by Frank Hayman from Hopscotch Women’s Centre
We are so glad to be back to in-person activities here at Hopscotch. Not only does it provide badly needed social interaction to our community, but it also widens the range of activities we can provide. The sounds of laughter and chat have been music to our ears, after so long apart.
That’s not to say that we haven’t made some discoveries from having to work remotely. For instance, we have found that women who couldn’t carve out time to come to our office and attend activities in person due to other commitments, were able to join online sessions much more consistently. As a result, we’re looking to implement a hybrid model into all of our future activities, whereby people can attend both in-person and via mobile devices.
The main thing, though, is that we have worked hard to ensure that our services are shaped by our community. We are constantly learning, and ensuring that the lessons we learn are acted upon for future projects. We have also taken this approach with regard to re-opening, encouraging all staff and service users to let us know what would help them feel safer when coming to our office, and then making said changes. As a result, all of our service users and staff are now coming back to the office on a regular basis for as many days and hours as they feel comfortable with.
Click here to find out more about Hopscotch Women’s Centre and how to get involved.