Bob Cowie reflects on his time as Chair of our Board of Trustees, as he steps down after 4 years with Right There.

When my time with a previous charity came to an end, I was lucky enough to be approached by a few organisations looking for a new Trustee. But I’ve always believed that if you’re going to volunteer your time and energy, it must be for something you genuinely care about. That is what brought me to Right There as a Trustee and Chair.

I have always felt strongly about the injustices in our society, especially when some people do not have access to the most basic things they need to live well. A safe place to call home is right up there on that list. I know everyone at Right There shares that belief, and I have seen first-hand how much care, skill and determination goes into helping people avoid homelessness and supporting them on their journey when it does happen.

Sadly, my time at the helm has been shorter than I had hoped, for a raft of reasons, most of them linked to family circumstances. That means I am stepping back from most of my external commitments. I am sorry to be doing that, but I do so with real confidence that Right There is in a strong place.

One of the things that excited me when I arrived was that the organisation had just rebranded and changed its name from YPeople to Right There. But it was clearly much more than a name change. It was a fresh vision, with bigger aspirations and a renewed determination to do better: to make the right interventions with empathy and compassion, and with the determination needed to make a real difference. Helping to shape those plans, think through how to finance them, and look at how we better recognise and reward our people has not always been easy but these things rarely are. But they have been hugely worthwhile and I am certain that Janet, the Executive team and the Trustees are well placed to keep moving forward with energy and ambition.

The next few years will bring challenges, of course. Funding pressures are not going away, and the social challenges Right There works so hard to address remain very real. That will mean continuing to be smart, focused and creative. The investment already being made in systems, training and support should leave the organisation better placed to do more, reach further, and keep growing the impact of its work.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you to the staff at Right There. I have met many of you along the way, and the annual staff festival and annual business reviews have been a real highlight, as have my visits to the programmes you run. Every person I have met or worked with has left a mark on me, a reminder of the compassion, commitment and quiet determination that sits at the heart of Right There.

So, this is my cheerio rather than a grand goodbye. I may be stepping down, but I will absolutely remain a cheerleader from the sidelines. I will watch with interest, gratitude and no doubt admiration as you carry on doing what you do so well – helping people find safety, support and the chance to move towards independent living.

With warmest thanks and best wishes,

Bob.