There is a famous quote “If not now, then when…?”
These words are inspirational, invincible, and elicit a call to action with a solid commitment to make things happen.
When Sam came to me, nearly 3 years ago now, to request a sabbatical so that he could focus on his family, I committed to support and facilitate it, when the time was right… now is that time!
We have built a strong team over the last few years who are experienced, skilled, committed and truly professional; we have a robust business plan and work programme. We have a solid direction of travel and have true conviction for our strategy, visions and values.
It is with a mixture of excitement for Sam, and sadness that he won’t be working alongside us each day, that I advise Sam will be saying ‘a bientot’ to us in his role of Head of Heritage and Conservation, this Friday, 1st April (unless it really is just an elaborate April fool’s joke!) and will be taking 5 months away from JCT. Sam will be returning early September.
We have arranged cover for Sam’s sabbatical and therefore there will be no gaps in our service delivery; a new email ‘[email protected]’ will field all emails which would normally be dealt with by Sam. You can of course contact me directly, [email protected] or our Palaeontological Lead, Chris Reedman [email protected]
It just leaves me to wish Sam the most enjoyable and exciting time away, to have fun and make lasting memories with his family and we look forward to his return and the stories he will have to tell.
Lucy, CEO Jurassic Coast Trust
A few words from Sam:
It’s a busy time at the Jurassic Coast Trust, very busy in fact… the ideal time therefore for me go on sabbatical for a few months! My colleagues are in the midst of developing and delivering all the wonderful things we planned for this year, the 20th anniversary of the Jurassic Coast’s inscription as a World Heritage Site. So where am I off to? And why now?
It’s simple really, I’m taking time away to be just ‘dad’ for the summer. Mr ‘head of heritage and conservation’ will be packed away into a cupboard with my autumn and winter coats, ready to get back out and put back on in September. I think of it as ‘delayed paternity leave’, and I’ve wanted to do it for a couple of years now, but with covid riding rough shod over all our carefully laid plans two years ago, I had to put it off until things were more settled.
The idea was always to take this break while my children were still of an age when they wanted to spend time with me. My eldest is eleven in April and starts secondary school in September, so I feel like I’m just sneaking it through the gate at the last possible moment before teenage concerns inevitably take over.
Taking five months off is a scary and exciting prospect. I’m certain I’ll be kept busy with all the housekeeping jobs and childcare duties that will soon be my new focus, but I am going to miss my colleagues terribly. I’m hoping they’ll still invite me to team outings, especially if there is a pub lunch involved.
One really lovely thing is that I leave with no worries about the delivery of our work at all. We have a fantastic team here of capable and inspiring people. I can’t wait to see what they have achieved when I come back, and I’m excited about what the future holds for all of us. It’s an odd feeling, looking forward to being away at the same time as looking forward to coming back!
See you all in September.
Sam Scriven, Head of Heritage & Conservation
