Change is possible. And still needed

By Donna Holland, Chief Executive of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity. 

I’ve worked in the charity sector for more than 20 years. I’ve worked for big charities, small charities, national, international and local charities. Every single one of them campaigns for change, delivers services to those who need support, and advocates for a better world. At Missing People, it was for the rights of the families of missing people and young runaways, at The Mix it was for mental health services and support for children and young people, at Girlguiding it was fighting for equality, and equity, for girls and young women, and at Maternity Worldwide it was for those who die in childbirth due to a lack of access to modern medicine. 

Now at Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, it’s for children, young people and their families all over Sussex. Rockinghorse supports thousands of sick and disabled children across Sussex every year. We do this by providing lifesaving medical equipment, toys for children in hospitals, environments and spaces that help children feel more at home when they are in hospital, ground-breaking research in paediatric medicine, and additional staff to ensure kids get the best possible care. I’m incredibly proud to be leading a charity that is on the frontline supporting children. 

Working in the charity sector means advocating for change every day. Standing alongside people, creating platforms for those without one, raising money for vital services, and delivering game-changing projects. It’s using your resources to make the world a better place. Usually one, very small step at a time. Change happens in ebbs and flows of evolution and revolution, and you need both to make real, sustainable change. You need the suffragettes and the suffragists! You need those people who are willing to use direct action, publicly and often under huge pressure (the suffragettes) and you need those behind the scenes, doing the daily grind of quiet change: lobbying, influencing and campaigning (the suffragists). It takes all types of people to make change. 

This year, Rockinghorse is working with the fabulous Stephanie Prior to put on Herstory Part II – to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023. The theme of this year’s event is The Power of Identity. Brighton is a city renowned for its inclusivity and diversity – a city where different identities live, work and love. It’s vital to celebrate people’s ability to bring their whole selves to work and to support those that can’t yet. People’s identities are made up of so many facets. Each one brings different challenges, and preconceptions, as well as benefits. Certainly, for me, it took time to be comfortable with them and owning those different identities. I’m a queer woman. I’m an introvert. I’m dyslexic. I’m a bookworm and a geek. I’m a CEO. I’m a roller derby player. Being able to bring all those things into work environments took time. But the freedom that comes with being able to be your whole self is, well, liberating. For employers, allowing your people to be their whole selves, creates open, inclusive, and diverse teams that do better, more creative and impactful work, and have higher levels of mental health and overall wellbeing.

I was recently involved in an interesting podcast that explores the paradoxes that exist in Brighton and Hove. It really is a tale of two cities. A place where so many contradictions co-exist. It’s a city of wealth, and poverty; a place of incredible inclusion yet enduring exclusion, a meeting point of creatives and renegades with enclaves of the archaic and traditional. As a society, we still have so many paradoxes to address before we can #EmbraceEquity (the theme of International Women’s Day this year). Whether it’s challenging gender stereotypes, calling out language and ‘banter’ that bullies and belittles people, closing the gender pay gap, expanding flexible working, normalising menopause support or trans inclusive policies. There’s much work to do before we break down unequal practices that create barriers for the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women. 

And as a charity, we experience paradoxes all the time. We are a small local charity, but are so often seen as one of the big Brighton organisations. Every day we experience the joy of supporting children and their families, alongside the pain of knowing there’s so much more to be done. As an all-female team, we personally face the paradoxes that come with being women in the workforce. Somehow, I still find myself as one of the few women in a room. I still have to explain why banter isn’t harmless or defend those using suffragist and suffragette tactics to evoke change. But change is happening – there are incredible people and organisations doing amazing things. I stand with them, and I thank them. Happy International Women’s Day. 

• Check out what Rockinghorse is doing to change the landscape for sick and disabled children: https://www.rockinghorse.org.uk/ 

• Join us for Herstory Part II – The Power of Identity: https://www.rockinghorse.org.uk/events/international-womens-day-herstory-ii-the-power-of-identity/ 

• Check out the Brighton Paradox Podcast: https://www.rockinghorse.org.uk/news/brighton-paradox-podcast-supports-rockinghorse/

• To hear more from Donna, listen to Sam Thomas’ brilliant 24-hour Podcast in aid of Rockinghorse: https://shows.acast.com/countybusinesstalks/episodes/e2424-the-world-needs-changing-and-we-have-the-power-to-chan