Feeling challenged and also creative here at Grit

It’s almost a month since I last wrote to you although time does seem to have taken on a different property recently, I’m frequently having to remind myself of what day it is! I do hope you and your families are keeping safe and well and that you are staying connected to the support around you. It has been a challenging time at Grit. We are challenged by having to halt some of our delivery at a time when we really feel that young people and communities need what Grit has to offer. We are challenged by the sadness we feel about colleagues having lost significant relatives to the virus. And we are continuing to challenge ourselves to remember the importance of staying connected to each other to give support (and sometimes more difficult) to receive it too.

However, it has been a creative time as well. We’ve now designed, tested and delivered online workshops training professionals in our coaching methodology and working with students on building community and developing resilience. We’ve had some very positive feedback from our early cohorts and been quite surprised by the depth of impact that’s possible when using a digital platform. Thank you so much if you have been a recent guinea pig in testing these approaches, your time has been hugely appreciated and your feedback invaluable.

Another creative venture has involved beginning to mobilise our volunteer network to offer ‘virtual coaching’ to some of the young people who have been hardest hit by the isolation of lockdown, we’ve had such a positive response from our volunteer body about getting involved – it really demonstrates a sense of community and service when so many people reach out to help others during times that are pretty difficult for all of us.

I have felt such a strong sense of support coming from the Grit community (i.e. you), I’ve been really moved by the conversations I’ve had with people who are looking for ways to help us – thank you. We are beginning the process of planning who we want to be as we emerge into the post-virus world. We’re working to use this reflective period to move forward with a sense of renewal, positivity and an urgency about addressing the challenges communities will face. I really hope you will keep connecting with me and letting me know your thoughts and ideas through this process, please know that you are making a difference.

Take care and stay safe

All the best

Ellie Garraway

CEO