As 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.
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Jamie 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.
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Hear 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'.
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The Growth Company Veterans & Reservists network are collaborating with Walking with the Wounded on their Longest Day Challenge to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Organised by Co-Chair of the Veterans & Reservists EDI Network, Nick Williams, they'll undertake a fundraising walk across Manchester on Thursday 27th of June on the run-up to Armed Forces Day on Saturday 29th June.
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This 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.
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Carbon 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.
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At 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.
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GC 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.
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The 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....
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With 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.
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Fire 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.
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Innovation 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.
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The 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:
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Collaboration 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.
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Mark 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.
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When 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.
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Dawn 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.
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In 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'.
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Being 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!
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UKReiiF 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.
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Since 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.
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Events 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.
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This 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.
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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.
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Our Skills Bootcamp graduates bring a range of expertise to any business - find out more...
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To 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.
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Nicole 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.
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At 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.
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Our 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.
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Our 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.
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Read 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.
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The 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.
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Read about some recent success stories from our Ed & Skills learners - including eight of our learners who have been offered roles at Liverpool Cruise Terminal.
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On 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.
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Anushka Parekh, OD Advisor - Human Resources shares a day in the life of Holi, the Hindu festival that celebrates spring, love, and new life.
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Thank 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.
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In 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...
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Race 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.
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The 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.
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2 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.
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The 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.
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Our 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.
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At 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.
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Over 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.
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GC 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.
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Tim 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.
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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.
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Hear more about our latest development to further enhance the services we provide to people and businesses.
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It'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.
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Ramadan 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.
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Keri 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.
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A 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.
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Read 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.
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We have a great opportunity for you to invest in your growth and proficiency through our fully funded adult courses.
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The 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.
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International 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.
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Congratulations to colleagues who successfully received qualifications at work.
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GC 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.
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March 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.
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To 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.
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Colleagues 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.
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GC 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.
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Congratulations 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.
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Dee 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.
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The Refugee Employability Programme (REP) team have pulled out all the stops for their service users across Yorkshire.
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International 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.
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It'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.
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Colleagues' 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.
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Hear from our EnterprisingYou team who volunteered at Woodhouse Park Family Centre and a GC Employment Restart colleague who volunteers for the Canal & River Trust.
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Hear 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.
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Working alongside experts in the sector, Green Economy has created an invaluable resource for energy-intensive businesses.
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Our 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.
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In 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.
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Steph 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.
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The 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.
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The 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.
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GC 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.
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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.
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EmployGM 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.
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UKSPF 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.
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Phoebe 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.
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It's International Women’s Day on Friday 8th March. Across GC, there are a number of events which colleagues can get involved in.
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Anushka 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.
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GC 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.
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On 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.
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Green 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.
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Congratulations 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.
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Watch 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.
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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.
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The 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.
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Victoria 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.
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Our GC Racial Equity Framework has 7 key principles - find out more.
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Hear 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 .
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Nick’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.
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The 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.
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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'.
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After 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)'.
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Congratulations 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.
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Hear 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’.
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Read about the power of 'Growth Flag' in just 12 months in their first Annual Report – including some key findings
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This'll take place w/c 12th February across all GC locations for ISO Quality Assurance, Information Security and Environmental Management.
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Click here for colleague advice about staying safe when we have severe weather warnings.
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The Mencap team would like to pass on a huge thanks to everyone who took part in the fantastic volunteering and fundraising opportunity last month.
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Lauren 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.
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Microsoft 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.
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In 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.
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We're celebrating some fantastic colleague personal development achievements and feedback from across our Education & Skills team over the past few months...
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Hear 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.
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Over 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.
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From outdoor activities supporting grounds clearance, to serving Christmas Dinner, hear about how colleagues have used their used their Volunteer2day time over the past month.
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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.
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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.
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Shortly 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...
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Our 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.
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Carol 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.
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Watch 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.
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It’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.
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In 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.
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To 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.
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The 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.
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It'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.
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Naveed 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.
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We'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.
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Colleagues 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.
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We'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.
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Explore 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.
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Our 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.
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International 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...
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The 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.
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On 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.
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GC 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:
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Naomi 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.
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Earlier this month, the GM Employment Sales team supported 'FC United Big Coat Day' by collecting donations from GC Colleagues, Friends, and Family.
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They'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.
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Our '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.
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Thursday 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.
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Our 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.
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The 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.
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'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.
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Last 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.
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In 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.
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As 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.
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All colleagues should now have started their Mid-Year Performance Review Process for Group, and the End of Year Performance Review Process for Education & Skills.
Group Colleagues should have now completed their self-assessments (those from GC Education & Skills colleagues are due by Wednesday 8th November.
People managers can complete their assessment from today (Thursday 2 November) for Group colleagues (Thursday 9th November for GC Education & Skills), up until the review window closes on the Friday 1st December.
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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.
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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.
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'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.
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The 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.
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Last 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.
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Sunday, 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.
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We'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:
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On 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...
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The Refugee Employability Programme (REP) team in Yorkshire delivered a lunchtime spread to celebrate Black History Month.
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Colleagues from Restart and Refugee Employability Programme have been volunteering for The Snowdrop Project. They support survivors of human trafficking across the UK.
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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.
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To 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,
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Wear 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.
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Checkout 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.
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To 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.
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The 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.
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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.
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Fern 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.
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To 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...
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We 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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Tapping 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.
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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.
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If 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...
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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.
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In 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.
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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...
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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.
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One 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...
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As 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.
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Read 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!
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Colleagues 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.
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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.
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Volunteering 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.
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Every 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...
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Our 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...
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The 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.
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GC 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...
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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.
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At 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...
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During 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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Four 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.
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Janine 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.
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The 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)
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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.
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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.
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Jon-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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Hear 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
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Our colleague Richard Jeffery, National Director for GC Business, shares his experience of being a carer for his dad in this blog.
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Hear Hayley James, Marketing and Communications Director's thoughts on Learning at Work Week
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The 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.
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Saturday 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.
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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.
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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
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Over 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.
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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
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Last 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
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National 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Our Culture Edit includes authors James Baldwin, Abi Dare, films SUS, Moonlight and music from Saleem Ramos and Mnek.
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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.
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Let’s Talk Money and Mental Health and an invite to a virtual event on energy cost saving and signposting to further resources
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Spotlight on Black British and US figures and our very own GC colleagues.
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Saturday 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.
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During 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.
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As 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).
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Important finance dates for you to make note of before we close for the New Year
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More information on the £10 contribution towards a group colleague social event between 24th November and 24th December.
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Businesses 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.
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An update on living and working with Covid-19 and the launch of the new desk and room booking system.
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As 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.
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We are pleased to announce that GC joined Working Families, the UK’s work-life balance charity, in August.
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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...
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In 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...
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This 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...
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I’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...
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As 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...
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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...
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As 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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Thank 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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I 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...
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Last 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...
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Not 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)...
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As 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...
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Menopause, 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...
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On Monday, the Government set out its much-anticipated Roadmap for the easing of lockdown...
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Find out more about the My Healthy Advantage app, how to reduce your screen time and sign up for GC yoga classes.
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This fortnight's situation report based on evidence being collated on Covid-19, local and national actions and announcements...
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I 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...
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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)...
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I 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...
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It is a requirement of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and ISO 27001 that we report all information security incidents and data breaches...
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This 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.
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On 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...
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Happy 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...
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On 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...
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I 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...
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Today 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...
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As 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...
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For 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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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...
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Today’s Wellbeing Wednesday is to focus on employee benefits...
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Last 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...
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If 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...
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We 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...
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I 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...
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To 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...
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As 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...
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Read about the importance of having regular meetings with your manager and find out your December pay date...
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We 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...
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Unsurprisingly, one of the feelings millions of us are experiencing during the current coronavirus pandemic is loneliness...
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This week is national self-care week and as we continue to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, self-care is more important than ever before...
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This weekend was Remembrance Sunday and today marks Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II...
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The Government announced at the weekend that national restrictions would be put in place to tackle the rapidly rising COVID-19 case numbers...
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I 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...
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As 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...
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I have been waiting for the opportune time to reflect on developments in the Government’s approach to Covid-19...
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I’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...
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Everyone, including managers, the Senior Leadership Team and the Group Senior Management Team must complete this training by Friday 30 October...
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With World Mental Health Day taking place tomorrow, I want to call on everyone to open up about mental health, to talk and to listen...
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I’m pleased to announce two new contract wins for GC, worth a combined £16.9m. Together they represent a fantastic achievement for the Group...
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As 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...
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As 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...
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In 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...
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We need you to complete our short EDI survey, which we shared at the end of August, to input into our actions going forward...
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Today we’re looking at coping with change. According to the ancient philosopher Heraclitus, the only constant in life is change...
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I’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...
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Over 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...
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The 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!
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Tomorrow 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...
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As 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...
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Whilst 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...
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This year, Covid has meant Pride has gone virtual all over the world, making it easier than ever for everyone to get involved – powerful, right?...
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We 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...
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I 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...
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The 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...
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Further 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...
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Today 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...
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We 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...
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The 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...
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Last 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...
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While everyone copes differently, we know that building your individual resilience to challenging circumstances can strengthen your overall wellness...
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I’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...
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I 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...
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While 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...
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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...
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I 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...
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On 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...
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In 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...
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As 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...
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I 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...
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The 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...
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Today 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...
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A very short update from me given my earlier announcement this week...
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As 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...
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This week’s topic is work-life balance and what we can do to help us achieve balance whilst working from home...
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This 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...
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I 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...
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The 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...
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Exciting 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)...
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We 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...
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As promised, I’m back and this week we’re talking about Mental Health First Aid...
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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...
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Welcome 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...
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Read 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.
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As 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...
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You 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...
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I 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...
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I’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...
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In the week ahead it is expected that the Government will share its plans for how the current lockdown measures may be eased.
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Across 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...
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The 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...
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As 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...
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Blog from Mark Hughes, Group CEO on how our purpose and people have put us in the best possible position to respond to coronavirus.
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We 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...
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As 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...
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I 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...
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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...
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As 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...
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This 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’...
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As 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...
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While 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...
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I 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...
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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...
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In 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...
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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...
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Since 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...
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Since 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...
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Most 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...
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