Post Christmas and a new year unfolding with short daylight hours and some grey days brings SADness – seasonal affective disorder. Mood swings during the day range from sugar-rush highs to doubt and despondency.
Tuning in to current affairs does little to lift the spirits, amid the tumult of global politics from Ukraine to Gaza and Iran, Trump, Putin and Xi Jinping. The stark rise of populism inveigling Britain and Europe has caught the government startled in the headlights of rampant social media, and nose-diving midterm polls. Not much room for optimism or hope to be found there. Looking for light relief in personal downtime falters on the cross of being a Spurs fan (enough said).
Taking time to pause and reflect and see the everyday kindness of others is time well spent. Start with a little self reflection, and be kind to yourself. Be aware and take care to acknowledge and thank those around you, whether it is a welcome cup of tea made for you or a chore or favour carried out to help make life a little easier. Then pass that on with a kind act for someone else. Inch by inch the fog and gloom will lift. Then the shafts of light will shine on what’s going well, or can be achieved with greater optimism.
Our new year at Citadel has started with a bang and flurry of activities. Both exhilarated and daunted, through the support of colleagues and the understanding of family, great strides have been taken to reach milestones in work with our valued clients and partners. More will be unveiled in the weeks ahead. It is a year with social justice soaring to the top of the political agenda matched to our priorities for 2026: transforming young lives, tackling child poverty, ending youth homelessness, building young futures.
Our shared mission and ambition is for better connected communities and a closer knit society to redress the imbalance and thwart the populism of division, blame and hate. By restoring kindness to politics and delivering on the inclusive policies, through all the highs and lows, great progress can be made – step by step, smile by smile.
Citadel 