Farewell, but not goodbye…
At the end of December 2022 we said a very sorry farewell to our Chair of Trustees, Maureen Brierley. Maureen has been the guiding light of our Home-Start ship for the last 13 years, providing strong and stable leadership and guidance to our charity.
Maureen joined Home-Start in 2009 and quickly stepped into the Chair’s role. What started as a temporary position turned permanent, and there she stayed until this December when we bid her farewell, freeing her to spend more quality time with her family and friends who have kindly shared her with Home-Start for so long.
Maureen’s background in health meant she was well placed to understand the important role Home-Start provides to our local community. There have been so many changes over those 13 years for Home-Start, our community and the agencies we work with, but what remained constant was our collective vision to help parents give their children the best possible start in life.
When it was time to say goodbye to Maureen, many people got in touch with words of thanks and good wishes. We were also able to purchase some beautiful gifts that we hope will remind Maureen of her years at Home-Start, remembering how valued and highly thought of she was by all.
Maureen has asked us to pass her sincere thanks on to everyone for such generosity and kindness when saying goodbye. She said:
Thank you to everyone for my lovely gifts and thank you booklet. I am overwhelmed by the kind messages and the wonderful presents. I love the history of my time with you all and the photos that go with each piece. It makes me realise how long I have been there and what changes and challenges the charity has faced.
Although, it was not always plain sailing there were many highlights and fun times as well. Throughout my 13 years I have met so many interesting people and learnt so much from all involved. None of our achievements would have been met without everyone working together, sharing their knowledge and experience.I wish the charity all the best for the future as certainly the wonderful support it provides our community is needed now more than ever.
Thank you and I hope to keep seeing many of you at various events.
Maureen
Which leaves us to say one last big thank you to Maureen. We wish you all the very best for the future, and don’t be a stranger.