march 28 2011

Someone once described successful people as always being up to something. They tend to have a vision of how they would like their lives to be and they crucially tend to put plans in place and then act on these plans to move towards their ideal life. 

How often do we sit with friends and share our dreams of how the world could be a better place? And when we look back on our achievments what is it that marks them out?

We work with all sorts of people from across our community in West Northumberland. Often when we first meet they find it hard to pin down what it is they really want to gain from their plans. There are the obvious things like making a living and being independent but after some time to reflect, it sometimes becomes apparent that the main reason they want to do something for themselves is as a way of expressing themselves. They are up to something!

Part of the role of a good facilitator is to allow people in their community the time and space to reflect upon what they are good at and where they need support. No one has all the skills required to set up any organisation. The skills required to make or deliver something, to market and sell and to manage the financial needs are each very different. If we ignore this fact and try to prove that we are super human and can switch from one role to another on demand we will inevitably fail in the area we are not naturally strong in.

So who do you know who will listen to your plans to build a better life for yourself and your family? Who do you know that will listen to you without passing judgement or telling what they would do?

If you feel that you should be up to something you can call one of the three facilitators now working across Northumberland. We look forwards to hearing from you. 

may 24 2010

One of our clients, Kate Lowden, takes photographs and from these produces large prints and cards. Kate has worked hard to set up a range of sales outlets across the region and is now planning to expand her product range. Kate was recently introduced to a local business in Hexham by the TEP facilitator, Mark. The business is Upper Teas cafe. Upper Teas is owned and run by Debra. Mark noticed that Debra displays work on the cafe wall space produced by local artists, so he introduced Kate to Debra and there is now one wall displaying some of Kate's photography. Debra is pleased to have the added value of great pictures displayed in her cafe and Kate now has another outlet and display for her work. This is a simple example of the principles of the TEP and the Sirolli Institute. There are always people in every community who have useful skills and there are always others in that same community who are willing to help and support them to succeed. If you would like to see Kates pictures you can pop into Upper Teas which is above the bakers at 13 Catlle Market Hexham. You can see more about Kates business in our success stories page.