Team Changes at CLEAR

Team Update | Pete White – Project Manager | August 2026

There are two significant changes I want to share with you. From 1 September 2026, Citizens Advice Southampton (CAS) will take over delivery of the Homes for Ukraine (HFU) support service from CLEAR, following the award of the contract by Southampton City Council. At the same time, I will be retiring from my role as Project Manager at CLEAR.

Our two current HFU team members, Alla and Denys, will transfer to CAS as part of the change. We are very sad to see them leave CLEAR, but I am delighted that they will continue supporting guests through the service. We have greatly appreciated their commitment and the difference they have made to the lives of the people they have supported.

My own journey with CLEAR began in 2021, as we emerged from lockdown and the first airlifts were beginning from Kabul. A few months later, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine brought another huge increase in people seeking safety, while others fleeing Hong Kong and Sudan also arrived in Southampton. Over the past five years we have faced funding uncertainty, staff changes, office moves and the challenges of working at a time when public debate around immigration and asylum has been difficult and divisive.

It’s fair to say that the past five years have been demanding, rewarding and stimulating in equal measure.

Looking back, I am incredibly proud of the team and volunteers at CLEAR. Day in and day out, they demonstrate compassion, commitment and a deep belief in the people we have the privilege of supporting. I have been consistently impressed by their adaptability, flexibility and responsiveness, as well as by the knowledge and experience they bring to their work.

I am also grateful to all those I have worked alongside during my time at CLEAR – for their encouragement, patience, friendship and support.

CLEAR has been a place of learning and growth for me. No two days have been the same, and while we have faced some very significant challenges, there has never been a day without cause to be thankful. Celebrating 25 years of the project has been a particular highlight, and a fitting way for me to end this chapter.

I leave CLEAR in very capable hands. Nikki, our Advice Team Manager, will take on the day-to-day leadership of the team and work full time. Rowan will continue to head up our Learning team, while Miriam is taking on some additional responsibilities around communications. There will also be wider support from the team at City Life, including Kate, who has recently joined the charity to provide operational support across its different projects – including CLEAR – while studying for her master’s.

As I move on, I do so with enormous gratitude for the people who make CLEAR what it is: colleagues, volunteers, partners and, above all, the people we have had the privilege of supporting.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey. It has been a privilege.