7 minute read
In the Know
from Insight - Issue 17
by ACT
know
Christmas Vouchers As a huge thank you for all your hard work throughout this very challenging year, ACT will once again be providing all staff with Christmas vouchers.
Staff with more than 6 months service as of 1st December 2020 will be entitled to a £50 voucher in November and another £50 voucher in December. Staff with less than 6 months service as of 1st December 2020 will be entitled to a £50 voucher in December. Due to the difficulties we will have with getting vouchers out to everyone under the current circumstances, we will not be offering a choice of voucher this year. We will instead be giving all staff One-for-All e-vouchers which will be sent to their ACT email address. One-for-All vouchers can be used in over 130 different High Street and online retailers including Marks & Spencer, Primark, New Look, TK Max and many more - view all retailers
Outstanding Volunteer Award for ACT Schools Learner
We are delighted to share that Abbie McLaren, HLTA with ACT Schools, who ACT supported through a Youth Work Degree (and subsequently went on to recruit) has been awarded ‘Outstanding Volunteer in a Youth Work Setting’.
An enormous well done to you Abbie. What a fantastic achievement!
Christmas Party
As you already know, due to restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will not be possible for ACT to hold the annual staff Christmas party in 2020. However, we would still like to celebrate what has been a very challenging year with all of our wonderful staff. It is very likely that even if restrictions remain slightly eased over the coming weeks, the "rule of 4" will still be in place into the New Year. At the end of October, we asked for suggestions as to what we could do/offer in place of the Christmas Party. The alternative will be fed back in due course.
Publishing success
Congratulations to David Carroll, our ACT School’s KS3 Tutor who has fulfilled his life-long ambition of getting his first children’s book published. ‘Be Brave Little Ant’ is a heart-warming story about confidence and facing your fears, for everyone who’s ever felt a bit too small. All proceeds will go to support Ty Hafan, one of the UK's leading paediatric palliative care charities, helping children and families throughout Wales.
Well done David, we can’t wait to see many more of your stories published!
Aberdare centre reopened
The Aberdare centre has reopened and relocated to new larger premises on 5 Canon Street. It is under the management of Acting Regional Manager Karen Evans. The building is over three floors, giving us the opportunity to provide a better experience to our learners. The tutors are in centre ready to deliver to our learners who have been really keen to return to face to face learning. Measures have been put in place to keep staff and learners safe and we are so pleased with how well everyone has adapted to the changes. Learners have told us they feel so much better in themselves now they can come to centre. They missed their friends, the routine we provide them with, as well as the teaching! They have all followed the rules and the atmosphere in centre has been lovely and calm. Learners are following a blended learning program and we have opened the centre to any learner that needs a quiet place to work or to access our IT equipment.
We have lots planned for the future so watch this space...
Need someone to talk to?
Education Support are offering a free, confidential helpline 24 hours a day for anyone working in education. You can find out more about this service at educationsupport.org.uk or calling the helpline direct on 08000 562 561.
Rob Payne – A Truly Lovely Man!
It is with great sadness and regret that late in October our dear friend and colleague, Rob Payne, sadly passed away surrounded by his family. Rob was a lovely, kind gentleman who was extremely loved and well thought of by both his team, peers, learners and all who had the pleasure of knowing him. He will be greatly missed both professionally and personally by everyone here at ACT. A memorial page has been created on our intranet for staff to share any memories or messages they feel called to. There is also an opportunity for staff to donate to Welsh Hearts, and the YMCA Cardiff – two charities chosen by his family in memory of Rob.
You can find more information and donate here:
acttraining.sharepoint.com/act-intranet/RobPayne-Memorial
Breast cancer awareness with CoppaFeel At the end of October, Employability Tutor (Care), Jessica Caramella, arranged for a Guest Speaker from the Organisation CoppaFeel to have a Zoom session with some of our Traineeship learners for the charity event ‘Wear It Pink’ (Breast Cancer Awareness). The presentation covered the founder Kris' story, breast cancer facts and myths, signs and symptoms, self-checking and the work of CoppaFeel itself. All learners were asked to wear something Pink and donate whatever they could to the charity. The online event was a great success and was highly informative for our learners. You can learn more about the charity here. Manicures at the Oasis Centre A big round of applause for Lou Mallett, who volunteers at the Oasis Centre in Cardiff, providing manicure sessions! The Oasis Centre works to help refugees and asylum seekers integrate within their local community. Well done Lou, keep up the amazing work!
Pip Barret shortlisted for the BEEP Painting Prize 2020! A big well done to Pip Barret, Essential Skills Tutor, who has been shortlisted for the BEEP Painting Prize 2020! The exhibition features 107 artists from around the globe, selected by acclaimed artists Steph Goodger, Enzo Marra and Elysium gallery & Beep Director Jonathan Powell. Congratulations on your incredible achievement Pip!
Celebrating our Learner Awards 2020 Our ACT Learner Awards are an opportunity for us to celebrate the successes and achievements of our exceptional learners and employers. Those who have shown outstanding commitment, passion and drive to develop their skills and make a real difference to their organisation or employees. Although this year’s awards look a little different streaming online, the awards are still a fantastic opportunity to honour the talent and efforts of the individuals and businesses who we strive to deliver the best support and resources too.
Categories for this year’s awards are as follows:
Employer Award, Special Recognition, Schools Learner, Traineeship Learner and Apprenticeship Learner. The awards were live streamed on Thursday 26th November 6pm.
You can watch the awards here:
view on our YouTube channel.
Charity updates
Emma Page, Facilities Manager, will now be heading up all of ACT’s charity and volunteer activities. In October, as part of our new monthly money pot initiative, ACT donated £100 to SANDS. SANDS is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK and was nominated by two employees. Thank you both for your nominations. The Monthly Charity pot is open for all staff to nominate a charity of their choice. If you have already nominated a charity that wasn’t successful, you are welcome to re-nominate again.
Nominate here
If you have any charitable or volunteering ideas you’d like to share with Emma, please drop her an email!
Emmapage@acttraining.org.uk
Donate!
The Care, Support and Guidance Team have linked up with the Hygiene Bank in Cardiff to help our more vulnerable learners access free products and overcome hygiene poverty. Across the UK, 14 million people live in poverty - that's 1 in 5. Around two thirds of children growing up in poverty live in a family where at least one person works but they simply don't earn enough to afford a decent standard of living. The Hygiene Bank is a grass roots, community initiative giving hygiene, personal care and household cleaning products to those in need across the UK. The Hygiene Bank believe that everyone should have a dignified life and that feeling clean should not be a luxury or privilege for just a few in society. Hygiene poverty, particularly for vulnerable young people is shaming, humiliating and can result in social isolation.
The Hygiene Bank initiative recently gifted the Care, Support and Guidance team a donation from Boots to distribute products to those students most in need. This is the second supply of products ACT have received from the Hygiene Bank and shared with learners across our provisions. Adelle Taylor, Learner Health & Wellbeing Manager, who liaises with The Hygiene Bank commented, “The generosity of the Hygiene Bank allows us to provide our learners with the necessities in life we can sometimes take for granted. The impact of feeling clean on our learner's self-confidence and mental wellbeing, as well as knowing they are cared for, is huge. We're very grateful to the Hygiene Bank for enabling us to expand our learner wellbeing support in this way.”
