This quote seemed very apt for my decision to leave MindforYou at the end of this year. It’s also something I learnt to do, so I could cope with my mum’s dementia.

Saying goodbye to my mum when our relationship changed due to her dementia, was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. However, getting to know my mum as a person living with dementia, was fun, rewarding, unpredictable, and most certainly a “new hello”.

Leaving MindforYou was always part of the big plan. I founded MindforYou back in September 2014, to create a different service where the person living with dementia and their unpaid family carer could have quality time together, meet new people, relax and enjoy themselves. I’ve created a holiday experience that changes people’s lives and makes a real difference. Now its time for somebody else to take the helm and lead MindforYou onwards to the next step of its journey.

It’s been amazing watching the charity flourish over the years and humbling to see how we have benefitted the lives of so many incredible people. But, none of this would have been possible without the wonderful, compassionate and caring staff who have supported me and our guests every step of the way. Thankyou to all our dedicated staff and everybody who has supported me.

MIndforYou was never supposed to be about me, but somehow my story, my drive and my personality became synonymous with MindforYou. Being in the spotlight pushed me outside my comfort zone, but my journey with MindforYou has made me a better person.

I started life as a scientist, who always spoke about the data and never gave away any emotion. Now I am a person who is much more comfortable in sharing my emotions to empathise with other people. I am eternally grateful for this, and all the unforgettable friendships I have made along the way.

I never wanted to be that person who slows down the development of an organisation they set up because they hang around for too long. I wanted to be the person who watches the organisation grow from a far in the way you watch your children grow up as they leave for that first day of school and start their own life.

I thought I would leave after 5 years, but it’s taken me longer to be brave enough to say goodbye. I’ve actually been planning this since August 2021, but I’ve still had to be braver than I expected to actually hand in my resignation.

So, why leave MindforYou now? Well, I’ve navigated the charity through some really tough times and through working together we’ve manoeuvred ourselves through the rollercoaster that has been the last two and a half years, and we are still here.

We converted to a cooperative with huge trepidation during COVID and restarted our holidays after an 18 months pause, still managing to deliver quality holidays giving huge enjoyment and providing a massive personal satisfaction that we were all making a real difference.

Based on our knowledge, learnings, strategy review and the external environment, we are now focusing on just one holiday destination. Our new focus on building a mutually beneficial partnership with our Peak District property to make it more dementia friendly, successfully growing our grant funding portfolio and developing our fund raising, makes this the perfect time to handover.

A new CEO can be involved from the start of this new chapter, can nurture and build relationships so MindforYou can grow and develop to help even more people.

For me, it’s time to let the board of directors, the members and our wonderful staff take on full ownership of MindforYou’s future, without being limited by the past.

It’s time for MindforYou to truly become a cooperative and flourish.

I for one am looking forward to being that proud parent who watches “MindforYou” blossom and grow by giving them complete independence.

I firmly believe that saying goodbye now will allow MindforYou to say hello to lots more people, and thrive and grow to make a difference to many more people in the dementia community.

In the meantime, I am working hard with everybody to embrace the changes and uncertainty my departure brings and am looking forward to the new hello’s 2023 will bring for me.

Best wishes

Carol x

p.s. In the meantime if you are interested in applying for the role of MindforYou CEO please send an email to info@mindforyou.co.uk and one of our directors will be in touch. Alternatively if you can forward this to your network to anybody who might be interested in applying for this role I would really appreciate it.

Have you ever thought of Donating to MindforYou because Donations Really Matter!

We passionately believe that everyone has the right to have a fabulous holiday and making a donation can make that happen for someone who may really need it!

Our holidays will allow our guests to rediscover their independence, make memories and make life easier by fighting social isolation.

With your kind donation you can help people with Dementia, from all backgrounds, to access a holiday.

By making a donation today, we can use that kindness to help out someone who really needs a holiday who might otherwise not be able to afford it.

Thank you so much for reading this and considering donating to our specialist Dementia Holiday Charity.