Hi! I'm Amanda, and I am the Reach Out support coordinator for Stevenage and North Herts. On the 19th of December, I celebrated 5 years at Reach Out.
When I first started, it was only my manager, Vicky Hudson, and myself working in Reach Out. It started to really take off, and then suddenly, we hit COVID three months down the line. The need for the project escalated very quickly and the project was so successful that we then welcomed another support coordinator, Kim. Since then, we've now got Eva and Nikki. I'm so privileged to be a part of this team and to have seen how Reach Out has flourished and developed.
The commitment of my colleagues and my manager is incredible. We're all so passionate about Reach Out and what it stands for and all the people we help. I worked in my previous job for 15 years and loved it. I always thought I would never experience the same joy I had in that job, but I now feel so privileged to have come to Reach Out and seen how much our project has grown. We are under the umbrella of North Herts and Stevenage Centre for Voluntary Services, and they have supported Reach Out from the beginning. The team have supported me as an individual, and I've met so many lovely people.
I am so proud of all our amazing volunteers. They are all quietly working in the background, and when I hear the stories, it's absolutely mind-blowing! The changes our volunteers make by being present with their clients, with the things that they do to help them feel connected and to recover are just so amazing! Sometimes, I'm quite speechless (which is a little bit of a novelty for those who know me!) Without the support of our amazing volunteers, Reach Out wouldn't have been the success that it is.
I'm also privileged to have a wonderful network of people who refer clients to us. We work so closely, that many of them have actually become friends. We all want to get that happy ending, and there’s something so strong between us all. I really think that working together has made a huge difference.
Reach Out has done so much for me. It has boosted my confidence and pushed me to do things out of my comfort zone with the support of my manager and my colleagues. Recently, I had a bit of an accident and broke both my wrists, so I haven't been able to work while I recover. I am so thankful to my manager, Vicky Hudson, who stepped in to cover for me, and my colleagues Kim, Nikki, and Eva, who have been so supportive - keeping me updated with things and just checking in on me. It means a lot. I know a lot of people don't have that sort of relationship with their colleagues, so again, I'm very privileged.
I’d like to thank my colleagues, my manager, North Herts and Stevenage Centre for Voluntary Services, and the volunteers for their concern and their messages. I love what I do, and I can't wait to get back into the swing of things again in 2025—bring it on!