The Charity

I had the privilege of collaborating with the Chester-Le-Street based charity, If U Care Share, during my LIA project. If U Care Share is carrying out life-saving work across the North East of England. Since they became a registered charity in 2011, If U Care Share have been dedicated to fulfilling 3 core aims: suicide intervention, suicide prevention and supporting those bereaved by suicide. The charity provides practical and emotional support services to people in their hour of need. Additionally, the charity believes that educating young people about positive mental health through their workshops in schools/communities has the power to change the culture around mental health and suicide.

Forming genuine connections with the people around us is an invaluable way of creating relationships that facilitate comfortable conversations about our mental health. The aim of my LIA was to foster this philosophy through hosting an event that brings people together through shared interests; provide an opportunity for attendees openly talk about their mental health; and fundraise money to allow the fantastic team at If U Care Share continue to provide their vital work.

The Event

So, let me tell me you a little bit about ‘The Big Charity Fundraiser’! The event consisted of a few sections. Being outdoors and getting active whilst connecting with others over a shared interest is great for our well-being, so, to kick-start the evening I organized a charity rounders match (which is kind of like baseball or softball if you’re not from the UK) for members of my college. It was a light-hearted but competitive match that had over 50 people getting involved in the match or cheering on their friends – see the photo taken after the match below with lots of smiley faces!

The event then continued into the night with a lively, exciting music event in the college bar, JBs. We had 3 musical acts perform: Emily Wilson, Niteflight and Next Exit – see photos of the talented band, Next Exit, below! Everyone chatted, laughed and danced the night away – the atmosphere in the bar was electric. Towards the end of the night, we drew the winners of the raffle (I had organized prizes from a range of local business) and I took the opportunity to make a speech about the work that If U Care Share are carrying out across the North East and how their online resources can be accessed.

In collaboration with the fantastic welfare committee at my college, we organized to have a calm space that was open to anyone from the college throughout the evening of the event. This quieter part of the evening provided an opportunity for people to just chill out with friend over a cup of tea, or chat to a Nightline trained member of the welfare team who would compassionately listen to anything they had to say.

From online donations, raffle entries, donation buckets, we raised over £500 for If U Care Share! I was only expecting to raise £200, so this completely exceeded my expectations! I am very grateful to each person who took their time to come along to the event and donate. The impact of this project will hopefully be sustained year-after-year, as an annual event at my college. 

However, this summary of the end-outcome of my LIA entirely skips over the intense 6-weeks of organization leading up to the event and the leadership lessons I learnt along the way.

The Power of our Words

If I was to concisely summarize the learning journey I experienced throughout my LIA into a short sentence, I would say that I now truly appreciate the power of the words we use. Now this may sound broad and complicated but allow me to explain myself.

Firstly, how we talk to ourselves matters. At a recent Laidlaw event I attended my fellow Laidlaw scholar, Zoe, perfectly summarised an alternative perspective on leadership. Now excuse me if I slightly misrepresent what Zoe said, but essentially, she described how leadership can happen a day-to-day basis within small decisions that can be made quietly, on our own. This really resonated with me. I have always pictured a ‘leader’ in my mind as a C-suite executive in a fancy suit stood on a big stage speaking to hundreds of people. This is simply one type of leadership. The words we choose while internally reflecting on decisions we have made previously and how we can improve next time we make a similar decision, are critical.  Having a balanced and introspective inner voice that guides daily decisions as a leader is just as important as having the loudest voice in the room when it comes to leadership. It allows us to continually learn about our limitations and preferences - this is where true leadership development occurs.

The words we choose to talk to others as a leader matter. The ability to effectively communicate our ideas with confidence and clarity is critical in building collaborative networks that work towards a common goal. Throughout my LIA, when I was speaking to various people involved in the project (e.g. the Butler junior common room president, College operations team, Musicians, Business owners) I fully allowed my enthusiasm and passion for the project to shine. By doing this, I was able to get various people on board with the project and turn my ideas into actions.

Lastly, in terms of the values promoted by the charity, If U Care Share, words are powerful tools in connecting with the people around us. A seemingly short conversation with a stranger about their day or catching up with a friend over coffee could make a huge difference to their wellbeing without us even knowing. 

My LIA has been such a journey of personal growth. After learning the 'power of our words' and experiencing the feeling of pride when completing a project that took hard work and persistence, I am now excited and confident in stepping up to leadership roles in the future.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog!

Ruby 😊