MSP Capital signs for AFC Bournemouth’s football boot recycling scheme

Property finance lender MSP Capital has joined the team behind a campaign to enable more disadvantaged football players in the community to take part in the sport.

The principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor of AFC Bournemouth is collaborating with the club and, for the first time, insurance company Vitality to launch Bring Your Boots.

The aim is to encourage members of the public to donate pre-loved boots or trainers to families throughout Bournemouth who would struggle to pay for new ones.

It comes after research revealed that nearly one in five families financially impacted by the pandemic said they would struggle to send their children to grassroot clubs because of the cost of replacing outgrown boots and other items of kit.

Martin Higgins, Managing Director of MSP Capital, said: “We’ve always seen our partnership with AFC Bournemouth as a way to not only support our local team but the local community as well.

“Bring Your Boots is all about helping to provide vital opportunities for those children who are passionate about playing football but whose families can struggle to pay for kit.

“Now is the time to dust down those trusty boots that served you so well in the past and give them a new lease of life for someone else to enjoy.”

The donations will directly help those who are unable to afford new trainers or boots in the local community through the club’s Community Sports Trust, which operates various projects designed to help both adults and children take part in physical activities.

Members of the public can donate at two drop off points: the AFC Bournemouth Superstore at Vitality Stadium during normal store opening times; and in the Junior Fanzone on first team home match days.

Vitality’s office in Bournemouth will also have a collection point to support the scheme and encourage donations.

James Hill, who signed for AFC Bournemouth on a permanent basis from Fleetwood Town in January 2022, is the campaign’s player ambassador and represents the first team squad in supporting the project.

Nick Read, Managing Director of the Vitality programme, said: “Supporting and enabling people to be active is at the very centre of what we do. We are delighted to be part of this campaign to enable more people to take up or continue playing football. We know that keeping active can make a huge difference to our long-term health. We encourage everyone to get behind this wonderful initiative and start donating.”

Steve Cuss, Head of Community at AFC Bournemouth, was also excited to be involved: “Physical activity has so many benefits and, through our community projects, we look to involve as many people from within community as possible. The boot recycling scheme removes a barrier for everyone to get active, as having the correct equipment is vital. We are very grateful to both MSP Capital and Vitality for their support with this initiative.”

Steve added that all footwear donated should be in a useable condition and have any additional accessories such as laces or studs still attached to the shoe.

According to a Utilita State of Play Report released in October 2020, of the 74% of families who admitted to being financially impacted by the pandemic almost a fifth (18%) said they would struggle to pay for upgraded playing kit for children returning to grassroots football. www.mspcapital.co.uk

FOCUS ON education

with Weymouth College Research conducted by the Learning and Work Institute has estimated that in England by 2030 there could be 5.1 million low-skilled people chasing 2 million low-skilled jobs; 12.7 million people with intermediate skills chasing 9.5 million jobs; and 17.4 million high-skilled jobs with only 14.8 million high-skilled workers.

That’s a potential deficit of higher-level skills in 2030 amounting to around 2.5 million people*.

In-work skills-development is changing – with learners looking for quick ways to close the gap between what they currently have to offer and what employers want and need – and there is a growing demand for university/ higher level course units that help working adults upskill or reskill and importantly support their continued professional development.

So how do we work with our local workforce to reskill or upskill to ensure they are building and developing the higher-level skills which will be needed in businesses throughout Dorset in 2022 and beyond?

Micro-credentials could have an important part to play.

Micro-credentials are designed to upskill the workforce without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Learners can access up to 3 modules of a degree-level course(s) and be credited through work submitted and attendance. Micro-credentials recognise the learning outcomes of a short course or module and offer a very flexible yet highly targeted pathway to develop knowledge and skills for professional (CPD) and personal development - directly supporting reskilling and upskilling within the workplace.

At Weymouth College we offer a range of higher education courses – which potentially offer an in-work learner the opportunity to put in place a variety of micro-credentials. Our Foundation Degree Health and Social Care – delivered in Partnership with the University of Plymouth – for example, has modules in areas including safeguarding, organisational management, leadership/management and mental health and wellbeing which could all facilitate higher-level skills development.

If you are an employer looking to offer your employees, the opportunity to develop their workplace skills - talk to us today and find out more about how we can work together to build a skills-led future for the Dorset workforce. Roz_Osborne@weymouth.ac.uk 01305 764733 www.weymouth.ac.uk *Local Skills Deficits and Spare Capacity, Learning and Work Institute, December 2019.

Lighthouse ready to charge up new partnership with Volvo Cars Poole

Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, is delighted to announce its new partnership with Volvo Cars Poole as the Ringwood Road retailer launches Volvo’s first pure electric crossover, the C40 Recharge Pure Electric.

“Electric cars are the future of motoring and with sustainability at the heart of everything we do at Lighthouse, we’re excited that the support of Volvo Cars Poole will help focus attention on environmentally friendly ways of travelling to the theatre,” says Tom Shallaker, Lighthouse Fundraising Manager.

Leanne Ledger, Head of Business at Volvo Cars Poole, part of Ocean Automotive adds: “Fully electric and plug-in hybrid models accounted for almost one in five new car registrations in 2021. Volvo was the first manufacturer to have a plug-in hybrid version of every car in the line-up, and the pure electric C40 now joins the awarding winning XC40 in our electric range.”

The innovative Volvo C40 offers a range of 273 miles on a single charge, is 100% free of leather, takes just 37 minutes for a 192-mile charge and comes with Google built-in. www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

5 reasons to upskill and how to choose the best course for you

Upskilling yourself has become necessary to survive in the current job market which, due to the pandemic, is more competitive and fast-paced than ever before. In fact, with recent national surveys showing that workers are leaving their jobs — or thinking about leaving - at record rates as pandemic restrictions lift, it is more important than ever for people to focus on the skills required to upskill and change careers.

Now is the perfect time to focus on both your personal and professional development. Over the past two years, people have had plenty of free time to evaluate their career choices and decide what they want from life. So, if you are thinking about upskilling, here are my top five reasons why you should and how to choose the best course for you. 1. Future-proof your career Taking the time to develop yourself and your knowledge will not only help you to be more productive at work and increase your performance, but it will also help you get the chance to secure employment in the long run. No job is guaranteed for life, so upskilling will help you to ensure that you stay ahead of the curve of the ever-evolving job landscape. The skills you choose to develop do not need to be directly related to your current job either. By pushing yourself to keep your skill set current, you will broaden your chances of securing a new job or open the door to working in a new industry. 2. Gaining new skills will boost your confidence Developing your skill set will boost your confidence and self-esteem personally and professionally. Acquiring new skills in your field will help you overcome challenges, increase productivity and broaden your career prospects. You will then find it easier to adapt to unpredictable changes in life as well. The more varied your life experience is, the more confident you become. All this culminates in an increased level of confidence. 3. It opens you to more opportunities Companies like to hire well-trained and versatile people, and those with a series of skill sets are preferred over those with only basic skills. So, developing new abilities gives you options. It clears the way for more possibilities and enables you to easily transition if you are looking to change careers. I would go as far as saying that upskilling and reskilling are crucial in giving your career a boost. If you are encouraged by your company to attend workshops or training, always grab the opportunity to learn. Alternatively, why not take the lead and sign up for courses that excite you? 4. Discover a new passion If you are looking for a career change or want to reignite your passion for your current job, upskilling could be the answer. By learning new skills, you open yourself up to the opportunity of getting in touch with new subjects and areas that might stir your interest. Industries are forever evolving, so there may be new tricks to the trade that you have not come across in your field. In contrast to this, you could also develop a completely new interest in something else. The beauty of adult education is that there are literally hundreds of courses, so you are sure to find one that sparks your imagination. 5. It adds value to you and the company In the eyes of an employer, the best employees are those that are proactive and look to create value for the business. Acquiring more skills that are helpful to your company will make you an invaluable asset. Honing your analytical and problem-solving skills will allow you to be more productive. Showing people that you are flexible and can understand various roles will also make you a good candidate for promotions. Many companies encourage employees to upskill, so if you are encouraged by your company to attend training, always grab the opportunity to learn. How to find the right course for you! Getting started is the hardest part of any educational journey, so finding a course that suits you is vital. Many people will not have studied since school, and there is a plethora of courses on offer out there, which can make things daunting. I would recommend talking through some course options with an experienced advisor. They can signpost you to those courses suited to your preferred career path or they can suggest courses that complement your current skill set and passions to take you on to a whole new career.

Look at whether you can build a programme of bite-sized courses to create a portfolio of useful skills if longer courses seem intimidating. See if study locations are close by to reduce commuting time or if you can combine a mixture of online and classroom study for more flexibility. Also, know what your employers, or future employers, want before you take an adult education course. This is incredibly important when choosing a role that will help you progress in your career. For example, if you are looking to go into a role where you are expected to have exceptional office and secretarial skills, there would not be much call for you to take a course in marketing.

Finally, ask yourself if you are the type of person who is self-motivated, or do you need the odd push to keep going? Be honest. If you do occasionally need that extra push, I would suggest choosing a course delivered by someone that gives you the level of support you need to take your study through to completion.

Contact Calum Hales Centre Manager of Pitman Training – Bournemouth & Poole on calum.hales@ pitman-training.com or 01202 031712 and find out how we can add value to your CV through our diplomas and courses. www.pitman-training.com