Inner Strength

Yesterday’s WEN forum opened with a thought for the day from Eileen, which looked at a rule for a happy life. This rule simply states that “Life is not about how fast you can run, or how high you can climb, but how well you can bounce!”

Eileen then asked the ladies to work in pairs and discuss which character they think they are like. Responses were very varied and ranged from the Roadrunner to an Owl to Winnie the Pooh to a Lioness. Each lady was able to identify with their chosen character and carried incredible depth, reflective of their characteristics.

Our guest speaker for the evening was Trish, a remarkable lady who has endured her share of trials and survived it, proving to be an inspiration to others. Like previous guest speakers, she spoke of a boss who saw something in her and supported and encouraged her to seize opportunities and develop herself. Spurred on by her inner strength, determination and the support of those around her, she completed a counselling course and went on to get a post-graduate diploma in Psychotherapy to work in a field for which she holds tremendous passion. This goes to show that if you are that determined to do something, you will find a way to achieve it.

The evening finished with an introduction to NLP given by Pauline Gibbs and Eileen, who said that NLP starts with you and is about you. They encouraged anyway who chose to do a course in it to be open to it, to learn and grow with it. They then taught the ladies the concept of anchoring.

The next event in July will be a celebratory event and will be the last forum meeting under the lottery funding. However, we aim to start again in September with a new round of events.

By Tulasi Siva

Returning into the workplace

Most of us take a break in our working lives for various reasons. Whatever they may be and however long the break, the prospect of returning to work can seem very daunting to many. The latest WEN forum held yesterday addressed this dilemma, giving guidance on a host of issues that face a “Returner to work.”

Our guest speakers for the night were two leaders from our local community, Jacquie Hime, Director of North Herts CVS, and Kate Belinis, CEO of CDA for Herts. Both spoke of her journey into their present role and gave powerful tips to secure an interview and face it with confidence.

Having taken a length of time off from the working arena to raise a family, Jacquie chose to develop herself by attending as many free courses as possible, which was echoed by Kate. Their essential message was – give yourself the advantage by gaining as many skills as you can while you are looking for employment, whether this is through volunteering or doing suitable courses. The key to individual personal success is to be driven and to constantly learn, whether they are new qualifications, skills or about yourself.

One element which radiated from both ladies, who have had remarkable careers, was their passion for the roles they hold. Reflecting this, another key message is to find out through a process of trial and error the role which is appropriate for you. They emphasised the importance of regarding each experience as a learning opportunity, and to have the confidence to know that you can achieve what you want and to seek what you desire.

Being leaders of local charities, both ladies have strong knowledge as to what makes a successful job application. Their tips include:

• Know how to complete an application form, including asking someone to double-check your form for errors and to give advice on making it stronger
• Address the job description and person specification by showing, not merely telling, how you fulfil each criterion

With regards to facing an interview, a message endorsed by both ladies was that in order to have been short-listed, you must have had a strong application form. Take confidence in that knowledge. A major part of the interview preparation process entails finding out as much as you can about the organisation including visiting the premises if you feel it will help settle you nerves. Many recruiters ask similar questions, so it is worth searching for interview questions and preparing solid responses.

An exercise led by Eileen concluded this incredibly stimulating evening. All the ladies were asked if they were granted one wish to improve an aspect of their lives, what that would be. With this wish in mind, they were asked to work in groups to turn their wish into a SMART goal.

Women who come together and work together can make a significant difference in each other’s lives and a magnificent contribution to the wider community. We, at WEN, hope this has a cascading effect in all aspects of everyone’s life. We look forward to seeing you at the next WEN forum.

By Tulasi Siva

Empowering & Inspiring

A unique training event was held a few days ago which aimed to enable local women take control of their lives and design their future. The one-day training event which was held at North Herts College, Stevenage, was attended by 20 women and was heralded to be a great success by all participants. This inspirational training day, developed and delivered by Eileen Hutchinson, and sponsored by NHC, enabled the women to take a look at their career aspirations, employment and volunteering options.

During the course of the day, the ladies learnt techniques to assertively say “no”, instead of that automatic “yes”. They also gained an insight into how thoughts impact on each and every one of us and how reframing a situation can change one’s state of mind. Working in pairs and in groups, the ladies identified their personal goals and set objectives to achieve them. They also learnt how to overcome the trappings of the Drama Triangle.

Comments from participants on the day included:

·       I loved the day and would be interested in doing more courses

·       Very empowering

·       I have so much more direction and focus in just one day

·       Loved the life plans and now want a mentor to help me achieve even more

The training event entitled “Design your future” was held as part of the Women Employability Network (WEN) initiative developed by Eileen Hutchinson of HCMA.

As a testament to the impact of this training event, all the participants have signed up to attend more training courses to empower and develop themselves. Furthermore, the WEN programme has at least 42 women signed up for it and HCMA is seeking funding to provide this fantastic opportunity to these ladies.

For more information on how to participate in similar programmes and to find out more about the ongoing WEN meetings, contact HCMA on 01438 310074 or email info@hcma.me.uk.

By Tulasi Siva

Design your future

Do you have a career aspiration and do not quite know how to make it real? Are there any goals that just seem out of reach, no matter how hard you try? Are you the kind of person who always says “Yes” when asked a favour, when you really want to say “No”? If these are the kind of things that are hindering you from living your ideal life, then you need to explore what WEN can give you.

As part of the WEN programme, we, in conjunction with North Herts College, will be hosting a special one-off training event which will focus on YOU. This inspirational training day will take a look at your career aspirations, employment and volunteering options. You, the participant, will take an active role in identifying your dream and designing your future. For those of you who are less confident, rest assured, we will ensure you are taken care of on the day. You will also have the opportunity to learn some powerful NLP techniques.

Overview of the day:

• How often do you say “Yes” when you mean “No”?
• Practical introduction to developing confidence and self-esteem
• The role people play in our lives
• What influence do other people have in your life?
• NLP techniques to help you design your future

For those of you who want to move forward in your life, this is a unique opportunity not to be missed. As the day is funded, places are limited and so booking is essential. Contact HCMA to book your place.

Date:    Saturday 14^th April

Time:    10.00am – 4.00pm

Venue:  North Herts College, Stevenage campus

By Tulasi Siva

A look at the world of business

If you are interested in working for yourself and have been wondering just how to make that happen, then this month’s WEN forum (which took place two days ago) was the place to have been. We were delighted to have three remarkable women speaking at this month’s event, all of whom work in the business sector, with two of them working for themselves.

Debbie Akehurst, the first guest speaker of the evening, gave an overview of how she came to be in her current position of Director of Corporate Responsibility for a FTSE-100 company based in London. A highly-encouraging talk, Debbie spoke about her top five tips for surviving the corporate world.

These tips included acquiring the skills and qualifications you need to get into the sector in which you are interested; communicating effectively (which, for the modest among you, includes talking about your achievements); and going to the office with your work hat on i.e. be professional at work.

The next guest speaker was Jo Wilkinson who works for herself and said she thrives on working so hard for her company. She had held several roles throughout her career, all of which gave her the skills to do her present role, a role she relishes.

Jo’s key message was to learn, train and develop yourself, which was a message echoed by all three speakers. For those interested in starting their own business, she emphasised the need to be clear on your business idea, right through to your brand and your target market.

Sheleen Rodney’s motivational speech wrapped up the events for the evening. Taking the audience along with her as she reminisced about her early days of setting up her business, she spoke of how she answered her mum’s question of why she wants to work for herself and not find another job. Her response was to analyse the pros and cons of both possibilities. Working for herself, she concluded, would give her a happier work-life balance.

She invited all the ladies to share one achievement of which they are proud, which is something she stops to reflect upon herself every single day. These daily reminders of her achievements help her to keeping moving forward, pursuing her dream. Her key messages were to be focused, make your idea viable, be ready to multi-task and especially to believe in yourself.

For more information of how WEN can help you follow your dream career, contact HCMA.

It was great to see so many ladies attend the evening. We look forward to hosting the next WEN forum during when we will hear from ladies working in different sectors including the government sector and the charity sector.

By Tulasi Siva

Positivity overflowing

Our second Forum evening was hosted by WEN ladies, Sue and Hazel who spoke about what the various elements of the WEN course. The talk given by Hazel was delightful and thought-proving as she shared with the audience some of her own poetry, one of which depicted the importance of words and the impact they have on an individual. Another of her poems showed what WEN is not.

When words penned in such a manner
May never be undone
To craft manipulation of another mind
To blind someone with diction
To suffocate a human thought
Seducing it with sentiment
Like a vintage wine uncorked.

Hazel explained that if you were to unpick that poem line by line, you would realise that it is not about understanding but having things forced upon you – which is everything that WEN is not.

The first guest speaker for the evening, Sue Ross (founder of Lifegeta) spoke of her journey from when she suffered her stroke to her founding Lifegeta. She was coached and mentored by Eileen and is now a trustee of HCMA. One of her most powerful words was her own resolution to fight as opposed to giving up and turning to alcohol. It was her resolve to do something positive with her life that led her to where she is now, in a position to support and help others dealing with difficult emotional issues such as an acquired disability.

Her inspirational words was followed by an equally excellent talk given by Elaine Connolly (who had also attended one of HCMA's courses on presentation skills) who spoke about presenting yourself, be it in a presentation or in an interview situation. In her all-inclusive style, she asked all the ladies to break into small groups and discuss what is important about presenting yourself in any situation.

Many key points were brought back which included preparing well; making a good first impression by smiling warmly and shaking the interviewer’s hand; and to take a few calming breaths before you begin. One of her key messages was “What three things do you want the audience to remember about you?”. So, know in your mind what those three things are and get these three points across to the audience.

The evening concluded with an exercise presented by Eileen with the aim of finding out what the ladies would like to gain from attending these WEN Forums and also what the ladies could bring to the Forums.

Once again, we were pleased with the number of ladies who attended the evening and the feedback we continue to receive from them. We are looking forward to the next WEN forum during when we will be exploring the theme of starting a business.

By Tulasi Siva

An inspirational evening

We were pleased to host the first WEN Forum yesterday, which provided the perfect opportunity for several ladies to find out more about the WEN project as well as about the work of HCMA.

Following a warm welcome by Eileen, WEN’s project co-ordinator, Tulasi spoke about the aims and aspirations of the WEN project – that it is a programme designed to empower local women to achieve their dreams through developing their confidence and providing them with a range of employability skills.

A poignant aspect of the evening was the testimonials given by some of the participants of the pilot programme which highlighted the success of WEN in such a short space of time. Each of the ladies shared stories of how Eileen and WEN changed their lives for the better.

There were guest four speakers during the evening, each of whom shared experiences of her journey and achievements that led to her current position in life. Each speaker was inspirational and shared powerful messages. The speakers for the evening were Debbie Akehurst (Chair of HCMA), Katrina Kozuch (from North Herts College), Coucillor Sharon Taylor and Ilse Leenders (psychotherapist/counsellor).

Key messages from the speakers included the importance of having at least basic knowledge of financial matters, and to never allow others to dictate whether or not we can do something.

One of the core messages delivered at the meeting is that women need to work together, to support and give confidence to one another. Women face a hard enough time in the male-dominated work arena, that it is important we champion each other’s achievements. And we should be able to look to other women for encouragement and guidance.

We hope the WEN network will continue to grow and that it will inspire and empower women to take control of their future, secure in the knowledge that there are other women out there who are going through similar experiences, who are willing and able to support each other.

We were thrilled with the turn out at the event, so much so that we are now moving to a bigger venue at North Herts College. We look forward to seeing you at the next WEN forum for another exciting opportunity to share knowledge and experiences.

By Tulasi Siva