11 Aug 2022
By Indy Cross, Chief Executive of Agenda
It’s been six months in my role as Chief Executive of Agenda, and this milestone is usually a time for reflection.
I remember being offered the role and feeling quite frightened about having to lead a charity, and having so much responsibility, with a lot of unknowns. A friend told me the best thing I could do was to surround myself with people who can and wanted to help. She told me that there are plenty of them – and she was completely right.
I could not have done the past six months without the countless women in the sector and beyond that have reached out to offer their support and guidance – many without me even having to ask. This is the magic of sisterhood. If I thanked them all individually, this blog would be a list of their names, so I will simply say, from the bottom of my heart – I am so grateful for you. THANK YOU.
I would like to share five lessons I have learnt since starting my role:
- Building a team from scratch is huge fun, but it (quite rightly) takes up an enormous amount of time – if you do it right. Having made some changes to the way we recruit, the team is made up of six wonderfully diverse, talented and passionate women, who I am proud to call the Agenda team. Have a look at them all on our team page now. Jess, Nia, Tara, Aleema and Cynthia – you are all just brilliant. Thank you for standing with me, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.
- Designing a new strategy is also a lot of fun, but also took twice as long as I thought it would! The process having been started before I joined, with our Deputy CEO Jess at the helm, my job was to give it fresh clarity and create something that people can get behind. I think we’ve done it and I am itching to get started. Along with our new strategy, we will also be renewing our brand and website – both crucial to telling the world our story. Watch out for the launch of the strategy, brand and website in next few months.
- As we’re not a front-line organisation, we are mindful when we work, of the voluntary sector organisations and the women and girls that access their services. Only when we truly see and hear them, can we make any impact. My absolute highlights of the past six months have been spending time with women and girls who have complex unmet needs, and the services that support them. From the two young women who shared their stories of being in the criminal justice system in front of over 100 people at our House of Commons reception to the women and staff that I knitted with in the haven that was the Changing Lives Women’s Wellness Centre in York. These are moments that I will never forget, and they drive me to do my best at Agenda.
- I don’t think it will be a surprise to anyone when I say that being a Woman of Colour who has decided to publicly talk about racial justice as part of my role has come with its challenges. But having an army of support from the entire Agenda family and beyond gives me the courage that I need to keep going. As racial justice is part of our new strategy, we are doing the work to embed anti-racism into our organisation, so that we can deliver the strategy and can say with pride that we are living our values.
- Finally, our funders have been vital in my first six months – and I’m not talking about the money. I’m talking about the fact that they feel to me like partners. Some of my best ideas and lightbulb moments have been in my chats with our funders, so I want to shout out all the grant-givers, philanthropists and investors who have a progressive, flexible and compassionate approach to funding. Working with small charities as a partnership is the only way to make meaningful change happen.
The Chief Executive job isn’t easy, but the transition into the role has been. And that’s because of the reputation that Agenda has built. People didn’t need much convincing to come on this journey with me – everybody is ready. From the most engaged and passionate Trustees and Chair that I have ever known, to peers and colleagues in the sector who have given me ideas and fresh perspective over coffees or zoom calls – they have all wanted to help because they truly love Agenda. It’s why I’m so excited for what’s to come.