A message from Caroline

Another year has flown by and although at the start of the year we were still impacted significantly by the pandemic, by the spring we were back on track.

Everyone returned to some kind of ordinariness, the summer was kind to us and more opportunities started to evolve. The My Life football team was born and we started to use Standish Leisure Centre for our practice sessions, we discovered some amazing artists who have been chosen to exhibit in Manchester art galleries, our Leigh team gained a new minibus, one of our first learners to leave My Life Learning gained employment, we hosted an amazing Halloween event and we have provided a lifeline for so many community groups who were unable to meet in their usual places. Despite the challenges we have continued to thrive and we are looking forward to our tenth year in 2022.

We have some exciting plans ahead to secure more space, which will be used to develop more meaningful opportunities for members and learners to get involved in making a difference through social enterprise. This will include the launch of ‘My Life Works’ at a new location, Harlor House, off Grove Lane in Standish.

Here, we will be developing a wide range of micro businesses, from up-cycling school uniforms to developing high quality products from recycled wood, upholstery and textiles, bike repairs and more. This is the next piece of the jigsaw as we prepare each person to be as independent as possible and enable everyone to make a contribution to the community.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

We will also be opening our doors for a wide range of events and have some exciting opportunities lined up for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. As this will be our tenth year we will be celebrating in many ways and hope to have some exciting news to share in the new year.

Thank you so much for all your support over the last year. We wish you and your family a peaceful festive season and we look forward to an exciting year.

Caroline Tomlinson

Founder and CEO, My Life