Blog

Come and co-work with us on a Monday at our new Altrincham Hub on Platform 4 of Altrincham Interchange for just £9 from 9.30 – 4pm! 

(limited bursary tickets are available) 

Plus, we’ll have a fortnightly 2-hour workshops (Themes include; Enterprise Development or Digital Skills) at the Altrincham Hub!

The free 2-hour Workshops can be joined in-person as part of your co-working day or online if you can’t come in but still want to network and benefit from some pro-bono learning.

See more and book via our Flourishing Mondays Eventbrite Collection.

Upcoming Dates:

• 28th April 2025 – Spring Mindset Boost
• 19th May 2025 – Venture Development (Enterprise)

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new Holistic Health Career Courses in partnership with Stockport Council —an empowering opportunity designed to unlock potential and ignite passion in young people Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET). This initiative, brought to life by our Careers in Holistic Health lead, Fiona Jones, paves the way for brighter futures in the world of beauty and holistic therapies.

A Gateway to Accredited Qualifications and Lifelong Skills

Over the period of 15 weeks, participants will gain accredited qualifications in a variation of 4 holistic treatments; Facials, Manicures, Pedicures & Indian Head Massage equipping them with the professional credentials needed to step confidently into a rewarding career. Alongside this, we’re offering foundation skills training and volunteering opportunities in a Pop-up spa, bringing focus to improved communication skills, essential for building relationships and navigating the professional world.

Preparing for the Next Step

We know that success doesn’t start at the end of a course—it’s about what happens next. That’s why we’ve included tailored workshops to help participants explore and secure their future opportunities. These workshops cover:

• CV Writing: Craft a standout resume that opens doors.
• Self-Branding: Build a personal brand that reflects their unique strengths.
• Digital Skills for Employment and Enterprise: Gain confidence in tools and technology critical for the modern workplace.
• Mentorship Opportunities: Connect with mentors who provide invaluable guidance on job searches, interview skills, and freelancing.

Igniting Passion for Community Change

Participants will embark on a 2 weeks of enterprise workshops, exploring what motivates them and how they can drive change in their communities. Through this immersive experience, they will engage in:

• Market Research: Understand the needs and opportunities in their community.
• Idea Generation: Brainstorm innovative solutions and ventures.
• Marketing and Budgeting: Learn how to promote and sustain their ideas effectively.
• Pitching for Start-Up Funding: Present their ideas to a panel for potential financial support to kick-start their dreams.

Role Models and Real-World Insights

Throughout the program, young people will meet inspirational freelancers and enterprise role models who have successfully forged their own paths in holistic health and beyond. These connections provide not just inspiration but also a practical roadmap for navigating self-employment and entrepreneurship.

A Future Full of Possibilities

Our holistic health courses aim to empower young people to break barriers and discover a world of opportunities. Whether it’s embarking on a professional career in beauty and holistic therapies, starting their own business, or making meaningful changes in their communities, participants leave with the tools, skills, and confidence to take the next step.

We are proud to offer this transformative program and can’t wait to see the incredible journeys our participants embark on. Together, we are unlocking potential, one course at a time.

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Are you or someone you know aged 16-19, not in education, employment or training, or aged 25 with special educational needs ready to take the first step into a career in holistic health?

To register for a place, contact Fiona at fiona@flourishtogether.org.uk by 23 February 2025 (when the enrolment deadline closes) 🌟

We are pleased to announce that She Leads for Legacy, Flourish Together and wider partners have been re-commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority to deliver the We Lead for Legacy Civic Leadership Programme for people from Racially Minoritised backgrounds, which will run over the next 12 months and has backing in principle to be a rolling programme up to 2028. This follows an open and competitive tendering process.

There are 3 elements to the new phase of work starting in 2025:

• An innovative and highly interactive Civic Leadership programme for a diverse cohort of 30 people per year from across all boroughs of Greater Manchester 
• An Alumni network to build on the successes of last year’s programme to promote diversity in civic leadership across Greater Manchester, share best practice and create a network of diverse leaders.
• Enhanced collaboration with Local Authority leads and wider partners to share insights and best practice and strengthen the partnerships that drive lasting change. Together, we aim to create a sustainable legacy of diverse leadership in all our communities.

Last year’s programme achieved incredible results, reaching individuals from a wide variety of cultural and faith backgrounds across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. It not only led to programme participants step into leadership roles but also sparked collaborative ventures and campaigns. 

Unlocking and amplifying diverse talent, addressing inequalities in leadership and strengthening diversity in strategic collaboration and influencing, remain the core principles of the programme enabling participants and wider networks to create a lasting legacy across Greater Manchester.

Email anna@flourishtogether.org.uk out for further details, a programme call out and ways to get involved!

Congratulations to Janine Lane from Kintsugi Therapies on winning £250 towards development costs and materials for an important 12 week series of sessions she runs with girls aged 12-16 who are not currently in school.

Kintsugi Therapies is helping them to build self confidence, future pathways and communication skills through creativity. Rebuilding ideas about themselves and their future. Janine has been on our Time 2 Grow programme and is currently studying a degree in Psychology. We also had an impromptu impact measurement support session and it was fantastic to map down impact case studies of the girls and their progress- all support in bespoke ways.

Huge thanks to Val Hogan at the Spinners Tea Rooms. Looking forward to new developments all round in 2024!

As the year draws to a close, we look back with pride at the milestones and achievements of Flourish in 2024. This year has been a transformative journey filled with expansion, impactful initiatives, heartfelt connections, and tangible outcomes that uplift the women we serve and the communities we support.

This year, in addition to opening another Flourish Hub location, we hosted several social enterprise and wellbeing events that underscored the power of community collaboration. We held SOUPs across Salford, Altrincham, Wigan & Manchester in partnership with Manchester Social Economy Alliance (MSEA), The Business Group, The Peoples Powerhouse and Natwest which has given over £2500 to budding social entrepreneurs to further their work. The generosity of our donors and sponsors has been instrumental in expanding our reach and empowering more women to achieve their potential.

In 2024, we brought together inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from across Manchester. From panel discussions with industry experts at our Time 2 Grow Marketplace to our 11th Anniversary celebrations, these events fostered meaningful connections and provided an opportunity for us to say thank you for the continued support from our network.

Here’s a roundup of what we have accomplished together and the team’s highlight events of the year:

Anna – We Lead for Legacy Graduation ceremony

The We Lead for Legacy graduation day was an emotional & inspiring celebration filled with pride & gratitude (it even inspired a poem!). Accompanied by family & friends, the 2024 cohort reflected on their incredible journeys, the meaningful relationships they’d built, the skills & experiences they’d gained & their visions for the future of civic leadership in Greater Manchester.

One of our standout achievements this year was training and accrediting over 70 women in holistic therapies such as facials, Indian head massage, manicure, and pedicures. These programs not only equipped participants with valuable skills but also paved pathways to sustainable careers. Several graduates have already launched their own careers, while others have joined wellness centers. The ripple effect of this initiative extends far beyond individuals, fostering wellbeing within communities and families.

Judith – The Time 2 Grow Marketplace

Our Time 2 Grow Marketplace at the Resonance Centre was a great opportunity to really connect and exchange knowledge with women changemakers about succeeding in business. I ran a workshop breaking down the fundamentals of funding and bid writing, it was inspiring to see the ladies push themselves out of their comfort zones and building their confidence as social innovators.

Fiona – Bury WEA Careers in Holistic Health

My favourite event to teach this year was ‘Bury WEA Careers in Holistic Health’.  They were a fabulous group and were so motivated and committed.  Even under some of the hardest barriers they always turned up and gave it their all.  I even got made a crochet cactus 🙂I wish them all well in the future and hope I get to teach or work with some of them again.

Imani – Reclaim Your Calm: Pre-Christmas Retreat

For the first time creating and hosting this sort of event, the day couldn’t have gone better, dare I say it was an overwhelming success! From the candid discussions to the sound bath, mindfulness practice and incredible food, the ladies left feeling relaxed and restored – but that could be down to the Indian head or Neck, back & shoulder massages. Nonetheless, I’m proud that we we’ll be making the retreat a quarterly event!

Ayisatu – Client Feedback & Multicultural Christmas Celebrations

A client had missed the deadline for fund they really wanted to go for and I encouraged them to make a connection with the funders any way. My highlight is getting the news that they got funding for not 1 but 2 separate project as result of putting themselves out there and believing in the impact they were having. Stories like this just fill up my heart.

Seeing the Multi-Cultural Christmas come to light with all the happy faces and most especially having a group of over 40 women, aged between 25 – 70 years old from over 15 different nationalities and ethnicities  having a day time rave to music spanning Afro-beat to Punjab-Pop led by Shamime Jan of BollyFit was an absolute masterclass in joyful community building.

Nickala – Growing the Team!

Highlights for me have been unlocking new talent growing the staff team, evolving and expanding the Flourish Hubs, supporting over 120 women through our Time to Grow programmes this year and designing and delivering a new Civic Leadership programme in partnership with She Leads for Legacy and Reform Radio commissioned by the GMCA which we’ve been recommissioned to expand in 2025!

Every milestone we’ve reached this year is a testament to the collective efforts of our team, volunteers, supporters, and the incredible women we serve. Together, we are breaking barriers, building opportunities, and transforming lives.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to an even brighter and more impactful 2025!