At the end of every year, Express speaks to local charities about what their Christmas wishes are for the year ahead.
Today, we spoke to Liberate CEO Kaye Nicholson, who shared her wishes for the upcoming year…
What have been the highlights of 2024?
Seeing the joy people felt at our community events – it truly makes a difference for folks to have the opportunities for in-person connections with like-minded people, in a safe space, where they can express themselves and feel supported.
Pictured (from left to right): Liberate CEO Kaye Nicholson and Chief Experience Officer Paddy Haversham-Quaid.
I’ve also very much enjoyed delivering training sessions to a wide range of organisations; we have had some really wonderful discussions with people who want to make a positive difference in our community and have seen the impact that our sessions have.
Pictured: The Diversi-Tea events saw islanders come together around collaborative art projects, aiming to break down barriers between different groups.
Making new connections and collaborating with our third sector colleagues with skills exchanges and event days has also been a pleasure!
What has been the greatest challenge?
The third sector as a whole has seen a significant reduction in funding and donations, whilst demand for support and services have increased, so balancing our free community work and services with engagement with our trading model to generate a steady income has been the greatest challenge as a small charity this year.
And what is on your charity’s ‘wish list’ for 2025?
We would love to run more in person events to continue community building – we have some already lined up, but would very much welcome any offerings of workshops/events and ideas!
Pictured: Kelly Eastwood (right) ran ‘Diversi-Tea’ events for the charity.
We’d also like to see more organisations signing up for training modules and accreditation under our DIFERA employer scheme, providing education and skills to support greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace and beyond.
Establishing long-term partnerships and collaborations helps us have the greatest impact in our community, working towards creating a society where everyone feels a sense of safety and belonging.
