Happy 5th Anniversary Ann-Marie!
Happy 5th anniversary Ann-Marie!
You've done us proud
Blog copy below by Ann-Marie Hutton - Operations Manager
It’ll soon be my 5th anniversary at Rotunda and to say I have blinked and its nearly 5 years is an understatement! As I enter this special day, I have been thinking of years gone by with this beautiful place and have some personal observations which I would like to share with you all…
1. Time is your enemy at Rotunda: I have had a couple of jobs over my working career and we have all had those days where that clock on the wall will not move any quicker! In Rotunda, it’s a vortex where time flies by quicker than any other place I have worked. I have never had a day at Rotunda when I have looked at the clock and groaned because there are hours left before home time – in my case I have looked at the clock and groaned as I can’t believe that the day has passed already and I genuinely needed a couple more hours!
2. No two days are the same: Maxine has a clear rule of non-hierarchical delivery, which means that everyone gets stuck in and does what’s needed to get the job done. So even though you have your workload, if there is an event for the community, we all down our proverbial tools and muck in to play our part OR if our wonderful cleaner is on holiday, we all do our bit to make sure the building is clean and ready to open the doors to our community and learners.
3. Mondays never change: its that day of the week we all dread, coming back after a chilled weekend, spending time with our families and friends and then back to work! Well at Rotunda its no different to anywhere else on the planet but it’s all done with humour. We all have a busy workload but make a point of catching up with our colleagues amongst the hive of activity to ensure that everyone is ok and ready for the week ahead.
4. We are family: a dysfunctional family but a family nonetheless. We do genuinely care and look out for one another and I have been lucky enough to make life long friends at Rotunda. My colleagues all have their own quirky ways (as do I) but it all fits together (if you know what I mean). We all think differently and do things differently but we complement each other perfectly. I am very lucky to have the wonderful friends and colleagues that I have at Rotunda – you really don’t get this anywhere else!
5. Rotunda’s values are real: Opportunity for All is my favourite (I won’t bore you with the rest) as we really do this, whether as a learner, member of staff, volunteer or user of one of our many services. No one is treated differently from the next person and equality of opportunity is at the fore of everyones attitude towards work.
6. The Christmas night ‘in’ is legendary: we stay in at Christmas and have a party in the big room at Rotunda. This normally ends up with Maxine locking up at 6am because she was going home by midnight ha ha. We have had singers, karaoke, Santa and his elves and plenty of drunken stories on the Monday morning after the event. We do know how to let our hair down – understatement!
7. I am very lucky: Thinking back over the past years, and having worked across the private and public sectors it is important to understand what you have in front of you and keep pushing for more and better. The Rotunda is a special place in my life, and has brought special people into my life, people who have supported me, cared for me, accepted my straight talking ways, hugged me, held me while I have cried, laughed with me until we have cried and backed me all the way. Words can’t express the love and passion I have for what we do and why we do it – the old saying of you don’t know what you have got until its gone….well I know what I have got and am grateful every day that Rotunda found me and made me one of its own!
Thanks Maxine, Jayne and the Trustees for taking that risk on me all of those years ago – I hope I’ve done you all proud and that I continue to do so xxx
Ann-Marie
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17 September 2019
