Courses delivered Online

Learn how to make beautiful paper woven greetings cards, with Sarah Ward via Zoom

Learn to weave, 'off-loom' with Sarah Ward, via Zoom

Learn to weave, 'off-loom' with Sarah Ward, via Zoom

Learn to weave, 'off-loom' with Sarah Ward, via Zoom

Project Management Fundamentals: Virtual In-House Training Many projects are performed by highly competent and effective people who have little or no project management training. They perform projects like process improvement, marketing campaign development, new product development, event planning and production, and other 'tasks' which are projects. Project Management Fundamentals (PMF) is designed to support those people who need a solid foundation in project management, without being unnecessarily burdened to learn it while on the job. The course offers practical skills, concepts, and principles that can be taken back to the workplace, along with insights needed to adapt them to specific project environments. In today's environment, that means possibly adapting to Agile / Iterative methods. So, we have recently added key Agile concepts to provide a basic understanding of shifting towards agility. Since PMF's course goal is to achieve quality performance by learning effective planning and control, the focus is on a process orientation and an analytical, systems-oriented approach. Together, these frameworks promote project-related problem solving and decision-making skills necessary for real world projects. They honor project needs for collaboration, clear communications among people, and interpersonal and relationship skills. Recognition of these needs are woven throughout PMF, but are highlighted in two specific areas: Module 2 - People and Projects Module 8 - Executing, Communicating, and Developing the Team

Workplaces are intricate tapestries woven from countless threads of interpersonal dynamics, unique personalities, and shared objectives. Leading effectively in such environments requires technical insight and an innate understanding of these subtle currents. 'Office Politics for Managers' takes you on an enlightening journey, uncovering how individuals interact and influence one another in professional settings.  With each module, you'll be better equipped to embrace and navigate these complexities, turning potential pitfalls into opportunities for collaboration and growth. Learn to harness the latent power of office dynamics and create an atmosphere where projects thrive, conflicts dissolve, and the collective team vision comes to fruition. It's time to elevate your managerial prowess to its fullest potential.

Project Management Fundamentals: In-House Training Many projects are performed by highly competent and effective people who have little or no project management training. They perform projects like process improvement, marketing campaign development, new product development, event planning and production, and other 'tasks' which are projects. Project Management Fundamentals (PMF) is designed to support those people who need a solid foundation in project management, without being unnecessarily burdened to learn it while on the job. The course offers practical skills, concepts, and principles that can be taken back to the workplace, along with insights needed to adapt them to specific project environments. In today's environment, that means possibly adapting to Agile / Iterative methods. So, we have recently added key Agile concepts to provide a basic understanding of shifting towards agility. Since PMF's course goal is to achieve quality performance by learning effective planning and control, the focus is on a process orientation and an analytical, systems-oriented approach. Together, these frameworks promote project-related problem solving and decision-making skills necessary for real world projects. They honor project needs for collaboration, clear communications among people, and interpersonal and relationship skills. Recognition of these needs are woven throughout PMF, but are highlighted in two specific areas: Module 2 - People and Projects Module 8 - Executing, Communicating, and Developing the Team What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Describe the value of strong project management Identify characteristics of a successful project and project manager Recognize how current agile / adaptive practices fit within project management Explore project management processes, including Initiating, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing Utilize project management processes and tools, based on case studies and real-world situations Create an initial project plan Use standard project management terminology Foundation Concepts Project management and definitions Value and focus of PM Competing constraints and project success Project life cycles People and Projects People and projects overview The project manager The project team People and projects in organizations Initiating and Defining Requirements Initiating the project Developing the project charter Conducting stakeholder assessments Defining requirements Using the Work Breakdown Structure Defining the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Developing a usable WBS Using the WBS Managing Project Risk Making the case for risk management Overview to planning for risk Identifying risks Analyzing risks Planning responses to risks Implementing response and monitoring risks Considerations for adaptive environments Estimating Defining an estimate Estimating approaches Estimating practices Estimating cost Validating an estimate Scheduling Defining the scheduling process and related terminology Sequencing and defining dependencies Determining the critical path Considering schedule risks and optimizing the schedule Executing, Communicating, and Developing the Team From baseline to execution Project communications and stakeholder relationships High-performing teams Monitoring and Controlling Defining monitoring and controlling Viewing control through the competing demands lens Variance Analysis and corrective action (Earned Value) Considerations in adaptive environments Closing the Project Closing projects Focusing on project transition Focusing on post-project evaluations

Live group meetings will take place on Zoom on Sundays from 7-9pm GMT. To check your local time, please use a online time zone calculator such as this one. A Retreat in Daily Life is a way to find something of what you might experience on a residential retreat, with the difference being that you are at home, and the prayer experience is woven into the rhythm of your ordinary life.  The Contemplative at Home Retreat in Daily Life involves two components: Six days per week : Thirty to Forty-five minutes of daily personal prayer, with suggested meditations and reflection questions. One day per week : A two-hour Zoom call, to share with other pilgrims who are on retreat with you. Lissy hosts these sessions in a group spiritual direction format. Who is this for?This retreat is suitable for anyone who has (or has had) some kind of practice of Christian prayer, and is ready to explore a bit more of their faith, their prayer life or their relationship with God. This might be for you if you Would like to explore the contemplative prayer traditions of the Christian faith Are ready for something deeper in your relationship with God Hope to find God in new ways Would like some structure and support to help you reinstate a habit of daily prayer Would like to go away on retreat, but are unable to at the moment Enjoy Contemplative at Home meditations and want to connect with others who do as well Prayer MaterialMeditations from the Contemplative at Home archives are suggested for five days of the week, with an Examen or review practice on the sixth day of the week. Each week follows a slightly different theme. Week One: Introduction to Contemplative Prayer / Establishing your Routine Week Two: Lectio Divina / Listening to Scripture Week Three: Imaginative Contemplation / Encoutering Jesus  Week Four: Praying with the Psalms / My Life in God Prompts for reflection are also provided. Most of the meditations are around twenty minutes in length, with a suggested 15 minutes after the audio meditation for journalling or reflecting on your prayer experience.  Further Details and Commitment The times listed on the sign up link above reflect the time for the group calls. Please be aware of your local time zone. I work in the UK and times may be listed for GMT. There will be one call before the retreat begins, and one at the end of each week, for a total of 5 calls.  There will be a maximum of six participants in the group. Please check that you are able to attend all of the group sessions before you apply. The daily prayer can be done at any time that suits you but, if you don't already have a 30-45 minute window of time devoted to prayer each day, do take some time to think about when you might fit it in, for example: will you wake up earlier? Will you do it at lunch time? in the evening? How realistic is this? Is there a place in your house where you could sit to pray? Will those you share space with will be able to respect your commitment to the retreat? This won't be for everyone, but for those who are drawn to take part in this prayer experience, I have no doubt that it will be a positive and enriching time. I am really looking forward to sharing this space with you.  

An online course for developing an understanding of how fibres relate to fabrics and fabric construction, for all people working with of interested in fabrics.

Material Adventures in Knitting is an experimental workshop exploring the potential of simple techniques and unconventional materials.