The odd uneven time
“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.” – Sylvia Plath
Our August members newsletter quote this month seems really apt to where we (and many others I am sure) are at this month. The odd uneven time for us sees some huge changes, with two key members of the team leaving in the next six weeks or so. Jonny is heading up to York to do a PhD, something he has been keen to pursue since he started working with us in October 2020. We are really excited for him and so glad that he wants to stay in touch and help us with our book purchasing but also really sad to see him leave and we will miss his incredible book knowledge and expertise.
Our more recent news is that Jamie will also be leaving us, primarily because he needs to find a better paying job to cover increasing mortgage costs. This is such a blow to the team as Jamie’s adaptability and can-do attitude has kept the team on track in so many ways, from IT to business plans, graphic design to community share issue, Jamie has stepped up and made things happen. If you know of anyone who might want to step into the role of Operations Team lead then do let us know.
We do pride ourselves in paying the Real Living Wage (currently £10.90/hour), but this really isn’t enough in light of the responsibilities we hold, the hours we put in and current increases to our personal outgoings. Our longer term plan is to move to improved wages but in order to do this we need to improve our sales and income. With two of our key team members leaving this feels like a huge ask, but we know we have our members and our community supporting us and that big changes often allow new ideas to emerge.
So, we ask for your understanding over the coming months as we readjust and get used to a new rhythm. Please do spread the word about what we do, let others know about our events and activities and watch this space for more blogs and stories from me and others in the team.
Do come in and say goodbyes to Jamie (Monday, Tuesday and Friday) before the 25th August and Jonny (Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday) before the end of September.
