I love it when one strategic plan concludes, and another begins! It provides a unique opportunity to reflect on our past achievements, celebrate our successes, and motivate ourselves for the future. Our busy schedules mean there is not often the chance to celebrate much before starting the enormous task of setting the next strategy. But the team are feeling excited for what our next chapter will bring.
We started strategic planning in the summer last year, finishing in the dark of winter, whilst also setting the budget needed to meet our plan. Finally, we launched in April this year. We were lucky to have free external facilitation by Granger Forson, from BizSmart, who worked with our team and trustees to help us identify our priorities.
As always, at the heart of our strategic planning were member families and what they’d like us to do, and what we can do for them. We know that members wish us to be ambitious and we know many share our vision of what the future might hold.
Our priorities for the next five years are to:
- Find a new home in Stroud. Our current premises are now too small and can’t offer enough flexibility for a wide range of needs. We are growing too, with attendance at our activities increasing by 895% in just six years!
- Increase opportunities for families to connect. We aim to reduce isolation and build resilience by providing more fun activities and family support in various locations beyond Stroud.
- Break down barriers to accessing activities. With expert knowledge and specialist resources, we will streamline our sports activities to focus on disability expertise in football, dance, trampolining, boccia, and swimming. We will also be imbedding better communication practices via our digital platforms and in activities.
- Remain agile. Having survived and thrived through the challenges of COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, we understand the importance of flexibility and sustainability. We plan to generate income through new posts, focus on our wonderful trading arm, YuGo, and establish a larger volunteer network.
The next five years promise to be challenging, yet exciting! If you feel you can help us achieve our strategy, please join us on this journey.
Jane Jones, CEO