In Your Shoes - Scott Hollinshead

Monday

Mondays are all about momentum. Before the week truly gets underway, I spend time reviewing everything that happened over the weekend. As a community space that's open seven days a week, there's always plenty to catch up on, from programmes delivered to facility usage and any operational issues that need attention.

Our weekly team meeting is one of the most important parts of my role. It's an opportunity to reflect on the previous week, celebrate successes, discuss challenges and forecast what's coming up. We discuss everything related to the centre that falls under our 5’Ps. Players, Programmes, Partnerships, Premises and Public. By structuring our discussions in this way, we ensure every team member has their input and we cover all avenues. The meeting is always complimented by a good cup of Yorkshire tea!

Later in the day I met with contractors to progress our new Changing Places Toilet project. This is an exciting development that will make the centre far more accessible to people with complex disabilities and their families. Careful planning at this stage ensures the project runs smoothly once work begins.

Before finishing, I complete the daily hand over to our evening team. With activities running well into the evening, good communication between shifts is essential to keeping everything operating safely and efficiently.

By the time I head home, there's already a long to do list for the rest of the week but that's part of the enjoyment. No two days are ever the same, and that's exactly how I and the team like it.

Tuesday

Today was all about the Street Soccer team. We hosted our Summer Team Development Day, taking time away from the day-to-day running of the centre to listen to our CEO and COO provide insight into the organisation’s new strategy. We worked in different groups throughout the day to analyse and interrogate data and opportunities across the country. We welcomed team members from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and our network sites too, which is always a good laugh when everyone is together! Working in the charity sector can be demanding, so creating opportunities to learn, reflect and develop together is incredibly valuable.

After we returned the centre back to its normal state (never a quick task after such a big day together), I welcomed Social Security Scotland to the centre as we are in the final stages of planning something very exciting that we will be announcing very soon with regards to the Commonwealth Games and the centre.

Once home, it was time to switch off, well, almost! Like many football fans across the world watching the World Cup, I settled down to watch England in their 2nd group stage

game. Sport has always been a huge part of my life, whether professionally or personally, so evenings like this are a great way to unwind after a busy day.

To cap off a very eventful day, we received the fantastic news that we've been named as finalists in the Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce Digital Innovation Business Category. Recognition like this belongs to the whole team. Behind every digital improvement are staff who have embraced change and looked for better ways to serve our community.

Wednesday

The office was certainly testing us today as the summer heatwave continued! Thankfully, plenty of water, fans and good humour kept everyone going.

The morning was spent working through emails before welcoming a family interested in booking one of our birthday party packages. Giving people a tour of the centre is always enjoyable because you get to see their excitement as they discover everything available within the facility.

We also used the good weather to record some social media content, including our Scotland versus Brazil predictions. Social media has become such an important way for us to connect with our vast network of communities, celebrate achievements and showcase the personality of the team behind the scenes. I work closely with Kyle, our Partnerships manager to ensure we have a regular pulse of information on our channels.

As always, I made sure there was a thorough handover to the evening staff so activities could continue seamlessly after I left.

The best part of the day happened after work. My two daughters helped me record some audio for the launch of an exciting new programme coming to the centre. Watching them enthusiastically get involved reminded me why we do what we do, to create opportunities for people to come together in a safe place. They're already asking when they can hear themselves on our social channels, so keep an eye out this week to see what we've been working on!

Thursday

Today's conversations centred around collaboration and community.

The day began with the inevitable Scotland World Cup debrief following another emotional night in the World Cup before moving onto my ever-growing inbox.

I caught up with our Justin, our Regional Street Soccer Manager to discuss ongoing programmes before heading out on a walk and talk meeting with David Kettles, our progressions worker. Sometimes the best conversations happen away from the office, and the walk to Tesco provided a welcome opportunity to cool down while discussing ideas and supporting participants.

Later, an operational meeting with our COO and Robbie from Turn the Tables to review the ever-growing doof studios and explore future opportunities to strengthen the support available to people using our services.

We welcomed new sessional workers who have progressed through our own player pathway. Watching individuals develop from participants into paid members of staff is one of the most rewarding parts of working at Change Centre Dundee. It perfectly demonstrates the positive journey that community sport can create.

To finish the day, I met with a couple of local residents who live close to the centre to see how we can work together more effectively, improve communications further and maximise the impact we have within the local community.

Friday

The day started with one-to-one meetings with members of the evening team. These regular conversations are invaluable, providing time to discuss development, wellbeing and any support they need. I also had a very productive catch up with Zak, operations assistant, to ensure we have a fully operational centre with regards to our scheduling, PlayCam footage and behind the scenes work.

We also celebrated the final day of work experience for Jude. Seeing young people gain confidence, develop workplace skills and leave with a positive experience makes opening our doors to placements incredibly worthwhile.

Later, I reviewed plans for redeveloping our back store area. It's amazing how an overlooked space can be transformed into something that supports an exciting new project. We're not quite ready to reveal what's coming, but there's plenty to look forward to over the coming months.

Before heading into the weekend, I completed one of the less glamorous but essential jobs, finalising and publishing next week's staff rota. With programmes running from early morning until late evening, careful planning ensures everyone knows where they need to be and that the centre continues to run smoothly.

I did manage to leave the office in time for a very fun Friday. I attended a colour run at my daughter’s school and proved very difficult not to get involved! A few laps of the local sports pitch throwing colour powder and being a target too was a great way to end the week.

From strategy meetings and construction projects to community partnerships, staff development and family moments, this week has been a very good one!