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1505 Educators providing Natural courses

Cathy Chiplen Compassionate Therapies

cathy chiplen compassionate therapies

Taunton

I have been building my Complementary Therapy practice since 2005. Initially offering Reflexology and Reiki, and more recently I have added Sound Healing to my portfolio. I am also a qualified Soul Midwife, which is a holistic and spiritual companion to the dying, assisting people to make a gentle transition at the end of their life. Following some deeply profound personal experiences with death over the last 20 years I trained in 2017 with Felicity Warner, founder of the Soul Midwives School, Dorset. I am deeply honoured to be a mentor for newly qualified Soul Midwives in the Somerset & Bath And North East Somerset areas. Please see my Soul Midwifery Page for more information on this amazing work. I am passionate about empowering people to achieve a real sense of health, harmony and wellbeing. I can help you to rest, relax and really give yourself the time and space you need to just BE. I heard a saying recently along the lines of ‘we are human beings, not human doings’ and that really resonates with me ….. so often we are so caught up in the minutiae of everyday life, it’s hard to stand back, take stock and just breathe. That’s where I can help you to reconnect to yourself and to assist you to get your mind, body, emotions and spirit back into balance. Our bodies are always striving for homeostasis, which is perfect balance, and through our work together I can support you in this. I always say, it’s not me doing the work, it’s you who do it, I am just guiding the way. With a gentle loving touch, the right amount of empathy and shed loads of empowerment I can support and guide you into a greater sense of health and wellbeing. I support clients with a wide range of varying lifestyles, conditions and needs. I treat you holistically, which means I see you as a whole person rather than a collection of symptoms. I am a fully qualified Reflexologist, Sound Healer and a Reiki Master/Teacher in the Usui tradition and lineage. I hold full membership of the Association of Reflexologists and I co-lead one of the Associations Area Groups for Reflexologists. I treat my therapy clients in a relaxed home environment and always give them quality time and focused attention. I treat as I find and am governed by my clients needs rather than the clock. My aim is to give each client the space to totally relax and unwind, allowing the body to heal itself. One of my absolute passions is supporting women along their fertility, conception and birth journey. Through my own struggles with fertility I have a deep understanding of the urgent yearning for a child and the frustrations and self-recrimination this can bring, not to mention the strain on your relationship. I offer a non-judgemental empathetic listening ear, I have tissues for when you feel low and I will cheer you on when you share your good news with me. I am a strong advocate for natural pregnancy, childbirth and parenting but I would never push my own views on anyone, I support women in all their various choices. I am a qualified Breastfeeding Peer Supporter and am always happy to assist with any questions regarding any aspect of pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding and so on. I had all three of my children at home in our own little birthing pool using homeopathy and Hypnobirthing to support me. I am very pro women’s choice for all aspects – Your body, your baby, your choices! See my Helpful Links Page for signposting to other professionals and further resources such as classes and groups supporting new parents. When I’m not working I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and our three lovely children, one of our favourite activities is walking our dog, Saffy, at Hestercombe Gardens, or on the surrounding hills. I also enjoy a Kundalini Yoga class each week with Shivdev Kaur and a Kayaking, Canoeing or Stand-Up Paddleboarding session with TASCC (Taunton Adventurous Sport Canoe Club) so I have time as just ‘Cathy’ rather than ‘Mum’ or ‘Therapist’!

Metal Cladding & Roofing Manufacturers Association

metal cladding & roofing manufacturers association

Newport Gwent

MCRMA HOME Welcome to the Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association web site! A NEW MEMBER FOR MCRMA! MCRMA extends a warm welcome to Blueprint who offer a comprehensive in-house design and detailing service covering all aspects of the development and engineering of the building envelope.GD40 EXPLAINED IN ONLINE WEBINAR This webinar from A. Proctor Group introduces and discusses the content of MCRMA Guidance Document GD40 – Understanding membranes in ventilated rainscreen facades. ADVICE NOTE BRINGS CLARITY TO AD-L2 MCRMA has published an Advice Note AN 09 The Building (Amendment) Regulations Guidance 2021. This advice note addresses ambiguities in the new Approved Document AD-L Volume 2 Buildings other than dwellings which MCRMA has identified in comparison with previous versions of the Approved Documents.CPD MODULES ON SUSTAINABILITY Four CPD modules have been added to the MCRMA online CPD programme. All are based on the recent guidance document ‘Sustainability and durability of metal roofing and cladding systems’ and cover a range of topics including sustainability, recyclability, life cycle costings and durability.DID YOU KNOW? All MCRMA publications are free to download without any restrictions! MCRMA believes that it is essential for technical information to be made as widely available as possible – visit the publications page.NEW! THE AUTUMN EDITION OF METAL MATTERS – OUT NOW This issue features an article on cavity barriers and fire stopping in which we examine how effective fire stopping and cavity barriers are essential elements of fire protection to restrict the spread of smoke or flames, and to maintain compartmentation . This issue of Metal Matters also features case studies from A.Proctor Group, Architectural Profiles, BTS Facades & Fabrications, Euroclad Group and Rockwool, Contact the MCRMA Follow us on Find us on The MCRMA was formed in 1990 to support the systems manufacturers in the emerging metal cladding and roofing industry. Since then MCRMA has evolved to encompass the needs of component manufacturer suppliers, stockholders, systems installers, independent roofing and cladding inspectors plus industry support services providers, all providing independent building envelope solutions for metal-based roofing and cladding systems, products and services. MCRMA publishes a wide range of guidance documents and articles which reflect the latest developments in the specification and manufacture of metal building envelope systems and their components. All MCRMA publications are free to download. A new MCRMA guidance document GD39 Sustainability and durability of metal roofing and cladding systems focuses on sustainability from a ‘fabric first’ approach where the metal building envelope provides a long-lasting solution which can be future proofed for potential changes of use of the building. As there is a natural split between sustainability and durability topics the MCRMA guidance document is published as a suite of eight standalone sections each of which covers specific but interrelated subjects, including sustainability background, zero avoidable waste, environmental assessment methods, durability, life cycle/whole life costing, products and components. The document can be downloaded from the sustainability page. MCRMA has published a new Advice Note AN 09 The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2021 Guidance. This advice note addresses ambiguities in the new Approved Document AD-L Volume 2 Buildings other than dwellings which MCRMA has identified in comparison with previous versions of the Approved Documents. Advice Note AN 06 Safe working practices on roofs: the distinction between ‘walkable’ and ‘non-fragility’ has been produced to remind all those involved in roof work construction that they have a responsibility to be aware of the most up to date advice on safe working practices and also to be compliant with the legal requirements. Guidance document GD 32 Self drilling fastener installation tools explains that screw guns are an installer essential when working in roofing and cladding construction, as they ensure that the optimum mechanical performance of a self-drilling fastener is obtained, guaranteeing the integrity of the building envelope. Impact drivers should not be used! Their repetitive impact action can lead to drilling failures, reduce the fastener pull-out performance, and damage the coating or strip the moulding on the fastener head.

Simply Wholistic

simply wholistic

Remember, beauty is never skin deep. Nothing only exists because of the shell it belongs to or has been given. Bearing this in mind, whenever we want to change anything, whether it be physical, mental or emotional, (our appearance, feelings and thoughts) the change only occurs from changing your thoughts, thinking patterns, and your feelings about how you see yourself. For example, we change our looks easily and have any amount of cosmetic surgery we could afford, but unless we feel beautiful inside, we will never feel beautiful outside. We must first love ourselves in order that we can love others. If we don't know how to even treat ourselves with love and compassion, how could we ever treat anyone else with the same? No one is saying it is easy to change the way you think, I certainly know its not. But how much money would it be worth to you to be happy in your life, with all aspects of your life? Could any amount of money ever make up for you being miserable and unhappy in your life? If you truly believe you are happy in life and you think it's all genuine, then all I ask you to do is take all the material things away out of your life and imagine that all you have left is your family, friends, pets, the roof over your head with no objects in there and last of all yourself, your body, including your feelings, thoughts, thinking patterns and physical looks and your good health. Would you still be content and happy, with the most important things in your life you have left? If the answer to that question is no, then don't you think it's time you found happiness within? Instead of just looking beyond that and to other people and material objects in your life, which will give you a little satisfaction for a short time only, which are all purely false hopes. Life is truly amazing if you allow it to be and the moment you allow yourself to be happy and love yourself for who you are is the moment you will never look back on your life and only look forward and be so happy and positive about everything in your life. Life really is so simple, yet we insist on complicating it To help ourselves and our own bodies, prevention is far better than any cure. When you maintain your health and well-being, it is very unlikely you will suffer illness or disease. Rather than seeing yourself as the shell you are and placing the emphasis on that alone, instead turn it all around and focus on the inside and how you feel and think. This is the only way you will ever continue through the aging process and be happy and content through life. To reach optimum health and well-being is not something which will happen over night and to maintain this level is an ongoing process throughout one’s life. Every second of every day our bodies are changing due to our thoughts, thinking patterns, emotions, feelings and actions. Add to this the outside influences such as stress at work, lack of vitamins and nutrients and a good balanced healthy diet and no exercise and your body will begin to feel the strain. If you don’t listen to your body and make simple changes to give your body the right conditions to enable it to heal itself, it will without a doubt become in a diseased state which will manifest into illness later on in life. Chakra’s can be over stimulated as well as under stimulated and this can have positive or negative effect on our health. Colour’s are energy and carry different vibrations, therefore the colour of food we eat can affect our health. The colour of clothes we wear and are surrounded with each day also effect the chakra’s Lots of simple and easy changes can be made by everyone to maintain optimum health and well-being and Holistic Therapies will help clear any blockages or imbalances you may have which will be detrimental to your health should they remain in that state. Preventive measures are far better than anything else you can do for you body and mind and will help maintain good health throughout one’s life. Holistic Therapies treat the whole person, not just the symptom. Treating any symptom, such as conventional medicine, will NEVER CURE any disease or illness only mask the symptoms and usually lead to even more side effects, symptoms and problems in the body. When you take something which is not a natural source and place it into the body you are removing the bodies own natural defence systems which are in place. When you treat a person with Holistic Therapies you are dealing with the root cause of the problem naturally and the real issue behind any illness, disease or symptom, therefore once treated all symptoms will be eliminated in the process. Pain does serve a purpose and its the bodies way of telling us something is wrong or must be changed. The body will always give us indicators when something is not right enabling us to rectify it. However we have become such experts at ignoring the warning signs and alarms bell's or not giving our health the time is deserves that later down the line by continuing to ignore it we now have an even bigger problem on our hands. Holistic therapies such as colour therapy can be used and implemented into your life so simply and have life changing effects without having to change anything in your life. Also great for people so busy, who sadly have limited time for their health. The consultation covers numerous aspects of your health including mental, emotional and physical. Contrary to what you have been lead to believe, when you have emotional problems your physical health will be suffering. The longer the problem is left unresolved, the more likely the problem will manifest into a physical condition. When your emotional condition improves you are well on the way to recovery. The body is the most effective tool to treat any condition which we may have in life. If it is given the correct conditions, it can and will heal itself. The consultation is to deal with the root cause of the problem and not just the symptoms you have. It will give you all the tools to provide you with everything you need to give your body the right conditions to establish good health and with continued use enable you to maintain optimum health. Looking for a quick fix may be a short term solution but it’s not in the best interests of your body’s health, nor will it completely deal with issues which may arise again if you change your way of thinking back to your old pattern and habits. That would only be the same as filling your vehicle up with petrol once and expecting it to run indefinitely, which will never be the case. Problems which people have, don’t just appear over night. Although a session may have a very profound effect on improving your health, it can’t deal with all the issues in one go because your body would not be able to handle all those changes at the same time. Therefore continued therapy is advised to work through all issues, also as a preventative measure and to maintain the bodies correct balance. You know what issues/problems you have to deal with, therefore the biggest step is acknowledging them and starting to deal with them. You must also be ready and willing for all these changes to take place in your life because it will require a little input from you to enable them to happen. Your diet and what you eat. To establish weather it is a contributing factor to how you are feeling and whether your body is undernourished. The colour of food you eat affects your mind and body. The body’s functions are dictated by the chakra’s, main energy centre’s of the body. If you are eating the same foods all the time you will not be providing your body with the colour’s and vibrations which it requires. Every living entity on this planet carries a different vibration, so colour’s really do play an important role in your life. Not just the colour of food you eat, but the colour of clothes you wear, the colours you are surrounded by. Water plays a huge role in the workings and maintenance of the mind and body. Every single function we have as a human being requires the brain to be hydrated to enable the process to happen as it should. If the brain becomes dehydrated then those processes will suffer and not work correctly. Many people have become such experts at ignoring the thirst warning or mistaking it for hunger and reaching for food when the message is really thirst. When the correct amount of water is drunk in sufficient intervals during the course of the day many so called ailments and health issues could subside. I challenge you to try it and discover the magic power water can have for you

Early Intervention Aberdeen

early intervention aberdeen

Aberdeen

Lara Goldie is a dedicated and passionate Speech and Language Therapist and mother to 4 young children. She has a BS in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, and a Master's Degree in Communication Disorders and she is fully certified in the United Kingdom and the United States (CCC-SLP, MRCSLT, and HCPC-cert) and has 12 years of post graduate experience. Lara has worked in a variety of settings including Early Intervention, hospitals, Schools and voice clinics. She is skilled at treating a wide range of speech, language and voice disorders. Lara has worked extremely hard in her education and training in order to understand communication difficulties and to know the most efficient way to treat them. She is committed to providing current, research-based, and effective treatment and it brings great satisfaction for her to be a part of someone's journey to improve. linda Linda Lumsden is a local business woman and mother to 4 children, she became one of the United Kingdom’s youngest entrepreneurs, at the age of 18 with the assistance of the Princes Scottish youth business trust. She has owned and operated her businesses for over 21 years. In the late 1990s - early 2000s, She was one of three entrepreneurs involved in a Scottish government initiative “Think Business” which was part of the secondary education curriculum to inspire the next generation of Scottish entrepreneurs. Linda has a BA (Hons) degree in Law and Management and various SVQs and HND units in Business, Law and Childcare, She recently completed a Post Graduate certificate in Autism and Practice and is currently in her final year studying a Masters in Education at The University of Aberdeen. Her final research project is focussed on Pathalogical Demand Avoidance (PDA). Linda was deprived of schooling at the age of 14, when she was failed by the education system. She also has vast experience navigating the local authorities social care system following her brothers aquired brain damage. One of Lindas sons is twice exceptional and has an Autism Spectrum Condition diagnosis. His progress since working with Lara at the age of two has been phenomenal. The lack of funded support and services offered to improve the life chances of neurodivergent children, particulary those considered to be at the high functioning end of the spectrum, has given her the determination to help empower other families in similar circumstances. amanda Amanda Nicolson is a dedicated and passionate Social Care Professional with substantial experience at senior management level and comes with a proven track record managing large services and staff teams. Amanda started her career in care homes for the elderly as a Carer. She also has vast experience working with various vulnerable groups including children and adults with learning disabilities, the elderly and those with mental health challenges. Amanda is passionate about quality service provision, social justice and meaningful inclusion. Amanda met Linda while they were both studying at university. They both believe that everyone can flourish if they are given the support and resources to access the same opportunities that many of us can take for granted. Amanda has a BA (Hons) degree in Law and Management where she opted for modules that were relevant to her work experience including Child Care Law. She also has various SVQs and HND units in Business, Law, Health and Social Care. Amanda is currently studying several courses covering health and wellbeing topics at the Open University. Michelle Blake is a self-employed neurodivergent counsellor/coach with extensive experience working with neurodiversity. Michelle has lived experience of being both Autistic and ADHD as well as having children who are Autistic, ADHD, Dyslexic, and hearing impaired as well as a deep theoretical understanding of both ASD and ADHD. Michelle’s professional background includes working as a counsellor/coach primarily within educational settings specifically working with students who are neurodivergent. In 2013 she co-founded a Social Enterprise Company specialising in delivering Ecotherapy projects outdoors, supporting neurodivergent clients to access green space. The projects developed through Michelle’s love of research when she identified that ‘those who are more active in natural spaces have a greater sense of wellbeing and have lower rates of depression and anxiety (www.mind.org.uk/ecominds). All her work centres around her core passion for supporting and advocating on behalf of neurodivergent individuals and their right to be included. Michelle has an Honours Degree in Person-Centred Counselling as well as being a qualified Clinical Supervisor and is BACP registered. She has recently completed her PG Cert in Autism and Learning at the University of Aberdeen and is currently completing her PG Cert in ADHD and Neurodevelopmental Conditions. Once finished Michelle plans to complete her Master’s degree with a research project on Autism and ADHD

Hayley Heals

hayley heals

Hi, I'm Hayley and I'm a healer and teacher. I'm trained as a Moon Mother (giving female energy healings and blessings), a shamanic healer and a crystal healer. I combine these with over twenty years experience working with witchcraft, the moon and nature to bring you healing, empowerment and knowledge. So you too can work with natural forces to bring positive change to your life. About Being a Moon Mother I began my journey as a Moon Mother in 2016. I had been taking part in something called 'The Worldwide Womb Blessing' for a year- which happens five times a year where thousands of women connect through a meditation to help them feel more empowered as women. You can read more about this on https://www.wombblessing.com After a year of taking part in this event that is run by a woman called Miranda Gray, I came across something on the Womb Blessing website about 'Moon Mothers'. Something in the name itself rang a bell in me so I continued reading. I learnt that a Moon Mother is a woman trained to do personalised womb healings and womb blessings. My heart sang in a way it never had before, and I knew this was a path I wanted to follow. I found out that Miranda Gray (she was the only teacher at the time- there are now trained teachers in addition) was doing a Level 1 Moon Mother training in London that year. I was living in Essex at the time and London is not to far, so it was ideal! Not only that but as it turns out Miranda Gray hadn't been in the UK for a few years, as she teaches all over the world, so it also felt like an unique opportunity. So I went to the Level 1 training and I fell in love with it, learning how to womb healing and blessing, everything about it felt right. I definitely wanted to continue this journey, this first one literally changed my life as I learnt how to live to my cycle and this shifted everything- even leading me to let go of taking the contraceptive pill after so many years. Two years later, there was a Level 2 training, this time in Glastonbury. It had always been my dream to go to Glastonbury but I had never been. I really wanted to go but didn't know how I would get there, or be able to afford the training, plus accommodation etc. I decided to make a gofundme page asking for donations, and I was asking for this instead of birthday presents as the training also fell on my birthday weekend. I was able partly because of the GoFundMe and partly through my own determined saving to have all the money I needed, I had a friend offer to drive and let me down, but somehow I still could afford the travel so I made it! If the first training had changed me, this weekend in Glastonbury deeply impacted me, as I did the training, but also felt much deep awakening from being in the Spiritual home of Glastonbury. I made close friends with other Moon Mothers this time. I learnt how to do the Female Soul Healing (a deeper version of the womb healing) and how to do The Gift for Men (a feminine blessing for men). The following year, a level 3 training was announced, this time in Ireland and would be held just before an annual 'Moon Mother Gathering' an event where lots of Moon Mothers come together from all over the world. On this occasion the gathering would be taking the Moon Mothers to the different sacred sites in Ireland. Of course I wanted to go! I was in the same position financially and there was even more to think about- flights etc. But I was determined to do it and so yet again by my own determination and grit, I found myself there. It was a beautiful experience shared with my new found friends from the previous years. My spirituality journey was profoundly touched by the whole experience- the training, Ireland and the sacred sites we visited. I could now offer another six versions of the womb blessing! - Opening to Sacredness, Opening to Peace and the four archetype blessings of Maiden, Mother, Enchantress and Crone. Becoming a Moon Mother and sharing this work with others has been transformative, changing my life in many ways. Out of all the work I do, this is where I feel I shine the most!

The Muddy Puddle Teacher

the muddy puddle teacher

London

What is different about our outdoor learning training from others is that it has been created by teachers specifically for schools and nurseries. Plus, we have developed a specific approach to help make the teaching of outdoor learning easy for the practitioner but also to help with the quality of our sessions and to ensure we are out there for a reason. The Muddy Puddle Teacher Approach is a much-loved teaching method created by teachers to better support vulnerable learners. Including those children who struggle to meet average age expectations, neurodivergent children and those with varying learner types who typically do not flourish from an indoor environment and indoor methods. The approach is worksheet-free, book free and uses active, playful methods to engage children in academic areas of learning. The resources and training provide lessons for all curriculum areas, including maths and English and support the EYFS, NC, Curriculum for Excellence and Welsch Curriculum. See Plan & Prices Ask us a Question The method involves teaching the curriculum using the outside to allow space, freedom for movement, collaboration, rich speech and language opportunities, and time for play. This is alongside only using natural materials to teach with. This creates an environment of learning that has enhanced creativity, cross-curricula links, and sensory experiences and is entirely sustainable and caring to the outside space. Children who this approach can have profound benefits from: Neurodivergent children, including autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and Aspergers. Children of varying learner types who do not stereotypically learn from an inside environment and indoor methods. Including those will slow processing speeds. Lower ability or working towards children who thrive in active, collaborative and practical teaching methods. Obese or children with poor fine and gross motor skills. Children with SEMH – the outdoors has been proven to positively impact both the child and educators’ mental and physical well-being. Children with speech and language difficulties – our approach provides an open, non-judgmental space for children to express themselves and have more peer conversations. EAL – for children with additional languages, the outdoors can provide like-for-like opportunities so children can experiment with and use their own and new languages. See Plan & Prices Ask us a Question What ages is this for? Typically from babies to age 11 years. However, we have Special needs schools up to secondary, inclusion units and secondary schools supporting those still at the primary level using our approach. Who can do the training? We have different pathways. One route for those in formal settings such as schools and nurseries such as early years educators, LSA’s and teachers. Another is for home settings such as childminders and home educators. There are different pathways for the different age ranges. If you educate all ages, then go down them all! FAQS: Are you like Forest Schools? We are NOT Forest School. We often get confused with Forest School, but we are entirely different. Many of our schools have Forest Schools and Muddy Teachers trained and use both approaches effectively. Forest School is holistic and encourages high risks to promote social and emotional well-being, such as tools and fire and typically is in a woodland area with prolonged amounts of time outside, such as a full day or entire afternoon. The Muddy Puddle Teacher is an Outdoor Learning Approach, essentially an extension of inside teaching and taking lessons outside. We typically use our school grounds and there are no set periods to stay there. It can be anything from 10 minutes to full days in the summer. What is involved in The Muddy Puddle Teacher Training? Individuals & International Schools Individuals and schools abroad typically take the online route and complete the training using an easy-to-use online format. It is very interactive with audiobooks and demonstration videos. It has four stages and each stage takes around 2 hours. There is no written work, just a questionnaire to ensure you get the most from us. You send that once complete and we send back a certificate and a unique MPT Code; a crest can also be requested. Whole Schools or Nurseries We offer 1-year mentorships to schools and nurseries. We have a 100% success rate with this method. 1 x Initial Meeting – Create a bespoke plan with us, just for you and your school. Initial talks will create aims and action plans with your allocated teacher-consultant. 1 INSET Day or 2 Twilight Training Sessions on the Muddy Puddle Teacher Approach 1 Year Subscription to all of our Resources and Additional Courses 4 x Additional Zoom Training Sessions per season to cover Q&A and offer additional support

Home Cook School

home cook school

Kirkoswald

I’m a foodie through and through! I like to eat! I like to cook! Variety is the spice of life, and we shouldn’t get stuck in a rut when we cook. Cooking is a creative process and should be one of life’s great pleasures. I am a big fan of the local Ayrshire seasonal produce, and recently demonstrated dishes at the Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink 2020 and Newmilns Food Festival, 2017. I am lucky to live in a beautiful part of the world. Maybole is sandwiched between Culzean Castle and Country Park and Alloway where Robert Burns was born. The area is steeped in history and an abundance of local artisan produce. Farm shops sell Ayrshire meat, cheese, vegetables and all manner of other products. Of course, the coast is close by too with a fantastic array of seafood. With all of this on my doorstep, its not hard to be inspired. I believe it is important that we can all cook at least a few great dishes from scratch. Unfortunately, so many people don’t have the skills or confidence in the kitchen. Many people are short of time, and for some, cooking skills simply haven’t been passed down to them. There is an increasing awareness of the health benefits of eating nutritious home cooked meals. Furthermore, I think its very important that people eat together, in order to socialise and share time. BACKGROUND Prior to Home Cook School, I worked as a Lecturer within the Creative Industries Department at a local Further Education College. My role involved working with various student groups – both advanced and non-advanced, community groups and school classes. I love teaching people and seeing them develop knowledge, skills and confidence! Since I was very young, I have been a keen cook. I have travelled extensively, and learned from many different international cuisine styles. My husband and I love to eat out and plan our holidays around breakfast, lunch and dinner! I have attended many cook school classes including Tuscan and Croatian styles. Lindsay demonstrating at Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink Lindsay Demonstrating at Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink I love cooking lavish dinner parties, but more recently, my focus has been on cooking nutritious, economic, family meals. I am a strong advocate of reducing food waste by shopping thriftily, planning and using leftovers and often integrate these principles into my lessons. For years, many friends and family would ask me to share my recipes and cooking tips – this combined with my years of teaching experience, consequently gave me the idea to launch Home Cook School. For a long time, I was keen to become self-employed however, due to work and family commitments, I was never able to fully devote myself to the concept. In 2014 I gave up my Lecturing job (after 12 years) to focus on bringing up my young family. The following year I moved to Maybole, South Ayrshire and finally had a kitchen big enough to run classes from! In 2016, I decided to launch Home Cook School. I feel passionate about sharing my love and knowledge of home cooking with anyone who is keen to realise their ambition to become a better home cook! A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO COOKING LOCAL PRODUCE As an active member of the Ayrshire Food Network, we pride ourselves in using locally sourced, fresh produce. Not only that – we run cooking courses promoting both Scottish and Ayrshire produce, connecting our clients with local suppliers, supporting the local economy and teaching our clients where they can buy local! Click here to link with some of our suppliers. LOOKING AFTER OUR ENVIRONMENT In our lessons we promote ways to avoid wasting food. We are certified to deliver Zero Waste Scotland Love Food Hate Waste Cascade Training. We recycle our waste and when clients require disposable plates and cutlery for buffets, we use biodegradable products. We also car share where possible! GROW YOUR OWN We encourage our clients to try growing their own fruit, vegetables and herbs in our classes. We use home grown produce in many of our classes and catering. BIOSPHERE CERTIFICATION MARK We proud to hold the business Certification Mark for the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, which is the stunning area of natural beauty that Home Cook School is situated within. Cooking tutor, and business owner Lindsay Guidi is also a Board Member of the Biosphere. South West Scotland is a place of abundant good quality food, drink and crafts which reflect the diversity and unique character of the countryside and region. One of the best-known crops in the Biosphere is Ayrshire ‘tatties’, known for their earthy, sweet flavour. With a reputation for producing high quality beef cattle, lamb and delicious dairy produce and of course some of the best seafood, the Biosphere offers a special, authentic food and drink experience.

Iva Troj

iva troj

London

A Balkan mountain child and a young arts protege who grew up to become a world renown contemporary artist with a PhD in art history. Iva Troj grew up in the outskirts of Bulgaria’s Romani slums in the last decade of communism – a world full of sexual predators, communist propaganda, censorship and no path to artistic livelihood other than what she could imagine in her wildest dreams. Today, she is a Gerety Award winner and 3 times Cannes Lions nominee for her Halo Masterpiece [biggest ever launch in the Halo franchise’s history, with more than 20M players, 520M reach], Towry Best of England Award winner, and 2 times Contemporary Art Excellence Artist of the Year award winner. She has exhibited both nationally and internationally and her work is in collections in the UK, France, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, China, United States and Japan. In 2021, her epic painting Halo Infinite Masterpiece was exhibited at Saatchi Gallery and The Louvre. In 2020, her paintings were included in a number of permanent museum exhibitions in South Asia, among them Haegeumgang Museum 해금강테마박물관 in South Korea. And in Sept 2022, she was invited to exhibit a body of work at The Louvre in Paris. Troj obtained her first fine arts degree when she was just 17 years old. After completing two BA degrees and a master’s degree from the United States and Sweden, she was awarded an art history PhD title. She is widely known for her fine art pieces which seamlessly merge Renaissance aesthetics and techniques with postmodern praxis. Her intensely detailed oil paintings achieve astonishing tricks of light and shade, as practiced by the great masters. Exhausted by a society in which women often feel vulnerable, threatened, or powerless, Troj recasts the fairer sex as powerful creatures, freed from the oppressive male gaze and placed within Edenic settings where they can revel in their own beauty and potential. Blending abstraction with figuration, the natural world with the urban landscape, dream with reality, Troj’s breathtakingly beautiful artworks achieve something truly unique, both in terms of aesthetics and concept.” 22Blocks Agency Artist Statement As a child, I was taught to question one-dimensional narratives, which grew from a survival technique to a development technology of the artistic self. The foe I so often portray almost always represents the normalisation of one or more dysfunctional discourses. Like many artists, I discuss personal experiences. At the same time, I strive to escape the self, an urge that partially stems from crossing borders in the last years of the Cold War. Living through cultural starvation in my childhood’s Eastern Europe has made me restless and hungry for honest creativity. In that sense, nothing I discuss is strictly personal. Sexual abuse, violence, trauma… I may present an unusual perspective on these topics stemming from the self, but only as an outset. The work needs to keep changing, relive itself, challenge its own conformity. There is a point in every artist’s career when one is tempted to choose a tested and proven path. I’m constantly trying to resist this temptation by containing the “paths” in series where I can explore a motif or a theme without succumbing to the comforts of one visual style. The artists that I look up to for inspiration have one thing in common – constant renewal. Traditional elements are very central to my body of work. It’s not so much a need to keep it” traditional”, but rather the way I speak. I grew up in a communist country. We sang songs about machines being superior to man and praised modernity while destroying nature and killing creativity and the human spirit with it. At the same time, my summers were spent in the mountains with my grandmother who had hanging gardens, thousand stories and no TV. These two realities are inseparable in my mind. My style and inspiration come from the techniques of The Old Masters, not just Western but also Eastern European, Russian in particular. As a child I would often look at art books from the Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and even Modernism and wonder why the women in them were so powerless and passive, always laying there nude like they lost the will to live, combing their hair and undressing, etc. I grew up wishing to become good at painting so I could change the stories in classical motifs. My technique resembles the Flemish method of layering thin veneers of paint between layers of varnish. Beautiful imperfection and constant renewal are themes that flow throughout my paintings. Awards: 3 x nominee for Cannes Lions Award for Halo Infinite Masterpiece 2022 Art Excellence Award 2020 해금강테마박물관] Haegeumgang Museum South Korea. CAF Artist Of The Year 2019 (2d) Contemporary Art Excellence Artist of The Year 2016 2016 Palm Award Winner 2013 Towry Best of England Award Winner

HOPE Bereavement Support Group CIC

hope bereavement support group cic

HOPE Bereavement Support began in 2013 when the visionary and founder, Ansa, realised that there needed to be a place of safety and inclusion for all mothers who had sadly lost a baby to miscarriage, stillbirth or at any other stage of their child’s life. What was sorely needed was an accessible place where everyone would be able to find comfort and support for their loss; not feel alone or ostracised. She had a vision where everybody – regardless of age, sex, religion, ethnicity or any other difference – had the ability to access mental health and emotional support for their loss. Ansa’s ambition came from a painful journey; she is the proud mother of 9 rainbow children. Her determination to succeed grew after she struggled to find a suitable support group after her losses. During her healing process she became more empowered and went back to study, changing her career path to become a qualified and registered counsellor and Training Consultant. There was at that time very limited multi-lingual counselling services available, and furthermore, it was very expensive and the clinical models applied did not feel culturally diverse or sensitive to BME therapeutic needs. HOPE Bereavement Support initially started with three trustees (the founder, a secretary and a treasurer) as a small constituted community group in Leeds, setting up bereavement support groups run by befrienders and volunteers for women and families to meet after suffering the loss of a child. Over 7 years on, the organisation is now running support services in Leeds, Bradford and London and specialises in all types of bereavement. We have a team of over 30 people consisting of qualified counsellors, coaches, an occupational therapist, clinical supervisors and many befrienders and volunteers. All staff members are based nationally in different parts of the UK working together remotely. Our services: Counselling Coaching Bereavement support groups Mental health and emotional wellbeing resilience workshops Educational and awareness building workshops Training and consultancy Research Media We also have service delivery partnership projects with Touchstone Staff Counselling and Touchstone ‘Blossom’ (Female Genital Mutilation) counselling: https://touchstonesupport.org.uk/ Our CEO Ansa E Ahmed has been nominated for the Positive Role Model (Race, Faith and Religion) Award at the National Diversity Awards 2021 “I was overwhelmed by receiving this nomination for the award, however, I feel and I believe that my HOPE team and organisation are well-deserved of this nomination and that this will be the first of many to come because we are a blackled organisation aiming to fulfil the short-comings in our national services in providing better health outcomes for our black communities nationwide. As the founder and CEO of HOPE services I feel very proud and overwhelmed with how much support, passion and dedication I have found in the people who have joined my organisation. When speaking and networking with other third sector and national organisations and their leaders, I was gratefully humbled for the respect given to our organisation in terms of what HOPE has to offer in fulfilling the need of our BAME communities access to mental health services in their own languages, and with our culturally inclusive person-centred approach towards each individual who accesses our services. Furthermore, I do not believe there is any other organisation that has achieved what we have in a short time as a Community Interest Company (CIC). This again is a testimony to the great BAME leaders from my board of directors, managers, supervisors and clinical practitioners that for me as a black leader I am proud to have alongside me as a driving force for HOPE. It feels like a lifetime ago when my career changed from the corporate field of working in the banking industry for 15 years of my life, I was able with my initiative and work ethic dedication to move up the management ladder to a customer service focused area manager role. So, therefore leading, motivating, coaching others from a leadership role comes very natural to me in my skill set as a CEO, but what really drives me is the passion and belief in compassion for all of humanity and this makes my job as CEO of HOPE very rewarding. From a personal development aspect I feel a winner as I am not only helping and giving back to my communities in the services that we provide in HOPE but also that I am helping my fellow BAME professionals nationwide who choose to join HOPE in their journey and development in furthering their career as BAME leaders within their respective fields of works. It has always been my mission statement as an individual and now as the head of the HOPE organisation that where possible I want to fight against stigma, shame, prejudice and racism in all its forms always with a heart full of compassion, love for humanity and kindness for all. I believe that true leadership is leading by example but also alongside helping your aspiring leaders. Your vote for me and HOPE would mean so much to us all, thank you 🙂 ”

Burn From Within

burn from within

After I eventually graduated, I landed my dream job as a conference producer. I was over the moon! This even blossomed into a rewarding career over several years. Even though I loved my job, I noticed the company I worked for had started to change. The new management was driving many talented people I respected out, and their values started to really diverge from my own. I still loved the CEO, and to my surprise, when I handed in my notice, she gave me a rather lovely present. My CEO asked me to launch a cosmetic product business she had been working on for a while. Even though I had no direct experience in this industry, she trusted in my abilities and shattered a long-standing belief that I could only work in one industry or for other people. I started to believe in myself. I now felt I could run my own business. I just wished I had discovered this belief earlier, and later discovered through the extensive training I completed in becoming a coach, that you can set these empowering beliefs yourself with the right coach! I decided to finally scratch my travel itch and embark on a journey around the world with no set end date. I travelled for 18 months, and realized that there was so much more to life than staying in an office in London. After sipping Caiprinhas in Rio, skydiving in Buenos Aires, trekking table-top mountains and waterfalls across Venezuela, hot air ballooning over Turkey and Ukraine, and experiencing the long summer nights with friendly locals across Scandinavia, I didn’t want to come back. Who would? After working on a 6 month contract for my previous CEO to recover some of that money I spent travelling, the belief within me that I could do my own thing was still strong. So I invested in courses on ways to make money myself, including a year-long real estate investment course. After investing in some real estate myself, I ended up working with a property developer as it was a chance to learn how to find and secure bigger developments and deals, which was a way to build long-term wealth and more passive income. But I absolutely HATED (no that’s not strong enough a word) working with the people and all the values they stood for. It was purely for money. After a few months, I realized how lonely and unhappy I was. My life really was out of balance. Eventually I became quite depressed and felt lost, so I decided to hire a NLP coach who specialized in career transition. I remember so vividly one of the powerful tools she coached with me in particular made me realize I was not living as the person I was born to be. I looked at myself objectively as a character in a movie. This guy Matt I was seeing was hunched over his home office desk, all alone, looking outside into his garden watching the rain. I realized that Matt was a social, fun and confident guy. He was not using his natural talents and far from an environment that made him thrive. It was like watching a bird screaming to get out of a tiny cage. It was not right – I had to let him free. After this coaching, a friend recommended me to his boss for a sales role I would have ordinarily pass off had it not been for this insight through coaching. I got the job and thrived in sales, breaking various team and company records in my first year. But I wanted more: to travel much more, take care of my health, find balance and do my own thing again. So I invested in a personal coach for 12 months, who motivated me to take big decisions. I left the UK in August 2017 for Australia and then Asia. Inspired after the powerful NLP coaching I had experienced, I planned several NLP retreats and trainings to become a trainer just for my own personal development. Through various business and career transitions, and observing the structures that worked for me and my coaching clients, I realized any life transition that was sustainable had to have three magic elements: Passion, Purpose and Balance. On top of the extensive coaching training I had, I decided to interview a series of people who have made the journey from feeling bored and burnt out in their career, to transitioning to a life of balance, passion and purpose in brand new fields. I noticed patterns in all of these stories that lead to developing my own unique coaching model for career transition. I call this to ‘Burn From Within’. If you feel trapped in your own career or business right now, or confused about where you need to go next – I can help. It can be scary emotionally, financially and it’s easy to be immobilized knowing that you could be making bad choices. So let’s chat about this – you can have what you want in this life and taking the first steps to just talk about it can make all the difference. I invite you to book a free clarity call with me here and we can take those first life-changing steps together.