What impact has the pandemic had on you personally and professionally?
I’ve been working from home since March 2020, and as a result I have had to adapt to new ways of working, (it has been surprising how many work plates you can keep spinning from the spare bedroom!), and I’ve had to get used to not being surrounded by colleagues. I’ve also had to step into different roles to cover what was needed whilst some staff were furloughed.
The pandemic has had a significant impact on our charity, particularly a substantial reduction in income through the closure of our charity shops and cancellation of fundraising events. This led to uncertainty about any impact on our services and the need to launch of a huge emergency fundraising campaign with almost no time to plan it.
Personally, like everyone else I’ve had to adapt to limited opportunities for leisure and social connections and I’m even more grateful for the ‘small things’ than I was before.
How has Covid-19 changed your way of management?
If anything the pandemic has reinforced my approach to management, especially by placing more emphasis on effective communication and team spirit because at any one time we have had staff and volunteers who were furloughed, remote working, and going into work. It has been more important than ever to keep in touch and still feel part of one team.
The main change in approach for me has been that, as a natural planner I’ve had to shift to being much more reactive, but I’m hoping that this change is temporary and I’ll soon be back on the front foot!
Going forward, is there anything that you will be doing differently?
As an organisation we expect the future to be a hybrid of the working practices before and during the pandemic. We intend to retain some of the positives for example some form of remote working where appropriate, and on a very practical level, I think we’ll be encouraging the use tablets or laptops in Trustee meetings rather than printing and posting out meeting papers. We also intend to use Zoom to meet regularly with our shop teams. We will also be exploring how we can use technology to better support our patients, for example offering virtual social support for someone who is housebound.
What has kept you hopeful during this time?
Personally, I’m lucky that I have a regular yoga and meditation practice, and I love walking and pottering in the garden, so I think all these things have helped to keep me on track during such a crazy time.
From a work perspective, the response from our staff and volunteers has been phenomenal, however we’ve needed them to play their part, and this can-do approach has been uplifting to be a part of. But most of all the response from our community to our fundraising campaign has been so humbling and inspiring – anyone would be lifted by that. We have a duty to our community and our patients to continue to provide the care that local families need.
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