For 25 years, Lesley Clift has been a familiar face at Step One, a constant presence through decades of change, growth, challenges, laughter, and unforgettable memories. As she celebrates this incredible milestone, we sat down with Lesley to reflect on the journey that began with a feeling she still remembers clearly today.
“As soon as I walked through the door, I knew that’s where I wanted to be,” she says. “It felt like a big hug.”
Back then, Step One was known as St Loye’s and operated from its historic Topsham Road site in Exeter. Lesley had recently moved to Exeter and was temping for the NHS when she spotted a finance role at the organisation. During her interview, she was asked how she would defuse tension in a busy office of five women.
Her response has become something of a legendary Step One story.
“I’d only just met them, I was nervous, and the first thing that came into my head was to take my false eye out,” she laughs. “They told me afterwards that’s what got me the job.”
That moment perfectly captured the warmth, humour, and authenticity that Lesley would bring to the organisation for the next quarter of a century.
When Lesley first joined the finance team, the role looked very different to today. Client accommodation wages were paid in cash, carefully prepared in pay packets, while clients living on site would visit the finance office to collect travel expenses and tickets.
“We were locked in an office with security doors and buzzers,” Lesley recalls. “There was cash everywhere, from wages to vending machines and even payphones around the site.”
The Topsham Road campus itself was a thriving community. There were workshops for woodwork, engineering, horticulture and catering, large gardens, canteens, staff accommodation, and training facilities for people with disabilities.
“It was like its own little world,” says Lesley. “Everybody knew St Loye’s. It was such a big part of Exeter.”
Even years later, people still recognised Lesley from her time supporting clients there.
“I used to work evenings at Tesco as well, and people would come up and say they remembered me from St Loye’s when I was dishing out expenses.”
Across 25 years, Lesley has worked with countless colleagues, many of whom left lasting impressions.
“There are too many people to name,” she says. “Everybody brought something different. We had some amazing characters.”
She fondly remembers one colleague whose infectious laugh would set the entire office off laughing uncontrollably, and another managers strict “no talking before the 10am coffee” rule.
Lesley says it’s always been the people that made Step One special.
“You’ve got to be a special sort of person to do this work. People genuinely care.”
Over the years, Lesley threw herself into fundraising and charity events she says she would never have imagined doing otherwise.
There were Great West Runs, Devon County Shows, fireworks marshalling, staff day raft sailing down on the quay, abseils, and even the infamous Royal Marines Commando Challenge on Woodbury Common.
“It involved rivers, assault courses and something called the ‘sheep dip’, basically a tunnel underwater,” she laughs.
Another unforgettable moment came when Lesley met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during a royal visit to Brittany House.
“We’d been told very clearly not to speak unless spoken to,” she remembers. “But my manager got so nervous introducing us that he completely froze.”
After an awkward silence, the Queen simply looked at Lesley and asked, “And you are?”
To make the moment even more memorable, Lesley and the Queen happened to be wearing exactly the same colour outfit that day.
Throughout her time at Step One, Lesley has seen enormous changes in how support is delivered.
The organisation has evolved from a largely residential, training-based environment into a community-focused charity supporting people in more independent ways.
“The way we help people has changed,” she says. “But the reason we do it hasn’t.”
She believes Step One’s resilience has been one of its greatest strengths, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That was probably the hardest period for everybody,” she reflects. “But Step One never stopped helping people. That’s something to be really proud of.”
Even now, after 25 years, Lesley remains excited about the organisation’s future.
“I still think we’re evolving,” she says. “There’s always something changing, something new happening. That’s what keeps it interesting.”
When asked what advice she would give to somebody starting their career at Step One today, Lesley’s answer comes quickly:
“Be inquisitive. Get involved. Take opportunities when they come along.”
Because for Lesley, saying yes to opportunities has led to a career full of laughter, friendships, unforgettable moments, and a lasting impact on thousands of lives.
From everyone at Step One, thank you, Lesley, for 25 incredible years.
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