immediate support. The service runs 24/7 and for the first time, we have set this up in our own premises, not in a NHS building. This is an important move and shows real trust between our organisations. It is an incredibly important service which we will continue to develop over the next year to ensure that people are getting the support they need, at the time they need it. We employ Peer Support Workers who have real experience of what it feels like to live with a mental health condition and due to that can help others. We do this very well and have been asked to expand this service due to the excellent outcomes we have achieved. Over the last year we managed to open our doors to run groups again. Groups are so important as they help us tackle social isolation and loneliness. By bringing people together, we can encourage conversation and development of relationships. A lot of what we do has been business as usual which is how it should be, however, I know that even delivering our normal services has not been straightforward. Our staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure that people we work with are receiving the service they deserve. We have worked hard to ensure that people can still access services they need so that they can recover and live well. A lot of our staff have not been able to work from home, they need to be out in the community, working directly with people and for that I am so grateful. All of our staff have been willing to go that extra mile to help people. Staff have been backed up by our volunteer workforce who are just incredible. We have been able to enhance our funded services by having volunteers to help us. I’m so excited about the next year for our volunteer service, there are plans in place to further integrate them into our teams. We are one team. There is so much more that we can do. The difficulty is that we are tied to the funding that we receive from our commissioners. Over the last year, our general fundraising income has dropped. Fundraising from people and businesses is what gives us the freedom to develop and deliver different services. It helps us test projects and gives us evidence so that we can seek funding in the future. But, most importantly, it means we can help more people by delivering what is needed at that time. Our future is bright, we have a great team and I am excited about what the next year is going to bring for us. I wish you all a peaceful Christmas and New Year and I thank you for your continued support to our fantastic organisation.
