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52 Educators providing Wood courses in Macclesfield

Raise Up Business Club (Silke Thistlewood)

raise up business club (silke thistlewood)

Cheshire

I (Silke Thistlewood, that’s me on the left with my 2 girls) set up a local networking group for mums in early 2017 after returning from (self employed) maternity leave and feeling decidedly isolated. I had lost my business mojo, felt pretty lonely, and couldn’t make any of the existing networking meetings (no babies allowed, too early, too late etc) so I decided to start my own. I called it Tonbridge Mums in Business and its facebook group grew to 500 members within just a few weeks (it surpassed 1,000 quite some time ago now). We’ve been having regular meetings ever since and the facebook community has grown from strength to strength, with the Thursday promotional thread having become a thing of legend. You have to see it to believe the amount of local talent! And now RuBC_LogoFinal_White_Rose.png In early 2019 I felt is was time to raise the bar and level up - in my own businesses and for the group. I had for some time been wanting to add more value for members - more structure, support and resources (mailing lists for meeting reminders, access to talks members can’t attend, accountability, goal setting etc). With 2 other businesses to run and young kids to look after this was logistically and financially not possible on a voluntary basis (paying for the yearly website subscription alone made my eyes water…..) so I made the decision to introduce a membership structure and a charge for the meetings. I very much hope that the pricing structure I have decided on reflects the value current members have gained from the group and the meetings, and the fact that most of us are working with small margins and reduced working hours crammed around child care and other responsibilities. To set the group apart from other networking meetings in the area, which are confusingly similar in name, the group has been re-branded and has a new name that I feel embodies what the group and community are - supportive, encouraging, non judgemental, inclusive, friendly and quite frankly, magical. I am blown away at each and every meeting by the friendships and kindness that members show each other. What you can expect Community, support, encouragement, friendship, collaborations, inspiration, education - online and in real life across both communities. Weekly check-ins, accountability prompts in the membership community to keep you on track, inspired and safe in the knowledge that this group of women will always have your back. We also co-work in real life and on zoom, go on walks together, discuss books and have coaching sessions with the one and only Action Woman. A wider community of businesses in the free facebook group with the chance to promote your business each Thursday, as well as getting to know others and forming friendships and a basis for collaborations. Someone will always have an answer to any questions you might have - business or otherwise. Regular networking meetings with expert speakers, mingling and cake and/or wine - and not an elevator pitch in sight (so no need to feel nervous). Easy going networking, without the need to “work the room” or hand out business cards at super sonic speed. Our meetings are informal but effective. Low key but inspirational, educational and supportive. Some kind words from business women in the community “There is always a warm excited, inclusive buzz within the group, with many friendships that have been formed over time and I know that some of us have started either using each other’s products or services – or formed collaborations with each other. It’s like a girls night out every month in Tonbridge! SAM HOGWOOD, ESCAPE FROM THE CITY This group has been very welcoming from my first step into my first meeting. I have found everyone in the group to be friendly and supportive of each other and encouraging of the development of one another's businesses. The facebook group and meetings have allowed for shared knowledge and experience in developing each others businesses. I have made great business links and come into work through the group, both paid and through joint collaborations. I have also made some lovely friends through the group which has been a really lovely added bonus CLAIRE READER, CAPTURE ME HAPPY PHOTOGRAPHY I started my Virtual Assistant business in the middle of last year and I am a regular on the weekly Thursday updates. These updates are great as not only do people learn how your business is growing but you can support and find out about other local businesses on your doorstep. I have not made it to one of the networking events that Silke kindly arranges yet, but I will, and when I do, I am sure it will be even more beneficial to my start up business than the group has been so far. EMMA HAGGART, KENT VIRTUAL ASSISTANT Since setting up my hypnotherapy business in 2018, I've found the support of this talented and diverse group to be wonderful. It's great knowing I am not alone in being new to setting up a business, and coming up against many of the same issues as others in the group. This is so reassuring, and I have really benefited from the shared knowledge, passion and experience of everyone in the group. Meet ups are friendly and dynamic, and the topics very fitting. I've made some good contacts and will always recommend fellow business owners where I can. Thanks to Silke this group has really grown and developed and I look forward to further collaboration this year.

Manchester Montessori House

manchester montessori house

Manchester

Manchester Montessori House is the first bilingual English- French kindergarten in Manchester, in the United Kingdom for children ages 3 to 6. Initially it had started as a Montessori group for Home Educating families in Greater Manchester in 2008. There was, and still is, a big demand for alternative education and Montessori is one of these options. Montessori methodology, well known worldwide, does offer holistic approach and supports all areas of children’s development. It places the child in the centre, where he/she can develop his/her full potential through carefully and purposefully offered ‘hands on’ activities. The highly qualify staff ( with a lot of teaching experiences), implement valuable principals of Montessori philosophy while educating young children in their formative years of grow. The staff aims are to provide Prepared Environment that enables children to express their full potential over the most important and crucial first six years of life, but also later on. Teachers are ‘to offer the child an environment rich in motives for activity, in which he/she can choose what he/she will take and use. In this choice he/she is free from any teacher’s control, or indeed from adult control in general’ (Montessori, 2007, p. 186). Children who attend to our setting are carefully observed and ‘scaffold’ by the experienced practitioners on the way to ‘Normalisation’ as Dr Montessori called this process and cited it as “the most important single result of our whole work” (Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, 1949). Children natural phenomena, potential and internal energy horme, – ‘this universal force is not physical, but is the force of life itself in the process of evolution’ (Polk Lillard, 1972, p.42), are directed on the most natural way of holistic development. All the little learners are treated with the respect, are given attention they deserve, are being looked after as a unique individuals. Peers in our setting are given opportunity to grow in consistency and harmony which helps them to progress in all areas of grow ‘to follow the child, adapting himself to the child’s rhythm and the psychological needs of his growth’ (Polk Lillard, 1972, p.39). It is important for us that children grow in calm, safe and beautiful environment and are learning to be creators of the world around them. They acquire how to develop self-discipline, motivation and love of work as a natural response to their internal needs. Educational materials in our kindergarten are purchased from the licensed manufacturers of Montessori materials and are the same, which are taught in all over the world. The furniture are comfortable and accessible for children. All the apparatus are made of wood or natural resources and comply with high safety requirements. We focus on each child individually to help him/ her evolve the curiosity to the nature and to the surrounding world. We promote individuals who grow free, are independent, be self-motivated and confident. They are empathic and tolerant, can recognize their own feelings but also, which is very important, can respond to the needs of others. We give children the opportunity to develop according to their respective capabilities and to easily adapt themselves in multicultural societies. The Montessori system of education provides an environment rich in activities for every area of learning. Montessori called her schools “Casa dei Bambini” or “the children’s home”. In their home from home the children find room full of mysteries, challenges and discoveries. Our Montessori approach is holistic and aims to develop the whole child when they have the greatest capacity to learn. Follow by Montessori we aim to: help children become confident, compassionate, happy, calm, purposeful, free and independent, empower them and be creative. Awaken children’s interest in all subjects and to encourage in them a love of learning. Give children an understanding of the world and respect for all they find in it. The Montessori Method is a dynamic and complete approach to the enrichment of young children and as such represents the very best that a parent can give during these formative years. ‘The child is in a continual state of growth and metamorphosis, where as the adult has reached the norm of the species’ (E.M. Standing, 1984, p. 106).