New Community and Events Fundraiser - why not get in touch?!

My first week at New Hope was a whirlwind of new faces and new challenges, and a very thorough induction programme which meant plenty of time sat in front of a computer screen. I never imagined there would be so much training involved.

However, the week provided a wonderful opportunity to meet so many members of staff, trustees and volunteers. (Service users too, for that matter, which gave me a fantastic insight).

It immediately struck me how enthused and committed to the cause everyone was. And everyone seemed so genuinely friendly, interested in each other and even interested in the new boy who had just arrived to disrupt their day and demand an impromptu induction of their services while bombarding them with time wasting questions.

The Walk of Hope and introductions to the Queens Road shop, head office, Haven, Sanctuary, New Hope House, and the TST were a real eye-opener. They changed my perceptions of homelessness in Watford, the depth of the problem, how it could be better tackled, and what fantastic work is being done to help meet the needs of those currently experiencing homelessness.

I was lucky that my first week coincided with the annual staff and volunteer gathering at Wellspring Church. One or two people I sat with suggested the event had been laid on for my benefit, to celebrate my arrival. It later transpired the conference is held every year!

As for the event itself, it was a great opportunity to see how the whole team moulds together – different pieces of the New Hope jigsaw fitting together and forming a very pleasing picture. It also afforded a chance to network and hear many inspiring words of wisdom.

One of my main takeaways from the event was the comment made by the prizewinning volunteer John who, with his wife Alison, maintains the gardens at the Haven. They were quite rightly awarded for their selfless efforts with the prize of a free hotel break. After collecting the prize, John humbly addressed the audience saying, “I get far more out of volunteering for New Hope than I put in”.

He was absolutely right of course; it is far better to give than to receive. His sentiments left a very warm feeling in the heart and I made a point of congratulating him and telling him how his words had touched me as we were leaving.

Though I have volunteered and raised money for a number of charities in the past, I have never actually been employed by one before. I have always worked for newspaper publishers, marketing companies, all sorts of commercially motivated organisations, but never a charity.

However, I have quickly worked out and begun to appreciate how good and satisfying it is to have a job that strives to make a difference to the lives of people in real need, instead of simply making a difference to the bank balances of the directors and shareholders of the companies I happened to be working for at the time!

I look forward to getting to know some of you and hopefully we can make a difference together.

Please get in touch with Frazer if you'd like to run your own fundraising event, would like a speaker for your school, company or faith group, or would like to find out more about the work of New Hope!