Welcome aboard Claire
Our newest team member!
In March, Claire Prendergast joined The Foyer Federation in the newly created position of Service Development and Insight Manager. Get to know Claire as she shares her motivation to work in the social change sector, reflects on her experience of settling into the team, and her exciting vision for the future of Foyers!
Tell us about you and what fuels your passion for this work.
Hello, I’m Claire! Hailing from the south-west of Ireland, I’ve been based in beautiful Devon for over eighteen years. After studying education at Plymouth University, I applied my skills and passion to working in the not-for-profit sector. As a project manager, I have delivered a wide range of social impact programmes addressing inequalities and creating positive change in people’s lives. I’ve also led on business development and organisational change, and love working creatively to grow and develop services and practices that can make a real and positive difference to people.
Tell us about your role at the Foyer Federation and what are you most looking forward to.
I’ve stepped into the role of Service Development and Insight Manager here at the Foyer Federation. This is a newly created role within the Network team and I'll be taking the lead to support Foyers on their Advantaged Thinking quality development journeys. Highlights of the role so far have been visiting and chatting with staff and young people in the Foyers, both virtual and face-to-face meet-ups, and I’m looking forward to visiting even more Foyers throughout the year and getting to know everyone better!
What are your goals for the role and what exciting things can we expect?
I'm excited to be launching our refreshed Advantaged Thinking quality development programme this year. This new programme builds on all the wonderful work we’re doing through our FOR Youth accreditation programme, and will support Foyers to kick-start or power up their Advantaged Thinking practices and culture. Our focus for this new programme will be on providing a strong and supportive framework for Foyers to develop. We’ll be introducing a new online platform for Foyers to use, which will provide a simplified and streamlined approach to the quality development journey; making it a positive, rewarding, and inspiring experience for all involved!
What are your hopes for young people and the future of Foyers?
It’s been wonderful over the last few weeks to see first-hand the impact that Foyers can have on young people. My ambition in my role is to support our network of Foyers to flourish in what they do best; creating opportunities for young people to develop their strengths and live fulfilling lives.
If you’d like to discover how the FOR Youth accreditation programme, or the Advantaged Thinking approach that underpins it, can benefit your service simply head to our website or drop Claire a line to find out more.