Pros
I have been involved full time with Lighthouse now for about 6 months after transitioning from a full-time job in philanthropy as a fundraiser, but I have been involved with the organisation since early 2019 when I met my Lighthouse mentor, Kris Deichler, through networking. We had immediately hit it off and I knew then that the ethos and values that he talked about and represented from Lighthouse during our conversations really spoke to me and of the kind of work I really wanted to do, which is why I had gone into the charity sector in the first place. What attracted me to Lighthouse was how much emphasis Paul Waugh, the Chairman and the rest of the team place on personal development and for-profit business as a vehicle for philanthropy and the more I learned about the work being done by the company the more I wanted to be involved at the core. One of the most frustrating factors for me of working in the charity sector was always how limited I personally felt in being able to make the difference and impact I wanted to. Lighthouse offered me an opportunity to achieve so much more by learning about leadership and entrepreneurship and becoming someone who could create far greater levels of value, rather than having to go to asking for ‘handouts’ essentially. When working with the charities I did, I was involved in some nice projects and was involved in fundraising which benefited many people, but I also saw a lot of red tape and ineffectiveness and how, for many people in those charities, it was more of a job and a means to earn a living than a truly passionate desire and intention to really help those in need as much as possible. And when that passion was there, it was limited, not encouraged to create exponential levels of value. The thing I can commend Lighthouse for the most though has been the way they have at all times supported and helped me, not only settling in to my new responsibilities and the more intense focus on my growth and development as a leader, but the way that they have cared for and supported me before, during and after several surgeries for a chronic ongoing illness I contracted several years ago. As of writing this I have now had 8 surgeries in total, 3 of which have been during my working here full time, meaning 2-3 weeks of recovery time after each one was necessary, along with a couple of hospital consultations beforehand. At all times I have received countless messages of support and encouragement, as well as help getting supplies I needed after surgery, through to cards in the post and actual care packages being sent to my home with all kinds of healthy goodies and treats to help with my nutrition and recovery. It’s just like being part of a family more than a worker and I’ve been overwhelmed at times by the goodness and generosity of all those around me here that’s beyond anything I’ve known anywhere else I’ve worked. They definitely do put people and relationships above all else and I have definitely felt that without fault. Beyond this I have also been helped and mentored intensely in my personal development where I have gone from being a mentee client of the company to now being a mentor in my own right, helping and supporting my own mentees. This process has greatly tested me but also grown and increased my confidence and self belief in ways I know I wouldn’t have achieved without the environment and support I have around me here. I’m now looking forward to aligning my personal goals even more with that of the company in being able to build a greater community of conscientious people who want to make a difference and working on projects for clean water overseas and helping with suicide prevention here in the UK. As well as that, Lighthouse provides a great platform for me to launch and develop my own projects in areas I am really passionate about, such as helping support and mentor people who have or are suffering from long-term chronic diseases.
Cons
Joining and stepping up to the levels required here in Lighthouse and the intensity that comes with that was a bit of a culture shock, even though I transitioned over the course of about 14 months from my previous full-time job through to becoming a full time Lighthouse Associate-Elect Partner. The learning curve here is quite steep too, the more involved you become and so that may put some people off and that’s fine. I believe that if you really want to do this kind of work at this level you have to be committed and really want to learn, grow and develop. Being a part of Lighthouse has been incredibly beneficial to my life in so many ways, but unfortunately that hasn’t always been met with support from people outside. Had I chosen something more mainstream to do with my life, this road might have been easier, but also that is not the road that I felt would be true to realising my full potential.