“What does an average day look like at Shaping Portsmouth?” It’s a question I was asked twice on just my second day, while interviewing a prospective new team member. The honest answer is that there isn’t one. In a team as small but mighty as ours, every day brings a different rhythm. My first week alone has spanned a full schedule of interviews (with brilliant young people from Unloc involved in the process), a trip across to the Isle of Wight to meet partners including Red Funnel and Wightlink, and a wide range of conversations with partners, patrons, and volunteer programme leads. Alongside that, we’ve been planning to welcome three new team members over the coming weeks, strengthening an already dedicated team, and I’ve even started settling into the office (with a bit of rearranging already in mind for while Dave is on holiday!).
What has stood out most is the sheer scale of what this network achieves in such a short space of time. Across the team, our volunteers, partners and patrons, there is a constant energy, creating, planning, delivering and reviewing, often all at once. That pace could feel daunting, but instead it feels full of possibility. I’ve been reminded of something our board member Chris Hillman often says: “Impact, impact, impact.” That focus resonates strongly as I look ahead, not just to the coming weeks, but to the opportunity to deepen relationships, support our programmes, and build on work I’ve long admired from the outside. With the continued support of this remarkable network, I’m excited about what we can achieve together.