Volunteer Award: Sarah Gillis – Projects & Communications
We recently recognised Sarah Gillis’s outstanding contributions to Bike North with a Volunteer Award - Projects and Communications. Since Sarah joined Bike North less than three years ago she has contributed in many, many ways, as Membership Coordinator, Projects Coordinator, Social Media Guru, Communications Coordinator and most recently as Comms and ClubExpress Coordinator.
Sarah is indefatigable, she has an unlimited capacity to get things done, is utterly determined and will take on any challenge, often going where all others fear to tread. This has seen her take on challenges across a wide range of Bike North activities.
By far, her most significant recent contribution has been in leading and managing our transition from the increasingly creaking and challenging bespoke IT system on which we ran our website and membership, rides and financial systems, to a more modern and sophisticated club management platform, ClubExpress. Sarah approached this complex and lengthy transition with her characteristic zeal and determination. With enormous energy and attention to detail, Sarah mapped all the detailed steps required from the system, ClubExpress, each of the individual members of the Executive Committee, driving and tracking our progress.
As Projects Coordinator, Sarah has eagerly embraced numerous other challenging stand-alone projects, including the updating of our Constitution, our ‘clothing shop’ and our insurances.
When Bike North decided to extend its communications with members, prospective members and decision-makers in government, Sarah eagerly threw herself into the task, raising communications via social media to a level not previously known. She was a founding member of the Social Media Gurus, taking responsibility for our Facebook presence. As our social media presence grew, Sarah took on the wider responsibility of Communications Coordinator.
Sarah writes clearly and engagingly, and has been exemplary in creating many messages to members and others. Her Facebook posts are punchy and original. In the ClubExpress transition, she has written powerful web content for members, and standard emails and explanatory guides. She has made ‘how to’ videos and is in close communication with Ride Leaders and other members about the new systems.
Sarah has been invaluable in helping build all these robust ways of supporting our members. Her energy, passion and attention to detail have seen her contribute more in her short time in Bike North than most of us will contribute in our long membership. Sarah very much deserves her Volunteer Award - Projects and Communications.
Nominated by: Phillip Hart, President
Supported by: Brian Lynne (Secretary) & David Thomson (Advocacy Co-ordinator)