I am co-director of Cordwainers Grow - an environmental social enterprise in Hackney which promotes urban gardening, wildlife and biodiversity. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to engage creatively in the natural world that surrounds them. Our projects are connect communities with nature and the environment to develop values that promote respect for both people and planet.
I have been lucky enough to attend several Team London Skill-UP modules. The programme is a fantastic resource for organisastions like us who are unable to access quality training or development opportunities. It provides a high quality level of training and is a great way to meet others in the sector to share experiences and challenges. The mentoring and follow up sessions make easy to put new skills into practice and make measurable difference to your organisation.
The training sessions have already started to make a difference. The workshop on business partnerships by Natixis has shown me what we need to do so that we are ready for a business partnership. We are already engaging with many corporate volunteers but had never considered a partnership with any of them. I also attended the communications and public relations workshop by Portland. Thanks to the workshop and the mentoring afterwards we are developing a strategy for the way we talk to different stakeholders and the way we market ourselves and our services.
As a small social enterprise it has been brilliant to have access to this level of training. The follow-up support from your mentor is instrumental in putting things into practice. In a short period of time it's make a real difference to our effectiveness for our stakeholders and my own personal development.
Team London Skill-UP
Skills gaps can be a problem for London's small charities. Staff often work in small teams across different areas of expertise. It is not possible to be an expert in all these different areas which means small charities need external support, advice and training.
The Team London Skill-UP programme matches skilled business volunteers with staff from small charities to help them develop their skills and become more efficient in their roles.