Recently I was telling someone about the work that I do at Phase as the Office Manager – the 5 areas that I cover (Office Admin / Finances / HR / Supporters / Communications) and what that entails for each area. But, as I thought about this a bit more it became apparent that actually much of the work that I do is unplanned and occurs due to the unexpected demands from our work of supporting children and young people.

Support for School Staff

The primary aim of Phase is to support children and young people. But last December, knowing that the staff in one of the local schools were going through a difficult time, we asked all the churches to bake cakes for us to take into the staff room. Within a week we had a great response and we were able to show the staff that their work was valued. Staff are at the front line of working with young people every day, and they can become stressed and overloaded by life too – we hope that actions such as this can provide a great boost to staff morale.

Phase staff support
The final twist in the unexpected work that I do is that of supporting our own staff. Most of our work in schools can be very draining, and the office has to be a safe and calm space to return to. There is always a nicely scented candle that can be lit, coffee in the pot and biscuits on hand if needed. Friday is “Treat day” – sweet treats are purchased to get us to the end of the week!

Taking time to check someone is ok when they come back from school doesn’t take long, but it is important. And offering to pray with them for whatever reason they need can never be underestimated.

Fundraising opportunities
As a charity that exists purely by supporter donations and grants received, we plan for regular team fundraising events each year to help fill the financial gaps. But we are so lucky that we also have generous supporters who decide to do fundraising events for us! As well as offering the standard support of ensuring fundraisers have relevant information leaflets / Phase clothing etc we have also been involved by:
• creating flower displays
• attending pantos (oh no we didn’t…)
• speaking at events or manning stalls to talk about the work of Phase
• stewarding at a firework display
• doing car washes

There is such a variety of events that we do, that there is never a dull moment!

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