2806 Educators providing Courses

international academy of chinese culinary arts

Founded in 2019, The International Academy of Chinese Culinary Arts provides expertise and insight on good practice, education, and development issues within the Chinese food related industry in the UK. Its International Chefs Academy offers International Programmes, Professional Programmes, and Continuing Professional Development Programmes aiming to nurture intellectual and professional competencies of our learners to meet the industry's demand for a new generation of chefs with multi-culinary and management skills, as well as professional mindset and work attitude. IACCA also provides bespoke professional consultancy services to businesses and educational resources to training providers, who are wishing to deliver professional chefs’ or hospitality management programmes within Chinese Culinary Arts IACCA CULTURE Vision: To be the Global Leader of Chinese Culinary Arts education and development. Mission: We set and maintain professional standards for Chinese culinary practitioners and driving positive change in Chinese food related industry Core Values Creating experiences driven by quality and authenticity is at the centre of all we do Committed to our people by developing their competences and capacity We grow our business sustainably and profitably We continue to improve through innovation and technology We contribute back to our communities IACCA TIMELINE 2016 A group of 5 experienced practitioners in the UK’s vocational related education sector founded PAM Education Consultancy Services Ltd. As an independent education solution provider with the main objective of bridging the gap between vocational education and industry development and employability skills. Pam Education ensures that learners are not only vocationally competent but employment ready. PAM Education officially established its strategic partnership with Tianjin Economics and Trade School (then the Tianjin No. 2 School of Commerce & Tianjin School of Cuisine) to bring authentic Chinese culinary arts training and education onto the global stage. 2017 The partnership has successfully obtained funding from Tianjin Municipal Education Commission under the Lu Ban Workshop Project to establish education and training centre in the UK for Chinese Culinary Arts, to develop fully regulated qualifications and the associated learning resources in English. In May, the first Lu Ban Workshop in Europe was opened at Chichester College (CC). Officials from the Tianjin Education Commission, Senior management from PAM, TES, and CC were participated in the opening ceremony. 2018 In April, the first and only UK fully regulated Level 3 Diploma in Chinese Culinary was approved by PAM Education’s awarding Body - Qualifi and appeared on the Regulated Qualification Framework. In October, PAM Education offered 10 scholarships to prototype the L3 Diploma course with Chichester College Group. Most learners reported to have benefited from the course professionally. 2019 In Early January, PAM-TES collaboration continued to flourish. Witnessed by the senior management team of the Tianjin Food Group, PAM Education and TES signed a MoU to develop a restaurant and international training centre at the iconic building of Cains Brewery in the heart of Liverpool’s vibrant Baltic Triangle. On 31st January, PAM sponsored Chinese Culinary Arts students were given the opportunity of a lifetime when they cooked for Number 10 Downing Street and the Rt Hon Theresa May at the 2019 Chinese New Year Reception. With 150 people attending the event, the students excelled in cooking a variety of canapés alongside four prestigious Chinese master chefs, flown in to help prepare for the event. In February, built on the success, PAM created IACCA, aspired to be the global leader of high quality and authentic Chinese Culinary Arts education and development. In July, the Level 2 Certificate in Chinese Culinary Art was approved In October, the Level 4 Diploma in Chinese Culinary Management was approved In November, Lu Ban Restaurant and Training Centre Liverpool was launched, which have not only brought premium Chinese cuisine and dining experience to Liverpool but also provide the state of art learning venue and work placement opportunities to Chinese culinary lovers. BBC North West and the BBC the One Show have reported on the ground-breaking Chinese cuisine experience that the Lu Ban academy and the IACCA training centre offers. 2020 In January, IACCA was named finalists in the Education Link Awards at the Department for International Trade, North West England Greater China Awards Ceremony. In July, IACCA initiated the Master Chef Programme together with TES. In August, IACCA launched its first two programmes of study to the International market.

romain designs

Romain Designs provides education to enrich lives and expand our learners’ possibilities. “Learning does not stop after finishing school, college or university, it is a lifelong opportunity that can sharpen the skills, increase self-confidence and improve career prospects”. Our team of staff is by far our most valuable asset. Our expectations of delivering a high standard of service can only be met by carefully selected, motivated, and able individuals. To reflect and support this we have developed a number of initiatives to ensure that our team is given the opportunity to settle in as soon as possible, and gain an understanding of our business and the way we work. All of our staff, administrators, assessors, and internal verifiers are rigorously selected against carefully defined selection criteria. We use face-to-face interviews to determine their suitability and training requirements. As part of ongoing professional development to ensure the continued improvement of our services, a training plan is put in place for each worker. Online/distance learning offers high-quality training and the opportunity to obtain a nationally recognized qualification. They offer technical knowledge whilst practical experience, along with functional and personal skills are obtained in the work environment. These are acquired through a mix of learning online and in the workplace, providing real training and the opportunity to practice and embed new skills in their everyday job role. Romain Designs offer courses that are completely online. Whether your training need is large or small, we can provide the resources and solutions you need to get the job done right. Our track record for consistency, timely service, and subject matter expertise make insurmountable tasks possible to overcome. We especially enjoy supporting our students, where english is a second language, new to the country wanting to rebuild their work history or those wanting to rejoin the workforce. Our multifaceted company is here to assist by providing a wide range of services at affordable prices. For more information, simply contact us at info@romandesigns.uk Romain Designs engages with learners from different backgrounds, cultures, and traditions. Supporting diversity and inclusion is very important to us, whether it is helping those expanding their skill set, or providing individuals with an access point to education for the first time. We have progressively developed our service is to ensure sustainability and high working relationships in order to provide a friendly and professional approach and training service. Our specialisms are currently in : Quality Assurance Consultancy Adult care Advisory and Employability Childcare Education and Training Basic, intermediate, and advanced ICT Courses Creative and Digital Media Family Learning Information Advice & Guidance Supporting teaching and learning Business Consultancy Website Development and Graphical Design We have experience in Employer Engagement, building, and maintaining strong relationships with both clients and candidates to achieve successful outcomes. We adhere to our employer’s needs. We work together to contribute to the success of the companies’ objectives as well as enhance and develop our own business achievements. Our goal is to provide a valuable service for Adults, Young People, Schools, businesses and employers. Our aim is to provide professional, engaged and successful outcomes. that is taught at a high level and quality. Our aim is to encourage self-esteem and enable opportunities in the community, partnering with others, to improve skills, knowledge, and experience. Romain Designs is constantly working for the community. . Take a look around the site and access the service most appropriate to you. We look forward to supporting you, with your next project or learning journey. Accessible and Affordable We work hard to keep course costs to an absolute minimum. In addition, we offer a range of flexible payment options for even greater affordability. All course materials are included as standard, with no hidden extras to pay at any time. Enrol today and spread your payments with a finance plan. We have multiple payment options available and will help you choose the best plan to suit you. We also accept international students on specific courses, so browse through our courses to get started. Complete our pre-enrolment form and we will contact you to discuss this further

focal point uk ltd

Visual Impairment training, Low Vision services and Vision Rehab training, consultancy, support Services and specialist equipment – over 25 years of experience working with people who have sight loss!! How to use this website For easier accessibility you can change the font size and choose the colour of text and backgrounds by using the buttons on the top banner of this site. Just click on the button of your preferred choice. Welcome to Focal Point UK if you are vision impaired and need a support service, or run a service for vision impaired people, we may be able to help!! Vision Impairment / Low Vision Training, Consultancy and Support Services About Focal Point UK Focal Point UK is a private sector company / agency providing high quality vision rehabilitation and low vision support and services to people with sight loss and professionals from all sectors at all levels, who work in the field of vision impairment throughout the UK and abroad. Focal Point UK employ qualified vision impairment professionals (Rehabilitation Workers/Officers – Visual Impairment) with many years of experience, they are fully insured and have enhanced level DBS clearance. Focal Point UK was formed in October 2005, is a registered limited company. Focal Point UK provides service contracts, consultancy days and training courses: Specialist vision rehabilitation assessments – full assessment identifying needs and goals Locum/spot contracts providing Vision Rehab Officers/Workers to service providers eg. Social Services Functional low vision assessments – specialist low vision assessments, recommending low vision aids/magnifiers Low Vision Therapy Training programmes – how to use low vision aids/magnifiers Orientation & mobility assessments & training – including use of mobility aids, and navigation and travel strategies Independent Living Skills (ILS) training programmes – activities of daily living activities/tasks Assessments & training in all aspects of communication – including use of IT / AT equipment Assessments & training in high tech low vision devices such as electronic video magnifies Supporting vision impaired students – undertaking full rehab, functional low vision and mobility assessments for education departments, further and higher education establishments (as part of the Disability Students Allowance), and provision of training programmes to meet individual needs. Supporting Vision Impaired people in work – employment work place assessments and training, provision of specialist equipment. Supplying assessments and training on behalf of the Access to Work scheme Lighting assessments – specialist ‘vision related’ lighting needs in the home/work place Vision awareness training packages – for all organisations, staff and professionals Training for professionals – a wide range of sight loss related training courses are available to meet all professional needs (see our training brochure for further details) Consultancy – service planning, delivery and evaluation of services, advice and support on rehab and low vision equipment Legal case work and ‘expert witness’ reports, and legal rehab therapy interventions Rehabilitation services contracts – locum provision to social services on long term or spot contract Professional Support Services – professional mentoring and supervision of rehab workers/Officers for vision impaired people, support staff, and other professionals in any sector Provide a wide range of magnifiers and optical and non-optical low vision aids Provision of a wide range of specialist high-tech equipment for vision impaired people Access consultancy and audits – provision of audits, advice and information on design of plans and adaptations for indoor and outdoor environments. Could be new build, or adaptations ie. under disabled facilities grant work. Focal Point UK staff are motivated and qualified professionals who fully understand the needs of people who are blind & partially sighted, and professionals in the field, Focal Point UK main aim is to improve the quality and standard of services available to d people with a visual impairment throughout the UK. At Focal Point UK we work with all sectors – Social Care, Education (schools, further and higher education), Employment, Voluntary, Employment, legal and private sector organisations – working on any project or service associated with visual impairment and with any professionals or staff, at any level. For further information and details about all of our services, use the main menu on the top left of this home page to navigate to the relevant page.

standout programmes

Penny started her career as a corporate lawyer at City firm Freshfields. On a career break she became involved as a volunteer in her local prison which led her to train as a tutor with Prison Fellowship and lead the restorative justice based Sycamore Tree programme in HMP Wandsworth for 12 years. She was involved in rolling out Sycamore Tree in HMP Bronzefield and HMP Pentonville and also has experience of tutoring the course with people in prison long term. Penny was a Trustee of Prison Fellowship for several years and acted as Interim CEO in 2015. Penny has also volunteered with the Prison Reform Trust, supporting work around mental health and criminal justice issues. She has a Masters degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from King’s College London and believes in second chances and releasing potential. Andy Bater, Head of Operations Andy joined the StandOut team in October 2022 from a community organisation based in Holborn. With a background in project and operations management working with various large corporate organisations, he brings his breadth of experience and knowledge to StandOut. Despite his career achievements, Andy would much rather talk about his time being a mature student in Canada, starting a wellbeing and employment social enterprise and especially about rugby, boxing and the Andrew Kaufman book 'All My Friends are Superheroes’. Rich McStraw, Fundraising Manager Rich joined us in April 2022 from Clinks, the infrastructure organisation for the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. He spent the last three years as Clinks’ Fundraising Officer, and prior to this worked as a freelance fundraiser and sales manager for renewable heating systems. He has previous experience of fundraising regulation and compliance, sales and marketing, and developing training programmes. Louise Harbert, Communications Officer Louise is passionate about supporting people with lived experience to share their stories. Before joining the StandOut team, she worked for a health charity to amplify the voices of volunteers and shine a light on health inequalities. A strong believer in social justice, Louise is determined to change the narrative around prison leavers, and is excited to contribute to StandOut’s development and growth as our first full-time comms officer. Alex Rose, Coaching Manager Alex joined the team in April 2018 from Prospects where he was a National Careers Service advisor. Previously he worked as a behaviour change manager and an achievement coach working on gang prevention and exit programmes. Alex is passionate about helping people who have been in prison back into work and recently completed his OCR Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance & Development. Amrit Hunjan, Lead Coach HMP Wandsworth Amrit joined the StandOut team in September 2019 having previously worked as part of a council multi-disciplinary team working collectively to improve the well-being, participation and attainment of young people in mainstream education. Amrit connected with StandOut whilst volunteering with the youth mentoring service Trailblazers at HMP Wandsworth and she is passionate about using a relational approach to build confidence and unlock potential. Amy Young, StandOut Coach HMP Wandsworth Amy joined StandOut in November 2022 after completing an English Literature degree at KCL. During and following her degree she voluntarily set up Shakespeare and poetry workshops in HMP Brixton, believing in the power of arts in Criminal Justice. She found she facilitated enlightening and illuminating conversations, using literary themes to generate powerful reflections and increased emotional awareness. She looks forward to coaching at Wandsworth and supporting trainees with a holistic approach, offering guidance and practical help post-release. Hannah Jolley, Lead Coach HMP Pentonville Hannah joined StandOut in February 2022. Prior to this, she was Lead Coach on the Spear Programme, supporting young people who face barriers to employment and also coached corporate delegates on various topics. Hannah graduated from Durham University with BA Criminology, and spent time volunteering with vulnerable people in prison at HMP Durham. She is passionate about reducing reoffending rates, through showing that there is hope and are opportunities out there for those leaving prison. Erin Crombie, Lead StandOut Coach Erin discovered StandOut in 2018 whilst completing her Masters in Criminological Research at the University of Cambridge, when she carried out an evaluation of the charity for her dissertation. On graduating, Erin joined the education department in HMP Pentonville as a Student Support Worker, whilst maintaining contact with StandOut in a voluntary capacity. She joined StandOut at the beginning of 2020 and is now in a new role leading our expansion to a third prison. Erin’s favourite thing about working for StandOut is seeing the trainees’ confidence grow over the duration of the Phase 1 course and getting to celebrate their achievements. Louisa Laven, Lead Community Coach Louisa joined the StandOut team in November 2020. Prior to this she was on the Unlocked Graduates Programme, working as a frontline prison officer for two years while completing a Masters in MSc Leadership and Custodial Environments. Louisa loved the relational and support aspect of the officer role, but wanted to move into the charity sector and focus on the critical resettlement period after prison. She is enthusiastic about helping people leaving prison to get back on their feet and build towards a positive future. Iona Warren, Community Coach Iona joined the StandOut team in September 2022 after spending two years as a prison officer on the Unlocked Graduates programme. Whilst working in a women's prison, she completed a Masters in Applied Custodial Leadership, writing a dissertation on the women's experience of trauma informed practice in their establishment. She loved building relationships with the women on her landing, and relished the opportunity to support them whilst in custody. She is particularly excited to now be working with those transitioning into the community, and is passionate and motivated to see them thrive. StandOut Trustees Joe Froud, Chair Joe is the co-founder of Paloma Capital LLP, a London based real estate private equity business that was established in 2015. Paloma raises equity from foundations and endowments, pensions funds and family offices and invests in UK commercial real estate projects. Prior to this he was the founder and Managing Partner of Columbus Capital Management LLP, a real estate private equity joint venture that he established with Schroders plc in 2008. Joe is married with four children and lives in West London. Liz Delacave, Trustee Liz Delacave is a leadership consultant, experienced in training leaders, developing teams and coaching individuals to excel. She studied Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, worked in Citibank’s global commercial and investment banks, becoming chief of staff for Citibank’s European Private Bank. While Divisional Finance Director of a multinational engineering company, she was responsible for managing a global change programme. As a Non-Executive Director, she has helped turn around an underperforming NHS Foundation Trust hospital in East Anglia. Liz has advised a number of charities, including the International Federation of the Red Cross in Geneva and Prison Fellowship. Marion Peters, Trustee Marion Peters studied English Literature at Reading University before joining the Post Office fast track graduate management scheme. After 4 years in marketing and development roles Marion entered the charitable sector, working for international and small local charities in a generalist capacity. Marion has led client service teams, HR departments and spearheaded major fundraising projects and most recently worked as CEO of a heritage almshouse. Since stepping down from this role, Marion has continued to offer her operational and organisational skills to not for profit organisations on a voluntary basis. Passionately committed to the Justice System, Marion has been a volunteer within Her Majesty’s Court Services for over 20 years and is a great believer that where we have come from does not determine who we are. Joseph Ewing, Trustee Joseph studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, has worked in a range of research, campaigning and public affairs roles - including three and a half years in public affairs at Cancer Research UK - and now works in policy at the Academy of Medical Sciences. His work includes policy development, advocacy and strategy. He became a trustee in April 2019 and is still inspired by StandOut’s belief in people. StandOut Consultants Jo Fellows, Programme and Coaching Consultant, Co Founder Jo's background is in group facilitation and project management and she has extensive experience leading employability services for those with additional barriers to employment. Her experience includes 4 years working with the award winning Spear course, partnering with IBM through her work with City Gateway and designing a 1-1 service for those leaving custody or care. Jo is passionate about equipping people coming up for release with the tools, skills and confidence to step into sustainable and fulfilling work. Jo has a Postgraduate Diploma in Voluntary Sector Management from CASS Business School. Jo co-founded StandOut with Penny and now supports StandOut as a consultant bringing her expertise in programme design and coaching skills.

balsall heath is our planet

Criminals have been breaking into Balsall Heath City Farm to steal the animals. This is upsetting for the staff and volunteers who look after them, at this much loved family learning facility (open daily). Donations are being collected through crowd funding to make the site secure, so together we can stop the abuse. MAKE A DONATION Vote for a Neighbourhood Council 05/12/2022 at 10:02 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment Tags: Balsall Heath Good news. Many residents of Balsall Heath have voted Yes to setting up our own Neighbourhood Council to improve the area. All the money raised will be spent here. But it will take every vote, to get over the threshold. Due to postal delays, residents are asked to send the green voting paper as soon as they can, to be sure your vote is counted before 15 December. Anyone who has lost the ballot paper can be sent another by emailing Name, Address Postcode, subject BH Neighbourhood Council Vote bids@cesvotes.com Energy saving grants for Balsall Heath 18/11/2022 at 11:49 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment Tags: Balsall Heath Homeowners and tenants living in Balsall Heath can apply to have work done on their homes that could significantly reduce their energy bills. Funding has been attracted by Retrofit Balsall Heath for up to 700 homes. Deadline for return of applications is Wednesday 23 November . Delays and even disappointments are possible with a free scheme, but “if you don’t ask, you dont get”. There’s no household income cap, or requirement to be on benefits, but the scheme is for older homes with poor energy rating (D,E,F,G EPCs). The scheme is completely free for eligible owner-occupiers. Private landlords need to pay a one-third contribution. A 3-page form needs to be filled in by the resident to apply and agree for a surveyor to visit. These can be got from BH Library, Baths, BH Children’s Centre, Jericho Foundation. Completed forms – please email form to RetrofitBalsallHeath[at]gmail.com or drop in at MECC, 93 Court Road, B12 9LQ MECC 0121 440 3500 9am-4pm Vote for a Neighbourhood Council 04/11/2022 at 9:51 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment Tags: Balsall Heath Voters in Balsall Heath are receiving postal ballot papers from the city Elections Office, this month, November. If enough people vote Yes, the new council will be set up and the councilors recruited. They will then draw up a plan and a budget and set the “precept” (a small charge) to pay running costs. There is a new webpage that tells people more about the case for setting up this new structure, separate from Birmingham City Council, (but working with it of course) to power up our ability to solve problems, find opportunities and get communication and coordination working in our complex and multicultural neighbourhood. Advance Website Our Garden of Balsall Heath 16/08/2022 at 2:34 pm | Posted in Gardens, Green Spaces, Trees | Leave a comment Tags: Balsall Heath With the 2022 Commonwealth Games came an arts project called Our Garden and this has produced some great videos about people appreciating green spaces and trees in our neighbourhood. With the heat wave people have really appropriated the shade of all the trees planted over the last 40 years in the greening of Balsall Heath. Watch the videos Action at the Pocket Park 20/06/2022 at 4:29 pm | Posted in Green Spaces, Streets | Leave a comment Tags: Balsall Heath A team assembled to replace planter at Balsall Heath Pocket Park. We learned that a vehicle had smashed into it and driven off, but we were able to put in a new and more robust one. Passers by said they really appreciate this space for walking, cycling and sitting down in the busy centre of our neighbourhood. Thanks go to Hywel and the Countrymen group from BH City Farm, as in the pictures. A Council of Balsall Heath – more time to have your say 27/04/2022 at 3:30 pm | Posted in uncategorised | Leave a comment Tags: Balsall Heath Sunday 15th May is the extended deadline, for people to say if they favour an elected body, with the powers of a parish council. The City Council’s survey is quite brief and is at BeHeard. If you can introduce this as a discussion for a group that you know, then, please contact me for help with that. John Newson bhiop[at]jericho.org.uk

let���s get out dorset

I HAVE A PASSION AND A BELIEF I have worked with young people for 17 years, I started working with young people in 2004 within a youth club, that provided a safe space for young people to engage in many activities. Very quickly I found my passion which is helping young people to make positive choices in their lives. Whilst my time was spent with a diverse group of young people, I realised that I had a passion working with the more challenging young people, usually the ones that get forgotten because they’re not turning up for school or their behaviours are very challenging because maybe they have emotional behavioural difficulties including risky behaviours. With these challenges I conducted risk assessments, whilst keeping young people at the heart of any action undertaken. These young people are the ones central to what I believe is my mission. I wanted to work primarily with young people who for some reason or another had conflict within their life. My belief is, no matter what, everybody needs somebody to believe in them, even when they struggle to believe in themselves. This led to more responsibility in my role as a youth worker. I started doing one-to-one work with challenging young people, working on a project that targets young people who are at risk of becoming marginalised. When further cuts to Youth service's were sanctioned young people suffered the most, this had a knock on effect to local crime figures rocketing. Young people with no direction or safe spaces to grow, the fundamental nature of being young is lost and in too many cases to mention, young people often find themselves in an environment where peer pressure is rooted in dysfunction, this in my experience is the perfect storm for disaster. Over the last decade since the cuts to youth work it has become more challenging to engage young people. I found myself taking my passion to help young people who were in a residential care setting where they were having the most difficult time of their lives. But again through one to one Key work supporting young people to make changes and experience alternative support such as green activities, I found that these activities help toward emotional stability. Activities can include night fishing, paddle boarding, kite surfing or whatever the young person chooses. If an idea or activity is brought to me I will only consider this after a thorough risk assessment and if successful together we will implement the activity in our one to one sessions, this serves as a way of including young people in their own support package. My aim, together with young people would be to re-introduce them to education, society and family living through mediation and support. I will be introducing young people to resilience building techniques that will have far reaching benefits that will stay with them throughout life, better preparing them for challenges life will bring. Outdoor activities reduce isolation, encourages change and builds confidence rather than being stuck indoors on their consoles confined to their bedrooms in isolation but getting out and enjoying nature and fun activities. please follow the hyperlink below Whilst doing all this creating a safe, positive, caring environment providing a consistent, reliable relationship with good boundaries. I then changed and went back to mentoring and again I have worked with some of the hardest to reach young people. I have a belief that everyone deserves to be given a helping hand. Whether they have been exploited with crime eg. CSE or County Lines, Gang Culture, Knife Crime, this can cause young people to be trapped in a cycle of fear that they can’t get out of,I believe no young person should be exposed to negative cycles like those mentioned above. This leads to isolation within their families and communities. Evidence is emerging during the current climate i.e Covid 19 has had a detrimental effect on young people regarding their mental wellbeing. Isolation breeds dysfunction which can contribute to anxiety and dysfunctional behavior finding It difficult to reintegrate back into society. which for some could even mean not being able to leave the house. My passion is to help turn young people's lives around and build resilience. empowering them to do things they really enjoy. In doing so this will help build up life skills that will inevitably serve them well with the challenges that life will bring. I will support them to be the best young person they can become and enjoy a safe caring and sustainable life which we all deserve.

ben england music

Ben England BA (Hons), PGCE, BEM is a music graduate of Bristol University, where he specialised in musical analysis, composing and musical direction. He trained as a conductor with Dr Alan Rump and Dr Adrian Beaumont, before going on to study conducting with Denise Ham of the London Conducting Academy. After graduation, Ben sang with groups as diverse as the New English Orchestra, the Bristol Chamber Choir, Bristol Opera, the Exultate Singers and the Choir of Clifton Cathedral. A bass baritone, he has performed widely as an oratorio and operatic singer, including lead roles in The Cunning Little Vixen and Der Mond (for Bristol Opera), The Magic Flute and the Pirates of Penzance. Ben currently teaches singing to adults and young people across the Bristol area. Ben is a former Musical Director of Bristol Opera, where he led the company in successful performances of Handel’s Samson and Lakmé by Delibes and he has led numerous choirs in and around Bristol for the past 20 years, including the large Bristol Cabot Choir and the Bristol Gilbert and Sullivan Operatic Society and a number of smaller choirs. Having qualified as an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) of Music through the DfE Fast-Track Teaching programme, Ben worked for South Gloucestershire as a Head of Music and county Music and Music Technology specialist for eight years. In 2011 Ben took up the role of Director of Music at Colston’s Girls’ School, where he ran music across five schools (including four primary schools) from 2011-2016. His work as an educator brought him to the national stage on numerous occasions, as he lectured on music and leadership at conferences for the DfES and the National Association of Head Teachers. Ben has worked extensively with professional composers to champion their music, often commissioning and performing new works. These composers include local musicians Richard Barnard and Eric Wetherell, as well as more recently the eminent John Rutter and conducting a premiere by the renowned composer Patrick Hawes. Since leaving teaching, Ben has worked on a freelance basis for Bristol Plays Music, the music education hub for the City of Bristol, based at the Bristol Beacon (formerly Colston Hall). In this role he has organised and coordinated major performances at the Colston Hall, Bristol Cathedral and further afield. He managed the Bristol Youth Choir from 2016-2017 and coordinated the live BBC Radio/TV music broadcast from Southmead Hospital on BBC Music Day 2017. He has written award-winning education materials and been nominated for three national Music Teacher awards for his work on projects such as the Bristol/Monteverdi 450 choral workshops and university seminar and the Bristol Minute of Listening. He is the author of the curriculum materials for the planned international 2021 Berlioz celebrations. During the Coronavirus outbreak of 2020, Ben established HOMECHOIR, a free YouTube channel on which he broadcasts a range of free musical and educational programmes including choir rehearsals, music theory teaching and a Sacred Sing on Sunday mornings. In October of 2020, Ben (as founder of homechoir) was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) by Her Majesty the Queen for services to the community during the COVID-19 outbreak. Following the success of the Quarantine Choir, Ben was appointed Musical Director of the Self-Isolation Choir (founded by inspirational business leader Mark Strachan) which in 2020 has grown to one of the largest choirs in the world. Their inaugural project Messiah at Home was produced with some of the world’s greatest musicians including Laurence Cummings, Carolyn Sampson and Jennifer Johnstone and gained international attention. Messiah at Home was featured on the national BBC Evening News, all the BBC radio stations, NHK (Japan) CBS (USA) and many more – and has become part of the official Wikipedia entry for Messiah. The choir has grown to 12,000 strong and has recorded such amazing works as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem and Allegri’s Miserere – working with the world-famous choir Tenebrae and their conductor, Nigel Short. Ben conducted the Self-Isolation Choir in the World Premiere of Still, Still the Night by Patrick Hawes in December 2020, and their version of Hawes’ Quanta Qualia was played on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in March 2021. Ben is much in demand as a choral leader and has taken on the Musical Directorship of the UWE Singers, a large SATB choir based at the University of the West of England. Ben lives in the South-West of the UK with his wife Ana and their children Katie and Bobby.

dyane's stitch in time

She holds a B’tec in Art and Design – focussing on Textile Art in particular Fashion Design and Batik, then trained in Clothing Manufacture & Management at Jacob Kranmer Collage (Now Leeds College of Art) in Leeds more than 30 years ago. Eight years later she took time out to gain a BA(hons) in Environmental Ethics at Wolverhampton University. In recent years she took her PGCE for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector at University of Sunderland. Over the years she has stitched costumes, cushions and curtains for numerous projects / shows in England, Wales, India & Canada; becoming a company director of Eco-Babes – a cloth nappy company in 1998 until 2006 and Arts Director for Gaunless Valley Creatives CIC 2015 – 2018. As an artist some of her Batiks with freestyle embroidery have been exhibited in Art Galleries. Dyane’s Stitch in Time was set up in Norfolk in 2008 and moved back to County Durham in 2012. By focussing on Repairs & Alterations, she blends her skill in sewing with her interest in the environment with particular focus on waste minimisation. She also uses a vintage hand wheel Singer during power cuts and for repairs to vintage clothing. Over the years Dyane has enjoyed combining her textile skills with her environmental concerns & community spirit with others of all ages. Of particular success is the Stitch Kidz Club held for KS2 & KS3 Children, originally in Norfolk with kids becoming skilled enough to make their own trousers, skirts and tops, this has now been revived succesfully in this area. Stitch Kidz don’t just make items for themselves they get involved with the community, making dresses from pillowcases for a local Trashion show which were then sent to Dress a Girl around the world. Plus some of the accesories hats, bags and belts for National Show Kynryn for their community certificate :-). Many in Sew Social help make washable cloth sanitary pads for women in Syria and Pakistan. On moving to Durham she has become involved with holding a variety of Textile and Art Workshops for children, teens and Adults in the local Community via Lot 64 in Darlington The Bowes Museum, The Hub, Witham, NeST – Barnard Castle, Evenwood Family Programme, Gaunless Valley Creatives in Cockfield, Colour Your Life, The POD – Bishop Auckland, Auckland Castle, The Forum – Northalerton, UK Sewing Shop – Darlington, Durham Crafty Mums and several schools. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in learning more practical life skills, folk dusting down their sewing machines and wanting to learn how to sew. I enjoy working with individuals helping them to learn these essentials, working on personal projects. In 2020 during the first Lockdown of the pandemic Dyane’s Stitch in Time had to temporarily close the business for three months, however Dyane got very busy volunteering with the Sewing for the Front Line North East project, started by Zoe Worrell & Alison Mathews instead, becoming one of their area co-ordinators, networking with other co-ordinators and personally ensuring around 35 home sewers had the patterns, donated fabric (including a lot of bedding to be upcycled 🙂 and the haberdashery they needed to create the Scrubs, Gowns, washbags & ear defenders that our NHS staff desperately needed. Stitch Kidz got involved too from their homes, making wash bags and heart pairs for families of covid patients in intensive care. Through all the amazing efforts of the local home sewers she was able to covid safely deliver thousands of items including hundreds of scrub sets and gowns to Auckland, Durham, Darlington Memorial General Hospitals, West Park, Auckland Park and Lanchester Mental Health Hospitals, some fun childrens’ character themed ones even reached paediatric teams in hospitals further afield and the local community teams of Midwives and Health visitors. Towards the end of lockdown we were also able to give 150 gowns to Premier Care for their large team of local Carers in Bishop. All in all between all the incredible volunteers – donating time and skills the Area Co-ordinators and their home Sewing ladies (and children) we were able to supply thousands of scrubs, gowns and washbags to help protect our NHS and Care home workers from the corona virus all across Northumbria, Durham and Teesside. Although later lockdowns have not meant the business has had to close, as we have adapted to the constantly changing ‘new normal’, it has severely limited the service that can be offered. So in early 2021 Dyane is using the quieter business time to complete a course in Direct Method Construction for high end dressmaking. She hopes these enhanced pattern construction skills will serve her customers well and add to the skills she can share in workshops when such activities can resume 🙂

the self-compassion community

I'm a former board level executive director who rose quickly ... and became burnt out, young. I am also a former voice artist - something which served me well when a life-changing injury occurred in 2006. I suffered a ‘hip replacement gone wrong’ which left me with major arterial internal bleeding and genuinely fighting for my life ... physically of course, and subsequently mentally too as the months of physical recovery and pain rolled into many years. I went from being a high-achieving, fast-paced, super capable person, to someone who needed to learn to walk again. That took its toll. And years of pain and effort. Cultivating self-compassion and mindfulness helped me find a way through. Sounds trite almost doesn't it? But it's powerfully, powerfully true. Catherine Kell Meaningful and adaptable teaching I have studied hard to do the work I do, to get all the necessary qualifications and registrations (more on those below). Yet what exams and qualifications alone can't give someone is the heart to do the work. That 'in the veins' pulse to help improve the life of another. And I believe my journey gives me the authenticity to bring compassion-based approaches meaningfully and wholeheartedly to others. I embody what I teach, and I bring kindness, sincerity, warmth, and of course compassion to every interaction. I'm friendly and lively too! I bring an adaptable pace and tone depending on the environment. I'm passionate about bringing the skills of self-compassion and mindfulness into people's lives to help them make transformations, build their resources and step into their full expression and power from a place of self-acceptance and inner strength. It's a privilege to witness the unfolding of all aspects of their good health. Qualifications and Education Catherine has had a personal mindfulness and meditation practice since 2006. She is a qualified and authorised Trained Teacher of the evidence-based and empirically-supported Mindful Self-Compassion programmes and trained through the globally renowned Center for Mindful Self-Compassion in their intensive MSC programme developed by self-compassion pioneers Kristin Neff PhD and Christopher Germer PhD. She is trauma-sensitive in all her work, undertaking ongoing CPD in the trauma field. She has an MA Degree with Honours and as well as her training as a Mindfulness Teacher she holds a Professional Certification in Clinical and Therapeutic Mindfulness for applied use in 1-to-1 session work. Additionally, Catherine is an alumni of Compassion Cultivation Training with the Compassion Institute, a scientifically-backed and evidence-based training programme developed at Stanford University, as well as various compassion, mindfulness, meditation and lovingkindness professional development programs with Tara Brach and Sharon Salzberg, both global leaders in compassion and mindfulness. Catherine is also a Trained Teacher with the Mindfulness in Schools Project, and has passionately brought her skillset to scores of teenagers and school staff as a teacher of kindfulness, gratitude practices and the MiSP evidence-based 10-week mindfulness curriculum developed specifically for pupils and staff in schools. Catherine is a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist (Dip.Cl.Hyp (Distinction), Cl.NLP, CNHC Reg., SICH HPD, MNCH(Reg.) and Paediatric Clinical Hypnotherapist (Dip.Hyp Paediatrics (Distinction). In her past work with children, Catherine had a particular interest in anxiety, panic attacks and sleep, helping children and adolescents from the age of around 7 to 18. Today, working with adults, Catherine uses hypnosis in a coaching capacity rather than a clinical one in order to help those working with her to cultivate self-compassion, boost life-satisfaction, uplevel and truly thrive. Previously, Catherine provided in-depth parenting support and empowerment services for whole families either in office from a local health centre, or via home visits. Catherine led specialist therapeutic support and learning sessions for mothers based around cultivating mindful self-compassion and strengthening the parent-child connection in parenting. Catherine is a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator, holds a Diploma In Positive Parenting and is a graduate of the 'Parenting by Connection Professionals Programme' with Hand in Hand Parenting. Catherine draws all her rich experience into every interaction. She is passionate about guiding people in developing the capacity to be with themselves in the kindest and most supportive way. Self-compassion can truly transform lives. Catherine is an accomplished speaker and provider of workshops and talks. She has contributed as a mindfulness and self-compassion expert to many podcasts and a number of mental health books.

queen's university belfast