Adios, Auf Wiedersehen, Ta-ra! A Fond Farewell to Officer Sam
Today we bid farewell to our development officer, Sam, who’s been with us since January last year as our only paid member of staff: he’s leaving to continue his academic studies abroad in Europe, in which we wish him all the best. Tot ziens en veel geluk!
But we could hardly let him ‘skip town’ without everyone saying a proper goodbye, so decided to repurpose one of our regular volunteer get-togethers into a leaving bash. One or two of us brought along some home cooking to share, and Sam himself baked a cake, as signs of our mutual appreciation.
“Good luck Sam on your next adventure! They will be lucky to have you!”
“Good luck Sam, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity and new adventure for you. How exciting!”
“Good luck Sam! :)”
“Bon Voyage to Sam for your new endeavour.”
“So sorry you’re going, but I’m really pleased for you, Sam. Will miss you ”
“👍❤️🤗”
“Thank you for all your kind and lovely messages! It’s been an absolute pleasure meeting and getting to know each of you. I feel very fortunate to have held this post and to be a part of the Share Skipton community. Although my time here is coming to an end, I’ll definitely pop in whenever I’m back home to say hello (and of course, help out by volunteering!).”
Sam joined Share Skipton following a 12-month grant from local sustainability company Beyondly, bringing a fresh perspective and an eagerness to make things better: his unique mix of skills, willingness to learn, and prior experience as a volunteer himself were just what we’d needed.
We’ve since gone from gathering support and storing donations in someone’s garage to launching our online collection and Newmarket Street Library of Things – throughout it all, Sam’s played the crucial role of bringing together the various parts needed to make it happen, and has often gone above and beyond with his own time to help ensure its success.
Looking at the friendly, supportive atmosphere he’s fostered here and hearing his name pop up in past volunteer speeches, I think we can all agree he’s done a stellar job. We’re sorry to see him go, although he’s promised to stay in touch and will be watching how Share Skipton progresses from afar.
Meanwhile, we’ve all been working together to make the change a smooth one. It’s been a good opportunity for the rest of us to learn more about co-ordinating a community-led project like this and to explore new and rewarding responsibilities.
There are Repair Cafés and other local initiatives lined up this year, but also a dedicated volunteer team and item-lending service to look after. So the charity trustees (who are all volunteers themselves) have been busy setting the stage for Sam’s successor. The role of Volunteer Coordinator is open to applications until 14th February 2025 - click the button below.
If Share Skipton might be something you’d like to help out with, why not get a feel for how it all works by volunteering with us? Training will be provided, and people are more than welcome to bring their suggestions and get involved in a bit of whatever interests them. Importantly, we want to encourage an inclusive environment that mirrors the communities we’re here to support, so would love to hear from anyone and everyone; roles are reasonably flexible around whatever time and energy you’re able to commit.
But thanks again for all your hard work, Sam, best of luck in all your endeavours. We look forward to seeing what other positive impacts you’re sure to have in your career, wherever you go from here.
