Here Founders Zoe Nicholson and Peter Devlin talk to the Here community about what creating Here has meant to them and their hopes for Here as they move on to new things.

Devoting time and energy to supporting my community

Zoe Nicholson

Hello Here community. I’ve got some news that I want to share. Over the last four months, we’ve been transitioning to a new leadership for our organization. In March Helen Curr became Chief Executive, Sarah Bartholomew became Commercial Director and Lesley Jay joined us as Finance Director. Since then I’ve been working much more in a stewardship role, supporting them in their new roles.

Over the last few weeks and particularly in the context of the global and local disaster that is COVID19, I’ve been doing some pretty big thinking about where I want to put my time and energy. And I feel it’s time for me to really step back and enable the new team to take the organisation forward.

I’m going to be devoting my time and energy to supporting my community. Some of you know that I’m the Leader of Lewes District council and a Lewes Green Party Councillor. I feel really called at this time to help those who are going to be suffering the most from the impact of COVID 19. COVID19 is a health crisis, but it’s also a livelihood crisis. I really feel the need to take care unbound into a different sphere.

So this is all happening quite quickly. The board have been really kind and allowed me to take leave and release me early from some of my responsibilities. So I want to thank you all for the last 13 years journey. What an amazing journey we’ve been on. What an amazing thing we have created together. So many of you have touched my life in such an amazing way. From all the learning and how I’ve grown personally to my learning as a leader and the great impact that I know that you will continue to have along the journey.

So all the best. There’s never a good time for anybody to leave ever. And this does feel sad. And it feels hard, especially as there are so many of you that I can’t see. We can’t all be in the same room together. At some point we will all come together to celebrate all of those people who have left in this time.

It’s the right thing for me to do

Peter Devlin

Hello Everyone. I’d like to tell you all that I’ve reached a point after 12 years in my current role that it’s time to move on and do something different. I’m really excited about it because it serves two purposes. The first is to hand on the baton to a new leadership team within Here. And I feel that I can do that with confidence, knowing that we have a really fabulous leadership team to do that with. And secondly, that it’s the right thing for me to do.

I’m going to be moving in to a role concentrating on the Benfield Valley Healthcare Hub and to the exciting work of transforming the way that people experience general practice. And this is a very exciting time to be doing that particular work.

And I’m really looking forward to the next year or two. It’s been the greatest privilege of my working life to create an organization from scratch that really puts care at the heart of what it does for local people and for the community that it serves and also for the people who work here.

I have a huge sense of pride that we have been able to make a real difference to the way people experience healthcare in this country. It’s been hard work. It’s been it’s been inspiring. It’s been fantastically fun. Being part of that has been incredibly rewarding, seeing an organization grow from very, very small. Half a dozen of us, several small bits of the annex of the old PCT building and two doors thought felt like a really big and.

What are you going to miss?

Peter: I’m going miss the daily contact I’ve had with people I work with very closely who have always felt like more than work. I’ve built some really important relationships.

Zoe: I’m going to miss the people most. I’m going to miss the rhythm of coming together. I’m going to miss the way that the organization bounces back when bad things happen. I’m gonna miss the meadow. This space here and the things that we’ve created together.

Peter: I’m going to miss the parties. I miss my special cup. The Daily Four Mill. I’ve got to leave it here. So, you know, whoever wants to be the carrier of the cup can take over the cup.

I really wish everybody great success.

Any last words?

Zoe: Go well. Take care. Take Here to its next level. You know, the intention was always to break the current paradigm of care that’s done unto people and take it to the next level of really putting people in control of their health care and decision making. Some of what we have done has been really groundbreaking. I’d like to invite everybody who’s working in the organization to take time to share in a sense of pride around the difference you make together.

There’s a lot of things still that need to be done but you can and will continue to see clearly and make good decisions together, collectively and in the best interests of the community that you serve.