Goodbye 2017, Welcome 2018. As we enter the new year, here at H2A we wanted to reflect upon our previous year both personally and professionally, our experiences, what we learnt and what we hope to achieve and experience in the year to come.

Hilda

Time passes quickly, quicker than it used to do, but clearly that is just not the case, time is time.  It feels to me that 2017 passed in a flash and yet when I revisit the photographs I took during 2017 I can see clearly, what I achieved. I began the year by setting myself a new challenge, something I had never done before.  I signed up to complete the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge, which consisted of walking 52km in one day, over some very difficult terrain.  I embarked on the challenge with my best friend Rose, to raise money for Ovarian Cancer Action.  It was an amazing experience from start to finish.  Rose and I laughed, and we cried, but most of all we achieved our goal and raised £2225.

My H2A partners in crime, Amy and Helen joined me at Halloween to raise funds for the Poppy Appeal in the Port of Liverpool reception by running a fun raffle and at Christmas we once more asked the fab tenants of the Port of Liverpool offices to donate gifts to the Radio City Cash for Kids Mission Christmas appeal.  They never let us down, the number of gifts they donated was outstanding.  At the end of the year I was touched by human kindness and generosity and noted that even the smallest gesture of giving something back can make an enormous difference to someone else.  My goal for 2018 is to do MORE OF THE SAME.

Amy

2017 saw me turn 26, which is often considered to still be a baby in the world of business. However, what the previous year has taught me, is to have faith in my own abilities and what I am capable of achieving. I still have a lot to learn and I look forward to taking the opportunity to learn from my colleagues, experiences and mentors continually throughout 2018.

In world news in 2017 we witnessed a controversial and challenging character take the seat of office in the United States, the beginning of proceeding for Brexit negotiations, a General Election and a horrific number of acts of terror on our nation and across the world. On the flip side of these events saw an increased sense of community, hope and movements such as #MeToo and whatever you want to call the Labour Party/Corbyn surge.

Already in 2018 we’ve seen the power of such social movements, as demonstrated in the popular culture Golden Globes and #TimesUp. The landscape for individuals and or collective voice is changing. How we harness that power and influence is yet to be seen, but I’m confident that in 2018 we could see a real change in the political, social, environmental and economic landscape if only we work together for positive and sustainable change.

Helen

As the old saying goes, ‘nothing changes if nothing changes’, and never so much has this been brought to the forefront of my mind than in 2017.

I learnt a long time ago not to assume anything, or expect anything of anybody.  Assumption and expectation are such positive emotions that negative outcomes mean the ‘let down’ is crushing.  Experience taught me that it was better to do no more than hope as, with hope, there is always that element of doubt; that question mark that means ‘let down’ is easier to deal with should it happen.  This all sounds very negative but, not so, for I have jogged along merrily for more years than I care to think of with this self-preservation technique firmly in place and done very nicely thank you.  Not once did I realise that I had any assumptions in place, least of all around the laws of nature, so it was somewhat of an eye opener when this became apparent and, boy, when ‘Mother Nature’ breaks the laws, wow, is the ‘let down’ massive and, in my case, change irreversible!

Nothing changes if nothing changes!  So, what has this taught me?  Well, for one, my self-preservation technique had a flaw in it and, two, that my lesson learnt and my goal for 2018 (and beyond) are one and the same thing.

Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero!  The future is unforeseen, and one should not leave to chance future happenings, but rather one should do all one can today to make one’s future better.

In short, seize the day!