We were really pleased to be able to support Emmaus Northeast with the development of their new strategic plan. An introduction was made via Lloyds Bank Foundation as part of our work on their ‘Enhance’ programme.
Emmaus Northeast is part of the wider Emmaus Federation which supports people who have been through significant hardships. Here in the North East the local arm of the charity supports a therapeutic residential community of ‘companions’ all of whom have faced many years of serious hardship. For many this has meant periods of homelessness, addiction and imprisonment.
The new strategy was needed following a period of substantial change including the arrival of a new Chief Exec, the welcoming of several new members to the board of trustees and not forgetting, the radically shifting post-covid operating environment.
As always, one of the highlights was the opportunity to facilitate an away day for the leadership team and trustees. Along with working through the important strategic decisions for the future it was also an excellent opportunity for the trustees to get to know another better and to align their new roles around key strategic priorities.
New CEO Ruth Parker reflected on the experience as follows:
“I was put in touch with Matt Wilson through Lloyds Bank Foundation as a highly recommended facilitator for Board Strategy events. The timelines were tight yet Matt made contact vey quickly and proposed his plans for the event. I wasn’t disappointed, the event ran so smoothly with Matt guiding board discussions throughout the day. I was particularly impressed with his professionalism and how much knowledge he had of our charity - he’d clearly done his homework and had a real awareness of the challenges and risks we faced. The work did not end there, Matt continued to support me in editing drafts of the plan which has been very well received. All the trustees have commented that they would like to work with Goodlabs again in the future. Thanks from all of us at Emmaus North East, your support was greatly appreciated.”