We’re excited to announce that GFS Eldon Group Leader and GFS England President, Pam Hutchison, has been nominated for the Charity Champion of the Year Award by the North East Charity Awards.
For more than 50 years, Pam has supported girls and young women in Eldon to believe in themselves, while offering support and encouragement for all GFS staff and volunteers too. We’re absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to sing her praises and have her recognised for all her efforts.
Having grown up in Eldon, Pam first came along to GFS Eldon in 1973 to support the group, where she quickly found herself becoming a dedicated leader. Today, girls in Eldon have very few options for after school activities. Many girls in our Eldon group are facing challenges outside of group, such as isolation at school.
GFS groups aim to give girls the confidence and resilience they need to overcome such challenges. As Eldon’s Group Leader, Pam provides girls the empathetic emotional support they need to help do exactly that.
Over the years, she has worked hard to ensure GFS Eldon provides the safe space girls need to be themselves and open up. If a girl comes to group upset, Pam will talk them through what’s bothering them, ensuring the girl goes home feeling better.
And Pam isn’t just a tireless advocate for girls – she’s a consistent advocate for volunteers and their experiences, making her a fantastic President for GFS England.
As a charity with 150 years of history, there has been many changes during Pam’s time with us. She has always challenged, supported and engaged actively with the changes, in order to understand the impact on the girls, volunteers and wider organisation.
Group Coordinator for Eldon, Erin Convery, often tells us, “I don’t know what I’d do without Pam” and that “every group needs a Pam”.
As Group Leader, Pam embodies the values of GFS, and builds a connection between the volunteers, girls and the staff, in a way that’s unique and highly valued by all. Pam always provides a warm welcome to all newcomers, which is why we always encourage our new Group Coordinators to visit GFS Eldon, where they get to meet Pam and see how she runs this long-standing group.
Pam has supported every new staff member and volunteer on joining GFS. When our Head of Operations for the North, Charlotte Hunt, joined the GFS team, Pam was warm and welcoming, talking her through the history of groups. After regional events, Pam even invited Charlotte to her home for dinner with homemade marmalade and jams!
We count ourselves lucky to have volunteers like Pam supporting girls and volunteers across England and Wales. The winner will be announced at the North East Charity Awards on 19 September 2024, but in our eyes, Pam is already a charity champion!