Interview with the Vice Chair
Introduction
Welcome to another edition of our GALE Blog, where we delve into the inspiring stories and journeys of individuals who are making a significant impact in our community. Today, we have the pleasure of introducing Lou Close, Vice Chair of the GALE Board of Directors. With over 35 years of experience in social care and a passion for helping others, Lou brings a wealth of knowledge and a deeply rooted commitment to public service.
In this interview, Lou shares personal stories that have shaped her values, her unique skills that have advanced GALE’s mission, and how she approaches community feedback to continuously improve our projects and services. Through Lou’s experiences and perspectives, we gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs involved in serving our community. We invite you to read on and discover how her dedication and vision continue to drive positive change.
Lou, you have served as a volunteer on the GALE Board of Directors for around 4 years. Can you share any personal experiences or stories that have significantly shaped your values and approach to community service?
I’ve worked in social care for 35 years, initially aspiring to be a social worker during my A-levels. However, financial constraints prevented me from pursuing university education at the time. Instead, I went to work as a bank care worker and slowly worked my way up the ladder, supporting individuals with disabilities, mental health challenges, learning disabilities, and older adults. I eventually became an area manager for a national organisation providing supported housing in Cumbria before transitioning to self-employment and freelance consulting.
I’ve been a self-employed consultant for about twelve years now, still working in the public sector in health, social care and housing. As a freelancer, I primarily focus on supporting individuals and teams to respond positively to change, helping organisations continuously improve and evolve.
Throughout my life, I’ve also been a volunteer. My first volunteer experience was as a parent governor. After my son graduated from primary school, I volunteered in different areas. I served on the board of a mental health charity and then on the board of a disability charity. I’m driven by a strong sense of public service and a desire to assist individuals, particularly those facing greater challenges. I firmly believe that public service is a morally imperative cause, and I’m committed to making a positive impact on people’s lives.
I have family members with disabilities, and I’ve personally experienced the complexities of navigating the system and accessing the care and support that individuals with disabilities are entitled to. Often, these individuals are unaware of their rights and the necessary steps to obtain them. This realisation has fuelled my desire to help and advocate for those in need.
What unique skills or perspectives do you believe you bring to the board that can help advance GALE’s mission?
Well, I’ve had extensive experience in management, particularly in project management. I’ve run my own company and been self-employed, and this has given me a strong background in human resources.
In my mid-twenties, I trained and worked for a short time as a counsellor, something I went back to for a couple of years when I initially went self-employed, alongside my consulting work. I believe I have a genuine understanding of what motivates people and how easily any one of us can fall into dire situations in life. It was not uncommon for me to have clients who were seeking help with their mental health due to the kinds of things that could come to anyone; a job loss, divorce, bereavement or life-altering illnesses.
Working with an organisation like GALE that seeks to support everybody in the community equally and provide some support through its wellbeing services is really important to me. I would be delighted to see us further develop this forward-thinking approach, particularly our counselling work and the befriending service operated in partnership with Highland Hospice. These services are vital, but expanding their reach may pose some challenges.
I also really value our Pay What You Can cafe and the Centre’s 364-day a year operating hours. Together I believe these approaches are essential to fighting against social isolation, creating a warm and inviting space for people to unwind and engage in self-care during the winter months in particular.
How do you handle feedback from the community, and can you share an example of how it has influenced a project?
We’re grateful for the positive feedback and support we receive. The vast majority of customer comments and reviews we receive compliment our establishment, our projects and of course, our staff and volunteers. While it’s great to know we’re doing a good job, it’s equally important to listen to those who sometimes offer a different perspective. Constructive criticism and questions often come to Board members through our community connections. While it’s inevitable that we’ll be asked the same questions repeatedly, it’s also an invaluable opportunity for open discourse. We need to repeat our key messages in many different ways to reach as many people as possible. In short, we listen, reflect, and answer.
We also actively seek input, direction, and feedback through formal consultations and more casual avenues like AskGALE, the upcoming Members’ meeting, and our personal conversations. The most common question we’re asked at the moment is, “When will the Shieling reopen as a restaurant?” This is one of those occasions where we need to answer the same question repeatedly! It was never our intention to reopen the Shieling as a restaurant, which is something we have been saying quite openly and clearly all along. GALE purchased the building, not the restaurant, which after all had been on the market for several years with no interest from anyone wishing to continue that business. Community consultation has shaped our plans for the future use of the Shieling, which may include a zero-waste shop, community pub, informal meeting space, and small performance space among other suggestions. We’re confident that these plans will be successful because they reflect the wishes of the people who contributed to the consultation. The purchase has also enabled us to expand and consolidate the work of the GALE Centre, providing much-needed additional storage for both the physical and on-line shops and vital preparation space for the cafe.
Other than talking with GALE’s directors, how can community members stay informed about the progress of the Shieling’s development and any upcoming events or initiatives related to it?
The conventional answer is the website, assuming everyone visits it. I encourage everyone to sign up for the monthly blog email. It’s in a snippet format, which I find useful because I don’t have to read the entire blog but can easily click through for more in-depth information if there is a particular snippet that catches my interest. It’s a great resource for up to date information on GALE and what we’re up to!
However, we know not everyone will want to subscribe to the blog email, so we need to find other ways to connect with our community.
One way I connect with the community is by visiting and using the Centre, especially during the winter months when there are few places open to get coffee. While there, I can pick up a free copy of the GALE Newsletter or read information displayed on the tables. Currently, the information on the tables is about the Pay What You Can offering from the Community Cafe.
Another well-trusted source of information is the Gairloch and District Times, where we publish a one-page update every edition. People get their information from various sources, so covering as many as possible increases our visibility. Social media is a significant platform for us too, and we post regularly, often providing opportunities for greater depth by clicking through to our website.
You already mentioned the Befriending service and the collaboration with Highland Hospice – what other partnerships have you formed with local businesses or organisations, and how do they enhance GALE’s mission?
Building networks and connections takes time, and we are aware of opportunities to collaborate and make our area a better place to live, work, and thrive for people of all abilities. GALE has partnered with numerous smaller local organisations to assist them with their payroll and other administrative tasks, including GAMS, Laide Wood, and the Gairloch and District Times. These organisations provide diverse yet crucial services to our community, and we are proud of our past and ongoing partnerships supporting them to do so.
We support local businesses, bakers, and craftspeople who create their unique products. Through collaborative efforts, GALE provides them with an outlet for their goods—a shopfront open 364 days a year. This partnership supports the circular economy, as these partnerships enhance our collective earnings, which then remain within the local economy when our suppliers spend their profits with other local businesses like Farm and Garden, Crumbs cafe or the Myrtle Bank for example.
If the Unwrapped shop proves successful, what additional products or services do you plan to introduce, and how will you ensure they align with the zero waste philosophy?
I’m not the best person to ask about this, as we have a zero-waste shop in Kinlochewe, and as an advocate of shopping locally, that’s the one I shop at! I understand that the feedback has been really positive though, and that Unwrapped has already added new products, which is great to see. While it’s not my personal preference, I am told that the organic peanut butter has been extremely well-received.
Regarding embracing a zero-waste philosophy, during our recent staff workshop on reducing our carbon footprint, one of the staff presented us with a paper bag made from old newspapers which would be a great addition to our GALE offer! I’ve also shared the idea and instructional video with the intergenerational art and craft group in Kinlochewe, who are always looking for new challenges. It’s a fantastic way to repurpose waste and add a touch of uniqueness to your shopping experience. Plus, who doesn’t love buying their local produce and taking it home in something a bit different?
What’s the most interesting or amusing experience you’ve had while working with GALE?
I received an email inviting volunteers to help at the cafe one weekend. They were short-staffed due to sickness and holidays. Although I’ve never worked as a waitress before, I thought, “How hard can it be?”
I ended up working for three hours, from 11 am to 2 pm. I was absolutely, totally, and utterly exhausted! Once I got home, I collapsed on the sofa and spent the rest of the day complaining about my feet and face hurting. My husband had to make me a cup of tea, walk the dog, make dinner, and give me some sympathy and credit. Come on, I waited tables for three hours! I deserved a medal.
Seriously, it was a complete shock. That day, I left with a newfound respect for people who work as servers full-time, especially our fantastic team of both paid and volunteer staff. They all deserve immense credit for what is far from a simple or easy job. That story is probably more entertaining than when I joined a board meeting from Tasmania, and it was everyone else that was late! Perhaps you could mention that somewhere under how incredibly dedicated I am to GALE! (By the way, there was a mischievous glint in Lou’s eyes at that moment but we do know how dedicated she is.)