Beacons of hope
Well, 2020 wasn’t the best year and there’s certainly a mood of despondency following the recent announcements of national lockdowns across the UK. But after a good, albeit like most, quieter Christmas break than usual, I wanted to share what’s kept me going and what I’m hoping will continue in 2021. I’m calling these my beacons of hope. Some are connected, but all positively impact my approach to work and have never played a more important part in my life and career than they do currently.
My first beacon of hope is my team at work. In a year of unparalleled change, my colleagues have come through stronger and managed the highs and lows of the year with incredible patience and resilience. The thought of spending several hours on a Zoom Christmas party would have been unthinkable just months ago. But ours ended up being up there with the best ever work parties, so thank you one and all!
My second beacon of hope is my clients. Many of you I’ve known for longer than we’d probably care to remember. But in these strange times I think we’ve all had to be more flexible and adaptable than ever before and that’s been a huge positive. Some of you I can mention and some I can’t, so I’m not going to single anyone out. I want to thank each of you for your support in what I know for many has been a trying time, and in some cases working in sectors that have been particularly badly impacted. What has been lovely is making connections between clients and, in many cases, introductions that have led to new career moves. Most recent examples are Donna Dew and Sue Solomons, who I’m delighted to hear are already making great strides in their new roles.
An important beacon of hope is my family and that’s been huge, especially during a period of enforced home working and at times, stressful home schooling. Our house is never a quiet one and sometimes there’s been much pressure on bandwidth but being married to a mental health doctor has had many advantages! I love you all.
A beacon that’s been a cause of hope are the many people in my ‘network’. I’ve learnt a lot from you and particularly this year when face to face contact has been so limited. I wanted to say that whether it’s the blogs you’ve written, tweets, posts you’ve shared or phone calls you’ve made, I’ve appreciated each and every one. So, thank you Cliff Ettridge, Jenny Burns, Rachel Miller, Advita Patel, Katie Macauley, Michael Pounsford, Kevin Ruck, Greg Sage, Wayne Clarke, Katie Marlow and Stephen Waddington. I’d also add Vicki Davies, Jeremy Philips-Powell, Sarah Mullins and Drew McMillan in this category. You’re all so different but I think what you all encompass so well is authentic communication with a hugely personal touch, so thank you for being one of my beacons of hope.
And then there’s the voluntary bit, putting something back. Whilst down the list, this is a hugely important beacon for me. I continue to support the wonderful charity Canine Partners, that trains assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities. Hats off to the team there led by Nicola Martin, Cat Harvey and Helen Watkinson who’ve had the most challenging of years. And last year I became a trustee of iprovision, the independent benevolent fund of the CIPR. It’s been extremely rewarding working with them in what’s been a very tough year for so many PR practitioners.
The final beacon of hope that I’d like to share is my business partner, Lisa Betteridge. Values-driven, hardworking, ethical, and fun are just some of the reasons why she’s been and remains a guiding light to me.
So, my hope is that these beacons of hope will remain steadfast throughout 2021 and beyond. And that other reasons for hope emerge very soon for everyone.
Wishing you all a better year.
Published by James
