Chair's Message

The challenges we have faced successfully this year show the passion, commitment and resilience of our whole organisation.

The profound impact of the Coronavirus pandemic upon the people we support, and upon our colleagues in the voluntary and community sector, is something which will be felt for many years to come.

It is hard to believe that already we have returned to relative normality in our lives. That we are still here, delivering vital, life-changing services to the people we care for, speaks volumes for our commitment to ensuring that no one in need of support is ever left behind.

That is down to the hard work of our staff, right across our charity, who every day strive to ensure that the most vulnerable and marginalised in our communities are provided with opportunities to transform their lives for the better. I and my colleagues across the Extern Group Board of Trustees are so proud of everything they have achieved.

The challenges we faced were not limited to the pandemic, as we continued to tackle the wider difficulties which affect our sector as a whole.

The shortage of skilled and qualified frontline staff is an issue that is having a serious impact on organisations such as ours, and without proactive steps being taken to address this situation, it threatens only to get worse.

We also face the ongoing impact of constraints in public funding across our sector, and we continue to lobby those in power over issues such as the need for multi-year funding that would create a more stable platform for service delivery going forward.

While such obstacles might normally inhibit growth, we have nevertheless seen many positive new developments in our work. These include further funding for the life-saving Community Crisis Intervention Service in Derry-Londonderry. We have also seen the expansion of our Bail Supervision Scheme to new areas in Cork and Limerick, where it continues its vital work of supporting young people engaged within the criminal justice system.

We have also welcomed the arrival of new colleagues onto the three Extern Boards. Their enthusiasm and experience brings fresh inspiration to our organisation and ensures our governance and oversight is as robust as can be.

Our new five-year strategy, due for launch in 2023, also promises to help us focus our plans and actions to successfully meet a wide range of critical needs equitably across our island. There will still be many difficulties to face as we move ahead, including the cost-of-living crisis, which will continue to have a shattering effect upon the people we support. This only drives us towards redoubling our efforts to ensure that these individuals and families are given the assistance they need to get through these difficult times. Of course, this crisis also affects all of our staff and we continue to engage with government commissioners to lobby for realistic levels of funding to enable them to be properly paid for their vital roles.

I am confident that these are challenges we will continue to meet, and I sincerely thank my colleagues on our Boards for their collective input and wisdom, freely given throughout the year. I also commend the Strategic Leadership Team for their continued hard work and commitment, as well as our wonderful staff and volunteers who are making a difference to the lives of so many.

Above all, though, I offer my warmest gratitude to the very people we are here to support, our service users, for allowing us the opportunity to make a real difference in their lives every day. It is a huge privilege to serve every one of them!

Allen McCartney Chair, Extern Group