Julie Holden became a Windmills Champion in 2008 while working as a learning and development professional for a large corporate. Keen to help young people identify their ambitions, improve their motivation and realise their potential she decided to set up her own business, Smart Development Solutions, to offer development programmes to schools. Recognising that the Windmills STAR programme was designed to achieve exactly those aims, Julie became Windmills’ first independent licensed STAR champion in November 2009. Since then she has been delivering the STAR programme for schools in and around the Dorset area. For the last 2 years she has partnered with LV=, a large employer locally, and is delivering the STAR programme in schools supported by LV= employee volunteers.

Having benefited herself from the Windmills No Regrets on Sunday programme, Helen Bayley , a Change Champion, from Shropshire Council’s Family and Well being team, quickly recognised how the Windmills principles and approach could also be helpful for the families and young people she was working with in her ‘day job.’ Over a coffee break on the Champions’ training workshop, she was delighted to discover that Windmills had already developed an exciting and innovative programme for young people – STAR. A recent pilot programme in 5 schools has been a huge success and they are now planning to offer the STAR programme across all the 19 secondary schools in the Shropshire Council area.

10 STAR Champions, some from schools and others from different council departments, including targetted Youth Support,  attended the 2 day STAR champions training programme. The training allowed the participants to experience the STAR activities for themselves, explore different approaches to delivery and facilitation of the programme and put in place plans for implementation of the project for 5 different schools.

With Liverpool John Moores University

I am not sure if like us you heard the great story about the media studies graduate that had hired a billboard to advertise himself after 240+ applications had still not generated a job. We thought it illustrated a great entrepreneurial approach as well as demonstrating his technical skills to future employers. Why not take a quick look? 

Headlines, reports, projects and discussions in the last few months have given us encouragement on one hand and frustration on the other about the support being offered to young people.

The Education Committee published in January a report on careers guidance for young people and the impact of the new duty on schools .http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/news/substantive-careers-guidance

Education Committee Chair Graham Stuart MP said:

"Young people are faced with ever more complicated choices. They must choose the type of school they go to, what subjects or qualifications they should enter, college and university courses (with differential pricing) and then choose between a myriad of career options. 

Windmills are delighted to have been commissioned by Liverpool PCT to roll out our pioneering Wellbeing in the Workplace programme as part of the Decade of Health and Well-being.

55 Liverpool based businesses, community groups and education providers teamed up to explore how the creative portfolio of Windmills tools and techniques could be applied personally and professionally within the workplace.

Senior managers from the prison and health service, charities trust, sports partnerships, neighbourhood groups, Universities and social enterprises assessed levels of performance against the 5 ways to Well-being. – in terms of Give, Connect, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Be Active.

CONNECT with others whether it is at home, work, school or within the local community. Taking the time to develop these relationships can enhance everyday life.

Our chance to connect happens all the time at Windmills but each year in November we take the formal opportunity to connect with members of our community and host our annual event. Choosing a landmark location in Liverpool, this year we met at Christ The King Cathedral, over forty of our Champions, clients and partners joined us for the day.

Here are some of the things they said:

• It has been a very special day. It has helped me to take time to focus on the things that are important to me.
• It has been great, challenging and inspiring. Networking with people/feeling recognised and valued too/being challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone and having to be brave
• Great to get away from the daily stuff and combine work & pleasure. Felt stretched and challenged
• A really inspirational day. A chance to take stock of where I am in my life. A great opportunity to get a feel for Windmills and the resources
• Lovely to be Windmillified again! You always make me think
• Inventive, innovative, a bit scary, rewarding, fun.
• Thankyou so much for hosting the day and for inviting me. Having this time really helps me to maintain my motivation
• Please keep surprising me!

GIVE by doing something nice for a friend or stranger…buy a Big Issue, help out in your local community. Putting your efforts towards a good cause can be incredibly rewarding.

As part of our “Giving”, The Windmills Foundation, our charity (supported by 10% of profits from Windmills), held its briefing day for the 2013 Windmills £10 Smile Challenge. Representatives from over 35 schools across Sefton attended to gain an understanding about what is involved when the challenge starts in January. For a number of those who attended there were also some slight nerves as to what this was all about and how they could get involved. If you want to know more please download our Introduction overview.

Hosted by the Foundation the challenge is now in its third year and is one of the ways we try to demonstrate our giving in our own business locality. Beginning with one school in Formby in 2010/11 we extended it to all the schools in Formby the following year and this year made the commitment to extend the model by engaging as many of the schools in the Sefton area as we could.

January can sometimes begin with a general feeling of overindulgence, and a need to “take ourselves in hand” and set the traditional New Year Resolutions. Well let us offer you an alternative – Invest in Yourself and discover the five ways to well-being. Our first newsletter of the New Year shows some examples of these well being strands, so why not have a little read of these and then have a think about what they mean for you as you begin 2013?

CONNECT with others whether it is at home, work, school or within the local community. Taking the time to develop these relationships can enhance everyday life.

BE ACTIVE ‘Healthy body, healthy mind’ finding something suitable for your level of fitness and most importantly, which you enjoy; anything from trampolining in the garden to walking to work.

TAKE NOTICE of the world around you. Noticing the simple things whilst going about your daily routine, such as a change in season or a piece of artwork and savouring the moment will help put things in perspective and allow you to be more appreciative.

KEEP LEARNING trying something different such as learning a new instrument or language will set a challenge, increasing motivation and confidence.

GIVE by doing something nice for a friend or stranger…buy a big issue, help out in your local community. Putting your efforts towards a good cause can be incredibly rewarding.

The work on well being stems from a new vision of what it means to be prosperous and to flourish which is beginning to take hold in parts of the public, private and voluntary sectors. Work by academics and think tanks shows that, above a level of income (which we in the West generally have) only 7% of our wellbeing comes from income.

Over 70 leaders from businesses, public services and charities across Merseyside have significantly benefitted personally, economically and socially from our pioneering 3-Thinking Programme. Co-created and led by Windmills in partnership with Ken Pye founder of the Intelligence Network, this six day programme provided participants with opportunities to maximise their personal potential (ME) grow their organisation (WE) , impact on the wider community (THEM) and make a collective difference to the Liverpool City Region (US).

Our new windmills 3-Thinking approach has helped launch airbase employees into new careers.   Responding to the dramatic decision to close the Nimrod airbase at Kinloss, Windmills, in partnership with Skills Development Scotland (SDS), has helped hundreds of employees and their families to create a new runway to their future.