The lead up to the Christmas period can be a joyful time, but also be a time of mixed emotions. It can feel like an appropriate time to stop and reflect on the past year and to consider what our plans might be for the coming year. Combined with the everyday stressors of Christmas time, all of this can quickly take us through a range of emotions. It’s fair to say that this year has not been like any other, with its ups and downs being much more pronounced.
As I am writing this, it feels as if the mood of the country has changed, as warnings about COVID have started to fil our newsfeeds and televisions yet again. I have been thinking of each of you; those of you I have met, chatted to and worked with over the last year, and wondering how you are doing at this time.
While there have been some unquestionable challenges over the last year, what really stands out to me when I have time to look back on all the work of OCD Action, is the huge achievements and the wonderful highlights. I say this so often, but the real highs are especially apparent every time we see the OCD Community come together to fight for change, to offer hope and to exchange support.
The particular highlights from 2021 that come to mind are our Week of Action campaign, #MeWithOCD, and the 400,000 people who we worked with to spread our messages about the reality of living with OCD and the impact that trivialising it can have. I also loved the sense of community and opportunity for learning that our first Joint Virtual Conference brought.
I have been particularly heartened by the care, compassion and connection offered by our services, which have continued to grow this year, offering even more support than ever before. We have been able to develop information and support services for people who may not have found our services so easy to engage with before, particularly for students and young people. All of this has been possible because of the hundreds of volunteers who give their time each week to help us make sure we can be there for those in need. I am incredibly grateful to every single one of our volunteers; each one is a special person, without whom OCD Action would not be the organisation it is.
As I look to 2022, I am very much looking forward to Week of Action, which will start on the 14th February, and to our next National Conference which will be towards the end of the year.
I am especially excited that the year will start with training for our next cohort of Youth e-Helpline and Helpline volunteers. It is such a pleasure to welcome new people into the team, and it is particularly exciting to start 2022 this way, as it ensures our services will be ready for all the year has to offer.
Thinking about our Helplines takes me back to where I started this letter. It feels particularly important this year to be kind to ourselves over the winter months. I wanted to assure you that if you find it helpful to reach out to OCD Action for support, you are welcome to do so. We will continue to be here over the holiday period, and you are very welcome to be in touch. There are some changes to opening times and you can find out more about each of our services’ availability here.
I am very much looking forward to next year, to all the opportunities it will afford us to come together and learn, to share and to fight for the change that we know we need.
I wish you all a peaceful holiday period,
Leigh Wallbank
CEO