Celebrating a Brilliant Secondment: Thank You, Youssef!

Over the past six months, we’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with the talented Youssef Ismail, who joined us on secondment through the generous John Lewis Partnership Golden Jubilee Trust. This incredible initiative enables John Lewis Partners to support local charities by sharing their skills and time—and we were lucky enough to benefit!

Youssef brought a wealth of expertise in technology, security, and efficiency. Thanks to his support, we’ve made huge strides in areas like:

Chatbot development to improve how we communicate

Smarter spreadsheets and data handling

Achieving Cyber Essentials accreditation

Enhancing our CRM system to better support Link Friends and volunteers

His impact has been transformative, helping us work more effectively and securely while freeing up time to focus on what matters most—building connections and supporting our community.

Youssef shared:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Link and it was great to use my skills in a different context. The Link holds a special place in my heart and it was incredibly rewarding to spend time helping them these past few months. I’ve learned how charities operate, I’ve developed my skills, and I’ve come back to the Partnership with renewed energy.”

Marjie Walker, CEO , shared:
“Youssef’s secondment has been nothing short of transformational. His technical expertise and thoughtful approach have helped us strengthen our systems and streamline our work, allowing us to focus even more on supporting our Link Friends and volunteers. We’re incredibly grateful to the John Lewis Partnership for making this possible—and to Youssef for his generosity, professionalism, and heart.”

For anyone interested in finding out more about the John Lewis Golden Jubilee Trust see here.