Happy Trustees Week!

This week is Trustees Week and we are celebrating our ten amazing Trustees!

Our Trustees come from a wide range of backgrounds and bring with them a whole host of knowledge, experience and wisdom. They hold an important role in guiding the charity, ensuring that we work in the best way to give as many young people as possible a life-changing break.

We interviewed three of our Trustees to find out more about who they are and why they chose to be a part of Go Beyond.

Steve Brearley, Chair of the Board

Steve has spent ten years as a Trustee for Go Beyond, but eighteen years in total in various volunteer roles and as a Break Leader.

At the age of eighteen he learned about us through a teacher at his school, and him and three friends came down to our Coastal Centre in 2003 to volunteer on a residential break.

“We loved every moment of it! The young people were amazing, the staff were so supportive, and they really created a fun and inclusive atmosphere for the young people and volunteers. I was totally hooked and that week started a life-long passion for the organisation and everything we do for children.”

Steve went on to complete over 20 Residential Breaks as a volunteer and also encouraged his friends and family to volunteer as well!

Although Steve’s career path was set for the courts as a Solicitor, he jumped at the chance to work as a Break Leader, and did so for five years.

“It was the best job I ever had, to see first-hand the magical experiences and memories that are created for our young people is both humbling and inspiring in equal measure. I have lived in all the centres, worked with over 1000 young people and enjoyed some of the best times of my life with the charity. The proudest moment of my career has been being involved with Go Beyond for nearly two decades and seeing the evolution of caring for young people under canvas, to offering the young people a fun filled action packed week at one of our three beautiful centres.”

Steve hopes that although it’s been a tough time for the charity sector we can enter 2022 with the positivity and confidence that we will impact as many young people as we can.

“To do this we need a clear direction, a positive yet realistic strategy, and a motivated staff team who strive to help us realise our amazing potential. I want us to impact, support, and care for as many young people as we can.”

Barbara Peacock, Deputy Chair

Barbara grew up in Liverpool, in the centre of town, in a family that were unable to provide the experience of a holiday and the joy that brings to young people. She didn’t experience the vastness of the countryside and the space it gives you to think beyond your day-to-day life.

“One event that had a lasting impact on me was being taken on a school trip to North Wales. Our teacher was adventurous enough to let the small group of children in her care sleep outside under the stars. That was an experience I had never had before. Being in the country, waking up surrounded by sheep, and in damp grass. It changed my life.”

Barbara is a social worker by profession and was the Director of Children’s Services for a local authority for many years. This role allowed her to change the lives of children through education and improving the quality of social care that is provided. The similarities between her passions and our values drew her to become involved with Go Beyond:

“I know Go Beyond offer the same potential to change children’s lives. To give them a chance to run about in the country, to be free, not to have to worry about their lives at home. I’m now using my skills and experience to find different ways to help children. To make sure they have opportunities to grow, to thrive, and to develop in to fantastic young adults.”

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Graham Horner

Graham joined us as a Trustee around two years ago and has 20 years experience in marketing, loyalty and digital. Graham’s career highlights include Dunnhumby, Nectar Card, Coca-Cola, the Telegraph, and Simpson Travel. In 2014, he joined a luxury travel company Scott Dunn and it’s here where he got involved in Go Beyond!

“We brought Go Beyond on board as a corporate charity partner and we funded one of their breaks each year. I went down to volunteer at our Coastal Centre which was really eye opening, and a fantastic chance for me to see the difference we make first hand.”

The pandemic had a huge impact on the charity and it is the first time we’ve seen our centres close and our shops shut, not knowing if they would reopen. It was an uncertain time for the country, and the world, but Graham was proud of what the organisation achieved in that time:

“I think my proudest moment as Trustee is seeing us rebrand to Go Beyond, we knew that our former identity of CHICKS was not fit for the digital age, and didn’t really align with our values and aspirations anymore. We rebranded before the pandemic, so to carry on that process and get it over the line with everyone working from home, with all the uncertainty, I think was a great achievement and real testament to the focus and dedication of our staff.”

Now we have two centres open and running both Day Breaks and Residential Breaks for the first time in over year, Graham hopes next year will bring more good fortune:

“My hope for the coming year is that we can get our centres back up and running again at full capacity and help as many children and young people as possible as the demand for our services is greater than ever.”