48 Educators providing Courses in Coventry

Lisa Whittleton

lisa whittleton

Warwickshire

Our team have a range of backgrounds, from occupational psychology, disability management, nursing, and lecturing, but what we all have in common is a strong passion to make a difference for the organisations we partner with. We do this through bringing the theory and evidence to life through practical, real life experience so that you can implement the tools and techniques straight away within your workplace. We go a step further than simply ‘awareness raising’ and help you to take positive action. Lisa Whittleton, Director I’ve had an interest in psychology and how we think, feel and behave since long before University, quite possibly shaped by personal experiences growing up with close family / friends affected by mental ill health. My first role after doing a master’s in occupational psychology (after a short stint in recruitment which was very much not for me) was working as a Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant with wounded, injured and sick service personnel to help them transition to a new career. This was totally inspiring and really opened my eyes to the stigmas that exist in workplaces around mental health and disability. I set up Illuminate in November 2013 as I was keen to influence this positively. At the time, we were not having the conversations we are now around mental health, so I recognise we have come a long way…but there is still a way to go to de-stigmatise completely and ensure we are being proactive around the topic so our teams can thrive at work. I love building relationships with our clients to really get to understand their world and the challenges within it to help bring about positive change. Working in this field is a constant reminder of how easy it is to slip into unhelpful habits in terms of looking after my own mental wellbeing and achieving the right ‘work-life’ balance. I do have to work hard to practice what I preach, and don’t always get it right. This is what makes my facilitation real and relatable for you. I am a people person and tend to be the listener, the support and the new perspective for many of my friends. I am all about socialising, and love music festivals and gigs, alongside what I believe is a healthy addiction to Crossfit…and my cat, Mrs Norris.

Step It Up Active

step it up active

Rugby,

I was convinced that I couldn't run, not even for a bus! However, I was persuaded to join a beginners running group and it turns out that I can. If I can, then anyone can! I particularly like trail running but spend as much time training on the roads. As part of the Rugby Core Team you can find me at parkrun most Saturdays as anything from Run Director to Tail Walker! UKA Coach in Running Fitness (Trail) UKA Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) UKA Coaching Assistant BSc (Hons) Health Studies L3 Learning and Development L3 Forest School Leader Outdoor First Aid D B S Enhanced Certificated I began running about 4 years ago in a local running group and made the same ‘rookie’ mistakes that most people do, in that I wanted to sprint before I’d learned to run. However, I took onboard my errors and built up gradually, finishing some 5km and 10km runs in 2016/7, vowing never to want to reach a Half Marathon or beyond. Hmmm! Having had a nasty sprain injury in 2017, I had to take a back seat from running for over a year (much of which was down to my own reluctance to get help! Thank you Laura @ LMC Physio), but I’ve now regained most of my previous running fitness level and have since completed a couple of Half Marathons with at least one more long race booked in for 2019. I regularly volunteer at Rugby parkrun, invariably with a camera in my hands, which I thoroughly enjoy. Having this qualification will mean I can pass on my enthusiasm for running to others and start them on their own running journeys. UKA Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) D B S Enhanced Certificated First Aid Course trained Vicky is a recent member of our coaching and leadership team. As a fully-qualified paramedic and avid Wolf Runner, she is a great addition to the group, assisting us with the new sector of trail running for Step It Up. Vicky is more than happy at events up to and including 10km UKA Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) D B S Enhanced Certificated Paramedic Mel is our latest member of our coaching and leadership team. UKA Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) D B S Enhanced Certificated It’s simple, I’m addicted to running, I certainly didn’t start out this way, in fact I used to say I didn’t have the build for running and actively avoided it. When my local gym had to close the pool to repair the roof, I needed to find another way to get my exercise in the morning, at the same time I convinced a friend to come and give park run a go with me. After that first run walk 5k, I was hooked. I got out a few times each week, doing 30 mins of run walk & soon developed the stamina for a full 5k I joined SIU because I saw that they did Adventure Runs which sounded like great fun and after my first session, I knew this was a club I’d enjoy being part of. At SIU everyone is encouraged to do their individual best but we stay together as a group, supporting one and other, no one is ever left behind, or made/allowed to feel that their best isn’t good enough. Hope you’ll join us on the trails soon, after all, what’s stopping you.