Here you will find all the latest communications shared with the Group.
In case you missed it.... Our November Quarterly Colleague WebinarIf you didn't get chance to join the Colleague Webinar on Thursday 14th November, click here to watch the recording, You can also fill out the feedback survey for the webinar and read the responses to the questions that we didn’t cover in the session. |
Christmas Closure over the festive periodReminder: As a thanks and recognition to colleagues' hard work, we will again be giving colleagues the business closure period in between Christmas and New Year as paid leave. |
Employment Legal Advice Service Commended at Pro Bono AwardsThe Employment Legal Advice Service has been recognised for its outstanding Pro Bono work. ELAS was highly commended in the Charity/Frontline Agency of the Year category at the Greater Manchester Pro Bono Awards. The service has also been shortlisted in the Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership category at this year’s LawWorks Pro Bono Awards, |
GC colleague is raising funds for Chorley Women's CentreGC Employment colleague, Emma Simpson is raising funds for the Chorley Women's Centre. |
Finance UpdateRead further for important finance dates for colleagues to make note of before December |
Internal Job Changes: OctoberAn update on colleagues who have moved roles at GC during October 2024. |
'Walk and Talk’ over Holcombe Moor to Peel Tower and RamsbottomManagers from the GC-Employment Health and Wellbeing teams took part in a ‘Walk and Talk’ activity in October, over Holcombe Moor to Peel Tower and Ramsbottom, in Bury. |
Career Story: Jonathan WhartonFrom my early career working as a Financial Journalist in Hong Kong to joining GM Business Growth Hub in 2022, its been an interesting journey to say the least, I have gained a wealth of experience and I know there is a lot more to discover. |
Celebrating our EDI NetworksWatch our EDI Celebration video which showcases our eight EDI Networks and the work they do to make GC a more inclusive place to work. |
Pro Bono Week: Helping Melissa Overcome Employment Legal ChallengesNext week is Pro Bono Week, an opportunity to recognise and support the voluntary contribution made by the legal profession across the UK in giving free legal help to those in need. To mark the occasion, our GC Employment Service are sharing the story of how the Employment Legal Advice Service helped Melissa overcome a difficult period in her life after facing employment related legal challenges. |
The Growth Company Employment Teams and Colleagues Shortlisted for Eight AwardsThe Growth Company’s employment support teams have been shortlisted for eight awards |
Celebrating 30 years of The Manufacturing Institute (TMI)Since 1994 The Manufacturing Institute (TMI) has collaborated with tens of thousands of manufacturing professionals and companies worldwide to deliver competitive advantage through accessible, outcome-driven consulting and impactful education, training, and productivity improvement programmes. |
GC's Wear it Pink DayColleagues from across the Growth Company took part in 'Wear it Pink Day' to raise awareness of Breast Cancer. |
Webinar: Embracing Neurodiversity in the WorkplaceJoin us for a bitesize session on neurodiversity on Thursday 5th December from 11.00-12.00 |
GC's EDI Network News: EmbRace Members, Allies and Friends Came Together!To celebrate Black History Month on 16th October our EDI EmbRace network held a fantastic event in central Manchester that brought together Embrace members, allies, and friends |
Progress your career at GCWith PRD's now open it's a good time to think about your career and how you can proactively progress it. |
GC Employment Service UpdatesRead about the updates from GC Employment Services |
Colleagues shine spotlight on cancer in night-time charity walkColleagues from GMBGH have taken to the streets of Manchester to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK. Led by colleague Bob Dackiw, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, the Stronger Together team took part in the annual Cancer Research UK Shine Night Walk on Friday 11th October, raising more than £2800! |
Hargreaves Lansdown - Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) & Investments webinarMore than ever, individuals and organisations are recognising the power of their pensions to have an impact on the environment and wider society. We’ve invited our pension provider, Hargreaves Lansdown (HL), to host a remote webinar to go through how their default fund works and your options. If you’re new to investing or want to learn more about how ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing works, come along to the session. |
Talk Money Week: WebinarThis year to celebrate Talk Money Week (4-8 November) we'll be holding a webinar. Join us on 5th November to find out more about GC HIVE and the benefits of using this system. |
Reminder: Performance Review ProcessColleagues should will soon be able to begin their Mid-Year Performance Review Process for Group, and the End of Year Performance Review Process for Education & Skills. |
World Mental Health Day (10th Oct) – BGH shares tips for wellbeingDuring World Mental Health Day BGH shared tips to welbeing with both colleagues and businesses. |
Expansion to GC's Individual Placement & Support (IPS) - Drug and Alcohol ServiceWe've expanded GC's Individual Placement Support (IPS) - Drug and Alcohol Service and it's now being delivered across Warrington and Halton. Through a partnership with Change Grow Live (CGL), it aims to provide comprehensive support services that drive positive change and growth in the Warrington & Halton community, with a focus on employment, well-being, and recovery. |
They came, they saw, they sorted!Recently, Nick Shepherd and Deb Sullivan from the GM Business Growth Hub BD and Partnerships Team joined forces with the Hub’s Trafford Stakeholder Account Manager, Amy Pasicznyk, for a volunteering shift at The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) in Trafford Park. |
Colleague Fundraiser for the LGBT FoundationColleague Katie Bodha shares her experience of raising money for the LGBT Foundation. |
National Adoption Week #YouCanAdoptWith National Adoption Week kicking off, our Parent and Carers EDI Network want to highlight the importance of providing safe and loving homes for children across the country. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to share information about adoption and raise awareness around the challenges that still exist. |
Career Story: Jennifer BullimoreMy goal was to become a teacher but fate had a very different path in store for me... |
Internal Job ChangesAn update on colleagues who have moved roles at GC during September 2024 |
December Pay DateOur December pay date - when will colleagues receive their salary in December. |
It's International Pronouns Day on 16th OctoberAt GC, we embrace inclusion and diversity, and want all of our colleagues to feel safe and comfortable in the workplace, and Pronouns are an important way of expressing part of your identity. Find out more... |
GC Career progression story: Sharon MehtaSharon, who works as Teaching and Learning Manager in our Education & Skills team, explains how she was bitten by the travel-bug and embraced different cultures, before settling into her 23-year career with GC. |
Looking after your health during the winter monthsOne of the health and wellbeing benefits GC offer is a contribution towards the flu vaccination, and this year we have increased this to £13. find out more... |
Focused Inbox for Outlook - how it worksFind out how to make sure you receive GC News into your Focused Inbox every fortnight... |
BGH Programmes & Initiatives team hold their Away Day on a Greater Manchester WaterwayTeam Development Away Days are vitally important to allow colleagues to get to know each other away from their normal office/remote working day. Last month, our GM Business Growth Hub Programmes & Initiatives team took to a Greater Manchester waterway for their away day... |
St Helens Business Expo: The State of Growth in St. HelensWe've proudly launched GC's St Helens Business Support and Start-up Service at the St Helens Business Expo 2024. At the event we launched our new Growth Flag report ‘The State of Growth in St Helens’. |
Celebrating our colleagues' recent achievements…Take a look at the amazing things that colleagues have achieved over the past couple of months - from awards, to fundraising, to completing a walk across the the longest high wire bridge in Europe! |
Dignity at Work Toolkits in actionThrough our six Dignity at Work Toolkits, you can demonstrate the traits which will help GC become a more inclusive and diverse workplace. Tracey Roberts, Team Leader - Training and Training and Curriculum | Centre Manager for The Works, told us how she found out about the toolkits and how they're being used across her team... |
Longevity and experience – the benefits to mentoringThe GC Internal Mentoring Programme (iMentor) was launched at the start of 2024 and aimed at supporting career development for all colleagues and matched more experienced colleagues (mentors) with other less experienced colleagues (mentees). In a nod to International Day of Older Persons on 1st October – Stuart McPherson, Internal Communications Officer in our Communications & Marketing team, as a colleague approaching 50, shares his top 5 learnings from mentoring a younger colleague... |
Refugee Employability Programme (REP) and RESTART teams hosted a 'Celebrating Diversity through Food' FestivalEarlier last month, our Refugee Employability Programme (REP) and RESTART teams hosted a 'Celebrating Diversity through Food' Festival at our Rotherham office – find out more... |
Fern and Callum share their colleague mentoring journeyThe GC Internal Mentoring Programme (iMentor) was launched at the start of 2024, and aimed at supporting career development for all colleagues and matched more experienced colleagues (mentors) with other less experienced colleagues (mentees). As we build up to the launch of the programme's second cohort, we asked two colleagues (Fern Goddard and Callum Agbadabunia), who signed for the first cohort on the programme, to share their story and tell us how they found the experience. |
GC launches 'One Big Drop Off' to Support Mencap's Shoebox Appeal and FC United's Big Coat DayDuring the build-up to the festive season, we're proud to announce the launch of 'One Big Drop Off', a major charitable initiative supporting two incredible causes: Mencap’s Shoebox Appeal and FC United’s Big Coat Day. Both campaigns aim to bring warmth and essential items to those most in need across Manchester and beyond, with drop-off points set up at offices throughout Greater Manchester, and participation welcomed from GC colleagues in Merseyside and Yorkshire. Find out how you can take part... |
Working Well: Support to Succeed hosted their One Destination eventLast month, the Working Well: Support to Succeed programme hosted their One Destination event for both existing programme participants and prospective participants to find out more about the programme, speak to potential employers, and find volunteering and training opportunities. |
Celebrating GC News' 2nd BirthdayThanks for your continued support for our colleague newsletter. As part of our plans to enhance and improve our colleague communications, we're pleased to announce that this week we've started a project to launch a new Colleague Intranet in the new year. To celebrate our GC News milestone and the Intranet announcement, we offered colleagues the chance to win a £50 GC Hive Voucher. |
Greater Manchester Good Employment Week: Fair Work is Good WorkGood Employment Week in 2024 will be a celebration of fair and equitable work practices across Greater Manchester. Taking place from 7th to 11th October 2024. This year’s event will engage employers and employees in a city-wide conversation about the importance of fairness in the workplace. From insightful panel discussions to interactive experiences, Good Employment Week aims to shine a spotlight on what makes a workplace truly inclusive and supportive. Find out more... |
GC to deliver Jobs for Hongkongers Programme across the UKWe have successfully launched the national Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government (MHCLG) Hong Kong Welcome Programme – Jobs for Hongkongers. The programme will aim to support eligible people from Hong Kong with employability skills and English language support through a digital and telephone service. Find out more. |
How GC promotes work-life balanceAs its National Work-Life Week from 7th-11th October, with the theme of #FlexWork our Parent and Carers EDI Network look at how GC promotes flexible working for all its colleagues. |
We're celebrating Black History Month 2024As we enter Black History Month this year, we are reminded of the significance of this celebration and the importance of the theme: 'Reclaiming Narratives'. This theme resonates deeply with our company values. Find out more... |
Aspire team took over Primark Manchester on behalf of Breast Cancer NowThe Aspire team took over Primark, Manchester on behalf of Breast Cancer Now and we engaged with shoppers about the importance of being breast aware and regularly checking their breasts. We also promoted the incredible work Breast Cancer Now is doing across the UK. |
SMT Quarterly Updates Webinar - 14th November 2024We invite you to attend the SMT Quarterly Updates Webinar on Thursday 14th November from 3.30 – 4.30pm. This is an opportunity for you to hear from SMT on key updates from within GC – attending will give you a better understanding of the key areas and priorities we are working towards across our business units. During this webinar you will hear from Mark Hughes, Chief Executive, and Donna Edwards, Managing Director of Business Support and Business Finance. |
GC Career progression story: Anna HillAnna is Marketing Manager within the GC Corporate Affairs and Marketing team, working across People and Corporate Services. She recently returned to GC, and shares her self-confessed wiggly-worm career journey that’s got her here… |
Join our annual GC virtual Menopause CaféTo celebrate and raise awareness of World Menopause Day on 18th October, the GC Menopause Support Group are hosting our fourth annual virtual Menopause Café which will include Lisa Wright from Menopause the Wright Way and Carla Nuttall – Executive Director of Corporate Services and Marketing, and SMT Sponsor for EDI. |
Colleagues who have moved roles at GC - August 2024Congratulations to the following colleagues who've moved roles within GC over the past month. Whether it's a promotion, a secondment, or just colleagues who fancied a move into a different business area - each month we'll publish these achievements and career journeys within GC. |
We marked Employability Day by showcasing our GC services, and our Sheffield office launchOn Friday 13th September, GC Employment marked Employability Day – the UK’s largest celebration for organisations supporting people to gain, sustain and thrive in work. GC is committed to this cause, and to mark the occasion, we shared some recent highlights from our Employment services and EDI networks, along with inspiring stories of people we have supported into work. |
Join the Ed & Skills team celebrating the launch of the Manchester Skills CentreOur Education & Skills team are excited to share the news that their Longsight Training Centre has relocated and been renamed the Manchester Skills Centre. You're invited to come and join them on their Open Day to formally launch their new centre on Friday 27th September. |
It's World Mental Health Day on 10th October - Tea and TalkOn the 10th October every year, we celebrate World Mental Health Day to help raise awareness and remind colleagues of the support available. As in previous years, we're encouraging colleagues to organise an activity to connect with others such as through a Tea & Talk, a wellbeing walk or a team lunch. |
Hargreaves Lansdown - Switch Your Money ON webinar: What could the Autumn Budget mean for your money?What could the Autumn Budget mean for your money? Book your place on Hargreaves Lansdown's webinar on Tuesday 24th September – 11am to 12pm which will help you cut through the noise and focus on strategies to protect your financial resilience. |
GM-BGH's latest campaign: How myths and misconceptions can stunt businesses' growthOur GM Business Growth Hub team have launched the latest phase of their ongoing awareness campaign, designed to highlight the benefits of the Hub's support. The campaign is anchored around myth busting and challenging expectations around the Hubs services an access to their support - and the benefits they can provide. |
To mark World Afro Day - our EDI Networks dispel myths regarding textured hair in the workplaceTo mark World Afro Day, our Embrace and Parent & Carers EDI Networks are here to dispel some myths regarding textured hair in the workplace. They're helping promote inclusivity within teams and highlight textured hair care tips, advice and support for parents and carers who may be encountering textured for the first time. |
Colleagues at Eccles Restart fundraise with cake dayA Macmillan Cake Day was held earlier this month by eight Employment colleagues in the Eccles Restart office, and raised over £90. The team was fundraising as one of them had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, received treatment and has now got the all clear. |
Hargreaves Lansdown - are you on track for retirementHargreaves Lansdown's Max Lines will be hosting a remote pension webinar and 1-2-1 review meetings to give you some of the key facts. You'll also have the opportunity to Book a 1-2-1 review, available throughout October and November. |
How I choose my own careerTo mark National Inclusion Week, we hear from Ali Tanvir, GC Business Finance and is part of our Women’s EDI network, who shares her career journey, and how she chose her own career and how her culture has helped her. |
We've expanded our Employment Support into NottinghamshireResidents in Nottinghamshire can access tailored support to help them overcome barriers to work, develop new skills and find a job. GC are delivering the Restart scheme to residents in Mansfield, Worksop, and Newark on behalf of Maximus. . |
GC Career progression story: Dom DelsoldatoDom has enjoyed a career with GC spanning 26 years! During this time, he’s seen the organisation go from strength-to-strength, from being Manchester training and Enterprise Council, right through to as we are now known, The Growth Company. |
GM Business Growth Hub Innovation Navigator team volunteered at Stockport's Cale Green ParkHear about how the GM Business Growth Hub Innovation Navigator team went over to Stockport's Cale Green Park and packed-in a raft of tasks on their volunteering day. |
BGH launch a programme to support Greater Manchester's hospitality sectorA new programme to bolster Greater Manchester’s hospitality industry has been launched by our GM Business Growth Hub to help local businesses. It's been designed by the Hub’s new advisor, industry expert Dan Hope and offers targeted assistance to help food and drink businesses thrive in a competitive market... |
The Annual Leave Purchase Window opens from Monday 16th September 2024On Monday 16th September, the second of this year’s Annual Leave Purchase Windows, which provides you with the option to purchase up to 10 days additional annual leave, opened. The window will close on Sunday 29th September 2024. Here is everything you need to know before applying... |
Join the 'Choose Your Own Journey' bitesize event during National Inclusion WeekAs part of our National Inclusion Week activities during 23rd - 29th September, our Womens, Parents & Carers and Age EDI networks will host this event to discuss what can impact career progression. This will be a moderated, virtual panel event. It’s open to all colleagues to attend - and there'll be something that everyone can take away from it. Find out more... |
Three colleagues share how they use and embrace the benefits of GC HiveOur benefit platform, GC Hive, is the go to place to find all the up-to-date information on your benefits, savings that are available to you. We talked to three colleagues in our GC Employment team who are frequent users of GC Hive and they told us how it benefits their everyday spending, plus helps them to save up for special moments during the year... |
Join this year's Breast Cancer Now colleague information session and take part in our fundraising raffleOn Friday 18th October 2024 we're encouraging all colleagues across GC to ‘Wear it Pink’ in the fight against Breast Cancer. GC colleague, Frank Kinrade, who's a Local Representative for Breast Cancer Now will host an awareness session open to all colleagues that day, plus the ‘Wear it Pink’ raffle returns: for every £1 donated, colleagues will be entered to win prizes including a top hotel overnight stay, dinner for 2 at Sweet Mandarin, afternoon tea for 2 at Hotel Football, £50 holiday voucher and much more... |
It's World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th SeptemberSometimes the hardest words to say are the most important. This World Suicide Prevention Day was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO). At GC, we want to show all colleagues that talking about difficult feelings, including suicidal thoughts, doesn’t have to be scary... |
Glasses required for screen use only - process to claim through expensesDid you know that if you require glasses for Display Screen Equipment (DSE) use only, not only can you claim the cost of the lenses through expenses, but you are also eligible for a contribution of up to £40 towards the cost of the frames? Find out more.... |
We had a great time at Manchester PrideGC took part in the Manchester Pride event on Saturday 24th August, where colleagues showed their support for the LGBTQ+ communities that GC work with. |
It's Bisexual Awareness Week: 16th-22nd SeptemberBisexual Awareness Week, also known as #BiWeek, is an annual celebration held from 16th-22nd September ending on 23rd September 23 with Bi Visibility Day. |
Training opportunities to help us make an impact for National Inclusion WeekThe theme for National Inclusion Week 2024 (23rd - 29th September), is ‘Impact Matters’. GC provide a number of inclusion training opportunities which help you, to help us, make an impact and become a more inclusive workplace. The training includes face-to-face sessions, virtual sessions as well as online recourses and videos. Find out more... |
Introducing the new Credit Cards mailboxA new GC mailbox has been created for colleagues to email any urgent queries or requests relating to GC Credit Cards. Find out more |
GC Career progression story: Renée BellRenée Bell, former GC apprentice and now Digital Marketing Specialist in our Education & Skills service, explains how she started – and where she wants to get to… |
Apprenticeship Myth-Busting GuideIf you're looking to start an apprenticeship, or have a child or family friend who's just finished school and is still unsure on their next steps... have a read of our Education & Skills team's 'Apprenticeship Myth-Busting Guide' – which helps to separate the fact from fiction around apprenticeships. |
Doncaster Restart team celebrate their success and award colleaguesEarlier this month, our South Yorkshire GC Employment team celebrated the success of the three year programme, plus the first month of the Restart contract extension. At their celebration event, they announced the winners of their quarterly competition.... |
Thanks for your support during South Asian Heritage MonthAt the GC, we are committed to providing equal opportunity for all our colleagues, the businesses we work with, and those we support. We value and respect diversity and it's at the heart of everything we do. Read about how we commemorated, marked and celebrated South Asian Heritage Month. |
Summer campaign guides GM residents in Employment and Skills DevelopmentOur GC Employment team's new campaign, ‘Summer of Employ GM’, is using labour market insight to help people explore their employment and skills development options ahead of September. |
Supporting young people through Results DayThis month we’re celebrating the achievements of young people across the country as they've to received their GCSE and A-Level Results. Whether they're ready to celebrate, or perhaps received results which weren't expected, it's our role as parents, friends and guardians to support young people during this time... |
Growth Flag 2.0 is live, with a host of new innovative additions!On Monday 12th August, the Growth Flag team launched Growth Flag V2.0, an enhanced version of the original platform that combines the best of the existing features with a host of new, innovative additions. |
CFO Evolution programme: Introducing our New Sheffield HubAfter three years of working on the Creating Future Opportunities CFO Activity Hubs contract from Synergy Building, Sheffield, the team's contract came to an end on the 31st July. GC has been successful in the bid for CFO Evolution programme, which went live on 1st August – and the team opened their doors on 12th August for participants. |
Switch Your Money ON webinar - How much cash do you need in retirement?Whether retirement is far off or fast approaching, understanding how you’ll fund your post-work lifestyle is essential – essentials and indulgences require proper financial preparation. In this session, the Hargreaves Lansdown team will explore some of the most common questions about planning for retirement and funding life after work... |
More colleague fundraising achievementsRead about colleagues recent and upcoming fundraising activities including Team BGH's Charity Bus Pull and GC Employment colleague, Tanya Garwi's fundraising for Cancer research UK. |
Colleagues who have moved roles at GC - July 2024Congratulations to the following colleagues who've moved roles within GC over the past month. Whether it's a promotion, a secondment, or just colleagues who fancied a move into a different business area - each month we'll publish these achievements and career journeys within GC. |
Helping to break down barriers and promote men's mental fitnessANDYSMANCLUB, are a men’s suicide prevention charity, and offer free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. They've been kind enough to come to our Barnsley office earlier this month, where Jacob, one of their facilitators, delivered an information session to our GC Employment team's participants, and colleagues who wished to stay and listen, to talk about their provision and how it came about. |
Help us celebrate National Inclusion Week 2024: 23rd - 29th SeptemberDuring the week commencing the 23rd September, we’ll celebrate National Inclusion Week – the theme is ‘Impact Matters,’ During the week we’ll discuss what actions GC are taking that make positive and lasting impact in our organisation. We’ve organised a range of activities - find out more... |
Monthly Blog Post - In Focus: Our LGBTQ+ NetworkDonna Edwards, Sponsor of GC’s LGBTQ+ Network shares how we’re driving forward our commitments, and supporting and empowering people to be themselves. |
Former colleague, Olivia Redfern, shares her inspiring journey to IndiaOlivia Redfern, formerly Internal Recruitment team leader at GC, recently moved on to pastures new in London. Before she left, to help us celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, she kindly shared her inspiring journey to India which she undertook last year as part of a sabbatical. |
Employ Manchester’s navigators set to guide residents to work and wellbeing successEmploy Manchester is a new service designed to help Manchester residents gain employment, access skills courses, and find local support to overcome barriers and reach their goals It'll introduce three Work and Wellbeing Navigators based at libraries in the North, South and Central wards of Manchester, to provide in-person advice, guidance and signposting to local services. |
Team BGH are joining the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity fundraising Buss PullTeam GM Business Growth Hub are joining the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity fundraising bus pull next month to raise money for the battle against homelessness across our city-region. |
Take part in our 'Bring a dish to work day' challenge during South Asian Heritage Month
Bring a dish to work w/c 12th August - as part of South Asian Heritage Month we encourage you to bring some homemade South Asian-inspired dishes into the office any day. |
Education & Skills team colleague training successesTwo members of our Functional Skills team recently celebrated their graduation after completing their Certificate in Education through GC and Bolton University. |
LinkedIn: Handy Hints and TipsAs the one platform that's mostly focused on communicating with other professionals, it's a great place for companies to advertise their brand, as well as their mission and vision. Here's a list of seven quick, easy actions you can take to improve your LinkedIn experience and communication flow. |
Protect yourself and GC from phishing attacksAs part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the security of our organisation, we want to remind everyone about the importance of protecting yourself from phishing attacks. Phishing is a common method used by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information, and it's crucial that we all stay vigilant. |
Mid-week, meat-free recipe, Aloo Mattar, to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month
This is an easy recipe provided by a colleague for a mid-week, meat-free dinner which you could try during South Asian Heritage Month, and even cook-up for Bring a Dish to Work Day - w/c 12th August. |
Back to School: Our Parents & Carers EDI Network help with your planning for SeptemberWe're now in the summer holidays, and although September might seem a while away, there are some things that you can do now that can make starting or returning to school that bit easier. Here are some ideas from our Parents & Carers EDI Network. |
Celebrating your recent volunteering stories in the community - July 2024Hear from colleagues who took part in a practice interview session with some students at The Barlow RC High School, interviewing some of their brightest young minds, Education & Skills learners who have once again been out in the local community, plus Georgia Sampson who during 4th July's General Election helped out within her local community. |
GC Career progression story - Naveed AhmedDuring South Asian Heritage Month, we’re specifically showcasing colleague stories from South-Asian heritage backgrounds. We speak to Naveed Ahmed, Service Manager on the Refugee Employability Programme (REP) in our Employment service. He shares that a career journey doesn’t have to follow a straight line to find an employer and a role that’s perfect for you. |
United for Ukraine team attend Liverpool Festival of Inclusion and DiversityEarlier this month, the United for Ukraine team participated in the Global Liverpool Festival of Inclusion and Diversity, organized by Toxteth Development Trust and Liverpool City Council. They had the privilege of wishing Casus Pax (a non-profit Community Interest Company, who provide aid to civilians in need), a safe journey on their humanitarian mission to Ukraine. |
How to nominate a colleague for a Valued Star AwardValued STAR (Special Thanks And Recognition) Awards is our GC monthly recognition scheme. Fin out how you can nominate a colleague, and how the monthly winners are selected. Hear what receiving Valued STAR Award has meant to our recent winners... |
Aspire Recruitment has become a member of Liverpool City Region Fair Employment CharterAspire Recruitment are delighted that their Merseyside team have been awarded 'Aspiring Level' and become a member of the Liverpool City Region Fair Employment Charter. |
Ed&Skills Marketing team give students real-world insightsEarlier this month, our Education and Skills marketing team, had the privilege of spending a day with the enthusiastic BSc Business Management learners. This visit was part of the marketing module on their course – designed to give students real-world insights into the exciting field of marketing. It was a day filled with learning, inspiration, and a mutual exchange of knowledge. |
Celebrating the 3 year anniversary of Restart GM, and the relaunch of the schemeColleagues from GC Employment recently celebrated celebrated the 3 year anniversary of Restart GM, and the relaunch of the scheme at an event at Odeon Cinema screen, Trafford, Greater Manchester. To celebrate their 3 year milestone, the team highlighted some key achievements and their continued high levels of outcome performance – and being recognised as a key delivery partner of Ingeus, maintaining first place for outcome conversion rates, as well as strong compliance achievement. |
Made Smarter NW Bake Sale raises £500 for charityGC colleagues from the Made Smarter NW team raised £500 for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, with a team bake sale earlier in July. It was a great team effort for a great cause. |
In case you missed it....Our July Quarterly Colleague WebinarIf you didn't get chance to join the Colleague Webinar on Wednesday 17th July, click here to watch back the recording - or click the image below. You can also fill out the feedback survey for the webinar and read the responses to the questions that we didn’t cover in the session. |
Hargreaves Lansdown - Switch Your Money ON - What's Moving Markets?In July, the team from Hargreaves Lansdown, GC's pension provider, are talking all things investing. Their resident investment expert, Nick Clough, joins regular host Clare Stinton in a live webinar on 30th and 31st July, where they’ll discuss how the new funds work and take a wider look at investment markets so far in 2024. |
GC teams collaborate to host a Workplace Safari for year 9 studentsAs part of GM Business Growth Hub’s employer engagement activity, they hosted their first ‘Workplace Safari’ on 11th July with a group of 12 year 9 students from St Ambrose Barlow School, Swinton, Salford. This first safari was a success and we look forward to welcoming many more students to our organisation. |
GC win contract to deliver Creating Future Opportunities Evolution programmeGC has won the contract to deliver the Creating Future Opportunities (CFO) Evolution programme in Yorkshire and the Humber from August 2024 until at least April 2027. The CFO Evolution programme supports people in prison and people on probation, providing them with opportunities to engage in a range of activities, with the aim of promoting social reintegration, improving wellbeing, and reducing reoffending rates. |
Take part in our upcoming Investors in People (IIP) 24 month reviewIn 2022, we celebrated achieving the 'Investors in People Gold' accreditation – achieved with the contribution and dedication of all our colleagues. 24 months on from achieving the accreditation, IIP will soon visit us to to carry out a review. |
Take part in our South Asian Heritage Month celebrationsSouth Asian Heritage Month (18th July -17th August) is a time to come together, celebrate diversity, and foster unity and understanding among colleagues of all backgrounds. It is a time to showcase the beauty and richness of South Asian cultures and heritage and how being free to be yourself has benefits for all. Please take the time to get involved. |
Recognition for the Aspire Recruitment teamA massive shout out to say well done and thank you to the Aspire Recruitment Teams across Manchester and Merseyside. |
Colleagues who have moved roles at GC - June 2024Congratulations to the following colleagues who've moved roles within GC over the past month. Whether it's a promotion, a secondment, or just colleagues who fancied a move into a different business area - each month we'll publish these achievements and career journeys within GC. |
GC Career progression story: Jo LiJo has recently been promoted to Head of Business Marketing at BGH. In the last 18 months, Jo has relocated to the UK from Hong Kong, restarted and accelerated his career. |
Awards for GC Employment colleagues demonstrating our GC valuesOn Thursday 26th June, managers from our GC Employment team gathered at the King's House Conference Centre in Manchester. The event provided an opportunity for managers to network, swap good practice, and recognise the hard work and dedication of the team. |
Fundraising round-upRead about colleagues recent and upcoming fundraising activities - including a 10 mile fundraising walk across Manchester for 'Walking With The Wounded', a 10K run for Mind - the mental health charity, and participating in the Shine Night Walk in Manchester. |
We've renewed our Working Families membershipGC has renewed its membership of Working Families, the UK’s work-life balance charity |
Are you pronouncing your colleagues names correctly?From Tuesday 18th July - Thursday 17th August, our EmbRace EDI Network will be celebrating South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM). To mark the month, and to help education and inform colleagues, network Member, Joyce Due - Skills Development Tutor, has pulled together this useful information to help with name pronunciation. |
The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter held their third-annual Good Employment AwardsOn Tuesday 2nd July, The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter held their third-annual Good Employment Awards at the Whitworth Hall, in central Manchester, celebrating employment excellence across the city-region. These awards showcase the best of the best in Greater Manchester, recognising organisations and leaders who put their people first, champion work – underpinned by a commitment to equality, fair pay and all-round good employment standards. |
It's International Non-Binary People’s Day on 14th JulyInternational Non-Binary People’s Day takes place on 14th July each year and celebrates and raises awareness of non-binary people – who do not identify within the traditional gender binary. There are many ways to be inclusive of everyone, regardless of their gender identity. Our language and the way we speak is often embedded with hidden gendered cues. Once we start to notice them, we can move towards using language that’s inclusive for all. Here are 10 tips you can start using right away... |
BGH colleagues volunteer with Ardwick Climate ActionGM Business Growth Hub's Key Account Management team spent a day supporting Ardwick Climate Action on their mission to protect the local Ardwick environment, through grassroots advocacy that engages the local community. |
Latest updates from the Made Smarter teamThe Growth Company play a key role in Made Smarter, which supports businesses to accelerate their growth through digital tools and innovation. Read about their latest updates including their Adoption Awards and their planned appearance on ITN Business for National Manufacturing Day later this year. |
GC Career progression story: Frank KinradeFrank Kinrade, Business Development Manager at Aspire Recruitment, shares how the diverse nature of GC, has helped him gain lots of experience and progress into new roles. |
United for Ukraine team continue to spread the wordThe GC colleagues who run the United for Ukraine initiative's day-to-day services are aways keen to promote and raise of their support, and hitting the airwaves has proved to be a great way to get the word out over the past two years. |
Overview of our Employee Assistance Programme: 'Wisdom Health Assured' portal and appDuring this bitesize virtual session at 1pm on Tuesday 11th July, our Health & wellbeing EDI Network will provide an overview of the free and confidential support you can access through our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which is delivered by Health Assured. |
Join us at the Manchester Pride eventThis year, GC are officially taking part in the Manchester Pride March on Saturday 24th August. Our attendance has been organised by GC's LGBTQ+ EDI Network and all colleagues are welcome to attend – whether you're part of the communities, or an LGBTQ+ ally. |
Quarterly All-Colleague WebinarWe invite you to attend the All-Colleague Webinar on Wednesday 17th July from 3-4pm. This is your opportunity to hear key updates from GC – attending will give you a better understanding of the priorities we are working towards across our business units. Find out more... |
GC teams work together to deliver Self-Employment eventCommunity Revival is a not-for-profit voluntary organisation who exist to refresh and revitalise the local community with a range of projects including, training, education, employment, recreation and social activities. Some of their learners expressed an interest in starting their own business, so our Education & Skills and Business Growth Hub teams worked together to offer-up a dedicated awareness session just for them |
Our REP team marks Refugee Week and Eid-ul-AdhaThe Refugee Employability (REP) programme hosted an event on Wednesday 19th June at the Circle in Sheffield to mark Refugee Week, and also highlight the positive impact our programme has had on refugees across Yorkshire since it began last September. The team have been busy this week as they also celebrated Eid by attending Eid in the Park in Rotherham and celebrating with around 2000 people from the local community. |
Celebrating our tutors and learners recent achievementsShowcasing our tutors and learners recent achievements - including colleagues on their TAQA (Training, Assessment, Quality and Assurance) IQA (Internal Quality Assurance) journey, plus some great feedback from our of our clients about a learner who's achieved his Auto Care Level 2 End Point Assessment (EPA). |
Help GC colleague Angelina with degree research project on company cultureAngelina Harrop, who works in our GM Business Growth Hub, needs your help to complete a 10-minute anonymous survey on GC culture and values. She's nearing the end of a Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship, and for her final project, is researching how culture is aligned with GC values across the organisation. |
Colleagues who have moved roles at GC - May 2024Congratulations to the following colleagues who've moved roles within GC over the past month. Whether it's a promotion, a secondment, or just colleagues who fancied a move into a different business area - each month we'll publish these achievements and career journeys within GC. |
GC Career progression story: Anne CampionAnne, Head of Manufacturing in our Business Growth Hub team, explains how an amazing experience established her career, and shares how a change in circumstances turned out to be a breath of fresh air – and challenged her to move out of her comfort zone. |
Celebrating your recent volunteering stories in the communityHere at GC, our volunteering policy, Volunteer2day, allows you to take up to two days leave in any one-year rolling period to volunteer. Take a look at our latest colleague volunteering stories... |
A celebration of self-employment and entrepreneurshipBack by popular demand, the Festival of Enterprise returned this week after the resounding success of the 2022 event! The event, was held on Thursday 13th June at the vibrant New Century venue in the heart of Manchester City Centre. |
Social prescribing case study was turning point for colleague's careerJoanne Gavin is NHS Integration Co-ordinator as part of the Working Well: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPS) delivered through GC Employment. She's been asked to speak at the House of Books & Friends event: 'An Evening with Julia Hotz: The Connection Cure' later this month. Joanne has a real-life case study from when she was a social prescriber a few years ago before she joined GC, which appears in a book, The Connection Cure – that's being showcased at the event. |
Top tips for progressing your GC careerCareer progression is moving forward in your career, which isn’t just limited to promotions or higher pay. It can include gaining more responsibility, moving to a different business area, tackling new challenges, and enhancing skills through training and development. |
REP Yorkshire and Humber Refugee Week Celebration eventOur Refugee Employability Programme (REP) are holding a celebration event of Refugee Week - 17th - 23rd June, that's open for colleagues to attend. The event will be filled with networking opportunities, inspiring stories and unity. |
Colleagues support for Stretford foodbankLast month, the Education & Skills trainers had a Continuous Professional Development day, where colleagues brought in an item for Stretford foodbank as part of the team's ongoing fundraising activities for charity. |
IT Service Desk – Change of Support HoursFrom Monday 1st July, the IT Service Desk will have a change of support hours. This decision's been made after analysis of the numbers of calls we receive at various times throughout the day. |
GC Monthly Blog Post: Matt Richardson, on volunteering at GCMatt Richardson, Head of Leadership, Skills & Social Impact – GM Business Growth Hub, encourages us to volunteer at some point during the year, and showcases some of our colleague volunteering stories from the past year. |
Did you know, GC delivers Trusted Standard on behalf of National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)?Trusted Standard is the quality standard, delivered on behalf of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) through Centre for Assessment Standards Service. It's aimed at Charities, Social Enterprises and Voluntary organisations, you may have heard it known as PQASSO. www.trustedstandard.org.uk. Many colleagues in GC are involved in charities, voluntary organisations and community interest groups that could benefit from using the standard's 11 quality areas of good practice. |
Q&A with GC colleague carer - Suzanne GrangeTo mark Carers Week (10th - 16th June) and its theme of ‘Putting Carers on the Map’, we met with GC colleague, Suzanne Grange, Regional Account Manager, Sales & Recruitment in our GC Employment team. Suzanne has caring responsibilities for her husband’s 92-year-old grandmother, Dorothy (Gran), who raised her husband and is like a mother to him. Gran has advanced dementia and now lives with Suzanne and her husband. Dorothy lives in their front room, and her condition now requires round-the-clock care as she’s unable to support herself. |
Volunteering raises awareness for Learning Disability WeekHear from Ruth Metcalfe, Business Development Manager at Aspire Recruitment, who recently volunteered with Mencap and contributed to their story telling project to raise awareness during Learning Disability Week (17th - 23rd June): |
Career Journey’s - Rebecca DrakefordI was born in the Midlands, but grew up in China. l’d always wanted to go to the city where my parents met and raved about, so studying at The University of Manchester was the inevitable choice for me. Upon graduating in 2015, I put my degree in Chinese and Business Management to use and started working at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce as an International Trade Officer. |
GC Employment move to new premises in SheffieldGC Employment will be moving into new premises in Sheffield from Friday 21st June. |
Colleague is finalist in BBC radio awards for volunteeringGC colleague, Susan Adzakey, who dedicates her spare time to supporting her local community, has been announced as a finalist in the BBC Radio Sheffield 'Make a Difference Awards'. |
Thanks for celebrating Mental Health Awareness WeekBeing active is important for our mental fitness, but we can often struggle to get enough exercise. We know there are many different reasons for this, so this Mental Health Awareness Week (13th – 19th May), we encouraged colleagues to find moments for movement in their daily routines. Going for a walk in your neighbourhood, putting on your favourite music and dancing around the living room, chair exercises when you’re watching television – it all counts! |
Be inspired by our latest colleague volunteering storiesVolunteers' Week celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and runs from Monday 3rd June until Sunday 9th. Here at GC, our volunteering policy, Volunteer2day, allows you to take up to two days leave in any one-year rolling period to volunteer. Take a look at our latest colelague volunteering stories... |
Disability Inclusion Lunch and Learn - 20th JuneDuring Learning Disability Week, GC are running a Disability Inclusion Lunch and Learn on the 20th June (1-2 pm) for all colleagues to join to explore approaches to support disabled people in an inclusive, open way. |
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GC officially launches first GenAI business support chatbotWe're excited to announce that we've recently launched a new chatbot powered by GenAI to assist individuals and companies in navigating business challenges and opportunities effectively. |
Colleagues celebrate their personal development journeysAn update showcasing colleagues celebrating their recent career journey successes, plus sharing news of those colleagues who are embarking on their journey to gain a recognised qualification. |
Your P60 is now availableYour P60 is now available for you to view on Unit 4 Business World – Prod. |
GC offers free of charge safe and secure recycling of IT equipmentSince November 2023 we've been running a free of charge service from our Head offices in Lee House, Manchester City Centre. If the trial period of this project is successful, then the IT department will look at how they can support our colleagues in other locations to safely dispose of their equipment. Find out how to take part in this free of charge service... |
Our new Performance Improvement Policy (we've updated and renamed our Capability Procedure)At GC we want everyone to thrive and perform well in their employment, achieve their targets / objectives, and fulfil the requirements of their role. From 1st June, our Capability Procedure will be known as GC’s Performance Improvement Policy. Find out more. |
General Election – 4 JulyFollowing the announcement that a General Election will take place on Thursday 4 July, colleagues may have some queries about what this means for GC activity in the run up to polling day. Read this article to find out more. |
GC Career progression story: Jamie MeredithJamie joined GC as a Credit Controller, and over 10 years has worked in five of our business areas. He’s now Head of Employability in our Education & Skills team. |
Mental Health Awareness Week: colleagues share how they look after their mental fitnessAs part of our Mental Health Awareness Week campaign, we're signposting to the relevant support and resources. To fit in with this year’s theme of 'Movement: Moving more for our mental health', we thought it would be nice to also include some feedback from our EDI Network members, and some of our Mental Health Champions and First Aiders, and what they do to incorporate some form of movement into their daily and/or regular routines. |
More volunteering inspiration from our colleaguesHear from Kifle Gebregzabiher, Employment Advisor, Refugee Employability Programme (REP), who, alongside his day job, devotes four hours per week of his time to volunteering with the Eritrean community in Leeds every Tuesday and Friday from 6-8 pm. Also, find out more about Nicole Isselbacher, Regional Account Manager from Education & Skills and ongoing volunteering story with charity, 'Schnauzerfest'. |
Join our World Environment Day webinar to learn more about GC's Net Zero commitmentsThis year on World Environment Day we welcome you to a webinar where you can learn more about your individual carbon footprint and impact on the environment. Join Mark Hughes, Chief Executive and other colleagues on Wednesday 5th June, from 13:00 – 14:00, for an interactive webinar about GC’s commitment to Net Zero. |
An opportunity to get carbon literate as a team in one dayCarbon Literacy is awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis. Slots on our monthly Carbon Literacy Training have been flying out of the window, so we're now opening up the opportunity to get carbon literate as a team. |
Help our Skills Bootcamp graduates find employmentAt the beginning of the year, we finished our last cohorts of Wave 4 bootcamps. As part of the employability phase of the bootcamps, we're now working with our graduates to find suitable specific career opportunities. If you're working with businesses looking to recruit or facing recruitment challenges, we can offer upskilled applicant CVs to them at no cost. |
GC Insight take stock of the progress they've made with team eventGC Insight brought together its growing team of consultants and analysts in Manchester to take stock of the progress they have made bringing Winning Moves and ekosgen together. |
Marketing colleagues have fun with virtual Masterchef eventThe Marketing & Communications team in Corporate Services have recently set up their very own Masterchef! As you might expect, so far, it's been a bit of fun, but it's been a great way to engage them time virtually in the age of hybrid working. They held the first 'episode' last month and here are the mouth-watering results.... |
Special colleague offer to experience Disney magic at the Palace Theatre, ManchesterWith the support of our Commercial Partnership's team at Marketing Manchester team, we're pleased to share this exciting offer for Disney’s Aladdin at the Palace Theatre – exclusive to GC colleagues on performances from 22 – 31 May. |
Celebrating 1 year of Fire Up Co-working Space in RochdaleFire Up celebrated their first birthday on Wednesday 15th May by hosting an open house event, inviting attendees to explore the facilities for the day and network with Fire Up's community members. |
Helping to bring innovative new ideas to marketInnovation Navigator is GM Business Growth Hub’s specialist innovation support programme. The Hub recognise the challenges that forward-thinking businesses face when trying to bring innovative new products and ideas to market. |
Our Green Economy team volunteer at The Firs Botanical Gardens at The University of ManchesterThe University of Manchester Botanical Grounds is part of the Firs Environmental Research Station, located close to Owen's Park in Fallowfield. They offer a range of volunteering opportunities for taking part in gardening activities, contributing towards building a botanical garden for outreach and teaching. The Green Economy team explain how they set set up the volunteering experience, plus how she ensured the work the team represented their values at Green Economy in supporting local green projects: |
Make the most of your journey with GCWhen you join GC, you aren’t just joining an organisation, you become part of our GC family from your very first day. As a social enterprise we have a lot to offer our colleagues and we always want to strengthen your feeling of belonging at GC, nurture growth and enable you to perform to the best of your ability. With International Day of Staff Networks coming up on Wednesday 8th May. we wanted to let you know about the colleague networks available to you, and why you should get involved. |
Our Net Zero commitments – with Mark HughesMark Hughes, Chief Executive, reflects on the progress we’ve made towards our Net Zero goal so far and the importance of even the smallest actions in achieving big change. |
Driving Sustainability: Efficiency through InnovationCollaboration between organisations is critical in helping overcome our biggest energy challenges, and the Energy Innovation Agency (the Agency) is uniquely placed to tackle the challenges ahead, as evidenced at the annual Agency event, held on Tuesday 23rd April at Bruntwood Circle Square. Now in its third year, over 100 businesses, innovators, funders, and investors came together in Manchester city centre to take climate action. |
GC Career progression story: Dawn DugganDawn Duggan, Head of Programmes and Initiatives for our Business Growth Hub, tells us that it's the people she comes in contact with, that keep her at GC. |
Join our EDI Network event with the Carers Trust on 23rd MayIn advance of Carers Week ( 10th – 16th June), our Parents & Carers EDI Network are holding a virtual event with the Carers Trust to recognise, celebrate and support our caring colleagues and brings to life the theme of this year’s Carers Week: 'Putting Carers on the Map'. |
Mental Health Awareness Week: Get involved in our planned activitiesBeing active is important for our mental fitness, but we can often struggle to get enough exercise. We know there are many different reasons for this, so this Mental Health Awareness Week (13th – 19th May), we want to help colleagues to find moments for movement in their daily routines. Going for a walk in your neighbourhood, putting on your favourite music and dancing around the living room, chair exercises when you’re watching television – it all counts! |
GC teams get ready for UKREiiFUKReiiF is the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum and connects people, places and businesses to accelerate and unlock sustainable, inclusive and transformational investment. As part of the annual event (21st - 23rd May), on Wednesday 22nd May, our GC Insight team will be hosting an invite-only UKReiiF Roundtable at Canary Bar in Leeds, moderated by Business Insider. |
More updates from across GC: Growth Flag and Centre for AssessmentSince it launched in January 2023, Growth Flag has hit the ground running with a series of fantastic achievements find out more ii this update. Also hear from Centre for Assessment (CfA) who have received a 12 month extension to contract for the license to deliver Lexcel assessments for The Law Society in England and Northern Ireland. |
Take a look at BGH's calendar of upcoming eventsEvents are the lifeblood of our Business Growth Hub and are a a way for us to showcase the team's many services and programmes and allow the teams to meet first hand-with potential clients – both individuals and businesses. Take a look at what's coming up event-wise at BGH - including the ‘Festival of Enterprise 2024’ in June. |
Colleagues volunteer at Sackville Gardens with Manchester PrideThis week, colleagues took part on a volunteering opportunity in partnership with Manchester Pride in Manchester city centre. Sackville Gardens proudly hosts three major LGBTQ+ monuments. |
Thanks to everyone who supported 'Big Food Drop'Thanks to everyone who donated to Working Well: Support to Succeed’s 'Big Food Drop' last week. Over 700 items were distributed to 5 foodbanks across Greater Manchester. |
Do you know a business that’s recruiting new talent?Our Skills Bootcamp graduates bring a range of expertise to any business - find out more... |
Mark ‘Refugee Week’ with our EmbRace Network on 19th JuneTo mark and celebrate Refugee Week (17th June-23rd June), our EmbRace EDI Network are hosting a colleague virtual event on Wednesday 19th June. This is part of the network’s ongoing commitment to bring various ethnic communities' culture and experiences to our colleagues. |
GC Career progression story: Nicole IsselbaecherNicole Isselbaecher, Regional Account Manager - Business Development (Education & Skills team), shares how she joined GC as an apprentice over 25 years ago and why she chooses to stay with us. |
Let’s Talk Andysmanclub and Men’s Mental Fitness – virtual bitesize sessionAt GC we want to normalise the conversations around men's mental health. This session on Friday 17th May will highlight to all colleagues the support available through Andysmanclub – a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. |
GC teams help SMEs understand finance for business growthOur SimpliFi team was in Spinningfields, Manchester, with pro-manchester for the 'Understanding Finance for Business Growth' event. Along with GC Business Finance, the team shared insights with the small-medium-sized (SME) business audience to help them understand the fundamentals of business finance. |
Colleagues volunteer at The Bread and Butter ThingOur Business Growth Hub Business Development and Partnerships team volunteered at Trafford-based The Bread and Butter Thing, helping to provide food to struggling neighbourhoods across the UK. |
Restart extension 'Refresh Sessions', and new ‘Through the Gate’ ContractRead about how we're Showcasing our employment offer following extension of Restart, plus how Recovery Works, GC’s charity working with individuals to support them to recover from addiction, improve their physical and mental wellbeing and secure sustainable employment, has secured a new contract. |
Performance reviews open on Monday 22nd AprilThe End of Year performance review process and the Mid-Year review for Education and Skills will open on Monday 22nd April. The end of year process provides the opportunity for colleagues to look back on their performance in the past year, set objectives for 2024/25, and discuss any professional development and career aspirations. |
Celebrating our tutors and learners achievementsRead about some recent success stories from our Ed & Skills learners - including eight of our learners who have been offered roles at Liverpool Cruise Terminal. |
Hargreaves Lansdown - Switch Your Money ON - Building a Financial planOn 25th and 28th April, Hargreaves Lansdown will be hosting a live webinar taking a closer look at how financial planning works and how it could work for you. |
A colleague’s day in the life of HoliAnushka Parekh, OD Advisor - Human Resources shares a day in the life of Holi, the Hindu festival that celebrates spring, love, and new life. |
Catch up on our Colleague Webinar: GC Business Plan for 2024/25Thank you to everyone who attended the GC Colleague Webinar on Wednesday 17th April, and for all your questions. Here's the recording from the session, a link to the GC Business Plan for 2024/25 and a feedback form for the event. |
Our Employee Consultative Committee has changedOver the past few months, SMT, the Employee Consultative Committee (ECC) representatives and the Organisational Development Steering Group (ODSG) have been looking at how we can improve employee voice and engagement across the group. The changes that we are making aim to enhance colleague voice, provide clear access to SMT on colleague matters, and promote our commitment to our colleague groups and the positive impact they have at GC. |
Colleagues attend launch of the Salford Employment HubThe Hub brings together, and adds additional capacity to, a number of existing Salford City Council services for young people, adults and employers – signposting them to specialist provision and access to recruitment and business support for employers in a ‘one stop shop’ service. |
Education & Skills learners and tutors help out in the Wigan communityOur Wigan construction learners have been out in the local community, helping the Leigh Miners Bowling Association renovate their changing rooms and the area around the green, accompanied by tutors Dave McGarty and Jackie Morgan, who made good use their GC Volunteering Day. |
Colleagues from Restart and REP held a team building dayThe Restart and Refugee Employability Programme (REP) teams from GC Employment recently held a Team Building day for all our colleagues across Yorkshire & Humber. It was an opportunity to get to know colleagues from our different offices, share best practice and take a moment to celebrate all of our amazing achievements over the last few years. |
We've celebrated two years of BGH Match2 years ago, our Business Growth Hub launched BGH Match as an initiative event to reconnect the Greater Manchester business community as we emerged from the pandemic. At the end of last month, at Emirates Old Trafford, they celebrated all of the people, partners, and collaborators who've worked with them along the way to bring BGH Match to the region as they looked back on their achievements with their community. |
GC Business Finance announce their role in Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund IIGC Business Finance have announced the launch of the £660 million Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II). They're proud to be fund managers delivering smaller loans in partnership with River Capital throughout the North West. |
More details about our Colleague Webinar on Wednesday 17th AprilAt our next all-colleague webinar, Mark Hughes will introduce our Business Plan for 2024/25 setting out our key priorities for the year ahead and key colleague updates. |
Recording from our LGBTQ+ Network Trans Inclusion WorkshopIn case you couldn't join the live LGBTQ+ Network Trans Inclusion Workshop on Thursday 28th March with Dr Christopher Owen – Manchester Pride’s Inclusivity Development Manager, here's the recording... |
GC are awarded Bronze Trailblazer status by Race Equality MattersRace Equality Matters have announced that GC have been awarded Bronze Trailblazer status. Here are just some of the highlights from the case study which cover some of our organisation's actions and initiatives, which celebrate the commitment from our colleagues and the EmbRace Network. |
A colleague's day in the life of Holy Week and EasterTim Jeffrey became a Christian when he was 18 years old, and ever since, Holy Week and Easter has been a significant time of the year for him and his family. This is his 'Day in the life diary' of how he, his family and his church observed and celebrated Holy Week and Easter this year. |
Working Well: Support to Succeed team are co-ordinating a 'Big Food Drop'The Working Well: Support to Succeed team are co-ordinating a food drop at the end of April to collect and distribute food to those who need it most. Food will be distributed across various locations in the Manchester region. |
Launch of GC’s new GenAI Business Support ChatbotHear more about our latest development to further enhance the services we provide to people and businesses. |
Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024It's a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. Find out how you can take part and recap on GCs peer-to-peer support, additional tools and resources. |
Read a colleague's day-in-the life experience of RamadanRamadan is still relatively new to Natasha. She's White British and her husband is British Pakistani. Admittedly, as a newbie and she's learning as she goes, but love the cultural journey she's currently on. |
Updates from our GC Employment teamRead about our GM IPS Programme, Sally Jameson, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Doncaster Central's visit to our Doncaster Office, the launch of our cycling group for the Merseyside PWB service, and the Aspire in Partnership and GC Employment Peer-to-Peer Colleague Networks event. |
Colleagues head to SXSW festival, TexasA delegation from Manchester once again attended the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas in March 2024. The group included colleagues from Marketing Manchester, the University of Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and GC's GM Business Growth Hub – whilst on the trip they highlighted innovation and culture from the city to a mostly US audience. |
Celebrating colleagues gaining qualificationsCongratulations to colleagues who successfully received qualifications at work. |
Invest in your growth with our fully funded Adult Education coursesWe have a great opportunity for you to invest in your growth and proficiency through our fully funded adult courses. |
Endometriosis Action Month – colleague experiencesMarch is Endometriosis Action Month, a month that focuses on raising awareness of the common symptoms of endometriosis and improving understanding of the condition to ensure that those experiencing symptoms, their friends and family and their healthcare team know to ask ‘could it be endometriosis?’ To mark the month, two colleagues have kindly shared blogs about their experiences with endometriosis and how it affects them to raise awareness amongst our colleagues. |
Colleague volunteering at a careers fairGC Employment colleagues Fern Goddard, Head of Sales, and Margaret Bartnikiewicz, Recruitment Manager, recently volunteered at a careers fair talking to year 7, 8 and 9 about working in the hospitality sector. |
GC Career progression story: Keri BrookesKeri is GC’s Group Design Manager and she always wanted to be a graphic designer. She joined GC in 2010 and has progressed within the Design team as our organisation has expanded and the demands on the team have grown. |
It's International Day of Pink on Wednesday 10th AprilInternational Day of Pink is a worldwide anti-bullying and anti-homophobia event held annually during the second week of April. This year it's on Wednesday 10th April. Our LGBTQ+ EDI Network are encouraging colleagues to wear pink on the day, and make donations from SAYiT, a small Sheffield-based charity supporting ever increasing numbers of marginalised young people and in particular LGBTQ+ young people. |
Upcoming Inspiring Inclusion webinar from Hargreaves LansdownThe theme of this webinar on Monday 25th March is 'Firing up female financial resilience', where Hargreaves Lansdown will share tips and insights on empowering women’s financial health and wealth. |
Ageism Action Day: Celebrating age equality at GCTo mark Ageism Action Day on Wednesday 20th March, Stuart McPherson, a colleague from the Communications and Marketing team looks at how age plays into a colleague's experiences at work, and the support GC offers. |
Showcasing our best practice use of a key Employment Services toolColleagues' use of evidence-based tool, Outcomes Star, has been recognised in our matrix standards assessment, and because we use the tool so effectively, we've been asked to provide a case study for the provider. |
GC Career progression story: Dee BeckettDee has been with GC for almost 27 years! – that’s before many of our colleagues were born! She can truly recount the history of the Group, from its origins to the large and diverse organisation we are today. She’s enjoyed the challenge of taking on new roles and now has a really broad knowledge of the Group, which is useful in her current role. |
Annual Leave Purchase Window opens from Monday 11th MarchColleagues can purchase additional annual leave through GC Hive, up until Sunday 24th March. If you plan to make a purchase, consider the number of days you need for the full 24/25 leave year, as you won’t be able to purchase any additions in the September window. |
We're helping people in prison manage their financesGC Employment's Finance, Benefit, and Debt service (FBD) aims to help people in prison manage their finances. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) programme was commissioned by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and is delivered across eight prisons in Yorkshire and the Humber. Find out how it helped James and Michael at HMP Hatfield. |
REP Coffee Mornings successThe Refugee Employability Programme (REP) team have pulled out all the stops for their service users across Yorkshire. |
More colleague volunteering storiesHear from our EnterprisingYou team who volunteered at Woodhouse Park Family Centre and a GC Employment Restart colleague who volunteers for the Canal & River Trust. |
'On the money' - Putting the spotlight on our Start Up Loans scheme to Liverpool's budding entrepreneursOur GC Finance team held a fantastic event in Liverpool, to put a spotlight on the Start Up Loans scheme, and talk about the finance and support available to budding entrepreneurs across the Liverpool city region. |
BGH celebrate International Women's Day with key eventsInternational Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated every year on March 8th, it's a worldwide event that recognises the accomplishments of women in social, economic, cultural, and political spheres. The team had an incredible event for International Women’s Day in 2023, and this year wanted to build on that success and amplify the impact of their event, with plans to go bigger and better than before. They have organised three free events and we encouraged everyone, regardless of gender, to attend. |
Celebrating career progressions at GC - February 2024Congratulations to the following colleagues who've moved roles within GC over the past month. Whether it's a promotion, a secondment, or just colleagues who fancied a move into a different business area - each month we'll celebrate these achievements and career journeys within GC. |
White paper outlines steps to net zero successWorking alongside experts in the sector, Green Economy has created an invaluable resource for energy-intensive businesses. |
Inspiring apprentice overcomes barriers to thriveIn celebration of National Careers Week, we are highlighting the experience of a learner who hasn’t taken the conventional route to a career but is now achieving incredible things. |
Colleagues share their experiences with managing women's health conditionsHear from some of our colleagues about their experiences with women's health conditions and how their symptoms affect them – to learn more, and find out how we can all offer our support and understanding. |
Our commitment to empowering women at GCIt's International Women's Day on Friday 8th March. Anne Buckley, Executive Director of Business Development, shares her career journey, the women that shaped her, and how GC promotes women in the workplace. |
Our response to the the Spring budgetOur response to the the Spring budget on Wednesday 6th March. |
GC Career progression story: Steph BoyleSteph always wanted to work in events. She started her career at The Manufacturing Institute (TMI) before it was part of GC, and then dipped her toe into the wider industry. She's since returned to back to GC not once, but twice... to pursue her events career. She told us that what she loves so much about GC is the fact that, what we do really matters. |
Our GM-BGH Leadership, Skills and Social Impact team volunteered at Valley FarmThe team worked hard and their main job was to shovel a giant pile of horse poo into wheelbarrows and take it across the way to a field. The Valley Farm team welcomed our LSSI colleagues with open arms and showed them around, gave the team their jobs and made them brews and biscuits. |
GC colleagues visit No.10 Downing Street to celebrate Lunar New Year and promote Jobs for HongkongersPhoebe Leung, key worker on our 'Jobs for Hongkongers' initiative, alongside Mandira Hughes, Employment Project Manager, North West Regional Strategic Migration Partnership go the opportunity to visit No.10 Downing Street to both celebrate Lunar New Year and spread the word about Jobs for Hongkongers. |
A thanks to our IT Development Team as we officially launch a new employment platformEmployGM is a new platform to help people find local jobs, search for courses, and find localised support across Greater Manchester. Celebrating the launch Naomi Ilagoswa, Director of Strategic Partnerships & External Projects passed on her thanks to our IT team for evolving and revamping the platform ready for its official launch. |
Take part in GC activities marking International Women's DayIt's International Women’s Day on Friday 8th March. Across GC, there are a number of events which colleagues can get involved in. |
The GM-BGH Manufacturing team volunteered at the Caritas ProjectThe whole GM-BGH Manufacturing team volunteered at the Caritas Project at the Lalley Centre in Crumpsall. They helped to put away the donated food stocks in to the food pantry, and also helped by doing some general maintenance and gardening tasks in the community allotment. |
What our colleagues think about our UKSPF Working Well programmeUKSPF Working Well: Support to Succeed is a new programme of activity which identifies, engages and supports economically inactive GM residents (aged 19 and over) who are furthest away from the labour market, with complex needs to address barriers and achieve positive onward destinations. The programme also has a dedicated offer for economically inactive residents aged over 50 who experience age-related challenges. Last November, we announced that GC will deliver the programme from January 2024, and the team have hit their programme start targets in the first month. |
GC is collaborating with local football clubs to train aspiring security professionals to join the workforce at Co-op LiveGC is collaborating with local football clubs FC United and Mossley AFC to train aspiring security professionals to join the workforce at Co-op Live. Around 300 learners will complete the the Highfield Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Spectator Safety course before joining the steward team at Co-op Live when the venue opens in April this year. |
Take part in 'Social Prescribing Day'Social Prescribing Day is an annual celebration of the people, organisations and communities who make social prescribing happen. Since 2019, thousands of local and national organisations, link workers, medical professionals, academics and students have taken part across the country. GC Employment will be partaking in a wide range of activity and workshops. |
Colleague blog: nutrition's impact on your health condition and general wellbeingAnushka Parekh – Organisational Development Advisor and Mental Health Champion at GC, shares how nutrition can impact health conditions and general wellbeing and shares some tips on those looking to improve their nutrition and eating habits. |
Achievements and celebrations within GC EmploymentThe Self Employment team in South Yorkshire celebrate their 100th 'paid job outcome', and our CFO Activity Hubs in the region win three awards for their work with people on probation. |
Take part in Race Equality Week's '5 Day Challenge'The 5-Day Challenge was developed so that each activity will typically take up to 5 minutes each day. Each day’s challenge asks thought-provoking questions and provides suggested actions which you could take. The activities help employees reflect and, more importantly, take action to drive Race Equality. |
GC Career progression story: Nick ShepherdNick’s career ambition was to work in the corporate world. He’s worked his way up in roles that have given him the experience to get there. After 8 years at GC, Nick is now Business Development and Partnership Manager within our GM Business Growth Hub. |
Green Economy commissioned by West Yorkshire Combined AuthorityGreen Economy, part of the Growth Company, has been commissioned by West Yorkshire Combined Authority as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Levelling Up project to support the growth of low-carbon technology firms. |
Update on how some of our colleagues will celebrate 'Lunar New Year' and the Jobs for Hongkongers projectHear from some GC colleagues about Lunar New Year – how they'll be celebrating and how you can take part. Also find out how the Jobs for Hongkongers initiative is doing and how they've been supporting Lunar New Year . |
Save money on your energy bills by retrofitting your homesGC colleagues living in Greater Manchester are being offered free home energy advice, support and upgrades to make their homes warmer and cheaper to run. The Feel The Benefit campaign is being delivered by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and partners, providing advice to local residents on ways to reduce their energy bills and identify if they qualify for free or discounted upgrades. |
Celebrating career progressions at GC - January 2023Congratulations to the following colleagues who've moved roles within GC over the past month. Whether it's a promotion, a secondment, or just colleagues who fancied a move into a different business area - each month we'll celebrate these achievements and career journeys within GC. |
Jon-Paul Rimington shares his thoughts on National Apprentice weekWatch this short video where Jon-Paul Rimington, Managing Director of Education & Skills explains what apprenticeships are and what they are for – and why they're beneficial to individuals and to employers. |
Join the LGBTQ+ Network for a Trans Inclusion WorkshopOn Thursday 28th March, our LGBTQ+ Network will host a workshop to mark and celebrate ‘Trans Day of Visibility’ with keynote speaker Dr. Christopher Owen from Manchester Pride. |
Celebrating and promoting race equality in our workplaceVictoria Braddock began her career at GC 21 years ago. She’s risen through the ranks and last year became the Managing Director of Marketing Manchester. As it’s Race Equality Week, Victoria reflects on her career and explains the importance of racial equality in the workplace for her – and the need to celebrate cultural differences to ensure that everyone has a sense of belonging when they come to work. |
Our GC Racial Equity FrameworkOur GC Racial Equity Framework has 7 key principles - find out more. |
Information Governance TrainingThe GC Information Governance Training is mandatory training which must be completed annually by all colleagues by Friday 15th March. As well as being good practice in many areas of the business, completion of this training is a key contractual requirement and a requirement of external standards GC holds such as ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials. |
Update on our GC 'Carbon Footprint'Following on from 'Big Energy Saving Week' (17th - 23rd January), we'd like to share the latest carbon footprint update for our organisation. Currently GC is 'Carbon Neutral' – which means we calculate all our carbon emissions and buy carbon off-set credits through the Gold Standard Scheme. We're working towards reducing our carbon footprint year-on-year (through efficiencies and use of renewable energy) until we can’t reduce it any further. This is called becoming 'Net Zero'. |
GC career progression story: Jodie RichardsonAfter working with and creating a team of volunteers, she had a desire to work with and help people. She started her GC career as a Restart Adviser, and is now a Service Manager on the new UKSPF Support to Succeed contract – and about to finish an 'Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management (Level 3)'. |
Celebrating career progressions at GC - December 2023Congratulations to the following colleagues who've moved roles within GC over the past month. Whether it's a promotion, a secondment, or just colleagues who fancied a move into a different business area - each month we'll celebrate these achievements and career journeys within GC. |
Colleague support in our communitiesHear how charity Recovery Works, part of GC, help support the families and children of our service users, and how a colleague took a volunteering day before Christmas to visit HMP Humber with charity ‘Sing Inside’. |
The Power of the Growth Flag in 12 MonthsRead about the power of 'Growth Flag' in just 12 months in their first Annual Report – including some key findings |
We're being assessed to re-certify three important ISO StandardsThis'll take place w/c 12th February across all GC locations for ISO Quality Assurance, Information Security and Environmental Management. |
Advice around severe weather warningsClick here for colleague advice about staying safe when we have severe weather warnings. |
A thank you from MencapThe Mencap team would like to pass on a huge thanks to everyone who took part in the fantastic volunteering and fundraising opportunity last month. |
GC career progression story: Lauren BradshawLauren has a background in teaching and communication skills, with a career living and working in Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Colombia, the Galapagos Islands and Guatemala. She returned to the UK when the pandemic hit and joined GC as an Employment Coach on the JETS (Job Entry: Targeted Support) pandemic response service in Greater Manchester. Keen to progress within GC, she's since had a lead role on the DWP Peer Mentoring contract in Liverpool City Region – using her life experience and communication skills whilst also supporting people who have been or are struggling. She's recently started a Service Manager role on the Peer Mentoring team. |
Meet 'Microsoft Whiteboard' – designed for Hybrid WorkingMicrosoft Whiteboard is an application that allows you to 'free form' ideas on a digital canvas – removing the need for flip chart paper or physical white boards. It has built-in collaboration features, so you and your team can work together, whether in the same room, or from multiple remote locations. |
Introducing our calendar of Mandatory Training for 2024In December 2023, we shared with a colleagues a list of the mandatory training that we will need you to complete in the new year. Training modules which will require completion from January 2024 include Modern Slavery, Fraud & Bribery and Customer Complaints. |
Personal Development Achievements from Education & Skills ColleaguesWe're celebrating some fantastic colleague personal development achievements and feedback from across our Education & Skills team over the past few months... |
Hear how our GC Education & Skills team's courses help change livesHear how our Education & Skills courses help changes lives: read about Georgie West's Journey from Skills Bootcamp to Director and how in just six months, how Richard Maskery went from having zero ideas about plastering to now being confident that I can complete some small jobs. |
Our GM Business Growth Hub's 12 Days Of Tips, predictions and recommendationsOver the past couple of weeks during the festive season, on social media, our GM Business Growth Hub team have shared insights into what our clients and stakeholders may want to focus on in 2024 – and provided 12 Days Of Tips, predictions and recommendations. |
Colleague volunteering experiencesFrom outdoor activities supporting grounds clearance, to serving Christmas Dinner, hear about how colleagues have used their used their Volunteer2day time over the past month. |
Join the EmbRace Network in celebrating 'Race Equality Week'Race Equality Week is from 5th - 11th February. Our EmbRace network are hosting a live webinar on Tuesday 6th February to explore GCs ongoing commitment to racial equality. |
December 2023 – eMail Security Changes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)On Monday 18th December, we are making changes to how emails and documents being sent by email are classified. Following on from the email informing colleagues about these changes, here are some FAQs which should be your first port of call if you have an queries. |
GC career progression story: Tanina SheathShortly after starting her career, Tanina found out about GC (Work Solutions at the time), a provider Tanina had always viewed as the 'one to work at', and eventually began working here in 2012, as an Employment Adviser on the Work Programme. Soon after joining us, Tanina knew that this was where she wanted to stay... |
Life outside our workshopsOur GC Education & Skills Wigan Training Centre recently teamed up with Wigan Council and HH Smith & Sons to get involved and see the work being undertaken in projects in their local area, and expand their job aspirations. |
Carol’s zero waste challenge and tips for a low waste ChristmasCarol O’Driscoll took part in FareShare’s Zero Waste challenge this November, raising £160 for the charity that will go towards redistributing surplus food to 8,500 charities and community groups. She has written this blog to share her experience with the challenge and some of the helpful tips she has learned along the way, including her 5 top tips to save waste this Christmas. |
Watch the 'Let's Talk Neurodiversity and How to Support Others in the Workplace' sessionWatch back the video recording of the virtual bitesize session which helps to increase awareness of neurodiversity and how you can support others in the workplace here at GC. |
Our Corporate Christmas Card 2023It’s that time of year again! We've created an animated gif as our Corporate Christmas Card, which you can just insert into an email. |
Changes to emails across GC - December 2023In February we will be upgrading our ISO27001 certification to the latest 2022 standards that some of our stakeholders require to deliver services on their behalf. The key changes in standards require organisations to strengthen their email controls to include email classification, data leak prevention and email encryptions controls. Considering this, we need to make changes to how emails and documents being sent by email are classified. The classification will determine whether an email can be sent externally or not. These significant changes being introduced will impact every email we send. This communication details the changes coming in and what they mean for you. |
It’s time for a data cleanseTo comply with our Group Retention and Destruction Policy, all colleagues must review their OneDrives, shared drives, email and hard copy files and delete/destroy documents that are no longer required. |
Our Corporate Services team celebrate the last 12 monthsThe team held their very first away day, with teams from across Marketing & Communications, HR, Facilities, IT, Finance and Business Development coming together – where colleagues had nominated their peers for 5 very special awards. |
Great feedback about our learners in the Education & Skills teamIt's great to hear from the people we've supported in their learning and career journeys. Here's a snapshot from some recent colleague observations. |
GC career progression story: Naveed AhmedNaveed has been with GC since early 2022 and has quickly progressed across a number of roles with the GC Employment team and has impressed us with his ability to conquer new challenges. |
Made Smarter national roll-out to turbo charge digital transformation for SME manufacturersWe've got some exciting news from Made Smarter, as the Government has pledged to roll-out the programme across the country. This is a direct result of the success of the NW adoption programme run out of GC. This is fantastic recognition from government and recognition of the hard work of all the team led by Donna Edwards and Alain Dilworth. |
Reminder about our Our December pay dateColleagues who are usually paid on the last working day of the month, will be paid on Friday 22nd December, due to the business closure at the end of month. Any changes must be received no later than 6th December so they can be processed in the December payroll. |
Apprenticeship success story with partner - Ian WilliamsWe've received some fantastic feedback from one of our apprenticeship partners and following recent 'End Point Assessments', they're delighted to enrol another 8 apprentices with us. |
GC Business Finance Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) Impact CampaignExplore the impact of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) delivered by GC Business Finance. This dynamic partnership serves as a driving force for economic growth in the North, fuelling innovation, job creation, and fostering a thriving business ecosystem. |
'Let’s Talk Wellbeing and Resilience' – virtual keynote speaker sessionOur GC Health & Wellbeing EDI Network invites all our colleagues to their 'Let’s Talk Wellbeing and Resilience' virtual keynote speaker interactive session on Wednesday 17th January (1-2 pm). The overarching aim of the session is to increase your self-awareness and enable you to establish one small change that will mentally and physically prepare you for the day. |
It's 'International Day of Persons with Disabilities' on Sunday 3rd DecemberInternational Day of Disabled People takes place annually on the 3rd December to promote the rights and wellbeing of disabled people in all parts of society and increases awareness of the situation in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. As part of our ongoing commitment to being a 'Disability Confident Leader'. and to promote our inclusive practices, we've developed workshops for people managers to increase their confidence with enabling conversations, particularly around reasonable adjustments in the workplace. Find out more... |
Final GM Business Growth Hub 'Match' event of 2023The GM Business Growth Hub Match team were in Bolton on Thursday 23rd November for the final Match event for 2023, before the release of all the Match 2024 dates. It was brilliant to round off the year with such an informative, diverse and connecting event that highlighted the masses of support that are available across the city. |
Safety at Night-time eventOn Tuesday 28th November we'll be holding a virtual 'Safety at Night-time event', to equip our colleagues with the knowledge and resources to stay safe on the streets at night – and to educate what bystanders can do to help diffuse situations. |
Changes to Teams and Outlook retention periodsGC processes and stores large amounts of data. To reduce the amount of cloud storage used, two changes have been made recently to the retention periods within Teams and Outlook: |
Career Progressions story - Naomi IlagoswaNaomi has been with GC for 15 years, during which time she's progressed and developed her experience and knowledge within a variety of roles, and is now an integral part of the Employment Senior Management Team. |
FC United Big Coat Day - fundraising successEarlier this month, the GM Employment Sales team supported 'FC United Big Coat Day' by collecting donations from GC Colleagues, Friends, and Family. |
It's been quite a month for the Trafford Restart teamThey've held a Match Day to give that extra push in getting their customers over the line and into sustainable employment, celebrated Black History Month with a delicious banquet also painted Restart 'pink' for Breast Cancer Awareness Day. |
'Journey to Net Zero' training programmeOur 'Journey to Net Zero' training programme has recently moved over to the Green Economy team, and will begin running every month from January 2024. To support GC colleagues in their own upskilling, as well as giving them a solid grounding in what the Green Economy team has to offer for referring clients, we're opening up places on our November cohort. |
As a social enterprise we advocate profit for purposeThursday 16th November was ‘Social Enterprise Day’. To help us celebrate, , Stuart Vaughan, ‘Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Specialist’ at GC, explains the growing role of social enterprises across the country – and how our organisation is geared-up to help, inform and upskill others to do business with a purpose. |
Let's Talk Neurodiversity and How to Support Others in the WorkplaceOur Health & Wellbeing EDI Network - Neurodiversity Champion subgroup has organised a virtual bitesize session on Wednesday 6th December (1-2 pm), to continue to increase awareness of neurodiversity and how you can support others in the workplace. |
Updates to our Expenses PolicyThe GC Expenses Policy has been updated. With effect from Monday 20th November, the amount you can claim for meal expenses will be increasing. The mileage rate for colleagues who have a vehicle through the GC ULEV scheme is increasing. |
National Holodomor Awareness Week'National Holodomor Awareness Week' is w/c 20th November and this year commemorates the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor – a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed 7 millions of Ukrainians. Mariana Mazur - key worker on our United for Ukraine initiative - and formerly from Ukraine tells us more. |
Ministerial visit to our Green Skills AcademyLast week, RT Hon Graham Stuart MP Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero toured the Green Skills Academy where representatives from GC other delegates present spoke to him about our work to create a more carbon neutral economy and how we're paving the way for a more sustainable future for all. |
Switch Your Money ONIn honour of Talk Money Week, our pension provider, Hargreaves Lansdown, are hosting a live webinar on Wednesday 29 November and encourage you to pose your burning money questions to the experts. |
Looking back on the last year – GC Team GreenAs we approach the end of the year, GC Team Green is reflecting on the work they’ve started in 2023 and everything they have achieved to date. |
We're supporting Carbon Literacy Action Day (CLAD)On Monday 4th of December 2023, to coincide with the UN COP28 Climate Negotiations in Dubai, we're holding the biggest ever climate education-and-action training event. The Action Day is open to all GC colleagues and we'll be joining thousands of people from around the work who are participating and completing a days’ worth of Carbon Literacy Training. |
The Doncaster Restart team recently held an 'Italian Fuddle'For those who don't know, a 'fuddle' is where employees can all bring dishes to share with their colleagues. It's a truly fantastic way for people to get to know each other, give morale a tasty boost, and create some personal connection without making anyone feel uncomfortable. |
Employ GM launches 'job search' function'Employ GM' aims to help people to find qualifications, skills and employment opportunities in Greater Manchester. It's just launched it's new Job Search function – allowing people to find local vacancies in real time in their chosen boroughs. |
Join our 'All Equals Charter' focus groupsThe All Equals Charter is a set of values, principles and commitments that participating businesses and organisations must adhere to in order to ensure the inclusion and prevention of discrimination against LGBT+ people, both service users and colleagues. We are currently going through the re-accreditation process, and part of this involves an external assessor running a number of focus groups with representatives from our LGBTQ+ community, as well as non- LGBTQ+ colleagues. |
Reflections on 'Wear it Pink' DayLast month, colleagues across the GC helped to raise money for Breast Cancer Now and took part in ‘Wear It Pink Day’. Thanks to Frank Kinrade from our Aspire Recruitment team for his commitment to this cause and for engaging with our colleagues to make it a success. Take a look as some of the photo from our teams. |
Hear what Diwali means to our colleague – Anushka ParekhSunday, 12th November, is Diwali. It's the Hindu festival of lights – with its variations also celebrated in other Indian religions. It symbolises the spiritual 'victory of light over darkness', 'good over evil', and 'knowledge over ignorance'. Read this blog post from Anushka Parekh, Organisational Development Advisor - HR who shares what Diwali means to her – from growing up through childhood, to now living with her husband and how she'll be celebrating this year by choreographing a dance for children at a local event. |
Reminder of our 'Bitesize' sessions on PALWe've recently launched the following a number of 'bitesize' training sessions on a range of topics related to performance management and learning – to explain how to get the best use of PAL: |
Volunteer to support Mencap's annual campaign to support homeless peopleOn Thursday 14th December, GC will host Mencap whilst they undertake their annual campaign to support homeless people with a wrapped shoebox gift filled with winter essentials. There are different ways colleagues can get involved this year... |
'Black History Month' culinary celebrationsThe Refugee Employability Programme (REP) team in Yorkshire delivered a lunchtime spread to celebrate Black History Month. |
Colleagues support Sheffield-based charity who provide support to survivors of human traffickingColleagues from Restart and Refugee Employability Programme have been volunteering for The Snowdrop Project. They support survivors of human trafficking across the UK. |
We're celebrating 'Transgender Awareness Week'Each year between 13th and 19th November, people and organisations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week. It is a time for reflection, a time for celebration, and a time for us to come together as a community to highlight the issues faced by trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people. Find out more and how you can take part. |
Support for Greater Manchester’s Big Coat Day 2024Fern Goddard and our GC Employment colleagues are supporting the event by collecting donations from GC colleagues – including your family, friends and business connections. These donations will help support Manchester’s most vulnerable people this winter so why not assist by donating. |
We’re launching a new Investment Portal – SimpliFiTo support Greater Manchester-based business owners and entrepreneurs, we're launching a new investment portal – SimpliFi, to make it easier to find and understand the finance and investment options available to them. Read more... |
Join us for a Reverent Remembrance Day ServiceTo mark this upcoming Remembrance Day, on Friday 10th November, the GC Veterans & Reservists EDI Network invite you to join them in paying tribute to the brave service personnel who have sacrificed so much for our nation. This solemn occasion holds profound significance for the United Kingdom, as we remember and honour those who've given their lives to protect our freedom and security. |
Let’s talk about men’s mental healthTo mark International Men’s Day (Sunday 19th November), and as part of GC's Mental Health at Work Commitment, we’ve organised a Let’s Talk Men’s Mental Health virtual bitesize session on Wednesday 15th November, 1-2pm to highlight the support available through Andy’s Man Club - a men’s suicide prevention charity, |
Register to become a mentee by 31st OctoberThe GC Internal Mentoring Programme (iMentor) is aimed at supporting career development for all colleagues and will match more experienced colleagues (mentors) with other less experienced colleagues (mentees). Last month we invited volunteers to apply to become mentors and as we begin to review profiles and commence training with our registered mentors, we’d like to invite colleagues to apply to become mentees. |
Latest GC Business Growth Hub Case studiesCheckout the latest case studies from our GC Business Growth Hub, which showcase five great examples of how we're continuing to support businesses across operational efficiency, business strategy and with digital and technology. |
Helping localities with the transition to the UK Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)Building on a growing portfolio of consultancy work in the West Midlands, GC Business recently supported Staffordshire County Council and the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub on a piece of work looking at the role of the private sector in supporting small businesses. |
We need your help to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness DayWear it Pink is Breast Cancer Awareness Day and held on Friday 20th October. Whether you're in the office or working remotely, all colleagues are encouraged to get involved and support the event by wearing pink clothes and contributing through the Growth Company - Wear it Pink 2023 Just Giving page. For every £1 donated, you'll be entered to win some amazing prizes. |
A colleague's career journey with GCWe have a fantastic team of passionate individuals who work on GC Employment’s Refugee Employability Programme (REP). Meet Kate Liddle, our Service Manager to understand her career journey with GC to-date, and her role within REP – and why she chose to part of the team |
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John’s volunteering story with FROGS (FRiends Of Glazebtrook Station)GC Ed & Skills Construction Tutor, John Silke, shares his ongoing volunteering experience which successfully combines his day job alongside helping a group restore a 150-year-old railway station. |
We're helping to empower businesses with migrant talentTapping into the potential of migrant talent has never been more crucial. Last week our GC Employment/Business Growth Hub teams hosted an event for the North West Regional Strategic Migration Partnership (RSMP) which was tailor-made for forward-thinking businesses that are keen on addressing talent challenges, overcoming skills shortages, and achieving their diversity and social value goals. |
Volunteering Opportunity with Kidney Health Community GroupOne of our GC Business Growth Hub clients runs a Kidney Health Community Group (WSH BME Kidney Network) and is hosting an event to raise awareness and provide advice during Black History Month in October. They are looking for volunteers to help organise the event and attend/help out on the day. Find out more... |
Highlights from our ‘Lunch and learn’: Let's talk about inclusion sessionIn this blog post, Cheryl Madden – Organisational Development and Learning Consultant, and Chair of GC’s Health & Wellbeing EDI Network walks us through the key messages from our ‘Lunch and learn’: Let's talk about inclusion session which was held during National Inclusion Week. It also includes video clips from the session, which celebrated our EDI achievements from the last 12 months and reminded colleagues of the importance of treating others with dignity and respect – to help us create an inclusive culture where we can all respectfully challenge or report unacceptable behaviour. |
What is Modern Slavery?It's 'World Anti-Slavery Day' on 18th October and it's an opportunity to raise awareness of the need to eradicate all forms of slavery, human trafficking and exploitation of people – and to acknowledge the millions of people who are victims of slavery globally. Matt Richardson, GC's Social Value Lead explains the different types of modern slavery. |
Fantastic news for GM Restart!Achieving a 'trio of awards' for going above and beyond in achieving August targets is a significant accomplishment. It demonstrates the dedication and hard work from the team. Read more. |
'One day' per week upskilling opportunities available to all GC colleaguesIf you're 19 and over and live in Greater Manchester, you can upskill with one of our GC Education & Skills Fully Funded Adult Courses. Find out more... |
600 learners took part in Ed & Skills 'Summer Programme'Throughout August, the training centres across Greater Manchester and St Helens hosted another successful Summer Programme. It takes place each year and allows young people aged 16-18 to get involved in a month of fun, meet new people, take part in enrichment activities, gain an accredited qualification, and learn some valuable life skills. Summer 2023 saw our largest numbers yet, with over 600 learners taking part. Find out more... |
Education & Skills team colleagues celebrate their recent accreditationsRead about the many recent achievements of colleagues from across the Ed & Skills team. From 'Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector' (PTLLS) qualifications, to Training, Assessment, and Quality Assurance (TAQA) qualifications, BSc Hons Business Management and Postgraduate Certificate's in education (PGCE) – well done to everyone involved! |
Volunteering story with 'Schnauzerfest'Nicole Isselbacher, Regional Account Manager in the Education & Skills team has been volunteering for a charity – Schnauzerfest since 2019. They help raise awareness of dogs from bad breeding backgrounds. They are only a small charity of volunteers and she's proud to contribute her two GC volunteering days towards this charity, but her support goes much beyond this. Read Nicole's story here. |
A colleague’s experience of inclusion at GCAs part of National Inclusion Week (w/c 25th September), Mysha Williams, EDI Manager – Restart North shares her first impressions of joining GC and her views on our commitment to Equality Diversity and Inclusion. As co-chair of the EmbRace EDI Network, she explains the role of colleague voice in driving positive change and how sharing cultural experiences helps inclusion in the workplace. |
Volunteering: Unveiling the true value of the Growth Company’s workforceVolunteering has long been regarded as a selfless act that generates positive social impact. However, when it comes to GC and our colleagues (of which we have over 1,500) – the true value of volunteering becomes even more significant. In this blog post, Matt Richardson, GC's Social Value Lead explores the various ways you can maximise our social impact through volunteering and uncover where the true value lies. |
Our Employment celebrate the last 12 monthsColleagues from across GC Employment came together for the annual Employment Managers Celebration Event to reflect on the success from over the last 12 months and talk about plans for the future. The achievements of colleagues were celebrated through the Managers Awards ceremony –with each award reflected one of the five GC Core Values. Read this article to find out more. |
Volunteering stories from our Education & Skills teamOur volunteering policy, Volunteer2day, allows you to take up to two days leave in any one-year rolling period to volunteer. Here's some feedback from two colleagues from our Education & Skills team – how they've spent their volunteering days and what the experience has meant to them... |
World Suicide Prevention Day: 10th SeptemberEvery year, organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide. At GC, we want to make sure colleagues are able to gain the skills and confidence to help someone who may be considering suicide. Find out more... |
Annual leave purchase window opens from Monday 11 SeptemberThe Annual Leave Purchase Scheme, which provides colleagues with the option to purchase up to 10 days additional annual leave, will open from Monday 11 September until Sunday 24th September. Applications need to be made through GC Hive. Here are more details regarding eligibility and how to apply. |
'Kick the Stigma' programme success storyGC Personal Wellbeing Service client, Wayne, was a perfect fit for the 'Kick the Stigma' programme – a wellbeing programme delivered in partnership with Everton in the Community (EitC). Following the 8-week course and making valuable contributions to all of the various aspects of the programme, Wayne's now going to be a peer mentor for the next delivery of 'Kick The Stigma' – scheduled to start in September 2023. Read Wayne's story... |
How we’ve celebrated South Asian History Month
At the GC, we are committed to providing equal opportunity for all our colleagues, the businesses we work with, and those we support. We value and respect diversity and it's at the heart of everything we do. Read about how we commemorated, marked and celebrated South Asian Heritage Month. |
Ahlam’s inspirational journey with GCAt the Growth Company Education and Skills, we know that your education journey may not always be straightforward and there can often be some challenges along the way. Because of this, we have a number of facilities and support systems in place to help you to succeed. Ahlam Ali has studied with us all the way from level 3 to 7, balancing her studies around raising her children and also overcoming struggles with dyslexia, English not being her first language and adapting to studying during Covid. We caught up with her to find out more about her incredible journey with us and how the Growth Company has supported her every step of the way... |
National Inclusion Week 2023: 25th September - 1st OctoberDuring the week commencing the 25th September, we’ll celebrate National Inclusion Week – the theme is ‘Take Action, Make Impact’. During the week we’ll discuss what actions GC are taking that make positive and lasting impact in our organisation. We’ve organised a range of activities to raise awareness – including an all-colleague bitesize session, where we’ll celebrate our key achievements over the last 12 months and promote our ongoing ‘Dignity at Work’ campaign. We’ll also launch two new training sessions to help increase awareness of inclusive practices and how to challenge inappropriate behaviours. Find out more and how to get involved... |
Embracing faith and religious diversity
As part of our ongoing activities to celebrate and raise awareness of South Asian Heritage Month, our EmbRace EDI Network have created this spotlight article which explains how South Asia has been the birthplace for spirituality. They also encourage practicing positive interfaith relations in the workplace - embracing tolerance and challenging poor interfaith relations. |
South Asian Famous faces and icons
The EmbRace Network would like to introduce you to some South Asian icons in their respective industries. Whilst the UK has a long history with South Asia, most notably India, it’s only been in recent years that more South Asians have provided much needed diversity within popular culture. |
Commercial consulting – with a differenceFour months since we launched our consulting service - GC Insight, Managing Director, Simon Hooton explains how he and his team are continuing to develop this purpose-driven, knowledge-based consultancy and how it is aiming to make a real lasting impact for its clients. |
South Asian Heritage Month - Colleague stories
South Asian Heritage Month 2023 is all about celebrating the stories that make up our diverse and vibrant community. The theme this year is 'Stories to Tell' and we want to our colleagues' experiences and what their heritage means to them. Read some of our colleagues stories and quotes here. |
Growth is good – and there’s more than one way to do itJanine Smith, Director of Business Growth was recently interviewed for Business Insider. She put into perspective how challenging the recent decade has been for businesses and explains the impact of GC Business Growth Hub since its launch 2012 – and that ‘growth’ can be achieved in many ways. |
Graduation celebration - Adriana Da SilvaThe newest Marketing Manchester team member - Adriana Da Silva who's graduated from University Academy 92 (UA92) in their second cohort of graduates. Read the Q&A with Adriana on her studies at UA92 and new role at Marketing Manchester (link required) |
How South Asian Food has helped cultural cohesion
From Tuesday 18th July - Thursday 17th August, our EmbRace EDI Network will be celebrating South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM). Understanding how cultures influence each other is fascinating – and a great way of promoting cohesiveness and integration. Mysha Williams, our EmbRace EDI Network co-chair has written a blog post to explain how South Asian food has influenced many cultures across the globe. She’s also hoping to inspire you to get your culinary thinking cap on for ‘Bring a dish to work day’ on Friday 4 August. |
Harmonising your body, mind and spirit
To get a deeper understanding of South Asian cultures, EmbRace have produced this Spotlight Article on yoga and meditation. Did you know there are 19 different types of yoga and 66 basic yoga postures? Learn how yoga has spread into the Western culture and how different forms of yoga have developed to meet the needs of everyone. |
World Youth Skills Day blog post from Jon-Paul RimingtonJon-Paul Rimington, Managing Director of GC Education & Skills reflects on how our organisation helps young people fulfil their potential and how we’re actively contributing to the transformation of skills for the future. |
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Clare Fallon, Sustainability manager – on why we’re encouraging you to become carbon literateHear why we’re encouraging all our colleagues to have more confident conversations about the green agenda - and the tools we have on offer to support you |
Carers Week 2023 blog by Richard JefferyOur colleague Richard Jeffery, National Director for GC Business, shares his experience of being a carer for his dad in this blog. |
Hayley James, Marketing and Communications Director on Learning at Work WeekHear Hayley James, Marketing and Communications Director's thoughts on Learning at Work Week |
Keynote speaker event with Andy Reid MBE - 21st March 2023The Military Veteran/Reservist and the Health and Wellbeing EDI Networks have worked collaboratively to organise a hybrid keynote speaker event for all colleagues with Andy Reid MBE on Tuesday 21 March 2023 1:00 - 2:00 pm to explain why talking about our mental health and any potential barriers we face is a vital part of developing an inclusive culture. |
International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022Saturday 3rd December is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This day has the aim of promoting empowerment and helping to create equal opportunities for people with disabilities. |
How we’ve celebrated Black History Month
At the Growth Company, we are committed to providing equal opportunity for all our colleagues, the businesses we work with, and those we support. We value and respect diversity and it's at the heart of everything we do. Read about how we celebrated Black History Month throughout October. |
Black History Month | 31st October
Click here to read how the next generation of female Black voices encapsulate this year’s Black History Month theme of ‘Actions not Words’ - including Temi Mwale and Lady Phyll |
Celebrating our achievementsOver recent months, we’ve shared news of some fantastic achievements and accreditations - and we're very pleased to add a new series to your recognised achievements. This is not an outcome of collecting awards, but a real reflection of the way you have helped develop the organisation in fulfilling its purpose and values. These accreditations and awards provide external validation of your efforts and its impact and provides confidence to our clients, commissioners and stakeholders. Some of these are recognition of progress on a longer journey, for example Investors in People, and we will be continuing the conversation with you on how to move to the next level. |
Black History Month | Week 4 - Culture Edit
In this week’s ‘Black culture edit’, click here to read about Black British actor/ comedian / activist and novelist Sir Lenny Henry’s book – ‘Who Am I?’ and Bernardine Evaristo’s novel ‘Girl, Woman, Other’. This week’s film ‘The Hate you give’ gives a spotlight on to racial tensions in the US and ‘The Harder They Come’ is set in 70s Jamaica and has an iconic soundtrack from Jimmy Cliff. Music is from Little Simz and a classic political album by Stevie Wonder |
Work Life WeekLast week was National Work Life Week, Jon Paul Rimington, MD of Education & Skills and the SMT Sponsor of the Parents & Carers network reflects on what work life balance is important |
National Adoption Week: A story about O and LNational Adoption Week aims to raise the awareness about adoption and bust any myths people may have around it. Through the #YouCanAdopt campaign, information about who can adopt, eligibility criteria and some first-hand experience from families who have been on the journey can be found. Check out this Blog from one of our colleagues, Russell Thomas, where he talks about his journey. |
Black History Month | Week 3
The EmbRace network continue to highlight Black British and US figures, as well as our very own GC colleagues. This week, click here to read about Diane Modahl - a strong Black British female role model, and GC colleagues Samira Jama and El Ezekiel. |
Black History Month | Week 3 Black Culture Edit
In this week’s ‘Black culture edit’, click here to read about Miranda Kaufman who focuses on Black historical figures, and dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah, Black US director Jordan Peele’s film Us (his films are unique in that he uses solely Black characters in the main roles) and Django Unchained (Tarantino’s film about a freed Black bounty hunter in times of slavery). Music is from political 70s activist poet Gil Scott Heron and actor Donald Glover’s alter ego, Childish Gambino. |
Black History Month | Week 3 Cultural Cooking
Why not give this week’s recipe a go and introduce different ingredients and cooking techniques? – click here for more details on how to cook-up Jamaican Salt Fish Fritters. |
Black History Month 2022 | Week 2
The EmbRace network continue to highlight Black British and US figures, as well as our very own GC colleagues. This week read about Benjamin Zephaniah and GC colleagues Anthony Radcliffe and Charity Mulenga. |
Black History Month 2022 | Week 2 Culture Edit
In this week’s ‘Black culture edit’, to read about authors Bell Hooks and Caleb Femi, Blackkklansman a film by Spike Lee and Rocks, a BAFTA winning film set in South London, plus music from Lizzo, known for body positivity politics and Goldie - ground-breaking in the Drum n’ Bass scene in the 1990s. |
Black History Month 2022 | Week 2 Cultural Cooking
Why not give this week’s recipe a go and introduce different ingredients and cooking techniques? – click here for more details on how to cook-up Tongabezi Chicken Curry |
Black History Month 2022 Week 1 Cultural Cooking
We’ll share recipes every Friday during October to encourage colleagues to try out and embrace cultural cooking and experience different cuisines. This week, try our recipe for Trinidadian Stewed Lentils that’s both vegan and gluten free. |
Black History Month Week 1 Culture Edit
Our Culture Edit includes authors James Baldwin, Abi Dare, films SUS, Moonlight and music from Saleem Ramos and Mnek. |
Baby Loss Awareness Week Blog (Trigger Warning)
Baby Loss Awareness Week takes place 9-15th October. During this week families all over the world commemorate the lives of their babies and share memories of the all too brief time they had together. Every loss is painful, every story is individual – here is the story of one of our colleagues. |
World Mental Health Day – 10th October #WorldMentalHealthDayLet’s Talk Money and Mental Health and an invite to a virtual event on energy cost saving and signposting to further resources |
Black History Month 2022 Welcome to Week 1
Spotlight on Black British and US figures and our very own GC colleagues. |
International Day of Older Persons October 2022Saturday 1st October is the United Nations International Day of Older Persons. This year’s theme is “Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World”. A theme that, to be honest, couldn’t be more appropriate based on the impacts of the pandemic and the challenges ahead this autumn/winter now exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis. |
Important finance changes (Delivery Dates)Important finance changes to POs on Unit4 |
Setting up substitutions on Unit4Set up substitutes for Unit4 over the festive closure period. |
Women's SafetyDuring the recent Women’s Listening event, held in November, we heard from the Women of GC about several topics that concerned them, including women’s personal safety. |
Our Commitment to Environmental ManagementAs part of our commitment to being a carbon-neutral company and reducing the wider environmental impact of our activities, The Growth Company is committed to maintaining and continually improving an environmental management system (EMS). |
Christmas Financial DeadlinesImportant finance dates for you to make note of before we close for the New Year |
£10 Contribution Towards a Group Colleague Social EventMore information on the £10 contribution towards a group colleague social event between 24th November and 24th December. |
Social Enterprise DayBusinesses across the UK celebrated Social Enterprise Day, part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, on Thursday 11 November. As part of this celebration we took part in #WhoKnew – a global digital campaign designed to give social enterprises the chance to tell their stories, show what makes them different from traditional businesses and shout about the impact of their work. |
Covid Update & Desk/Room Booking SystemAn update on living and working with Covid-19 and the launch of the new desk and room booking system. |
Flu VaccinationAs we move into Autumn we want to remind you that we offer a contribution towards the cost of our employee’s flu jabs. This year’s contribution is £8 and everyone under 50 is eligible. |
GC joins Working FamiliesWe are pleased to announce that GC joined Working Families, the UK’s work-life balance charity, in August. |
Bookings for team meetings are open!Last week, Mark announced that we would be providing you with the option of booking designated meeting spaces for team meetings from Monday 17Th May... |
GC Survey and COVID update, including the GC RoadmapIn March we asked all colleagues to complete a survey, ran by WorkBuzz. This gave you the chance to share honest feedback on how you felt about GC with a focus on input to help shape our future ways of working... |
Covid-19 weekly updateThis weekly briefing will aim to highlight COVID-19 updates, interesting blogs and articles about issues affecting the labour market that have appeared in the last seven days... |
GC Business Plan 2021/22 and Three Year StrategyI’m pleased to share with you the Growth Company’s Business Plan for 2021/22 which represents our second year of delivery against our Three Year Strategy, which we are also sharing for the first time... |
EDI Network updateAs you may have seen, last month I was appointed the new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) SMT sponsor, which I am delighted about and really excited to support the EDI networks and continue to create an inclusive and diverse culture at GC... |
Do you need advice from our Legal Team?Last year we introduced a crib sheet for the legal team to help you know when you should be seeking their advice and how to get in touch if you had any questions... |
Ramadan 2021As you may be aware, this year most Muslims around the world will start Ramadan tomorrow and as the lunar month lasts for 29 or 30 days the exact date for Eid will depend on the next new moon... |
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Reminder to complete your survey and ekosgen acquisitionThank you to everyone who has taken the time to input and help shape our future ways of working by completing our survey. So far, more than 470 colleagues across the Group have completed it... |
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Financial Performance & Salary Sacrifice UpdateI hope you have had a great weekend and are enjoying the brighter days and lighter evenings. I write to you today with some positive news about the financial performance of the Group and its impacts... |
Latest CEO updateLast week, as part of International Women’s Day, the EDI Women’s Network shared a number of communications and resources celebrating the progress we have made and the ways in which we continue to support women in the workplace... |
Let’s celebrate International Women’s DayNot only is today important as it’s the first step on the Government Roadmap out of lockdown, with schools opening, us being allowed to leave the home for recreation and exercise outdoors with one person outside of our household and care home residents being allowed one regular visitor, it is also International Women’s Day (IWD)... |
GC’s Procurement Policy ReminderAs you know, one of our core values is Doing the Right Thing so to make sure that we spend GC money responsibly and with integrity, we have a Procurement Policy, Procurement Procedure and Tendering Procedure we must follow... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – menopauseMenopause, it may be a natural part of a women’s lifecycle journey, but often a topic we don’t find natural to speak about. We wanted to include this as a topic for Wellbeing Wednesday to try and raise some awareness of this and the impact this can have on women but also the people around them... |
Covid-19 Update – Roadmap to Ease LockdownOn Monday, the Government set out its much-anticipated Roadmap for the easing of lockdown... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - My Healthy Advantage app, your screen time and YogaFind out more about the My Healthy Advantage app, how to reduce your screen time and sign up for GC yoga classes. |
Covid-19 fornightly situation reportThis fortnight's situation report based on evidence being collated on Covid-19, local and national actions and announcements... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – it's time to talkI know it’s already been mentioned in recent communications, but this week I want to encourage everyone to talk about mental health, especially on Time to Talk Day which is tomorrow, Thursday 4 February... |
Do you know what a Subject Access Request is?The Data Protection Act (DPA) provides a number of ‘rights’ to individuals, one of those rights is the ‘right of access’ or as it is more commonly referred to a Subject Access Request (SAR)... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - money worriesI hope you are well. Today is the first Wednesday where we have suggested having a GC-wide protected timeslot from 1-3 pm and no internal meetings should be held across GC... |
Do you know how to report a data breach?It is a requirement of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and ISO 27001 that we report all information security incidents and data breaches... |
Covid-19 – additional support for youThis update continues the focus on how we can support you during this current national lockdown. It includes a number of colleague suggestions, which I thank you for and should you have any more please do forward these. |
Covid-19 update: National LockdownOn Monday evening, the Prime Minister announced that we are now in national lockdown with the clear message to Stay at Home. Clearly this increases the challenges we are all dealing with... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - Happy New YearHappy New Year all! I hope you are all feeling well rested after your Christmas break and ready for the start of a new year that will hopefully be much less challenging than the last... |
Lee house reception closureOn the back of the changes to our current work practices announced earlier this week and the National lockdown, meaning very few colleagues will be going into the Lee House office, we have made the decision to close Lee House reception from today... |
Welcome back Covid-19 update: changes to current work practicesI hope you were able to have a good break and some time with loved ones, although I know many will have had to forgo this to a time later this year... |
Last reminder for Christmas competitionsToday is your last chance to submit your entries for GC’s Christmas competitions! If you’d like to enter please send your pictures/nominations no later than 2pm today... |
Thank you and enjoy the breakAs you’ll be aware, the Government has today announced that Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Yorkshire will remain in the Very High Alert level, while the Liverpool City Region and Cheshire stay in High Alert level... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – looking after yourself and othersFor those who celebrate Christmas, I’m sure it’s going to be very different this year due to the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions, but there will still be plenty of opportunity to treat yourself and your loved ones with a magical experience to get into the festive spirit... |
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Key dates this week...As we all await the confirmation of which tier our local area will be in for the next two weeks, I wanted to remind you of a couple of key dates for GC this week... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – Your benefits (Yoga, EAP and GC Hive)Today’s Wellbeing Wednesday is to focus on employee benefits... |
It’s virtually Christmas – Friday 18 DecemberLast week Mark announced that instead of our usual GC Christmas party, we are all invited to clear our diaries on Friday 18 December from 10am-2pm to allow for virtual Christmas celebrations to take place simultaneously across the Group... |
Collect you monitorIf we have contacted you previously about collecting a monitor from Lee House and you haven’t yet collected it, you will need to collect it within the next week... |
Recruitment and additional annual leave FAQsWe wanted to make you aware of a couple of initiatives the Group have taken forward and are implementing across all business areas in relation to our recruitment approach and share some FAQs on the additional annual leave... |
Christmas payment deadlinesI hope you are well and I’m sure you are looking forward to the break over the festive period. Here are some important finance dates for you to make note of before we close for the New Year... |
National Grief Awareness WeekTo mark National Grief Awareness week (2-8 December), we wanted to provide you with some information which is intended to help you manage grief and support others who may be suffering a loss... |
Must read: webinar for all colleagues and Christmas celebrationsAs 2020 draws to a close there is much for us to reflect on, both in terms of what we have achieved this year and the challenges and opportunities ahead... |
Your performance review and December pay dateRead about the importance of having regular meetings with your manager and find out your December pay date... |
Lifting of national lockdownWe continue to see positive vaccine developments which gives us light at the end of this Covid tunnel although as the Government has indicated it is likely to be at least Spring before significant countrywide changes to our current ways of living take place... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – feeling lonelyUnsurprisingly, one of the feelings millions of us are experiencing during the current coronavirus pandemic is loneliness... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - self-care weekThis week is national self-care week and as we continue to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, self-care is more important than ever before... |
We will remember themThis weekend was Remembrance Sunday and today marks Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II... |
Covid-19 Update: National Restrictions and use of our officesThe Government announced at the weekend that national restrictions would be put in place to tackle the rapidly rising COVID-19 case numbers... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – reflections on the latest announcementI know many of you may be feeling a little low and deflated after the Government announced the new national restrictions this weekend starting from tomorrow until Wednesday 2 December... |
Our commitment continuesAs October comes to an end, I want to thank the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Group and the individuals who stepped forward to take part in our first Black History Month celebrations... |
COVID-19 update – the new three-tiered system and on-going work-life challengesI have been waiting for the opportune time to reflect on developments in the Government’s approach to Covid-19... |
Celebrating Black History MonthI’m really pleased and excited to see and get involved in the activities our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group have arranged throughout October for Black History Month... |
Complete your information security trainingEveryone, including managers, the Senior Leadership Team and the Group Senior Management Team must complete this training by Friday 30 October... |
World Mental Health Day 2020With World Mental Health Day taking place tomorrow, I want to call on everyone to open up about mental health, to talk and to listen... |
Two contract wins for GCI’m pleased to announce two new contract wins for GC, worth a combined £16.9m. Together they represent a fantastic achievement for the Group... |
Changes to finance and procurementAs we enter into quarter 3 (October-December) and continue to navigate the challenges of a COVID operating environment, we are introducing a couple of changes to our finance and procurement processes which we want to make you aware of... |
GC KickstartAs you may be aware, the Government recently announced a new £2 billion Kickstart scheme creating hundreds of thousands of subsidised job placements to help young people into work and support the UK's economic revival... |
Wellbeing WednesdayIn May, we introduced this (Wellbeing Wednesday) weekly feature to support your health and wellbeing, hopefully giving you some useful information to help through these uncertain times and coping with the change we have all had to (and continue) to go through... |
Take 10 minutes to make a differenceWe need you to complete our short EDI survey, which we shared at the end of August, to input into our actions going forward... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - coping with changeToday we’re looking at coping with change. According to the ancient philosopher Heraclitus, the only constant in life is change... |
Covid-19 update – impact of the latest Government guidelinesI’ve not written for a few weeks and in that time we have seen the introduction of additional lockdown measures in response to a rise in coronavirus infection rates in local hotspots across the UK... |
Please look after your kitOver the last several months we’ve had 48 laptops/Mobile returned to the IT Service Desk that have been damaged which means we are unable to reissue this equipment to new starters... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – join in our GC Coffee MorningThe GC Macmillan Coffee Morning is next week, it’s come round so fast, and with your support, we are on well on our way to reaching our target, but as a Group I think we could even beat it! |
Wellbeing Wednesday – Working together to Prevent SuicideTomorrow is World Suicide Prevention Day, where organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die from suicide... |
Getting your flu jabAs we move into Autumn, we wanted to remind you that we offer a contribution towards the cost of employee’s flu jabs. This year’s contribution is £8 and everyone under 50 are eligible... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – self-careWhilst we continue to adjust to the new ‘normal’ way of living during a global pandemic, the ability to look after ourselves, identify and get our needs met is more important than ever to help our health and wellbeing... |
Supporting the LGBTQ+ communityThis year, Covid has meant Pride has gone virtual all over the world, making it easier than ever for everyone to get involved – powerful, right?... |
Booking a Team Meeting SpaceWe recently announced that we would be providing you with the option of using designated meeting spaces in recognition of the fact that a number of you will be eager for some face-to-face interaction with your team... |
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and InclusionI write to you today following another horrific shooting in the US of a black man Jacob Blake, this follows the death of George Floyd in May and the growing momentum of the Black Lives Matter Movement... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – back to schoolThe summer holidays are quickly coming to an end and while lots of children and young people will be excited to return to school over the next few weeks, there are many children and young people out there who are feeling anxious about returning to school after an unsettling few months... |
Covid-19 UpdateFurther to my email earlier this week, I wanted to take the opportunity to provide a fuller update on GC activities and the current position across the North of England... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – food for thoughtToday we’re focusing more on how different foods can impact your mood and wellbeing. When you're stressed, it can be tempting to skip meals or eat too much of the wrong kinds of food. But... |
Covid-19 Update - Taking a Break & Exams ResultsWe have all been working through what has, and continues to be a very difficult period, with many pressures in both in our professional and personal lives. So just a gentle reminder from me, please do take the opportunity for annual leave... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – World’s Biggest Coffee MorningThe official date for the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is Friday 25 September, for a small donation to our GC Coffee Morning you can join in bingo, a quiz, raffle and more... |
Keeping Doing GoodLast week (Monday 27 July), we launched Keep Doing Good, the National Citizen Service’s (NCS) programme for 15-17s this summer, to encourage them to get out and about in their community and be part of the COVID recovery, through volunteering and social action... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – building resilience and personal effectivenessWhile everyone copes differently, we know that building your individual resilience to challenging circumstances can strengthen your overall wellness... |
Greater Manchester Local RestrictionsI’m writing to you following last night’s announcement regarding local lockdown across much of our Northern geography, which has come into full effect today... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - staying safe in the summer holidaysI wanted to use this week’s Wellbeing Wednesday to provide a brief update of some recent changes as it’s not always easy to keep track of the easing of restrictions... |
Covid-19 update – book a team spaceWhile working from home remains our core approach, I am very much aware that many of you are eager to see your colleagues and have some much-needed face-to-face interaction... |
Need an idea for something to do in the summer holidays?This is where Challenge 4 Change (C4C) comes in. Why not bring your children and family ‘bubble’ along to enjoy a unique indoor activity experience? Or book your chrilden onto an activity day... |
Wellbeing Wednesday – become a mental health championI hope you’re all keeping safe and well, and that you’re having a good week so far. A few weeks ago, in my Wellbeing Wednesday email, Andy Hall discussed the topic of men’s mental health – something which he has a very personal connection with... |
Covid-19 update – easing of lockdownOn Friday, the Prime Minister outlined his plan to further ease lockdown, particularly that employers should seek to return employees to work, and his hopes for a more significant return to normality by Christmas... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - SleepIn our latest survey results, you asked for further support with how to get a better night sleep. This is understandable, particularly in light of current circumstances and for those who suffer from sleep deprivation anyway, this can add to your current stresses and pressures... |
Phased return to the workplace & developing our office spaceAs we emerge in a series of phases from lockdown, our position remains the same: everyone that can work from home should continue to do so... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - Men's Mental HealthI hope you are well and have enjoyed some of the easing of lockdown that came into effect this weekend – maybe you have been for a long overdue haircut, meal out or trip to the pub. Today we’re providing some information on Men’s Mental Health... |
Thank you for your supportThe past few weeks have been very challenging, especially for those most directly and significantly impacted by the recent announcements. As always, I have been overwhelmed by the positive and quick response from colleagues... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - MindfulnessToday we’re looking at a way to cope with stress. Most of us feel some level of stress every day, some more than others depending on circumstances and some people have more effective coping mechanisms than others... |
Thank youA very short update from me given my earlier announcement this week... |
End of year data cleanse and key changes to purchase order managementAs part of our year end processes and drive for continuous improvement to our Finance and Reporting systems, we have undertaken some work to cleanse our Purchase Ledger of historic records. This means that all open purchase orders and requisitions with a delivery date of up to 1 March 2020 have been closed... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - work-life balanceThis week’s topic is work-life balance and what we can do to help us achieve balance whilst working from home... |
Must read: Covid-19 update webinar for all Growth Company colleaguesThis is an important time for the Growth Company, and I will be holding another Covid-19 all staff webinar to provide you with an update on our position... |
GC Approach for Safely Returning to the WorkplaceI would like to thank you for participating in the recent staff survey. Over, 850 responses were received which allows us to have confidence in understanding how you are feeling at the moment and the themes and issues needing to be addressed, ranging from on-going support whilst ‘living with Covid’ to selective returning to office and training facilities... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - staying activeThe topic for this week’s update is staying active, something we all know we should do but can sometimes slip to the bottom of the priority list... |
Microsoft Teams launchExciting news, we’ve worked with our partners to bring forward go live for the first stage of our migration to Microsoft (MS) Teams. We are now extensively testing the platform and are due to launch next week (Monday 15 June)... |
GC Covid-19 update - build back betterWe are reaching a pivotal moment in the coronavirus pandemic, with a clear shift in emphasis towards a return to wider economic activity, and our continuing support for our colleagues, the business community and individuals will be vital... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - Mental Health First AidAs promised, I’m back and this week we’re talking about Mental Health First Aid... |
GC Covid- 19 update - have you been volunteering?Further signs of a return to some form of normality are now emerging, with the Government allowing outdoor meetings of up to six people who are not from the same household from Monday, providing they observe social distancing... |
Wellbeing Wednesday - caring for othersWelcome to our new weekly feature, Wellbeing Wednesdays, where I will be sharing health and wellbeing information and support based on different themes each week. This week we are focusing on caring for others... |
Wellbeing surveyRead your weekly GC Covid-19 update which includes a link to a short survey to inform any additional guidance and support we may need to put in place, now and in the future, as well as provide valuable insight into how we might need to shape our working practices over the longer-term and a kindness video from your colleagues. |
Mental Health Awareness WeekAs you may already know, today is the start of Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) 2020 and this year’s theme is kindness, focussing on the power and potential of kindness... |
Stay alert, control the virus and save livesYou will no doubt have seen the Prime Minister’s speech on Sunday and more importantly the Government guidance, this week, about how we might start to ease the current lockdown and safely reopen the economy over the coming weeks and months... |
Intranet documents now available from any locationI am pleased to announce that we have just finalised enabling all the features of the intranet platform so that it is fully accessible from any location, any device via the My Apps webpage... |
Coronavirus - planning our next stepsI’d like to use this opportunity to outline our emerging thinking on how GC will approach extending its operations and start a discussion between you and your managers on how we reflect the needs of our colleagues, clients and business financial sustainability in our approach... |
GC Covid-19 updateIn the week ahead it is expected that the Government will share its plans for how the current lockdown measures may be eased. |
Using technology to go digitalAcross the business we are using several platforms as we are adapting rapidly to our emerging technology requirements, I wanted to provide an update on our Group approach to these... |
Staying at home during RamadanThe Greater Manchester Council of Mosques is advising followers to adhere to Government guidance by worshipping from home and avoiding praying in large groups during the holy month of Ramadan... |
GC Coronavirus updateAs we enter an extended period of lockdown, I hope you are all keeping well and also managing to find a good balance and routine in what continues to be a challenging time for us all... |
Our purpose and people have put us in the best possible position to respond to coronavirusBlog from Mark Hughes, Group CEO on how our purpose and people have put us in the best possible position to respond to coronavirus. |
Data protection and sending mail while working from homeWe recognise the unprecedented challenges currently being faced by us as a business and you in order to be able to deliver our services. During this time, we need to continue to follow our working practices around data protection and information security as much as possible... |
This week's expensesAs you will be aware from yesterday’s webinar and recent communications, the Senior Management Team (SMT) are constantly reviewing our financial position and will continue to do this throughout this pandemic... |
Introducing the first Covid-19 webinarI hope you’re managing to keep safe and well at this time. I appreciate that the longer we remain in lockdown the more uncertain and anxious many of you will be feeling, so please try to stay connected and access all the support that is available to you... |
Has someone unexpected joined your Skype meeting?As we are now using Skype for Business more and more, we have noticed an issue people are experiencing especially when joining back to back Skype calls... |
New COVID-19 finance processes and measuresAs Mark on Friday, there are a number of additional financial measures we need to introduce with immediate effect. Whilst the first point is covering year end, tomorrow 31 March, the other points are in direct relation to new COVID19 processes and measures... |
Update on our approach to Covid-19This week has seen further government announcements which have had a significant impact on us all. The government introduced stricter measures to increase social distancing to help curb the spread of coronavirus, along with very clear advice to ‘Stay Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives’... |
Staying cyber safe during the Covid-19 outbreakAs an organisation we take the security of our network seriously and need you to be aware of what might be a potential cyber-attack in order to protect our data and systems... |
COVID-19 update on school closuresWhile I will share with you a comprehensive update early next week following reflection on this evolving situation and the questions you have been asking, I thought it was important to update you regarding the specific issue of widespread school closures... |
Looking after your mental health is importantI want to reiterate Mark’s message that in reaction to the ever-changing Covid-19 situation, your health, safety and wellbeing remains our top priority. This includes your mental health... |
Changes to our approach to coronavirus (COVID-19)In light of the unprecedented communication from Government on Monday I’m setting out our understanding and updating key guidance to you. This is an extremely fast-moving situation and we will endeavour to keep you updated as quickly and fully as we can as we work through the impact of any new guidance... |
GC Finance change to support agile workingIn reaction to the ever changing COVID-19 situation and to further streamline and improve processes within the Finance Transactions team, a number of changes will be made with immediate effect... |
Latest update on our approach to coronavirus (COVID-19)You will be aware that the UK has now entered the Delay phase of the Government’s Action Plan on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. I wanted to reassure you that the health, safety and wellbeing of GC colleagues remains our top priority... |
Our approach to preventing the spread of the CoronavirusSince we last updated you the number of confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the UK has risen to 163. The UK Chief Medical Officers have maintained the risk to the public as moderate and the risks to individuals remains low... |
Coronavirus updateSince my last update there has been confirmation of an increase of people who have been infected by the Coronavirus in the UK. Whilst the UK Chief Medical Officers have maintained the risk to the public as moderate, the risk to individuals has not changed and still remains low... |
CorornavirusMost of you will be aware of the current outbreak of Coronavirus in China and the recent confirmed cases within the UK. In light of this, I feel it is important that colleagues are kept informed of the latest position and associated health advice... |
