Warren Rockett is one of Catalyst Support’s longest standing members. He came on board as Trustee Director in 2003, became Deputy Chair of Trustees in 2007, and has served as Chair of Trustees since 2018.
When Warren first joined the charity, it was known as the Southern Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service (SADAS) and primarily served people needing support for drug and alcohol misuse. Warren originally learnt of the charity through his role as Detective Superintendent in Surrey Police, where amongst other activity he led on drug partnership initiatives and was a member of the Surrey Drug Action Team, chairing its Drugs Availability Sub Committee.
Over Warren’s twenty-one years as Trustee, Catalyst Support has diversified its services to meet a wider variety of wellbeing needs for the Surrey community. Warren says “Catalyst, whilst much bigger now, did not grow just for the sake of it. A lot of its growth has been to do with ensuring it can deliver the services that are needed to the people we serve in the county and just outside it.”
Much of the charity’s growth has been through the successful piloting of new ideas and mergers. Warren explains how “We have made some well-thought-out decisions to take other charities and groups under our wing, such as Women’s Support Service, Shifa, and most recently the charity Outline. Some of these organizations, much needed in the county, would not have survived without coming under the Catalyst umbrella. I am very pleased to have played a part in making that happen.”
As the charity ends its thirty-fifth year, Warren is looking to step down as a Trustee. He says, “I have no fear about standing down, because I feel confident that our board of Trustees, made up of dedicated individuals who are diverse in their skills and backgrounds, have the ability the charity needs to deliver on its future success.”
Warren notes one of the most rewarding elements of his time at Catalyst as “having seen individuals grow within the charity. Part of my role was to look at the internal talent we had, particularly in senior roles, and to invest in them so that they could develop further. When I joined, there weren’t the same career paths within the charity that there are now. Haydn Morris and then Sure Murphy both grew to be great CEO’s from within the charity. To witness and support them on their journey has been massively rewarding.”
Catalyst has strong partnerships with local authorities, medical providers and community leaders. He says how “Sue [Murphy, CEO] has done a lot to grow the profile of not just Catalyst Support, but the way the voluntary sector is perceived within the statutory sector… We’ve been breaking down barriers so that the statutory sector knows volunteers are professionals that are vital for the community… One way we’ve been able to do this is by connecting with individuals who are influential within the community, so that the charity can get through doors we wouldn’t have previously. For example, the last two Patrons of Catalyst Support have been Deputy Lieutenants of the county.”
Over the next few years, Warren sees Catalyst developing its existing services and partnerships to maintain the strong foundation that the charity has established over its thirty-five years: “Catalyst is stronger than every today – that is good for the people of Surrey”.