When I first joined SVPM, the first organisation I was introduced to was Good Cycles.
I loved the focus they had on both providing skills and employment for disadvantaged youth, as well as running a social enterprise.
Since then, I’ve been more actively involved with Youthworx, another one of the NFP’s we support – similar to Good Cycles, they also focus on providing employment pathways and skills for youth with a focus on creativity and film making. I’ve been helping with strategic planning and leadership support. I also now sit on the Board of SVPM – and am looking forward to making a more direct contribution to our growth and impact in the near future
It was so pleasing to see how spending time with a leadership team and really identifying common goals and focus areas, can bring into clarity what is most important. I personally found it very rewarding in getting to know the different individuals within Youthworx – what drives them and what contribution they each make. My personal impact is around listening – for the knowns and the unknowns – and then providing an objective perspective on a way forward with honesty and care. I’m also a big believer in thinking big, but starting small and building confidence in the team over time that they can achieve great things through focus and collaboration.
I hope they find the work we do helps them clarify their purpose and strategy. An organisation is always changing and evolving – it’s important to keep asking ‘why are we here’ and ‘how are we going?’. I also think we bring a unique perspective to our NFP’s – by providing them with perspective, skills and access to a network of people from organisations who are on a similar journey
That it’s important to really listen – each NFP is going through their own challenges and opportunities. By committing, following through and providing leadership support, it’s incredible the difference we can make. I’ve also learnt how important it is to keep up to date on my own skills, and find a way to package it so that you can teach it to others.
