It’s not just what you do…
In 1939, American Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald released a song which declared that it “'tain't what you do; it's the way that you do it…that's what gets results”. Those words are actually a pretty good summary of many of the discussions that have been taking place at Vine Trust recently.
Understanding that it’s not just ‘what’ you do but also ‘how’ you do things is key to successful development programmes and projects. It’s about recognising that the ‘ends’ don’t justify the ‘means’, but rather the way a project is run is of at least equal importance with what is actually achieved.
The work of Vine Trust has grown significantly since it was formed in 1985, but one constant has been the desire to ‘connect people to change lives’. This ‘connecting’ has been done in a wide variety of ways for thousands of people over the past 36 years. For many it’s been travelling to Peru or Tanzania to participate on a medical, construction or school expedition. For others, it’s been supporting one of the Trust’s partnership programmes by generously donating time or resources, participating in a fundraising event or sharing about the work with friends, colleagues and family. For many people in Peru and Tanzania, it’s been welcoming visitors into their communities and their places of work, participating in activities which allow the reciprocal sharing of culture, knowledge and expertise.
It is this ‘connecting’ which has allowed the work to grow and expand, enriching the lives of so many people from so many different backgrounds – and we want more people to have these opportunities in the years to come. Together with this aim of connecting more people to the programmes, there has also been the strong desire to ensure that these experiences are rewarding, enriching and beneficial to all. This has been the motivating force behind these conversations of ‘how’ Vine Trust works with its partners, supporters and volunteers.
We feel it’s really important for Vine Trust to share openly and clearly the principles which guide its activities. So, over the coming months we’ll be sharing more details about how Vine Trust looks to approach all aspects of its work, including its partnerships, programmes and volunteering opportunities.
Keep an eye on upcoming social media posts and the website for more details.