In November 2008, as I approached my 50th birthday, I moved my family from Essex and escaped to the countryside of Gloucestershire with the desire to discover a completely new lifestyle.

Once settled in my new home I decided to start looking for a job, and in the Spring of 2009 came across an on-line advertisement for an ‘IDCS Operator’ for Govtech Solutions Ltd, based in Cirencester.

The job advertisement included a small description of what the job entailed.  The main requirement was to have a good eye for detail and the ability to identify and correct errors made in application forms to local councils for Housing Benefit.  I decided that with my many years of secretarial and administration experience working in London, this was something I could bring my skills to.

My application resulted in an interview with Andy Melvin, Managing Director, and Mark Hanson, Technical Director.

From the moment I sat in the same room as Andy and Mark I was encouraged to relax, and we embarked on what seemed to be more of an informal chat than a job interview! They provided me with more information about Govtech and what their vision was, and I instantly recognised its huge potential deciding I very much wanted to be a part of it.  A few weeks later, I was offered the role of Supervisor of the Data Quality Team and tasked with recruiting and building a team of people to service the growing customer base.

From the impression I formed at my interview, I realised that integrity and honesty play a major part in the Govtech work ethos, and from the very start of my Govtech journey I realised the importance of building mutually rewarding relationships with colleagues and customers alike, always treating others in the way you yourself want to be treated.

I remained in the role of Supervisor for 5 years, and in December 2014, with the company needing more dedicated administration and secretarial support, I took up the role of HR and Business Administrator.  With the support of our HR providers, I gradually increased my knowledge of HR matters whilst continuing to support the Directors in all their administrative tasks. I also became heavily involved in the administration of our Information Security Management System, working hard to ensure that Govtech maintains the ISO27001 accreditation which had been achieved in 2017.

In December 2022, after 8 years in the role and with changes occurring in my personal life, I decided to step away from my administration role and was welcomed back into the Data Quality Team, who are now known as the Service Team.  After a very rewarding time in the HR and Administration position, which has enabled me to build strong relationships with all my colleagues, I have come full circle and I am finally doing the job that I originally applied for all those years ago!!

There are two other members of staff who, like me, achieve 14 years’ service in 2023, and numerous colleagues are also approaching their 10-year service award as part of the Govtech “family”.  We have seen each other’s children grow up, we have seen mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, and mothers and sons working together, we have shared colleagues’ life events, including marriage, and the birth of new babies.  We have survived Covid.  Along the way, some of us have lost loved ones, but we have always received compassion and support from our peers and Directors at that most difficult of times.  And many of us have celebrated milestone birthdays and anniversaries, all of which have been marked with great affection and touching gifts.

I feel very privileged to have been a part of the success that Govtech has enjoyed over these last 14 years, and proud that the working ethos of honesty and integrity still underpins everything that it stands for. Govtech has been an integral part of the new life I was looking for when I moved away from Essex and I look forward to continuing my journey with them for some years to come.