Merseyside Police Windmills Champions are having a positive impact on individuals, the organisation and the wider community.
As part of their champions training the champions attended a two day personal development programme exploring the principles in the Windmills No Regrets on Sunday publication. This helps develop the resourcefulness they will need to support others in the organisation. Many of the champions have taken control and made personal changes in their working, learning, playing and giving to improve their own health and well being. One champion has ‘put in place some quick fixes especially igniting old friendships, have met up with an old friend, have made time for exercise of an evening and spent time researching a basic counselling skills course I wish to complete in September, 2012’.
Some champions have been quick to recognise the flexibility of the Windmills materials and resources and have already used them in ‘the day job’ – using the skills cards activity to help someone prepare for interview and including it in the their PDR discussions with the team. This Champion said ‘My staff members have really enjoyed the time spent looking more robustly at performance in this way. Given the current financial climate and the ‘doing more with less’ mentality this activity could be critical to engaging with staff to drive productivity’.
Already the impact has been felt beyond the group of Champions and the organisation with champions taking the No Regrets ‘pass it on’ message to heart and sharing their learning and experience of the programme with their immediate community of friends and family – some taking the brave step of discussing Windmills activities with parents and partners. Decisions taken after the programme by one Champion in particular has rippled out to a much wider community and reshaped their WLPG blend. ‘One of the highlights of the programme for me has been to re-focus my mind on those things that I am passionate about. I am quite passionate about the rights of children and it reminded me that my regular donations to a children’s charity is not enough. It has spurred me on to put into action the volunteering and I have since made my enquiries and have started this new aspect to my life.’
