Meet Lynne – new North West Engagement Manager at Kids Matter
In 2024, we welcomed Lynne Ryder as North West Engagement Manager. She brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her role, working to grow partnerships across Merseyside in particular. Get to know Lynne in a quick Q&A – as she shares her passion, experiences and vision for growing partnerships:
- What excites you most about the mission and work of Kids Matter?
Having worked in early years education for many years I know how crucial the relationship between the parent and child is, especially in terms of enabling a child to flourish. So, the Kids Matter vision and mission is what attracted me to the role in the first place. I am passionate about the importance of supporting and upskilling parents, as I know what an impact this can have on a child’s life chances. I also love the fact that our programmes are designed to be an early intervention. This means that our facilitators can support families before they get to crisis point.
- Can you share your previous experience and how that could help you in this role
All my experience, prior to joining Kids Matter has been in education – as a teacher and a headteacher. The school I led for thirteen years was in an area of high deprivation and so I have a good understanding of the context and challenges that the parents we support face daily. I know how eager schools are to support their families, but I also know that the reality for schools is that they just don’t have the capacity to do that effectively. Having this knowledge makes it easier to talk passionately about our programmes to school leaders as I appreciate how much Kids Matter will answer a real need. As my school was a church school in the Diocese of Liverpool and was also part of a large Trust it means that I have been able to draw on previous connections in order to get to speak to church and school leaders. This has proved to be an advantage as I have started out in the role.
- How do you approach relationship-building with new and existing partners, and what strategies do you think are most effective?
Being relational is key to the role of Engagement manager and our current partners tell me that is especially true in the Liverpool and Merseyside area. A key part of my strategy has been to get to know our existing partners. Where possible I try to come alongside them and really show an interest in what they are doing and offer support where I can. For example, I join the community lunch at the Imagine If on a Thursday when possible. This means not only do I get to help serve the community, but I also get to network with people from other charities who often call in to join the lunch. When seeking out new partners I have really tried to draw on warm introductions from existing partners and previous contacts. This approach seems to be far more effective than cold calling. Building relationships obviously takes time but I believe it is time well spent.
- What are your goals or expectations for your role within the partnerships team for the next year (2025)
My goal is to really strengthen KM presence across the Liverpool Diocese. Ultimately, I want all churches and schools across the area to know about Kids Matter and for them to want to partner with us. For 2025 that means:
-Doing all I can to strengthen and support our existing partners
-Establishing a Liverpool cohort of partners, who will be trained in person at Frontline Church in Wavertree in May. We are being supported in this by Together Liverpool, who have given us funding for up to 8 churches to partner with us this year.
-Using our existing partners and networks to ensure that as many churches and schools as possible know about Kids Matter and our mission.
-Holding an event in Liverpool to promote Kids Matter and the impact we are having in the area through our partners.