Name: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - English Book Club Course - Wednesdays from 10th September
Price: 140 GBP
Availability: InStock

ksenia belash

It’s a pleasure to greet you in my virtual home:) Meeting someone for the first time can feel a little awkward. As a way of introduction, let me share a few random and not so random facts about me: I spent a big chunk of my childhood daydreaming, journeying through whimsical worlds, exploring subtle energies and noticing things that other people strangely wouldn’t notice. I wrote my first poem at the age of 6. This is also when I experienced myself as a cloud during my first ever meditation, guided by my grand dad. One of my favourite treasures was a blue crystal ball that my mum brought home from a lab she worked at - it seemed to have come from a different dimension. For a long time, I made myself believe these things were silly and meaningless. These days, I cherish the magical, the whimsical, the weird and believe the sense of WONDER to be a potent medicine for the soul that I am privileged to share with others. Up until the age of 9, if I closed my eyes, I could see people’s emotional states as auras of different colours. I developed my own colour coding system to identify what was going on - it was quite accurate. Unfortunately, I don’t see auras anymore, but I get a lot of subtle information through my body sensations. Whenever I speak to someone, a whole big experience unfolds within me and, over the years, through studies of the nervous system and what not, I have developed a way of making quite a good sense of it. It is a huge resource that I bring into my work with people. I also see images and metaphors that come seemingly out of nowhere and bring insights into things. I am currently 38. Most people assume I am younger and it can feel mischievously delicious to see them acting in alignment with this assumption without breaking the illusion. I currently live in London, am planning to move to Portugal, was born and raised in Russia and my roots are mainly from Ukraine. I speak seven languages and know both the curses and the gifts of not having one single place of belonging. I came to the UK when I was 20 to study hospitality and tourism management…only to realise, a couple of years later, that my heart longs to create and express itself, not manage. So I got my BA, completed my internship in a Central London office and went on to pursue photography and other visual arts for many years to come. It is only recently that I have connected my early interest in hospitality with what I currently do - which hosting spaces where people can really land and feel at home, in connection with their body, soul and spirit. I spent many years of my life in a relationship that felt utterly destructive to my soul. In 2015, I felt desperate and went to see a therapist. I thought this work was useless and nothing would help. In 2016, I went through a painful separation and then divorce. At that time, I was also feeling completely lost professionally. This period felt like the dark night of the soul, but I have eventually managed to come through, with a different understanding of myself, my strength, my needs and things I stand for in this world. What felt like hell, turned out to be the beginning of my healing journey. A BIT ABOUT MY HEALING JOURNEY Having grown up in an environment where emotional depth, sensitivity to nuance, authentic self-expression and creative ways were not exactly appreciated, I know very well what it's like to feel different, misunderstood, not sure where and if I can ever belong. For many, many years, I believed that something was deeply wrong with and broken about me and how I am. No matter how much I tried, how much I pushed to change myself, I struggled to fit into the loud, noisy, rushing, linear, rationality-oriented world that at times didn't make any sense. Like so many other sensitive souls, I have developed my own ways of coping and fitting in - like hiding bits of myself that I deemed ugly, scary or uncool, swallowing my truth, hiding my thoughts and feelings even from myself to the extent of losing any sense of boundaries, disconnecting from my body and intuition, anxiously chasing after the next new thing and external validation, not giving myself any space to breathe and listen to my inner voice. Living like this was painful and at some point became intolerable, so I reached out for help. In the course of my own healing journey, one of the many things I have discovered that the belief that something was fundamentally wrong and broken about me, was just that - a belief, not a curse that determined how I lived my life. I have also discovered that the most healing thing was not this or that tool, modality or approach. It was not even a cognitive understanding of why things happened. What my inner system and the young parts of my psyche deeply needed in order to heal was an attuned relational space, where I was loved for who I was and allowed to go at my own pace and be fully me, with all of my feelings of brokenness, sadness, envy, confusion, darkness, guilt, lostness, anger, heartbreak, as well as joy, excitement, dreaminess, hope and pride and a myriad of other feelings. What my parts needed, were to be seen and consistently met with acceptance, love, warm curiosity, compassion and understanding by another human being. In the process, I have also discovered the power of connecting with my intuitive body wisdom and befriending my nervous system and what is often referred to as somatic intelligence - a resource I never knew was available to me. As a result, rigid ways of being/thinking/reacting that have felt like "just who I am", started to soften, release and transform, while my sense of authentic self, personal power, self-trust, boundaries and capacity to feel and handle difficult emotions, without becoming overwhelmed, has been steadily growing. Offering healing spaces like that and supporting others like myself on their journeys of growth and healing, has become my passion and vocation.

mtm educational consultancy

London

For more than 35 years, MTM Consulting has supported schools (state and independent), universities and other education providers to remain in business and to develop and thrive, whatever the economic climate. We are all about providing solid data, insightful analysis and clear recommendations to enable organisations to plan for future stability and success and to uphold their responsibilities to parents who entrust them with their children’s education. In fact, we’ve worked with more than 500 schools and researched more than 250,000 parents. Our feasibility studies, supply and demand analyses and stakeholder research projects are all designed to help school business leaders to understand the potential of their organisation’s market, where they stand against their competitors, what the market wants and what it does not want. MTM equips education decision-makers with the information and insight they need to make the right choices for the future of their organisations. Education business expertise MTM’s team are all education business specialists with many years of experience. We understand the challenges and opportunities of the education sector and we want to use our expertise to help schools and other education providers to find the right course and achieve success. We are friendly and approachable We want to help We enjoy designing bespoke market research, marketing and business strategies to meet individual clients’ specific needs We encourage questions We communicate throughout We present or report on our findings and recommendations in a way that best suits each client We love to provide all the detail our clients need We follow up to see if we can help further We keep in touch Meet MTM’s expert team… Evidence-based decision-making MTM Consulting’s support of its education clients is based on facts, expertise and experience. Our market research projects focus on providing the data and information required to make crucial decisions on resourcing and activities to: improve recruitment and increase the school roll minimise student attrition and improve retention and raise the organisation’s profile in its target market and the education sector in order to attract families, teaching and non-teaching staff, leaders and governors who will bring their skills and work as a team to ensure the organisation’s future success MTM uses UK-wide demographic information and a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to acquire exactly the data required to inform clients of the realities of their organisation’s situation. Of course, we don’t expect our education clients to be experts in market research themselves – through a series of friendly, collaborative discussions our team members are able to work with clients to ascertain the information that would be of greatest benefit to them in their decision-making. We ensure that the pricing of our products is transparent, and realistic in relation to education organisations’ budgets. In fact, we have recently revisited our offer in order to break down projects into distinct elements to improve affordability, particularly with smaller organisations in mind. We also offer subscription packages and the opportunity to spread payments over time. MTM’s suite of market research projects is infinitely customisable to suit the needs of individual clients and can be combined to create a totally bespoke market research project designed to meet clients’ needs exactly. Real-world insight, analysis and recommendations for success MTM is a long-established education market research company, which has a true understanding – built over three decades – of education, coupled with unparalleled skills and experience to support education business leaders to make the decisions that will lead their organisations to be steadfast and successful in the long-term, for the benefit of their stakeholders, staff and students. Our researchers have at their fingertips many years’ worth of sector- and country-wide data and are adept at using this to benchmark our clients’ performance. This helps business leaders to develop a real understanding of their organisation’s position and to see ‘the bigger picture’ and the potential in their market. Sometimes it is not just about what the data shows, but what it doesn’t show – our experts are able to draw attention to the gaps in an education organisation’s performance that can be crucial when making decisions on areas of future development. MTM works with a team of business professionals, all with proven track records in their fields, who work with our clients to maximise the opportunities revealed by market research and analysis. Business, marketing and international expertise is on offer to ensure that the client is able to develop a practical action plan – and a set of key performance indicators that will allow it to be assessed and scrutinised – as the organisation heads towards achieving its objectives. Our business professionals are collaborative team-workers, but they also have the strength and experience to draw our clients’ attention to areas of weakness and aims that are unachievable. We know that facing up to realities makes for a healthier business in the long term and ensures that funds and resources are focused on attainable goals. Supporting education It is our great pleasure to see our education clients succeed. There can be no better business to be in than education, and MTM is a staunch supporter of parents’ right to choose the environment in which their children are taught – state or independent, small or large… We work with education providers of all kinds and we are firm believers in the importance of a breadth of offering to suit all families. Early Years: MTM’s Feasibility Studies provide vital market information to schools and groups considering opening a new nursery or re-shaping their existing provision. Independent schools: MTM’s market research, business and marketing strategy projects are designed to help schools to be successful and sustainable in the long-term so that they are able to offer their pupils the education they deserve for the duration of their school careers State schools: MTM offers great insights into pupil and parent satisfaction and staff wellbeing to help schools to engage with the school community and ensure that educational resources are being maximised. School groups: MTM is able to advise groups (independent and state academies) on the potential success of new acquisitions and to help streamline the business of education for efficiency and to ensure maximum resources are available for education. Higher education: universities and higher education providers turn to MTM to help them to understand the opinions of their students on the quality of education they are receiving and the potential effect on their next steps in education and employment. Long-standing relationships with education clients We maintain very strong relationships with our clients, many of whom we have worked with on a regular basis for decades. To see real examples of MTM projects, please read a selection of our case studies. Over the past three decades, MTM has worked with big and small names in independent and state education, early years providers, higher education providers and education suppliers and investors. Rather than engaging MTM as a supplier, we like to think we are part of the team, offering information, skills and experience to support education organisations to maximise their business potential and provide a secure learning experience for their students well into the future. Communication with our clients is on-going and we constantly ask which aspects of our service they have most appreciated, and which could be developed. We act on our clients’ feedback and hone our products and services to make sure that they offer our clients exactly what they need.

dunwalkin' driving school edinburgh www.dunwalkin.com

As your instructor I will provide: A friendly and relaxed atmosphere Structured driving lesson plans where we can monitor your progress Driving lessons are one to one and where you will get my full attention Collect and drop off facility at your Edinburgh home address, or an other location within Edinburgh that is convenient to you A non-smoking environment (legislation requires the vehicle, being a workplace, enforce a non-smoking policy) My aim is to teach you “safe driving for life” and not just get you through your driving test. Testimonials Leslie was great. I started to learn with a different school and found the lessons stressful and really not enjoyable, but Leslie helped me to relax and was calm and patient with his explanations. I ended up passing first time and would definitely recommend him as a teacher. Nina Nicholl – 1 May 2017 I would not have passed, if it were not for Leslie’s exceptional patience and determination to ensure that I felt 100% confident going into my test. He was always able to get me the time slots that I asked without a fuss! Would highly recommend. Thank you Leslie! Ellie Robertson – 14 February 2017 Leslie @ Dunwalkin what can I say from the most anxious, unconfident person you will probably come across! You are the most patient and nicest person I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet and learn from. You worked around my working hours, you taught me how to drive rather than just how to pass my test. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and the result a pass with 2 minors! I look forward to our next adventure – motorway driving. To all the students who are like me, I can not recommend Leslie enough. He is an absolute diamond. Caroline McDonald – 18 January 2017 I passed my test first time! Leslie was a great instructor who was very clear and concise when explaining things to me. He was patient with me and was very calm and supportive. I would highly recommend Leslie! Thanks again for all your help. Lewis Ajodani – 5 January 2917 After two attempts at passing a test with another instructor, I approached Leslie as his reviews were excellent. They did not lie! He has a really relaxed but clear approach to teaching and made me feel really at ease in the car. He is really logical about driving, and makes you prepare for the road and not just the test. Having just passed yesterday (something I was starting to think would never be possible!) I feel great. Highly recommend! Olivia Ainsworth – 25 November 2016 Dunwalkin’ Driving School is great! I already had a license from another county, and unlike other driving schools I have contacted before, Dunwalkin’ Driving School did not try to sell me more lessons than I needed. Leslie Muldoon was patient, good at explaining, fair and fun to be around. He made an assessment of my driving, estimated how many classes I will need, and I finally passed straight away on my first try. Excellent. Connor Ki – 23 November 2016 Amazing driving lessons great price and a professional service from start to finish could have not done it without his help and commitment to me thanks again and will miss the Tuesday chats. Steven Munro – 29 September 2016 Having originally started driving with another instructor before I moved to Edinburgh, I found Leslie’s approach to be much more thorough and patient. He took the time to answer any questions and talk through alternative scenarios to those that were encountered during lessons, as well as emailing additional resources to help my understanding. All of this came together to give me the confidence to pass my test and become an independent driver Nina Jeffrey – 26 July 2016 Leslie was a fantastic instructor. Organising lessons was a doddle and he was very good at changing lesson times if something came up. He was always patient, understanding and helpful behind the wheel and I don’t think I would have passed first time without him. Highly recommend. Stuart McGachan – 23 July 2016 I found Leslie at Dunwalkin to be a very calm, helpful and engaging instructor. He always made me feel at ease behind the wheel and helped my learn to drive in a relaxed and enjoyable manner. I would fully recommend Dunwalkin to anyone wishing to learn to drive the right way. Harry Smith – 7 June 2016 I would highly recommend Dunwalkin Driving School for anyone learning to drive. Leslie was a great instructor who made my lessons as helpful and stress-free as possible. Definitely wouldn’t have been able to pass my test without his help. 10/10. Scott Burrell – 18 March 2016 Having had a number of lessons with Dunwalkin’ Driving School and subsequently passed my test I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Muldoon. The lessons were quick and easy to arrange, and Mr Muldoon offered great flexibility, allowing me to book a lesson at a time and date that was convenient. Further, the actual experience itself was excellent, as Mr Muldoon was not only very informative and a fantastic instructor, but he did so in a relaxed manner, which allowed me as a learner at the time to feel more relaxed and confident about my driving, something which I think is very important. All of the essential areas were covered extensively with Mr Muldoon, but he was equally happy to spend some time on a specific area if I felt it needed attention. Overall I am very pleased I used Dunwalkin’ Driving and I would highly recommend them. Jamie Crerar – 25 February 2016 At the beginning I was a fairly nervous and hesitant driver, but Leslie’s calm, supportive approach to teaching put me at ease every lesson. I took just over 25 hours with Leslie between my first lesson and my successful first driving test, and I can confidently say that he made every hour worthwhile and always left me feeling like I was making significant progress. Lessons took place in and around the routes commonly taken during driving tests at my test center, so when the test came I was fully prepared. His step-by-step techniques for carrying out potentially tricky reversing maneuvers makes them seem easy in no time at all. Leslie’s relaxing, approachable in-car atmosphere and excellent tuition has developed me into a confident, safe driver, and I am glad I chose him as my instructor; I would recommend him to anyone else looking to learn. Calum Hill – 31 December 2015 Leslie provided an excellent level of driving tuition that prepared me not only for all aspects that are covered in the practical driving test (which I passed first time) but for likely situations that could arise in my driving beyond that. He was an extremely patient instructor who always had a calming influence in spite of my nervous driving and sometimes inexplicable mistakes! The atmosphere in the car was always friendly, with good natured banter to lighten the mood. He was also very accommodating and flexible to fit driving lessons around my work and social life, including on his supposed days off…! Could not recommend him highly enough! Elliot Reid – 8 October 2014 I hadn’t driven since passing my test several years ago and was a bit nervous about taking a car out on my own. Having a few lessons really helped to bost my confidence and helped with the areas where I was lacking a bit of experience – driving on motorways, complex junctions and parking. >Leslie was really patient with me and helped me get to a stage where I can happily take a car out on my own. I’ve finally got my freedom back! Ashley Campbell – 15 August 2014 He has been my instructor since last September and today, I have finally passed! If it were not for Leslie’s relentless patience and understanding as well as his reliability – I never would have gotten through it! Not only is Leslie an amazing instructor, he adapts his learning style to suit you and helped me to understand not only how to be a safe and knowledgeable driver but also Leslie helped me understand myself and how I learn much better. It has been a long journey (no pun intended) and although I am partially sad that it has come to an end, I know that I have the confidence and ability to be a great (and safe) driver. I would highly recommend Leslie (and have done already) to my friends and family. I cannot thank Leslie enough for everything he has taught me. Thanks and with best wishes, Anna Sacco – 2 July 2014 Leslie is a fantastic driving instructor. From the first lesson you feel relaxed and comfortable as he talks you slowing and carefully through what you will be doing and how to properly complete the task. Leslie is extremely patient and calm at all times which rubs off on you!! The atmosphere in the car is always friendly so you keep calm and really enjoy your lessons! Leslie not only prepares you to pass your test, but takes the time to make sure you are capable of coping with all manner of driving conditions and scenarios, which makes you are more confident driver. L Cameron – 4 March 2014 I set myself a goal of learning to drive by a certain point and Leslie helped me achieve that goal. His approach to teaching is second to none. Not only does he teach you the skills to drive, but he also prepares you for the theory and practical tests by asking you questions and making you aware of potential hazards. And, he teaches you how to become one of the better drivers on the road. He picks up on your body language and your mind-set, and explains why you are making mistakes; and he breaks down the more complicated situations, step by step, to help you overcome any issues with your driving. I couldn’t recommend him highly enough. E Crossan – 12 Dec 2013 Excellent service for money! Very thorough and every single thing is explained well. Got me to pass on my first attempt! Would recommend to anyone looking for a driving instructor. Ben Davidson – 12 Dec 2013 I got in contact with Dunwalkin’ when I had two disappointments with other driving schools. When I started with Leslie he put me at ease straight away. After my first lesson with him he knew exactly what my weak points were and he built on them week by week to the point that I passed my test on 14/08/13. When you have leslie as a driving instructor you know that you have the right instructor, he is friendly and a very patient person, I should know when he had to put up with me and my mirrors, well should I say, the lack of using them!! All that said thanks again Leslie for getting me up to standard. Colin Bruce – 15 Aug 2013 The instructor was excellent, calm and supported me despite being very nervous at times. Easy to organise a lesson and prices very good. If anybody was going to get me though my test it was Dunwalkin’! Lewis Henderson – 17 June 2013 I started my driving lessons in October 2012 with Leslie and within the first lesson he was successful in teaching me the functions of the car and how do drive properly and not like in a video which I thought it was like at the time! He was able to do this through a mixture of it has to be said extreme patience, enthusiasm and the ability to put up with my constant questioning and answer them in such an effective way that it made me instantly more confident in my ability to drive. Leslie was a great teacher and it was thanks to him that I passed my practical test first time with only four minor faults! He was also extremely accommodating with the times of when the driving lessons took place and was flexible to my timings. I would very happily recommend him to anyone and hope that you are wise enough to make the choice of Leslie as your instructor! Alain Archibald I started my driving lessons at a comparatively old age with Dunwalkin. Throughout my learning journey, Leslie has offered a very professional, patient and enjoyable learning experience. He was particularly patient with my recurring mistakes and gave excellent practical pointers on how to avoid making them (especially on roundabouts!). He is very adept at removing stress and anxiety in new learners, especially those past their teens, and knows how to identify the root cause of learners’ errors and correct them. Coupled with excellent value for money, I would certainly recommend Dunwalkin to anyone looking to learn from scratch and reach a very high and safe standard of driving. Very grateful for all the training! Dan Blagojevic Leslie is a fantastic driving instructor. He is calm, patient, encouraging with his driving lessons and great at getting you past all your driving anxieties. During the driving lessons he simplified things where I complicated them, he clarified where I when I was confused and continually made me aware of my progress. As learner, I used to dread getting into the drivers seat but leslie ‘s positive teaching has given me such confidence in my driving and not only that, I enjoy it too! Vikki R Leslie was a great instructor. He allowed me to take things at my own pace but was not afraid to push me when he knew I was capable. As Leslie was very approachable I felt at ease speaking with him If I ever had any concerns over my driving. Learning with Dunwalkin suited me very well as Leslie was always very flexible in our timetable as my work hours would change week to week. I would highly recommend the Dunwalkin driving school as you are being taught skills to make you a good and conscientious driver for life and not just to pass a test. Sophia M Leslie is a fantastic driving instructor. From the first lesson Leslie helped me feel calm, relaxed and safe in the car, not an easy task with a very nervous learner. Leslie was always friendly, approachable, happy to answer any questions and flexible if lessons needed to be changed. His sense of humour, patience (of a saint!!!) and calmness made each lesson an enjoyable experience and helped me develop my confidence. Leslie’s approach is very much to teach safe driving for life, not just to get you through the test. His ‘coaching’ style enabled me to learn safe driving skills at a deeper level than surface learning which could be quickly forgotten. I feel confident that I now have the skills to drive safely on my own. I passed my test first time with 2 minor faults. I’ve already signed up for Pass Plus with Dunwalkin. My son has Asperger’s Syndrome and I’ve asked Leslie to teach him to drive as I believe he has the patience, understanding and skill to help him to become a confident and safe driver. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for driving lessons in a positive learning environment. Thank you so much Leslie you are a star. Jane M I found Leslie to be a calm, controlled presence in the car and had a firm grasp of all aspects required to pass the “practical driving test”. In addition, Leslie was approachable and honest, providing an accurate assessment of my skills. He accurately identified what I needed to improve in order to pass the test and also to become a good overall driver. Peter H I was a ‘late’ learner. Into my thirties before I plucked up the courage to learn to drive. And a pretty nervous individual into the bargain! But thanks to Leslie’s tuition and approach I quickly overcame my fears. He didn’t just teach me to drive, he gave me the confidence to drive (and not let mistakes get me down). And I passed first time! Colin M I passed my driving test first time with the help of a friendly and supportive instructor. I would fully recommend ‘Dunwalkin Driving School’ to anyone ready to hit the roads! Emma P You gave Alasdair the understanding of handling a car and driving with confidence and an awareness of other drivers. You made him aware of his limitations and keen to build up his driving skills. You encouraged him to undertake Pass Plus after passing his driving test (first time!) to make him safe as possible on the roads. You gave me the courage to take him out to practice driving.