As I tick off the last item on my endless to-do list and tidy up the last of the wrapping paper, I’m also reflecting on how the year has gone.

It’s certainly been a very busy one and to support that we’ve doubled our team. So a very warm welcome to Eleanor, John, Emma and Kamal, who are already starting to make a real difference to what we can offer.

It’s also been a really interesting year. We’ve run projects with 18 different clients across all sectors and industries from academia to third sector. This included data pipeline and visualisation work with Caring Together, a charity supporting carers across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk. We also undertook our first Small Business Research Initiative, looking at ways of improving data use in Care Home environments.

On the skills side we’ve delivered over 70 hours of training and published 24 hours of Data Education materials to support anyone who wants to improve their data skills. We’ve got great plans to grow and develop in these areas next year.

We’ve also had some exciting successes. In April we were awarded Analytics Company of the Year at the British Data Awards. I believe this is recognition for the work we do with all our clients to make data change real and visible. In July we were accepted onto the Scottish Government’s Unlocking Ambition programme, which has been a great opportunity to challenge ourselves around our growth ambitions. So next year watch out, our ambitions will have been fully unlocked!

Until then, my ambitions have been a little more on the crafty side, having spent the last week crocheting a small forest of Christmas trees (see the picture above!).

Throughout the year, we have had support from an amazing bunch of people. From existing clients who have recommended us, to people our network has suggested we “have a quick chat with” and to those we have known for many years who have advised, critiqued, signposted and made introductions for us. We owe you all a lot, and appreciate all the help you’ve given us.

So before we take off at full speed into 2022, I’d like to say thank you to all of Effini’s supporters, friends and clients who have helped make it a really successful year, and wish you all a Happy New Year!

See you all (probably still via Zoom) in January.