I have now been CEO at The Nightingale for over a month. As you can appreciate it has been a whirlwind of activity getting my feet under the table and trying to meet as many of our clients, volunteers and supporters as possible.
For me, the key takeaway from my first month in the job is the realisation that there is a whole big network of people, a real thriving community who make it possible for us to do what we do.
In just this short space of time I’ve had the privileged to get out into our community in various different ways.
I visited Highfield Primary School to thank them for raising over £400 from their Christmas Jumper Day. Their school assembly felt very apt as they focused on how they can help others and be good active citizens. From picking up litter to helping people cross the road, it was a joy to see the next generation of eager change makers taking such an interest in social activities. Many of the Highfield teachers regularly take part in our Night Hike so I can’t wait to see them again on Friday 15th May.
I started one of my days with the Enfield Chase Rotary Club and a breakfast at Enfield Baptist Church. They generously donated £500 to The Nightingale as one of the long-standing charities they support. I’m thrilled to be able to continue this relationship and now be fully acquainted with the group.
After extensive refurbishment, Barclays Bank in Enfield Town had their official reopening. Our team were only too happy to attend, especially as they had the Barclays Premier League Trophy and the Women’s Super League Trophy. The Barclays Team has been very supportive of us, allowing an Awareness Stand in the bank every month to spread awareness to their customers of the support they can get at our centre. Emer, their manager is another avid Night Hiker! It seems that all of Enfield truly gets involved in the walk.
Another local business eager to help their local charity is Fortuna Healthcare. They have supported us in various ways over the years; collection tins by their tills, donating to the Night Hike goody bags, sponsoring events and holding talks with their staff about our services. So, I was happy to meet with CEO Julian to discuss how we can work together further in 2026.
It was a pleasure to meet Enfield Mayor Margaret Greer to discuss my vision to grow the charity’s reach and discuss the ways we may be able to collaborate during her mayoral term and reach more people in Enfield in need of our services.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend two engagements I was really looking forward to.
Joining our clients who attend the Tottenham Hotspur fitness class for a very special surprise visitor; Bethany England, Spurs Women’s Captain. Bethany has created such a bond with the attendees of the class, she’s popped in three times to the class in as many months to say hi, take part in the class, drop off some brand new weights and catch up with everyone. My trainers are ready in my office for her next visit.
Elsyng House held a World Cancer Day event, inviting our staff to visit and say a few words. They held an art class where residents were invited to use a canvas to create a message of hope. We were honoured to be gifted some of these beautiful pieces, which are now displayed proudly on our notice board in the centre. Though the day isn’t one of celebration, it is nice to come together in recognition of a disease that impacts us all and mark how the right support can really change someone’s cancer journey.
All this in just the first month!
If you have a club or workplace that would like to support The Nightingale, please don’t hesitate to get in touch to discuss some ideas.
It’s a privilege to be leading this wonderful charity into its next chapter and I look forward to keeping you up to date on what the future holds for the charity and what I’ve been up to.
Take care,
