Compassion Magazine Winter 2022

Winter 2022 - Compassion | www.tcf.org.uk 6 so dramatically. Our last in person trustee meeting was in January 2020 and following custom it is run by the outgoing Chair who effectively hands over the role at the end of the meeting. And so I was all set to pick up the reigns and start as Chair or rather continue as Chair in the same manner as we had before. We all know what was to follow. Our first Trustee meeting was scheduled for April 2020. By that time we were well into our first lock down, stuck at home and with no chance of getting together for our meeting. How were we going to make this work? The question was not simply in respect of the forthcoming Trustee meeting but the whole ethos and existence of TCF being a peer to peer charity that revolves or had revolved around our in-person meetings. Sitting here now as I do in October 2022, it is easy to look back with the 20/20 vision of hindsight and no longer be surprised at the steps that we took and continue to take. But I can still remember what it was like at that time. There was such a feeling of uncertainty about the future and a degree of fear or at least concern for the future of our charity. Of course we were not alone having these feelings. We shared them with so many other charities, small and big businesses and of course families. We did hold our first Trustee meeting by Zoom and then all subsequent trustee meetings in 2020, 2021 and 2022. We found that we could still carry out our function as trustees which primarily is in respect of the governance of the charity. But what about the charity itself. Well if I look back I think that we surprised ourselves by how quickly we were able to adapt to the circumstances we found ourselves in. It was in early 2020 that we ran our first specialist support group. I cannot remember the numbers that we had for that first event, but I do remember that it was so very rewarding to see that we were able to provide the ‘gift of TCF’ to parents and siblings via the online forum. And as you all know the number of meetings and the type of meetings grew and grew. And across the UK those who ran their in person support groups found a way to bring their services and support to parents and siblings via the online forum. Were we surprised how well it worked? I think if we are honest, we would have to say yes. It was better than we ever believed it could be. And it did not end there. Our fantastic team led by our CEO Carolyn Brice took on new challenges setting up on-line training and support groups for volunteers on a regular basis and providing specialist support groups and speakers to all. I am proud to say that we managed to put on a few of the on-line men’s groups.