Unloc & Verizon Business scoop impressive awards at the Better Society Awards 2024
13 June 2024
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
What a fantastic term it’s been! Since the start of September the Accelerate Programme has been in full swing, delivering a series of amazing workshops and inspiring sessions to over 260 young people in 6 different schools across Portsmouth and the surrounding areas.
This unique and exciting new programme was designed in partnership between Unloc and The City of Portsmouth College to explore young people’s aspirations, develop their employability and enterprise skills, and explore college life through a series of fun, interactive workshops!
Each workshop focused on one of the E6 principles, an initiative set up by the college to offer enrichment opportunities for students to prepare for the working world.
The students have worked so hard and really engaged with the programme this time, so what better way to end the current round of the Accelerate programme than with a graduation event to celebrate all their efforts! on Thursday 8th December at City Of Portsmouth College, Highbury Campus.
Students who completed the programme, along with their parents and guardians, braved the freezing conditions to join us and The City Of Portsmouth College at the College’s Highbury Campus on the 8th December to celebrate their hard work and be awarded their certificates.
The Unloc team were honoured to be joined by David Byford: Director for Business Engagement, Apprenticeships and Partnerships, Dan Franklin: Manager of School liaison and Councillor Suzy Horton, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families.
Suzy delivered an inspiring speech to the pupils regarding the possibilities she seized throughout her education and career to get to her position within the local government administration.
After the certificate ceremony, the pupils were faced with one final Accelerate challenge provided by Uniformed Protective Services which involved making a chair from only balloons and sticky tape!
All the guests then enjoyed a fun evening of food, donuts, pic ’n’ mix candies, prizes and a photo-booth (which of course our wonderful Unloc facilitators needed to sample!).
It was an electric evening and the perfect way to end what has been such a brilliant new programme to add to the Unloc portfolio. Working closely with the college to develop such a bespoke programme for the students has been so fulfilling as we’ve watched them grow and develop, and we look forward to bringing Accelerate to more students in the new year.
As always we like to collect feedback from the young people we work with, so here are just a few of the comments that we collected on the night!
“I really enjoyed the Accelerate programme as I learnt new skills like debating. I really struggle with public speaking and this programme has really helped.”
Accelerate Programme Graduate
“Doing this course has taught me that there are so many options and skills out in the world that we don’t know until we actually try to achieve them.”
Accelerate Programme Graduate
“Just a quick note to thank you for running the Accelerate programme and graduation. [My young person] really enjoyed both parts of the programme, and I was very impressed with the graduation ceremony. Thank you for all you do for our young people.”
Graduation attendee
We’ll be begining a new round of the Accelerate programme in 2023, so keep an eye on our News page right here on the Unloc website, as well as on our social media channels to keep up to date!
You can also subscribe to our free Unloc Digital Update by clicking here!
Beth Hunt joined Unloc this year as our Programme Facilitator for Entrepreneurial Skills & Career Pathways, but she’s also an entrepreneur, running her own business for the past two years ‘Beth’s Boutique‘. She’s also just gone through to the final for the Business Mum, Small Business of the Year Award 2022!
We’re proud to have so much talent and entrepreneurship within our team, so as it’s Global Entrepreneurship Week we thought we’d catch up with Beth to find out how she became an entrepreneur and started running her own small business.
So Beth give us the low-down on how this all began!
“Before Unloc I was a teacher, teaching secondary Drama and children with special educational needs, which I have always loved. It was an ideal job when my two children, Leo and Daisy were growing up.
I have always had a love of clothes and fashion – especially Italian clothing for women! During the lockdown of 2020 when everything shut down due to Covid-19, 2020 my own little business ‘Beth’s Boutique Clothing’ was born.
It’s a new online Boutique Clothing Shop that offers customers a place to find unique and timeless fashion pieces. I now sell quality clothing to customers across the UK. I’ve also collaborated with a jewellery company ‘Sharkie & Bear‘ to create an exclusive range of earrings, and now there’s another collaboration in the pipeline too – watch this space!
Through my business I’ve met some brilliant women, reconnected with others and the support around me has been amazing.”
So how did you get the idea to start the business?
“Well I’m originally from North Wales, and I was out shopping with my mum in a lovely town called Llangollen one day. We came across and walked into a little boutique that funnily enough specialised in Italian clothing!
The lady that owned it had a soft Welsh accent and she was so friendly and warm. Whilst browsing I said to my mum “This is it! One day this is what I want to do”
That was about 10 years ago, before I’d ever been to Italy (that’s another story!). My children were 3 and 1 years old, and I was rather busy with them and teaching part time in a secondary school!
I loved teaching but also felt it was time to attempt something I’ve always wanted to do, a point for a change, time to bite the bullet so to speak. Many years before i’d gone to evening classes to study Business and I felt it was time to put that knowledge to good use!”
What made you choose Italian fashion in particular?
“There’s something so stylish and opulent about Italian clothing. It’s absolutely unique I think, they really know how to dress, and make it look so effortless to ooze style and creativity. There’s also the high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail in italian clothing, you just don’t tend to see the threadwork, embroidery, luxury fabrics or appliqué on clothing from other countries. It’s just stunning.
Fashions from Italy are also well renowned around the world for their elegance and refined construction. They don’t body shame women for not being a size zero like a lot of the fashion world, they absolutely embrace curves and hourglass figures, and use construction and fabrics which accentuate and compliment a woman’s body shape.
I wanted to take that love and share that with other women who don’t always get the chance to see or buy that kind of clothing on the high street. As much as i’d love to be selfish and just buy it all and keep it for me – i’m prepared to share lol.”
How did it feel when you made the decision to go for it?
I was incredibly nervous. All I knew was whatever happens I’ll have lots of lovely Italian clothes! (what’s not to like about that?!). So here we are, a family run business (they chip in and help from time to time) that now specialises in Italian clothing in one sizes.
My models are my customers – check-out the gallery on my website! I love that the clothes I sell look good on every day women, and figures of all shapes and sizes. It’s about feeling good and self confidence, and the clothes I sell reflect that. The feedback from it all has been incredible. Body confidence is key no matter what your age or shape or size!
I’m especially proud as I have just gone into the Final for the Business mum, Small Business of the Year Award 2022- which I am absolutely thrilled to bits about!
It just shows that one moment, one small thought or event can have a major impact on your future and your happiness – you just have to seize the opportunity and be brave enough to do something about it!”
Click here to visit Beth’s Boutique
Click here to check out Sharkie & Bear
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
Last Thursday industry professionals from across the country gathered at Verizon’s slick London Hub in at MidCity Place, Holborn, for a Changemaker Moments event on Manufacturing.
During the February half-term and Easter holidays this year, 53 young people, in Year 11 and 12, from across Portsmouth participated in our ‘Portsmouth Inspires’ Programme, funded by NCS.
. We’re looking for a passionate & creative young person aged 16-25 in the Portsmouth or London areas to become our first official social media
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
Last Thursday industry professionals from across the country gathered at Verizon’s slick London Hub in at MidCity Place, Holborn, for a Changemaker Moments event on Manufacturing.
During the February half-term and Easter holidays this year, 53 young people, in Year 11 and 12, from across Portsmouth participated in our ‘Portsmouth Inspires’ Programme, funded by NCS.
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