Ju Julie - Education and Learning

Why did we create Diamonds Community Learning Project CIC in 2017, and why it still matters 💎 …

Why did I create Diamonds Community Learning Project CIC in 2017?

Because I kept seeing the same thing happen.

People who were capable, curious and full of potential were being left out of learning opportunities that should have been open to them.

Some had come to the UK and needed English to build their lives.
Some had missed out on education earlier in life.
Some had the confidence knocked out of them and just needed a place where someone believed they could learn again.

And too often those people were trying to figure things out alone.

I wanted to create something different.

A place where people could walk in as they are, feel welcomed, and start building their confidence step by step.

A place where learning wasn’t about judgement or pressure, but about growing skills, voice and independence.

That’s why I created Diamonds Community Learning Project CIC (the non profit part ofJu Julie - Education and Learning)

Because I believe every person has brilliance inside them.

Sometimes it just needs the right space, the right support, and the right opportunity for that brilliance to shine. 💎

Why did I create The CIC Lady last year 🪩…

Why did I create The CIC Lady?

Because I kept meeting people with powerful ideas for helping their communities… but no clear pathway for turning those ideas into something real and sustainable.

People would say they wanted to “set up a CIC”, but what they really meant was that they wanted to solve a problem they could see around them.

They wanted to help people.
They wanted to create opportunities.
They wanted to build something that made a difference.

But the information about Community Interest Companies, the Third Sector, and non profit organisations was often confusing, scattered, or overly technical. And many people were trying to navigate it alone.

I created The CIC Lady (part of the Ju Julie - Education and Learning umbrella) to bring clarity to that process.

To help people step back and ask the right questions first.
To help them decide whether a CIC is actually the right structure.
And if it is, to guide them through building something that is sustainable, responsible, and truly rooted in community need.

Because a CIC should never just be paperwork.

At its best, it is a way for people with vision and commitment to turn an idea into lasting impact. 🪩

Why did I create my newest “baby”, The AuDhd Teacher 🦄

Why did I create The AuDhd Teacher?

Because for a very long time, the way many of us learn was misunderstood.

Too many people grew up feeling that they were somehow “too much”, “too different”, or simply not doing learning the right way.

Girls and women especially became very good at masking.
Very good at appearing to cope.
Very good at working twice as hard just to look like everyone else.

But underneath that effort was often exhaustion, confusion, and a quiet sense that something about the system didn’t quite fit.

I created The AuDHD Teacher (part of the Ju Julie - Education and Learning umbrella) to explore and explain that difference.

To talk openly about how autistic and ADHD brains work.
To help people understand themselves with more kindness.
And to create learning spaces where curiosity, creativity and individuality are welcomed rather than hidden.

Because learning should never require someone to hide who they are.

Sometimes the most powerful thing a teacher can do is help someone realise that their way of thinking is not a problem to fix…

…it’s a strength to understand. 🦄

Eid Mubarak. May Allah accept your good deeds, fill your days with joy and happiness, and return it to you with goodness, blessings, and prosperity.

عيد مبارك، تقبّل الله منكم
الطاعات، وجعل أيامكم فرحًا وسعادة، وأعادَه عليكم بالخير
واليُمن والبركات.

عید مبارک، اللہ آپ کی عبادات قبول فرمائے، آپ کے دن خوشیوں اور مسرتوں سے بھر دے، اور یہ عید آپ پر خیر، برکت اور خوشحالی کے ساتھ بار بار لوٹائے۔

ঈদ মোবারক। আল্লাহ আপনার ইবাদতগুলো কবুল করুন, আপনার দিনগুলো আনন্দ ও সুখে ভরে দিন, এবং এই ঈদ আপনার জীবনে বারবার কল্যাণ, বরকত ও সমৃদ্ধি নিয়ে ফিরে আসুক।

😘

I used to think I wasn’t the kind of person who could…

fully be myself and still be taken seriously.

For a long time, I thought I had to choose.

Be the professional.
Be the sensible one.
Fit the system.

Or be the slightly odd, sparkly, curious, deep-thinking version of me that never quite fitted neatly anywhere.

So I learned to tone it down.
Mask it.
Keep the “unicorn” bit tucked away.

But over time, I realised something.

The part of me I was hiding… was actually the part that made my work powerful.

It’s the part that understands learners who feel out of place.
The part that questions systems that don’t work.
The part that sees different ways of doing things.

Today, I’m still growing into it.

But I’m choosing to fully embrace, expose, and yes — love — my hidden unicorn.

Because that’s not the weakness.

Happy 1st December, ladies. I’m Ju Julie, and I’m the crazy brains behind my learning empire, Learn with Julie. I’ve spent the last three decades teaching people who didn’t get a fair chance the first time round.

I run Diamonds Community Learning Project CIC, which somehow turned eight years old in November. We’re still doing — and building on — what we’ve always done: ESOL, digital skills, food and health sessions, and all the everyday learning that helps people actually live with more confidence and independence.
I’m also The CIC Lady, helping women turn what they care about into real community organisations with structure and staying power. And then there’s The AuDhd Teacher, because I’m autistic and ADHD myself and I teach exactly the way I learn: plain English, practical steps, and absolutely no faff.

At home, I’ve got a 13-year-old autistic son who keeps life interesting in all the best ways, and a 22-year-old daughter who’s off living her own life and finding her feet.

My goal for December:
To finish up what I need to so I can launch some very exciting things from January… and to make sure 75 households get their Christmas Hampers in three weeks’ time and feel genuinely cared for when they open them.

Fun fact:
I live with two dogs (Caleb and Hetty) and a robo hamster called Biggles, who behaves like he pays the mortgage, not us, runs the place, and has attended several networking meets.

Looking forward to cheering you all on this month.