Head of Gosport Voluntary Action set to retire after 25 years serving the Gosport community

Nicky Staveley, who has been chief executive of Gosport Voluntary Action for five years, will be leaving at the end of the year after more than two decades with the organisation.

She joined as a community development officer when the charity was based in Bury House - with staff only having one computer between them.

Over the years, Nicky has played a key role in launching various projects including the Men’s Shed, which now has scores of members, and youth volunteering scheme Loud and Proud.

Nicky, 64, said: ‘I was very lucky in that Gosport is naturally such a strong community, volunteering was something that wasn’t difficult to get going.

‘Over the years there have been people that have just made my life so much richer. I have loved working with people who have an idea to solve a problem.

‘I think what has kept me to the voluntary sector is the fact that you can very often see the change you are helping to make. I think that’s incredibly satisfying.’

The past seven months have seen huge challenges for the charity, but Nicky said the spirit of the Gosport community shone through to help out.

She added: ‘We have always been blessed with extraordinarily able and committed volunteers. When coronavirus struck we wanted to get going straight away, I was not at all surprised that we have such support from the community.’

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Grandmother duties beckon for mother-of-three Nicky, who is also hoping to spend time improving her flower arranging skills and joining a U3A group.

She would be keen to chat with anyone considering taking up the role of chief executive.

Nicky said: ‘I can’t imagine that there could be a more exciting job to do because you can change people’s lives for the better. They would be inheriting the best team of staff and volunteers ever. I have never been bored for a single day in 25 years.’

Charity chairman Ian Reeves added: ‘She will be an enormous act to follow. We are in the process of recruiting her successor and would naturally love to hear from anyone who would like to pick up the baton and help shape GVA for the future.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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