Twinkle Education Consultant

I wish I could wave a magic wand to impart this mindset to the world … 🪄✨

And look! The bottom 4 are FREE!!! However they do require time, effort & energy. But when you stop chasing the 🏠🚘 💼 so hard, guess what?? We HAVE the energy!

Here's your from The Money Stats, our popular monthly report giving a full, objective view of the state of the UK’s finances.

You can find the full report here: https://themoneycharity.org.uk/money-statistics/ and sign-up to get it straight into your inbox each month: https://themoneycharity.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9b5c8e666d8c69ad1a687c97b&id=1e74a1b033

I had an absolute blast as host of the Central England Regional Final of the Big Ideas Programme 2024 with Solutions for the Planet!!

We were based at BCU Steamhouse at Birmingham City University A great workspace with the perfect venue for our event!

11 teams of secondary school-age young people pitched (à la Dragon’s Den) to a panel of 5 industry judges with their Big Idea - a solution of some way to solve a problem that resonated with them as a group.

Their ideas were mind-blowing & the level of depth they had gone into with research, stats, the power point presentations … but moreover the passion and belief that they brought to the room was palpable. It was humbling to be in a room of such compassionate, thoughtful, solution-focused and driven young minds ✨

Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day. It was a privilege ✨

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Very much looking forward to collaborating with non-profit Solutions for the Planet soon on a very interesting and exciting short project! 🌏

Thank you for asking me 🙏🏽 😊

Since the outset in February 2016, at the heart of Twinkle Education Consultant has always been well-being. Whatever form my work takes, it has to start with wellbeing because a brain in pain cannot retain!

I always build some time into my working week for my wellbeing, because if I am not well, I cannot work as effectively or efficiently. Then, my business is impacted! 🤷🏻‍♀️

I love these infographics from Action for Happiness ❤️ Here is May!

In September 2023, I decided to cancel my website subscription after 6 years.

My current self-employed worklife looks nothing like it did when I first set up my business. My website documented all of the widely varied paid freelance projects I had undertaken since February 2016 and evidenced the widespread specialisms of experience & knowledge I had accumulated working in education, through parenting and my own learning in mindset, personal development and wellbeing.

March 2020 saw what was eventually going to become the end of all of that. Thankfully, since January 2022, work has been offered to me directly via long-standing contacts and a chance spotting of a LinkedIn advert! I don't think the website ever actually brought me any custom! It was all mostly clients through word of mouth.

So, thats about a couple of hundred pound saved every year!
🙌😀

Wow. I have lost all track of FB time!! 😆

In fairness, I have been spending a lot less time here overall and have just been getting on with work, health & life and spending less time writing about it!

September - mid October were busy, busy months workwise. Then mid-October, one of my two freelance roles came to an end and it took some adjusting from the former short-term 'seat of your pants' pace of life that that had brought. It had been such fantastically good fun for 12 months and gave me an opportunity working in an environement I NEVER would have dreamt I'd work in - television! I learnt so much and really value the insight I gained from observing the creative process from the set to our screen.

My contract as a Freelance Education Consultant for a London-based non-profit rolled on to the next 12 months after a very happy, rewarding, motivating year visiting schools and colleges delivering presentations.

I really value the freedom and flexibility in this freelance role, enabling me to put time aside for my health & wellbeing as I get older - by dedicating time each week to take proactive action, but also enabling me to address any new issues quickly as I have the time to attend any appointments as needed without the stress of asking for time off.

And here we are, beginning the Autumn Term!
Hope you all had a lovely summer ☀️
Looking forward to workshops in new schools & revisiting friendly faces! 😊

I remember sitting at my workspace in a school staffroom well over 10 years ago, saying " I could never run my own business."
In June I just issued my 200th invoice as a freelance Education Consultant!

Yes, this is what work looks like these days for me now! A far cry from the miserable & depressing cold days in a freezing old Victorian school building, many years ago now!

I was invited to spend 2 days in North Somerset presenting Financial Education workshops to the sixth form students.

We looked at living independently post-16, student finance, apprenticeships & work. We also looked in detail at budgeting and potential ways to reduce everyday living costs and the choices we have available to us.

I worked with 4 groups, back to back on each day, delivering 8 sessions and reaching a total of approx 180 young people with our Financial Wellbeing presentations. The students were really engaged and seemed to genuinely find the information and exercises useful & informative.

It was lovely to spend 3 days in Portishead, staying right overlooking the Marina and traveling a few miles each day to the school in a nearby village. The drive had some stunning views! And everywhere I went, every single person was absolutely lovely! Not a grumpy person in sight!

The fact that the London-based organization that I work for values it’s freelance consultants, and the work that we do, enough to cover 2 nights in a hotel, travel costs and generous meals is not lost on me. Feeling valued & appreciated in the workplace is invaluable.

As well as posting about what I do, I want to use my page to advocate for freelance working. I am hugely grateful for, and benefit massively from, the freedom and joy that my freelance work brings me. Even more so now that my work has evolved from what it was pre-2020.

Today I took a beautiful, sunny, leisurely lunchtime drive out past the Clent Hills, down through the Wyre Forest to deliver a Financial Education afternoon Workshop to a small group of Y10 pupils.

We worked on Planning for Your Goals and Budgeting. I love hearing about their life goals, plans and hopes for their future. They fill me with hope and joy! We break them down and see if we can work out a plan to help them achieve their goal.

I love what I do! I really hope that they feel a sense of empowerment when they leave the session, with a better grasp on finances. Even a quick task as basic as 'What is income?' can be illuminating, because, of course, it's often not JUST wages or salary! These things are important for young people to explore and understand.

I wasn't able to stop the car and take photos of the beautiful landscape I was driving through, but I did find these gorgeous photos of Clent Hills on discoverworcestershire.co.uk

How the time flew between me posting at the start of January about my new role as a Freelance Education Consultant in Financial Education for a London-based non-profit organization - and the start of the summer term!! 😳

I had a fantastic first term which was brilliant in so many ways, with so much positivity, growth & rewards. 💪🏽

But the culmination has to be that I got a special mention in the March monthly roundup for consultants at the end of my first term, as I ranked joint third place for delivering the most Workshops in the organisation! For my first term in the role, I feel that is pretty good going! 😌

I am so incredibly proud of this achievement & recognition! ✨

I have learnt so much already and overcome many initial obstacles that presented themselves to me.

But the one thing that has brought me most joy has been being back presenting & interacting with audiences of young people, using my creativity, humour, performance skills, personal experience & knowledge to impart such important gems of information on how to stay on top of and in control of our money! All the more relevant right now!

Each Tuesday I will be sharing a tip of my own or from someone I rate highly. The 5 themes in rotation will be Emotional Well-being, Learning, Personal Development, Parenting, and Financial Capability & Well-being. All of the things we need good knowledge of and good practice in to become (or raise) independent, contented, fulfilled young adults.

Starting 2023 with someone I discovered last year, who always has something enlightening or fascinating to say on his podcast, ‘Feel Better, Live More’

#2023

Back in February 2016, Twinkle was born out of three facets:

✨ 23 years experience as a teacher

I have taught in France & England, in both mainstream and SEND, covering a variety of subjects & specialisms including French, Spanish, PSHEE and the SEAL curriculum. I am also trained by the Department for Education as a Learning Mentor. I tutored my own child who then successfully secured a financially assisted place at the “West Midlands top independent day school” (Sunday Times) King Edwards School, Edgbaston.

✨ My own extensive experience of and learning in personal development over more than 20 years, encompassing a variety of holistic approaches to emotional & physical well-being, learning and personal growth. These include and are not limited to behaviour, psychology, inclusion & diversity, counselling skills, neuroscience, multiple intelligence, mindfulness & meditation, Reiki & other energy-based approaches, neuro-diversity and mindset.

✨ My desire to focus solely on working in what I whole-heartedly believe in & have seen success in firsthand, in both education and parenting, and the desire & challenge to work for myself, forging new pathways with like-minded clients.

Wellbeing, support & a positive mindset are KEY to raising & educating young people to become happy, fulfilled, independent young adults. But one thing is missing there … having control over our money & finances and establishing healthy financial habits & outlook early on is so important to reducing what might be unnecessary stress once we start earning & supporting ourselves.

I have been fortunate to have a good financial mindset & track record and have raised my offspring likewise! Which is why I am perfectly placed to become an Education Consultant in Financial Education!

In my experience, all of these are inextricably linked! I will write more about these connections another time.

This will be my main focus over the coming 12 months at least. Looking forward to this exciting new challenge that I believe wholeheartedly in!

Thanks for reading! 👋🏽😊

Happy 2023 to all of my past clients & followers!
Thank you for your support! ☺️

🗓 Just a bit of an update.

✨ The nature of the several freelance roles that I have secured over the past few weeks are both diverse and very exciting for me.

💫 It feels as though my freelance work is ever evolving and while one foot remains in education, well-being and supporting young people where required, the other, in creativity, is beginning to develop without me even trying! I am being approached & recommended for various really fun, interesting roles!

❓I have no tuition clients at present, and this is not something I am intending to change, as my hands are full with other projects. That said, if you are one of my many, lovely previous clients or I have been recommended to you, please feel free to drop me a DM with any requests or queries, and if I am at all able to help, I will do my best to find the time. The same applies for workshops, facilitation & training sessions for the time being.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 I will be continuing my role as the mentor/champion to the young people who are members of the Youth Combined Authority Board for the West Midlands Combined Authority until the end of this year, at least.

💷 And finally I will be starting a fantastic new freelance role in January 2023 which harks back in a small way to the years I spent as a Lead Teacher for PSHEE for the local authority, but also dovetails beautifully with many aspects of Emotional Wellbeing that I specialise in. More details on that to follow in the new year! ✨

Since January 2022, I have been acting as a virtual mentor to the members of the West Midlands Youth Combined Authority Board (17 - 25yrs) This has involved serving as a point of contact for any members who may want support or guidance with their studies or career. They have been very independent and really it has simply been a case of sending out emails as required, reminding them that the virtual online mentoring facility was available and responding to any communications.

We did get to visit WMCA HQ on Summer Lane in Birmingham city centre on one occasion in June when they ran a focus group event, asking the members of the Youth Board how they saw the future of the WMCA evolving in terms of the needs for the young people of the West Midlands. It was very interesting and encouraging to hear their views informed by their own lived experience and also to hear that many of them anticipated careers in Law, Local Government and Politics.

Well, when I posted in Feb that I'd be back in April, I didn't expect to be gone until October!😂
More to follow ...

It’s likely to be quiet here over the next few weeks while I focus on finishing my course, but do send a DM with enquiries 🤗
See you in April 👋🏽

I’ve written a long post on FB about the ways in which I believe that my son, now in his mid 20s, was supported into growing into a young man who is respectful of women and an ally to them. And this is also in the context of me choosing to raise him alone as a single mother from the moment I found out I was miraculously pregnant, after being diagnosed infertile due to Premature Ovarian Failure at 27.

I also have over 30 years of experience in working with young people, specialising in emotional health.

I believe that when you have walked the walk, as I have in raising my son alone by choice, and educating hundreds of young people in how to self care and be true to themselves, the guidance that you can give is more credible, as it is lived experience, not simply studied.

Please drop me a comment below if you feel you or someone you know would find this kind of guidance and support helpful in raising emotionally healthy children and young people - especially (but not exclusively) as a single parent 🙏🏽

Really looking forward to meeting my cohort of new mentees later this week!

I’m absolutely loving the GCSE French tuition sessions! Great fun!

Happy 2022!
We are back - tutoring, mentoring & currently also …studying! 💻

Schools may have finished for Xmas, but I am still working 🎄 Consultation meetings with prospective new clients taking place this week 🤗

I always say that being invited back to work with previous clients is the perfect seal of approval! A sign of a good job well done!

So I am grateful that so many of my clients come back to me 🤗

I was absolutely delighted to see that a parent had shared one of my posts on their page along with this lovely recommendation 🤗

In all honesty, it was a privilege to work with these two young people to help them secure the grades they needed to pursue their dream careers - one in theatre and the other in outdoor and adventure pursuits.

Watching them grow in confidence and self-belief during the time we worked together was wonderful for me to witness. And hearing the news that they had passed and each secured places at their first choice of college made it extra rewarding for me ✨

I am extremely proud that my business has achieved a 5* rating from the Facebook reviews 🙏🏽 I have loads of experience & an excellent success rate ⭐️

All tuition & mentoring sessions are now online, 1-1 and are very much personalised to suit the young person’s needs. So location need not be a barrier! 🤗