Tuesday 19th February 2008
In her 12 years as chief executive of Parents and Children Together (PACT), Yvette Gayford has seen her role, rather fittingly, as parental - nurturing the organisation to grow and develop to its full potential. As she prepares to hand over the reins of responsibility this Spring, she reflects on the achievements and aspirations of what she sees as the now 'grown-up child' of the Oxford diocese.
'WHEN I first started with PACT in 1995 the question was ‘are we still a relevant and necessary organization?’ Yvette tells me as she boils the kettle just outside her office to make us a drink. ‘The evidence then was that yes, we could most definitely fulfill a need, and I believe that is even more the case today.’
Today PACT is not only a respected adoption and fostering agency, its staff tackles issues such as domestic violence, debt and homelessness, education, skills and development training, and care and support for children and families to grow stronger together in self-esteem and confidence.
‘We’re a 360 degrees service’, Yvette smiles, ‘Aiming first of all to support and empower people before a problem becomes a crisis. But then, if a crisis has occurred and a family can no longer cope, to help ensure children involved are not damaged any more by finding them a foster or adoptive family where they will be loved and protected as they grow up.’
With a background as principal psychiatric social worker in Berkshire, focusing on child and adolescent mental health, Yvette was well-placed to identify the sometimes devastating effects of modern life on vulnerable families when she arrived at PACT. And the pressures are only increasing she says:
‘I think parenting, whoever you are, is probably harder today than it has ever been in terms of pressure to get it right all the time and be everything to everyone. Anyone could come unstuck. But for a significant number of our more vulnerable young parents, whose self-esteem is already rock bottom, these unrealistic expectations can lead to despair.
‘Anyone who believes parenting always comes naturally has had the privilege of a stable and loving childhood. Without that reservoir of love and guidance to draw on when you become a parent yourself it’s a frighteningly alien world.’
PACT drop-in family centres were one of the first initiatives under Yvette’s own motherly guidance, offering support with even the most basic parenting skills. The organization still manages a number of children’s centres on behalf of local authorities, with a range of flexible programmes to meet identified local needs.
Community groups, again in response to local need, offer vital support lifelines, from a young parents’ group in a rural Oxfordshire town to an Asian Women’s group in Maidenhead.
Yvette is particularly pleased with the success of a more recent targeted project that has seen PACT teams linking with homelessness hostels to provide drop-in support for families who find themselves there.
‘Conditions in these hostels are grim for families. They live in one room, often among people with drug or alcohol problems, sharing a kitchen and bathroom. They have no money, no apparent way out of their situation and they’re terrified,’ she says.
The drop-ins offer help with managing finances (debt is a major factor in homelessness), health and emotional problems and also a chance to develop skills and education that will help them get back on their feet.
Tony Deall credits PACT with saving his family after the sudden death of his partner left him in a downward spiral that led, ultimately, to the loss of his job and home. Desperate for advice and support he turned to PACT and says: ‘Without their help I don’t know what we would have done.’
Yvette says: ‘I’m very proud that PACT was one of the first to get involved in this area, and I’m pleased to say that the Government has now recognized it as a serious need and is doing more work on it.’
But for all its vital groundwork with families, it took Yvette’s criticism of Madonna’s proposed adoption of a Somalian baby to bring PACT to wider public attention. I wondered if she still stood by her comments to the media.
‘My view is still that adoption, particularly if the child is from a different culture, should not be a whim, and at the time it appeared that for Madonna it could have been a whim.
‘We work really hard with people who want to adopt from abroad to give them a good understanding of the journey that they and the children will go on if they go ahead, and encourage them to consider what that will mean for the family and the child. We help them prepare themselves for the inevitable challenges ahead. It’s a lifetime commitment.‘
Back out of the limelight, PACT’s adoption work carries on and Yvette hopes the numbers of people considering opening their hearts and homes to a child in need will continue to grow:
‘It’s a big ask,’ she says; ‘it takes a special person with generosity of spirit and room in their hearts. But it’s fantastically rewarding.’
To promote its work the organization has recently launched a DVD at a ‘thank-you’ party for its supporters in Windsor Castle which Yvette hopes people will use in church, schools or community groups, spreading word of PACT’s mission:
‘One of my big things is that we are mission, we just look different,’ she says; ‘We have never lost the links with our faith roots. We are a grown-up child of the diocese, standing on our own two feet but still very much wanting to be part of the family and to share in its highs and lows.’
For Yvette herself, PACT’s roots in faith were a major attraction of taking the job.
‘My main motivation was that it was a wonderful opportunity to combine my faith with my skills and talents. It’s still my motivation for work each day and guides all we do as an organization.’
Galvanised into action about their faith by a stepfather involved in the Boys Brigade, Yvette’s family worshipped for many years at a Baptist Church in London – ‘I spent my early teenage years with the Boys Brigade!’
There later followed years as a ‘church butterfly’ looking for somewhere she and her Anglo Catholic husband and three children felt happy worshipping together. Settling eventually on United Reformed Church she and her husband are now elders, and though not all of the children have stayed with the church she is happy that each have had the opportunity of exploring a faith as they grew up.
‘I think sharing a faith can offer families so much in strength, community and perspective which are such a support, today more than ever, and I would love to see more people explore those opportunities and experience the power of God’s love.’
In the meantime, as she hands over as chief executive to her successor, Jan Fishwick, Yvette is confident that PACT will remain true to its roots in ensuring that God’s love will touch the lives of countless people at the time they most need him, whatever their faith, or none.
PACT, as its president the Bishop of Oxford says, is an excellent example of ‘When you needed a neighbour, we were there.’
Based in Reading, PACT is one of the practical, caring arms of the church in the Diocese of Oxford. Its work is managed by a board of Trustees whose chair is appointed by the Bishop of Oxford.
PACT works in partnership with many other agencies and is also supported by individuals and other funders.
For a copy of PACT's promotional DVD contact the organisation on 0118 938 7600 or email info@pactcharity.org