My 2020

2020 has certainly been a very different year and work has changed significantly, as have all other activities.

Back in January 2020, I enjoyed working whilst John and I were in Seville. Starting the year with a period of time in the sunshine and, being able to do what turned out to be our only marathon of the year, was a good reminder of the flexibility that being self-employed can bring. However, all other marathons and travel plans have not taken place this year. Target money has been raised for Phab Kids (a charity providing holidays for sick children and their families) but running the London Marathon will have to wait until October 2021...... at the earliest. As a keen marathon runner with my boyfriend, John, the lack of running events has probably been one of the greatest losses to us this year. It was in Seville that Covid-19 hit the news. It was in China and it did not feel real, and at that time, I did not think it would hit us in the way that it has.

2020 was always going to be a busy and exciting year with work. Glove Consulting has continued to grow, working with more schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, Teaching Schools and Colleges than even before. Newly formed relationships within the sector started to result in new projects and such links enabled us to deliver a range of webinars to colleagues in FE, including the Sixth Form Colleges Association and the College Marketing Network.

In January we got exciting news that a bid application we wrote had been successful. Our client would be delivering a DfE contract to deliver training to secondary schools on the new Relationships, Sex and Health Education to prepare them for the new curriculum. Then Covid-19 arrived and the face to face training programme suddenly became online. The year started busy creating and project-managing an online training suite. The success from the first 100 schools resulted in the DfE increasing reach to 400 schools! A huge success for a brilliant project that will run to the end of March 2021.

You can see more about the project here.

The first three months of the year were busy working on a number of productive and interesting projects for a range of providers. Merger support, strategic planning, marketing audits, re-branding, PR and communication support, website development, supporting with the preparation of a new school opening, together with producing lots of digital projects.

In March, the pandemic created change in many ways. We could not go and see clients, Zoom took over the regular meetings, some large projects were placed on hold, whilst new projects came on board. Virtual events, website development, videos, communications support and developing digital teaching platforms were the priority.  

This work remained our focus for several months, as providers found their feet in the new way of working and dealt with the more immediate challenges that they were faced with. We spent the summer working with clients on projects that had been placed on hold in the spring and focussing on ensuring recruitment would not be affected through the loss of virtual events.

From the autumn I have been providing interim management support to FE colleges alongside Glove Consulting and this has continued to provide me with opportunities to work in new parts of the country and further support the sector whilst sharing good practice. It has been a varied and interesting 2020. I love working in a team in FE, the events that raise money, supporting students, the local community engagement, and the impact to so many people.... for me it is so rewarding.  

I attended the virtual TES Primary School Awards. We supported our client in applying for Primary School of the Year. Whilst they did not take home the title, we were all delighted that they had been shortlisted and recognised for the difference that they make to their pupils and their families.

I also was delighted to secure a client coverage in Schools Week. A great article showcased their work and the impact their work is having on pupils across hundreds of schools across the country.

Winter 2020 ended exceptionally busy as the interim work in FE continued and Glove Consulting continued to be busy. Projects at the end of the year included social media campaigns, advising on staffing structures, developing staff training, and writing bids to hopefully secure extra funds for some clients.

One of the great things about working with lots of providers is seeing some of the great work and good practice. Below are some lovely murals our super talented in-house Illustrator Mels Williamson has created for a school:

You can see some of the clients that Glove work with and how they recommend us:

Having been self-employed for a few years, providing strategic marketing and leadership support to the education sector, provides satisfaction seeing the long term impact of work done, and the quick changes being made to support new clients. Developing and maintaining relationships is key. I get to know clients, what they want and need, what their organisation would benefit from in relation to the work that I support them with, and I am always available in the most flexible of ways possible.

Working in different parts of the country is always exciting for me. I enjoy meeting new people, learning from them, sharing my experience and bringing professionals together to give each other support and guidance. Arriving in a new organisation, with a different set of objectives keeps the mind fresh and the work exciting. We all know how quickly time goes, so a short term assignment requires a quick understanding, plan of action and decisive leadership, whilst developing relationships, confidence and buy-in quickly.

I often stay where I am working at the weekend so that I can explore the local area, get to know a community properly, take part in activities and as has been the case, avoid Tier 3 Manchester! I have been able to combine my love of running and seeing new places.

I value the time I spend in great organisations and the people I meet on the way, many become long term colleagues. Then there are the lovely people I meet at my 'new homes'. The staff at the Premier Inns, the other 'lone travellers' who say hello, and in recent times, like me, sit and eat their evening meal far apart from each other.

A combination of being Associate Director at Glove Consulting, providing interim management support and working with other clients as a self-employed consultant on a range of marketing and leadership support projects is rewarding, invigorating and perfect for my approach.

I look forward to continuing to working with clients in 2021 and am excited to see the new clients that I will work with in 2021, starting with another large GFE College in a fabulous City which might become a new home for John and I.

I hope all of my contacts have a great 2021.

Becky