I am a skilled facilitator, trained life coach and have experience of working with groups of different sizes and backgrounds. I can tailor workshops or longer courses for your community group, team or workplace and devise materials and exercises specifically for your needs.
NEW for 2014! Confidence building workshops for women
The first workshop “Speak Up with Confidence” will take place at Tea Hive in Chorlton on 12th March 2014. More details here:
Some quotes from recent confidence in public speaking training:
- “Everything was positive from this training. It was essential and very useful.”
- “Will take away confidence (I can do it!)”
- “I loved the humour – it makes training so much more fun”
Background
As part of working for Ethical Consumer Research Association, I regularly facilitated meetings and brainstorming sessions. This led to me seeking more formal training in those techniques and I received facilitation training from Directory of Social Change, and from ICA-UK.
Further training in a variety of coaching skills and on participatory workshops has given me a range of skills useful when leading workshops, running training courses and facilitating groups. I am also PTTLS qualified (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector), a key adult education qualification.
Examples of training, facilitation and other work
- Confidence Building and job search skills for GAP Unit, designing and writing various elements of the curriculum and background materials as well as delivering the three month course and mentoring/coaching individual participants.
- Living Well with a long-term illness or disability. A School of Participation project for Community Pride. I devised a number of different group exercises specifically for this course on topics including ‘assertiveness/saying no’, managing energy, and putting yourself first.
Course feedback from participants: “I’ve learned to be assertive and say no, and I don’t feel guilty about it”; “I feel renewed by the group’s attitudes to doing what is right for your own balance, and I feel fortified that I am doing it right”; “I’m acknowledging that I can’t do everything. This has had a positive impact on my health”; “I’ve learned to spend my spoons more wisely and do the meditation when I can – it makes me feel rested, comforted and relaxed”; I’m not the only person with these issues, I learnt from other people about how they have dealt with their problems. I am not alone”
- Media interview training
- Self-esteem and confidence building For example, I delivered a one-off workshop to asylum seeker and refugee women in London for the Red Cross
- Growing your confidence in public speaking
- General confidence building training
- Community Researcher Training – including elements on data analysis, presentation skills and on leading focus groups
- School of Participation working on an estate in North Manchester, building up listening skills, using team building exercises and visioning exercises to help the group find solutions to issues on their estate.
- Working closely with a small department of local government to mediate between staff, helping them work on solutions to their issues and to set goals and actions for the team
- Strategic visioning and team building days
- Group workshops and one-to-ones on confidence building, stress management and presentation skills.
In my role as Expedition Manager of Blue Ventures expeditions in Madagascar, I led and motivated groups of volunteers, and managed the paid staff, improving staff morale whilst in post.
Contact me for more information about what I can offer, and my day and hourly rates (I offer a sliding scale). I tailor all training and facilitation to a team or group’s specific needs rather than offering generic “one size fits all” training courses.
Ruth Rosselson, freelance writer 