Bringing the power of coaching to charity and community leaders in Reading

How it all began

When Herjeet Randhawa and I first met in December 2019, little did we know that the partnership we were about to enter into would be the answer to needs no-one had anticipated pre-pandemic. 

As the Manager of the Advice Service at RVA (Reading Voluntary Action), Herjeet advises voluntary and community groups in Reading on the legal and technical issues of running a charity or voluntary sector organisation. I was meeting with her, as a co-founder of Coaching Reading, to discuss how we could make coaching available to local charity and voluntary sector leaders on a pro bono basis.

The vision at Coaching Reading is to have a positive impact on our local community by bringing coaching to those that may otherwise not have that opportunity.  The coaches at Coaching Reading are all passionate about the power of a conversation to unlock the full potential within every person. You could describe this enthusiasm as ‘wanting to share the love’! 

A message went out through the RVA network encouraging members to apply for coaching support. They were then matched to a pool of experienced coaches.

Fast forward two years

Nearly two years on, our team of coaches have supported over 15 charity leaders with months of personal coaching support. Both Herjeet and I are delighted that our partnership has had such a direct and significant impact on the lives of those who have been coached, and indirectly on their organisations and communities. So we’ve taken the advice of one of the participants in the scheme who said:

“I think Coaching Reading should 'shout from the rooftops' about the fantastic work their coaches do.”

The benefits of coaching 

Coaching provides a rare opportunity to stop and think within a supportive space in order to move forwards with confidence, and with greater clarity and motivation. This has been reflected in the experiences of those who were coached: 

“What I found most helpful was having the opportunity to think through the hurdles holding me back from maximizing my input.”

“The coach made me reflect on my key skill areas - I have been too busy to give this the time and consideration it deserves. I realise I have much to offer and contribute to Boards. I will use this awareness to pursue roles that ‘stretch' and challenge me.”

“The coaching also helped me with my imposter syndrome fears at the beginning by allowing me the space to hear myself and reflect.”

The majority of those taking part in this free offer had never had a coaching experience before and, understandably, some were hesitant and not sure about putting themselves forward: 

“I had never had coaching before, and I was tentative and unsure if it was right for me or what it would mean. The coaching taught me a lot about myself. I am confident that I can find solutions if solutions are needed or let things stay as they are.”

And it has been clear from the feedback we have received that the support has been greatly valued: 

 “Fantastic coach, fabulous outcome. A new me!”

“Key to everything has been the coach’s calmness, positive approach and just being a great, unjudging, listening ear. She has helped me to identify what outcomes I really wanted.”

“When I started these coaching sessions, I really didn’t know what to expect. It seemed like ’extra work’ on an already full workload. Today, as I had my last session, I am so tremendously grateful that I stayed with these sessions. I could never, on my own, have reached these absolutely, wonderful outcomes that now exist in both my personal and volunteering life.”

Providing coaching support at a crucial time

We can’t underestimate the significance of the offer for free coaching being made available during the pandemic, when charities and voluntary organisations were working even harder to support their beneficiaries, when their organisations were struggling financially and whilst many of the leaders of these organisations were also struggling personally. It has been a privilege to be able to use our skills as coaches to be able to support these leaders and ultimately make a difference to what their organisations could do in their communities. 

We have a fantastic team of coaches in the Coaching Reading network who are committed to giving their time and skills to coach those who wouldn’t ordinarily get the opportunity to be coached. We are delighted that our partnerships with RVA and a parallel scheme with Connect Reading have created a trusted pathway for trustees, directors and managers to access such a powerful development tool.

“When I started these coaching sessions, I was really in a difficult place. I felt isolated, stressed, heading for a burn out. The coach helped me to slow down and actually break things down. She was a wonderful, patient sounding board. Once the problem was identified, I put into action a plan and was rewarded immediately with the change it brought about.  A simple solution that brought about immeasurable return.”

Deborah Jeffries is a co-founder of Coaching Reading and an executive coach