Welcome From our Chairman

LETTER FROM OUR CHAIRMAN

In WH Davies’ poem 'Leisure', written in 1911, he starts by asking the question “What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?”. His answer is: a “poor” one. He urges us to find time “to stand beneath the boughs”, which sounds quite nice, but then adds “And stare as long as sheep or cows,” which sounds rather less fun, if not a little weird. But, his timeless advice to make time to notice the beauty of things around us, like seeing “in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night” is rather lovely, and perhaps worth remembering as lockdown eases and our busy lives ramp up to full throttle again.

Having said that, the work at Charlie Waller has remained near full throttle throughout the pandemic, which is a great tribute to the office team led by our endlessly positive CEO, Clare. Our fundraising income has also held up well, which is down to you, our supporters, for which we are extremely grateful.

Our work is more vital now than perhaps ever before, as children and young people face the challenge of dusting themselves down after a horribly uncertain, disruptive and probably rather frightening period in their lives. We are here to help not only children and young people, but those who care for them, whether parents, teachers or employers. We have experts and expert resources ready to help staff, parents and children navigate the huge mental health challenges ahead.

Some of you will have seen Roman Kemp’s extremely moving and powerful documentary about the loss of his great friend Joe to suicide called 'Our Silent Emergency'. He sets out to try and understand what happened to his friend and how such tragedies can be avoided in the future. One practical tip that emerges from the short film, which I think is excellent, is that whilst the most important question you can ask a friend is “Are you OK?”, the trick is to ask the question twice in quick succession as it is only on the second time of asking that you are likely to get the truthful answer.

Our office in Thatcham may not be the most salubrious office space in West Berkshire, but it is a vibrant and happy place to work, which I know the team have all missed. Hopefully, we will be able to say adieu to Zoom and return to the camaraderie of the physical office before too long.

The end of 2020 also saw my mother leave the Thatcham office, or its virtual equivalent, for the last time. As the Trust’s Head of Fundraising, she has grown the Trust’s income exponentially over the years with her unique combination of the personal touch and the determined squeeze. She will be impossible to replace and sorely missed within the fundraising team, but she has left the Trust in great shape, not least with the support of a generous community of loyal friends. She has been appointed as honorary co-president of the charity together with my father in recognition of all they have achieved with and for the Trust.

I am delighted to announce that Katie Tait has agreed to join our board of trustees. Katie has worked as a journalist and as a TV producer. She is now communications director at Maggie’s. Katie’s energy, marketing and charity sector expertise make her an invaluable addition to the board.

We very much hope that 2021 will see the Trust put on some physical events, not only to raise funds, but to get our supporters and community together. I hope you enjoy the newsletter and thank you again for your support.