1625 celebrates 40 years

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, it’s time to reflect on the incredible journey of 1625 Independent People and the impact we’ve had on countless lives.

Dom Wood, CEO, said,

“I have been with 1625 Independent People since 1996 but the organisation started 13 years before that.  As I look back at what has been achieved by 1625 Independent People over 40 years, I cannot help but be very proud of what we have all achieved.  I had the pleasure of going through the archives and reliving some of my working life but also the working lives of people before and during the time I worked here.  I saw happy faces and happy stories and just felt the waves of hope provided by colleagues and the many successes achieved by young people who were able to see their worth and their strengths and use this to achieve their ambitions.

Dom Wood (CEO) started working at Priority Youth Housing in 1996.

I am very privileged to know a lot of the people who set up the organisations in the first place and am in contact with colleagues and young people I have worked with over the years.  I have been blessed with working with some of the best people anyone could hope to work for young people’s services, both inside 1625 and in the wider partnerships.

My favourite experiences are when I hear from or meet people we supported years ago and hear what they are doing now and how they look back and value the support they had to become the amazing people they are.

Just last week a young person contacted trying to track down her old support worker and thank her for the work she had done in helping her to become the person she is today. I’m going to meet this young person and hear her story and help her try and contact the old worker but her words leave me knowing that we are needed to help young people believe in themselves and achieve.  In her email, she said ‘ Housing support officers do not get the credit where credit is due, oh of course sometimes there’s people who we don’t see eye to eye with, but when it works and you both work together it doesn’t become just a support worker but a friend and an idol to look upon, my support worker was a massive part of my life for my last few years but she made the biggest impact! I just so wish and hope I get that chance to thank her! As well as you guys at 1625 who never gave up on me, and I admit I wasn’t the easiest.

It is messages like this that remind me why everyone who has been involved at 1625 needs to be part of why we are celebrating the 40 years of delivering services.”

Watch our special 40th anniversary video which features 1625 founders, colleagues and Alumni.