Change
I recently hit the milestone of 10 years at Mayday and I have come to accept that there may not be the ‘homeless revolution’ I had once envisioned. That’s fine. My time at Mayday has taught me that my view is one of many and the direction to challenge the failing homeless system needs to be led by people who are experiencing it, who are often trapped within it and who want to act.
We may be lacking a revolution, but I’m happy to have seen the start of a gradual acceptance in the sector that current systems are not working for people and might be a contributing factor to why so many people remain in services for so long. However, I do question whether the sector and the public recognises the true extent to which this is real, but the fact that a tiny door has opened to allow for greater awareness and maybe even change, can only be good news.
On that positive note and to coincide with the theme of change, it is time for me to officially share that I will be stepping down as CEO of Mayday in August. It’s no secret that Mayday has been through some big changes since I took on the role in 2011. I don’t feel the term ‘organisational transformation’ does the years of uncomfortable realisations, challenges and learning, justice.
I’m leaving an organisation that is courageous, passionate and embraces opportunities to learn. An organisation that is led by its mission and the people it works alongside. I do not doubt that this collective of activists will continue to go against the grain, challenge the status quo and strive for a system that works for people going through tough times.
For me, I have no intention of giving up on my activism, so this isn’t a goodbye, more of a see you later!
x Pat