It is with strong and mixed emotions that I have announced that I am stepping down from being CEO of 999 Club.
These past three and a half years have been the most rewarding of my career, the 999 Club is a special place and it’s been an honour and a privilege to be part of it.
What a journey it has been!
When I joined, we were still in the pandemic. The Nightshelter had been closed and access to our day centre was restricted due to social distancing regulations. Since then we have done so much. We’ve opened the refurbished day centre, often seeing 60 people per day including in our dedicated women’s space. We’ve rejigged the Lady Florence Hall so that our caseworkers and all kinds of specialist organisations can provide 1:1 support to people, including physical and mental health, substance misuse as well as advice on employment, immigration and accommodation. We’ve opened a room that is used by health workers. We’ve opened the Bridge, our evening and weekend service, meaning we’re open 365 days per year. We’ve launched Move+, our peer coaching service, and so much more!
Sadly, it has been a tough time for our community. We’ve gone from having additional resources during the pandemic, including additional benefits and hotel spaces for people who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets, to a cost of living crisis which is resulting in growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness.
I’m proud that 999 Club has been able to play a role in supporting people as they go through tough times.
I am so grateful to our amazing supporters, staff and volunteers, for their generosity, professionalism, dedication and hard work. 999 Club is part of the Southeast London community but it is also its own community, with diverse members who make it such a friendly and welcoming place.
As we look ahead, there are tentative reasons for optimism and we can expect a new government to announce new initiatives, some of which will make their way to Deptford. However, we should not get ahead of ourselves and we can also expect tough times to be with us for a while, meaning 999 Club’s vital work will likely be needed for the foreseeable future.
On a personal note, it has been humbling and inspiring for me to hear the stories of people who have been through 999 Club’s services and who are now able to fully participate in our community, sustaining a home and making progress in their lives. I would recommend that you check out these stories of change: https://999club.org/stories-of-change/
Thank you to everyone who has made my time at 999 Club so special and I hope the charity continues to do it’s life changing work.