My name is Annette Norrish and I work as a freelance trainer and coach.
Previous to being self-employed my work has mainly been within the voluntary sector, working with a national charity co-ordinating and facilitating accredited and non-accredited courses for parents. From developing and delivering a wide range of programmes, I moved to focusing on supporting parents on their journey towards work. My introduction to Liz came as I was setting up a job club specifically to meet the needs of parents and carers and this subsequently led me to training with Belina and being able to offer the GRoW course at local Children’s Centres.
I am currently delivering courses for a local charity in Milton Keynes called ‘Works for Us’.
‘Works for Us’ is an employability charity with a 38 year history of helping disadvantaged people particularly women, to gain work in Milton Keynes. The charity works with people who have mental and physical health issues, people from ethnic minorities, carers and lone parents and those recovering from Domestic violence. This list is not exhaustive and many will fall into more than one category. What is common for almost all of the clients is a lack of confidence, low self-esteem and a feeling that they have already failed. ‘Works for Us’ offers a range of services with the ambition to deliver what they have learned works well for clients, to deliver it consistently enabling individuals to access a range of activities according to their needs.
For me, the GRoW programme offers a framework that enables the group to build on each week’s activities and feel more confident about themselves. I particularly like the solution focused approach which helps participants recognise their skills and strengths and encourages them to focus on a more positive future. The topics on the course give opportunity for the group to explore and discuss issues together and individually, participants can build a practical toolkit that can help them feel more confident and equipped to move towards work.
Feedback from a previous course participant “Through meeting new people, I don’t feel so isolated. Attending a regular session has given me more motivation to be pro-active”.