As the year draws to a close there’s no doubt that despite the positive steps forward, the world has taken to overcome the Coronavirus the effects have certainly continued to change and disrupt daily life for us all and the impact will be long lasting and profound.
2020/2021 has been hugely challenging, not least in the charity sector, where many charities have been particularly hard-hit. I am so proud that NYAS has continued to see some fantastic results including winning new and existing contracts, great campaign successes, financial strengthening and some incredible new fundraising initiatives to fund innovative charitable projects such as SidebySide. All of these outcomes will help us to make a real difference to the lives of everyone who turn to NYAS for help and support.
Your support has made a big difference
I am so very grateful to all our wonderful colleagues, volunteers, supporters and trustees – collectively you are what makes NYAS the fantastic organisation it is. On a personal level, it is a great privilege to work with such an amazing group of committed individuals.
So what will 2022 bring?
Whist I am sure that COVID-19 will continue to be very much a part of our lives, we have learnt a huge amount during the crisis that will serve us well in the future. NYAS is a resilient charity that will continue to rise to all the challenges that come our way. The charity is stronger now than ever before.
Our flagship campaign ‘My Things Matter’ will be running throughout the year to make sure that no child in care will have their precious items moved using a bin bag or plastic shopping bag.
We have experienced many benefits from agile working that have enabled us to adapt and deliver our services in a more timely and responsive way to the people that need our support.
I am excited that in 2022 we will continue our digital transformation which will include the launch of a dynamic brand-new website to provide support and information to all our many stakeholders. We will also be launching a new intranet to improve internal communication across our workforce.
And finally…..
I wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe Christmas. Let us all hope that 2022 will bring joy to us all and lots more triumphs in our mission to ensure children and young people have the right to be heard.
With warmest wishes,
Rita Waters, NYAS Group CEO for England and Wales
