At this time of year, it is a time to reflect and to acknowledge the work, challenges and achievements throughout the organisation. However, 2020 was a unique year with new and unprecedented challenges facing not only the organisation, but society and we all had concerns and worries about family members.
I sincerely thank each and every one of the St. Michael's House staff who have gone above and beyond in order to support the men, women and children who use our services.
Thank you also to the families, children and adults who use our services – you have shown great patience in what has proven to be a difficult year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our stakeholders, donors, supporters and partners without whose support our journey would be much more difficult.
This time last year when I joined St. Michael’s House I could not have predicted the organisational challenges we were about to face together in 2020 due to Covid-19. I am very proud to be the CEO of St Michael’s House especially as all our staff, through hard work and adherence to infection prevention and control guidelines, ensured cases of COVID-19 were low and manageable throughout the year.
We found ourselves working in unchartered grounds that had us finding new ways of working together. Many of us have had to work from home and connect together from a distance on a virtual level. We have experienced the impact that the lack of a full service has had on SMH service users and families and, there is no doubt, it has been a difficult journey. However, we are continuing to resume services whilst adhering to national guidelines.
I would like to recognise the work of carers at home and acknowledge their tremendous work and dedication, especially during this pandemic.
We have kept in communication with our families – at a local level, through letters from me and through our various social media platforms. I fully appreciate that not everyone has been satisfied with communication but we are open to suggestions on this, and I will continue to write out monthly.
However, I would encourage everyone to access, or seek assistance to access, our website for the most up to date information, for ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ and for access to our online Activity Hub. We will continue to assist and support the men, women, children and families who use our services.
This Christmas time is especially poignant, as we connect with our families and friends in a different way. I wish you a very happy, harmonious and safe holiday season and let us look forward to a positive new year in 2021.
Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for 2021.
Liz Reynolds
Chief Executive