Just celebrate...

 

What inspires you to get up each day and go to work? Probably not the cold, dark frosty mornings. But the knowledge that your work makes a difference to many people’s lives may well be inspiration enough.

 

This is a month of parties and celebrations as communities across the land enjoy Christmas holidays. This gives us a great opportunity to think about celebrating our work, but does an office party really capture all you would want to sing about?

 

Celebration should include all those who contribute to the work you do, funders and partners, service users, volunteers and staff, and the worshipping community if your project is part of a faith group. Everyone needs to share in the success and the hard work that makes your organisation what it is.

 

Celebration can include a party or an act of worship. You may present your annual report as a celebration of all you have achieved, over and above the charitable objectives requirements. Your celebration could be a newsletter.

 

Celebration should include thanks offered to staff and volunteers for the amazing contribution they make. Remember to thank funders too, and tell them good stories that illustrate how you have used their grants. Funders and partners too often are left out of the celebration.

 

Celebrating the difference you have made will involve hearing the stories of local people whose lives have been changed as a result of your project.

 

Celebration is a great opportunity to generate fresh inspiration, so that after the holiday season staff and volunteers are still motivated to get up each morning to be part of your project story, and funders and partners motivated to continue their relationship with you.