|
The Editor |
|
|
Managing Director,
Mrs Susan Pattrick |
|
My Featured Charity | |
The Colchester Carers Centre is a charity organisation that is committed to offering young people who look after their parents (or parent), respite care. They have been offering this opportunity for young people since 1999 but like most charities, it has no statutory funding and relies heavily on the support of organisations such as the Colchester Catalyst Charity, the Tangerine Ball, Linklaters LLP, some Rotary Clubs and individuals. To keep running and providing the services that so many have come to rely on, the Centre needs £60,000 per year.
Like everyone else, they may be affected by the cuts in the statutory and voluntary sector funding that helps so many families with children who are living in poverty, but they are optimistic that with the new website that has been funded by SMP Consultancy Ltd and developed by
B8 Solutions and the new "Donate Button" that they will come through this difficult time and be able to support more families and help more Young Carers to enjoy their childhood as well as care for their parents.
You can follow the button
too...
And for more information on the Colchester Carers Centre, please visit their new website... |
| Nomitations | |
Please feel free to nominate a future charity of the month here...
|
| Social media links | |
Follow my blogs
Follow me on...
|
| Back Issues |
Want to see previous issues of the Newsletter?
|
| Join our list |
 |
|
|
Greetings!
The major news this month is that the Equality Bill has been passed and is now an Act of Parliament. See the main article below.
I am delighted to support the Colchester Carers Centre as my charity of the month. I have a personal interest in this charity having sponsored the development of their new website which was developed by B8 Solutions. As with all my featured charities I would encourage you to support them as well. My inspirational person for this month is Nick Athorne, who recently suffered a major stroke and shares his experience so that others might benefit.
By the time the next newsletter lands, the football frenzy will be over and sadly, discarded car flags will no doubt adorn our streets. But hey! England will have won the World Cup! Well let's hope so! |
| The Equality Act 2010 | |
On April 10, the Equality Bill received Royal Assent and is now an Act in law. The Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are in the process of writing the Guidance and Codes of Practice to provide help for employers to apply the Act to their businesses.
The Act covers the following areas of discrimination:
- Age;
- Disability;
- Gender reassignment;
- Pregnancy and maternity;
- Race, religion or belief;
- Sex, and sexual orientation.
SMP Consultancy is well versed in all of these areas and can provide you with expertise and guidance to ensure that you stay one step ahead of the legislation and avoid the penalties. Don't leave it until it's too late!
For more information from the EHRC on the Act, click here. Now that the Act is in force, it's probably worth a quick reminder of the article that appeared in the April issue regarding website accessibility. |
| It's all about being 'reasonable' | |
As with the Disability Discrimination Act, the interpretation of the new Equality will come down to 'reasonableness', i.e. whether an employer has to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate individuals, and as I will always say, there is never a 'one size fits all' approach.
Follow this link to a recent Kennedy's Law Employment briefing about the reasonableness of swapping of roles between a disabled and non disabled person. In your own business world, if you need advice or guidance on what is and isn't reasonable, SMP Consultancy will be willing to help. |
| A bit more about Colchester Carers Centre... | |
The Colchester Carers Centre has been involved with young people since 1999 and its main aim is to help youngsters to have a happy childhood when all they know is how to look after a parent.
Many of these children have never had a holiday or a weekend away and have never experienced a 'normal' childhood, getting into mischief or finding things that they enjoy doing with their mates. We all take such things for granted but there are those children out there who never (or rarely) ever have that opportunity.
Whilst the charity article was being written Colchester Carer's Centre was waiting to take between 12 and 14 children for a Wet'n'Wild week at an outdoors camp on Mersea Island for the half term week. These camps are a real experience for the children and are enjoyed tremendously because it is truly exciting for them! Another highlight of the week away is a trip to Thorpe Park that gets talked about for the rest of the year. If you think you can support such a great cause, please follow the button... |
| Inspirational People - Nick Athorne | |
 Nick Athorne carries a different business card to most of us... He carries F.A.S.T. cards, with F.A.S.T. being an acronym for Face, Arm, Speech, Time. If you, or someone you are with, starts exhibiting symptoms such as their FACE falling on one side, or their inability to smile; their inability to raise both ARMS and keep them there; their slurred SPEECH; then it is TIME to call 999. In all probability they are having a stroke. Treatment in the first three hours is absolutely crucial as Nick explains. Read his story. Nick is currently raising funds for the Success After Stroke organisation. He has asked that I include his Just Giving link, should you feel so inspired... |
| Remember the customer... | |
A little snippet of advice... ensure that your customers and clients are treated equally and likewise ensure your staff understand their responsibilities and do their jobs properly! Always try to work on the basis of treating your customers as you would like to be treated yourself.
Customer service is important to everyone, but sometimes it all goes wrong...
United Airlines has had to apologise to a blind woman from Vancouver Island who was abandoned on an empty plane in Chicago.
Jessica Cabot of Courtenay, B.C., made headlines after she went public about being forgotten in an empty United Airlines plane on an April 7 stopover in Chicago.
The 18-year-old was waiting for flight attendants to escort her to a connecting flight to Florida when she heard the plane door seal shut. Ten minutes later two maintenance staff happened to find her on an unscheduled check of the plane. She panicked in the plane, calling for help.
After a series of complaints, Cabot received a $250 airline voucher and the promise of an apology. Five weeks after her flight and a series of news stories later, she finally got one. |
| And Finally - Go Grab a Coffee... | | |
For those of you who don't follow my blogs... my entry last week suggested that I could not understand why people hit small round objects into small holes! ... I was very much taken by the response of one of my followers who replied as follows:
A little insight into why I play golf - it's all about the challenge...
- Improving on a previous best score for a round
- Improving on a previous best score for a single hole
- Playing a hole to the absolute best
- Playing a fine recovery shot after you've been in trouble
- Picking yourself when things go wrong
- Bouncing back with a birdie after a bogie
- Beating your opponents for the drinks afterwards
And you're right - the walk's good too, and combined with the wildlife, fresh air, scenery, and generally good company - you just can't beat it!
It struck me that everything he said in the email to me is as accurate for golf as it is for business. If you can improve, be your absolute best, even when you have been in trouble or are in trouble, pick yourself up when things go wrong and bounce back to be even better at your job than you were, then life will generally treat you with kid gloves; but fail at any of them and you will find yourself going down the tube - and it may not even be your fault!
If you missed the exchange and would like to sign-up for my blogs click on the Follow my blogs link opposite. |
|
|
