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by The 5-9 Team 🌛✨

October has come to an end – But before we dig out our witches’ hats, wigs and spooky tricks for Halloween, we thought we’d treat you with our top five 5-9 Club highlights of the month! ✨

New Cohort Launch!

This month we launched a Welsh Government funded cohort, delivered by blended learning (simultaneously in-person and online) for the very first time!

What’s more – this super accessible programme is being facilitated by our wonderful new training facilitators Dan Spain and Janine Jones!

This sparkly pair are doing an incredible job of inspiring our latest group of new business owners, both on and offline, whilst making the process of learning and mapping business models fun-er than a funnel-funnelling-fun!

Our latest super cool cohort of new businesses range from photographers, playgroups and Jewellery makers; to tour guides, culture platforms and clothing companies. Woohoo! We cannot wait to see all the great things they will achieve on the back of the programme! Pob lwc everyone! Have a blast!

Womanspire Awards

Womenspire recognises women’s achievements in every aspect of life, from personal achievements to outstanding contribution.

Outreach Director, and 5-9 Club lead Lesley Williams, was nominated and finalised in the category for Gender Equality Champion!

Lesley Williams, Outreach Director

In case you don’t know her – Lesley was brought into the organisation in 2019 to take ICE “on tour” and make Welsh ICE support as accessible as possible to all. Almost three years on, and Lesley has reached out to communities across Wales, supporting 365 individuals from all backgrounds to realise and achieve their business dreams.

She’s also joined the Welsh ICE board of directors to continue to drive their vision, to create an active ecosystem of entrepreneurs across Wales, and to make an impact on the diversity gaps within entrepreneurship – To ensure a fairer more equal society for everyone.

Lesley didn’t take home the award this year, although Mike Taggart from North Wales Police Force was incredibly deserving (100% worth looking him up!) – From us all, congratulations Mike!

New Partnership – Freelance Heroes

Freelance Heroes and 5-9 Logo

You might have seen it – We’ve teamed up with Freelance Heroes to offer a new 5-9 experience!
This exclusive programme has been designed to get new freelance businesses off to the best start – and super excitingly, we’re crossing the bridge with this one! Meaning, any aspiring or “early days” freelancer across the whole of the UK can join! Learn more here.

Annie Browne, HelloMyPa and Freelance Heroes

Co-founder of Freelance Heroes Annie Browne says:

Having been part of The 5-9 Club family for several years I have seen the positive effect that it has had on the start-up journey and successes of entrepreneurs across Wales. To be working in partnership with the 5-9 team to bring that level of support to the Freelance Heroes community across UK is very, very exciting.

We want to be able to give freelancers across the UK the right tools and knowledge to kickstart their freelance career and I have no doubt that this bespoke course from the 5-9 club will do exactly that.

New Partnership – A.C.T

ACT and 5-9 logos

In addition to our growing portfolio of 5-9 Club partners, we are also delighted to announce that we have teamed up with ACT Training to deliver our second youth-focused cohort due to launch in February next year.

During lockdown, we noticed young people getting creative, using their newfound hobbies, passions, and skills to support their families and communities, raising money for charity, and making money for themselves.

It’s great that we can come together and partner with an organisation such as ACT Training who have also noticed the skills, talents and entrepreneurial attitude shown by young people, and who want to help them make their dreams a reality, with the 5-9 Club.

From Learners to Experts

One thing we love-love-LOVE, is when individuals we’ve supported through the 5-9 Club, become the experts!

This month, TWO wonderful human’s, and 5-9 alumni, shared their knowledge and experiences with the current cohorts.

Sarah Tamsin:

We first met Sarah Tamsin in August 2019 as a member of the Caerphilly cohort. Since then, Sarah has become a valid member of our community, providing mentoring and bags full of advice as a SEO and Web Developing GENIUS!

This month she returned to the 5 to 9 Club – not to learn, but to deliver a talk on social media! And it went down a storm! Whooop! Thank you, Sarah! We think you’re amazing!

 

Jennie Williams:

Jennie Williams, MooJoo Designs

Also – MASSIVE love to Jennie Williams, another super cool woman we met in 2019, as a member of the Treorchy cohort!

Jennie runs her business with husband Mike – a laser cutting production company, specialising in personalised gifts – MooJoo Designs .

Earlier this year, the pair experienced tragedy as their studio burnt to ashes. They found that they needed to ‘dig deep’ to rebuild.

Thankfully our incredible ICE community backed them, meaning they were able to raise enough money with a ‘go fund me’ campaign to do just that.

This month, Jennie delivered a workshop on Resilience and Growth Mindset, to help others also find the opportunities hidden inside every set back.

YES Jennie!

And there you have October’s top five! Stop by at the end of next month, to get the low-down on November’s news!

Happy Halloween everyone!