Following the success of the business programme last year, Tamworth Borough Council and Lichfield District Council have linked with Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerces (GBCC) young professional division, Future Faces, and sponsored 12 places across the two authorities.

These free places are aimed at young professionals within local businesses, offering the opportunity to network, develop and be recognised for their talent across Greater Birmingham.

Future Faces is a multi-sector programme and aims to develop future leaders. The one-year membership includes the opportunity to attend a minimum of two events per month.

The first is a relaxed social networking meeting at a Birmingham venue, providing members a chance to talk to other like-minded professionals from a mix of sectors and expand ideas, business contacts and support, as well as making new friends.

The second event is a professional development workshop, designed to help members develop their leadership and professional skills.

We are really pleased to have been able to collaborate with the councils in this project, and hope to continue to work with them and more young professionals in Lichfield and Tamworth.

Sessions are led by influential business leaders from across a mix of sectors, all offering an insight to improving individual business potential, access to a personal development mentor and the opportunity to be on the Future Faces executive committee.

Members of the programme will also have access to feature their business news on the Future Faces page in Chamberlink Magazine or the weekly e-newsletter.

In addition, the programme also invites all members to their flagship event the Future Faces Annual Dinner and Awards which recognises the talent of all young professionals in the area.

Successful applicants are from a variety of business sectors including catering, finance, marketing, photography, music education and accountancy.

Laura Sutton, a business owner for The Cake Spa in Lichfield, describes how she feels being successfully accepted for Future Faces: As a business owner in my first year of trade, I am really excited to part of the Future Faces membership. The programme offers free events and great networking opportunities, plus support for training and knowledge sharing. I cant wait to get involved; it can only benefit my new business.

Alex Perry, a Business Development and Marketing Manager for The Training Initiative in Tamworth, said: I feel extremely lucky to be part of the Future Faces programme. Im looking forward to attending the different events, learning things that will benefit my career in the short and long-term; and also increasing my confidence.

Being from a small town like Tamworth, I have found it hard to connect with likeminded, career focussed individuals, so this programme is amazing for that. Another benefit is getting discounts and free tickets to events, the first being tickets to the ballet at Birmingham Hippodrome.

More information regarding Future Faces is available at: http://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/our-group/future-faces/

James Blackman, president of the Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce, said: We are really pleased to have been able to collaborate with the councils in this project, and hope to continue to work with them and more young professionals in Lichfield and Tamworth.

TheLichfield and Tamworth Chamber are committed to endorsing and supporting young professionals, helping them to connect, collaborate and grow.

Cllr Jeremy Oates, Tamworth Borough Council Cabinet member for Heritage and Growth, said: Future Faces is an excellent opportunity for diverse, talented, young professionals to expand their skills and knowledge within a programme that offers professional support and a strong network of business contacts.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce have created this annual membership to help network, develop and recognise young professionals across all sectors. Congratulations to all 12 successful applicants, I hope they will take full advantage of this rewarding membership and investment opportunity.

Cllr Iain Eadie, Lichfield District Councils Cabinet member for Investment, Growth and Tourism said: I am really pleased for all the winners of the Future Faces competition. This will give them a competitive advantage and could really help shape their careers. Its wonderful to see so much talent coming forward and to hear about their business ventures. I wish them all the best and hope they get a lot out of the Future Faces initiative.

READ MORE: Staffordshire PCC engages Chamber to step up the battle against Modern Day Slavery

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Young professionals receive a free 12-month business programme - Tamworth Informed

Simon and Hilary Vallely are passionate about dairying.

They encourage those with a similar enthusiasm to enter the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards' Southland/Otago regional competition. Entries open on October 1.

The couple, who won the 2018 Southland/Otago regional Share Farmers of the Year competition, are 50/50 sharemilkers near Gore with 490 cows and have a 210,000kgMS target. They also have bought land to raise beef animals as an investment.

The Vallelys recently became the new regional managers for the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, taking over the role from Darren Stenning.

They oversee the organising committee, which includes last year's regional winners: share farmers of the year Cameron and Nicola Van Dorsten; dairy manager of the year James Matheson, and dairy trainee of the year Caycee Cormack.

All four are section team leaders and are working hard to generate interest in the competition.

"We are in the early stages but Caycee Cormack and James Matheson have been out talking to Young Farmers' clubs," Mr Vallely said.

"They talk about how it [the competition] can help careers.

"It pushes you outside your comfort zone."

There are also entrants' and sponsor evenings planned.

He and Mrs Vallely went to the national competition and for him, one of the highlights was making friends with people from other regions.

"We still keep in contact with them."

It was good for professional development and it enhanced their business operations, as well as adding to their profile for further opportunities in the dairy industry.

There were 11 share farmers entered last year in the region and they hoped to do as well this year for numbers.

He would also like to see more dairy trainees and farm managers enter as the experience was invaluable and the prizes "exceptional".

"People should give it a go," he said.

He said judges would look at the business's financials, pasture, land, staff and animal management. The entrants' community involvement and personal development were also assessed, with work and life balances considered important areas by the judges

"Dairy farming is not a sprint. It's a marathon," he said.

Judging for the first round will take place in February, with the finals round in early March.

The regional awards dinner is on March 21 at the Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill.

Go here to read the rest:
Award winners encourage entrants - Otago Daily Times

Photo by Victoria Valle

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CAROLINA FLORES

College is a socially tumultuous time as some students struggle to live on their own for the first time, enter their first romantic relationships or simply grapple with the question of what they are to do with their lives. Thankfully, at St. Marys students have access to low-cost counseling services that may aid them through any personal struggles.

There is a common misconception thattherapy is for people who have reached a lowpoint in their life. A student may seek therapyto work out interpersonal issues or becausethey wish to gain self-knowledge. Thereshould be no stigma attached to counselingas it shows high emotional intelligencein knowing where there are aspects in apersons life that could be improved. Theresalso a stigma that perhaps going to therapymeans one is crazy but many people whohave undiagnosed disorders attend therapy.

Seeking counseling also does not meanthat a person has few coping resourcesor that they do not have people in theirlife to help them through rough times.However, it is important to rememberthat friends are not therapists, nor shouldthey be. Sometimes therapy can help bringobjectivity to a situation. For instance, thereare things called cognitive distortionsirrational thought patterns common inthose with depression and anxietythatonly a trained professional may detect.Therapists may point out cues such as usingabsolutes in a persons speech, that a friendis not trained to do. Seeking wise counselamongst trusted adults including professors,religious affiliated brothers, or other facultymembers on campus can help provide betterresources and advice for students.

Therapy is also more effective thanpsychoactive medication such as

antidepressants or anxiety medication.While medication can help the mind toimmediately adapt, the goal of therapy isto seek long-term solutions to negativethought patterns. However, psychiatricservices are also availablenote that theydiffer from counseling serviceswhere astudent may request to be evaluated by amedical professional at little cost and alsopossibly receive prescribed medication.If any student seeks a diagnosis forsomething such as ADHD, they can book anappointment with the student psychologicalcenter to be evaluated. Dr. Thomas Matthewsis the trusted psychiatrist at St. Marys,

he is an associate of University of TexasHealth Science Center at San Antonio. Heoffers psychiatric evaluation and diagnosisthat can help students be more aware oftheir mental health and possible ways toovercome any mental disabilities or traumasuch as stress. Relationship counseling isalso available on campus; only one partnermust be a St. Marys student. Poor mentalhealth can be as academically detrimentalas a chronic physical illness. Students shouldknow that going to therapy shows an activedesire to get better; if they suffer froma psychological condition, scheduling atherapy appointment is the first step towardrecovery. If any student requires emergencyhelp, a counselor on duty may be accessedby calling the 24-hour crisis response at 210-825-3622.

While academics should be a priorityfor students, mental health should alwayscome first. College is a time for personalgrowth and self-awareness. The best way todo so is through reflection and counseling.Therapy can offer students counselingfrom a professional to help organize onesthoughts and bring inner peace that canbe lasting throughout a students life evenafter graduation.

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MENTAL MOMENTS: ThTherapy is beneficial for students - The Rattler

The Department of Education is investigating more than 50 cases in which schools are alleged to be misusing special needs teachers by using them to teach mainstream classes.

Under official rules, resource teachers and special needs assistants should be used only for supporting vulnerable pupils with additional needs.

Parents and special needs campaigners, however, say they are aware of many cases where resource teachers assigned to help their children have ended up being used to plug gaps in the classroom.

This, they say, is depriving vulnerable children of vital supports in the classroom.

Adam Harris, chief executive of the autism support group AsIAm, said: Its concerning to see so many cases where it appears additional teaching time is being misused. These are only the cases documented by the department. Were aware of many more allegations.

He said the issue was all the more concerning given the number of special needs children on reduced hours timetables or being suspended, often on the basis that schools lacked expertise to support these children.

Some school teachers and principals, however, say that a combination of teacher shortages and underfunding means they are sometimes left with little other option.

The department confirmed to The Irish Times that it has received 88 reports of potentially inappropriate use of special education teaching resource across both primary and secondary schools since September 2017. The majority of these reports arose from school inspections.

It said it had written to all the schools 71 primary, 17 secondary to request they review their provision and confirm the school is utilising its allocation in accordance with guidelines, and provide copies of timetables.

Of the 88 schools, it said 34 schools had confirmed they were now utilising their allocation in accordance with the guidelines.

Of the 50-plus remaining cases, a further 29 schools had replied and their responses were being reviewed, while replies are awaited from 20 schools.

The department said it was continuing to engage with five schools which had not yet been in a position to demonstrate compliance.

Further follow-up action may then take place with schools, including an inspection visit, if necessary, the department said in a statement.

Some of the initial inspection reports indicate that some schools have been using resource teachers for mainstream class teaching, or reducing the pupil-teacher ratio in mainstream classes.

There have also been reports of using special needs staff to provide additional subjects for pupils who do not have special educational needs.

A new model for allocating special education teachers to schools was introduced in September 2017.

The department said, in advance of this, that a circular was sent to schools stating that schools should ensure that additional special needs teaching supports should be used in their entirety to support pupils identified with special educational needs, learning support needs, and additional literacy needs such as English as an additional language.

It said the criteria under which special needs assistants (SNAs) were allocated to schools to provide for the additional care needs of children was also set down in a circular sent to all schools.

This notes that SNAs are recruited specifically to assist in the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an educational context.

SNAs, therefore, do not have a teaching-pedagogical role and it would not be appropriate for pupils with special needs to be taught by an SNA, it said in a statement.

The department added that the Education Act (1998) outlined the primacy of the teacher in the education and personal development of students in schools.

Many children with significant special educational needs also receive additional teaching support from a special education teacher, who supports the classroom teacher.

When a pupil with significant and complex care needs has access to support from an SNA, the classroom teacher and the special education teacher will work closely with the SNA.

However, the class teacher continues to have primary responsibility for teaching and learning, and for the social and emotional development and progress of the pupil, the department said.

Mr Harris, meanwhile, called for increased inspections to ensure misuse of resources is spotted.

He also said that plans to develop an alternative model of support to replace the current SNA scheme should be paused until there is confidence that the current system is being appropriately managed.

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Schools misusing special needs teachers, say parents - The Irish Times

Every tech festival has a huge list of speakers and panellists, impressive and interesting in their own right. But honestly, we all want to know who the biggest names are. In other words, who's headlining?

Here's a quick introduction to our host and our three headliners for the Women in Tech Festival, plus why you won't want to miss a minute of their talks.

The Women in Tech Festival 2019 will be hosted by the brilliant Viv Groskop, comedian and author of How to Own the Room, plus host of the popular podcast of the same name.

She'll be giving an interactive presentation about how inspirational women get the world to sit up, pay attention and really hear what they're saying. She'll cover everyone from Virginia Woolf to Michelle Obama via Joan River, pointing out their signature techniques and explaining how you can use them for your own benefit.

Viv has spent years coaching senior executive women, as well as hosting book tours for the likes of Jo Brand, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. She's been taking one-woman shows to the Edinburgh Fringe for half a decade, and has written books including The Anna Karenina Fix: Life Lessons from Russian Literature, and of course How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking. Right now, she's working on the next one, called Au Revoir, Tristesse: Lessons in Happiness from French Literature.

You might also have seen her on The Week on BBC 1, and presenting Front Row and Saturday Review on BBC Radio 4. Her talk will begin at 9.20am.

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE is the Co-Founder of Stemettes, which -in the unlikely event you haven't heard the name - is a multi-award-winning social enterprise that encourages girls into careers in STEM (science, tech, engineering and maths).

Dr Imafidon earned her Masters' degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford at the age of just 20, and went on to win the Barclays UK Woman of the Year' award among many others. She's frequently listed in compilations of the brightest and most influential tech stars in the world, and received her MBE in the 2017 New Year's Honours for services to young women and STEM sectors.

Anne-Marie's keynote speech will take you through the journey from the bottom to the top of tech, working for companies including Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard and Deutsche Bank on the way. She's given brilliant talks at huge festivals including SXSW and Founders Forum, and now brings her inspiring brand of tech activism to the Women in Tech Festival.

You'll come away with tactics and strategies you can use to climb the ladder in tech, ways to lay a path to your dream career and insights from the stumbles Dr Imafidon made along the way. This will undoubtedly be one of the most popular talks of the day, so make sure you're comfortably seated for the kickoff at 9.50am.

Software engineer and co-chair of Financial Times Women UK, Angelique specialises in publishing software and content management systems for newsrooms. This focus has put her at the heart of the news industry for the past decade.

Having moved over from the art world, Angelique was surprised to find how few women there are in tech when she transitioned into software development at the Financial Times. As a result, she founded FT Women UK, which she still co-chairs, and has spearheaded several other initiatives aimed at getting more women to join and stay in the industry.

Angelique's headline speech is titled Entering the tech industry, and covers how to identify transferable skills from other roles to help you make the move into tech. She'll also discuss how we get women into a wider range of tech roles, how we can improve education around the jobs available in tech now and in the future and how to choose which qualifications to take when the future is ever-changing. Her talk starts at 4pm.

Head of Technology at Sky, Natasha's talk will be happening at the same time as Angelique Vu's - so you'll need to choose between them. Tough call!

Natasha heads up technology for Sky's huge Digital Service sector, but she's also the founder of Leeds' Ladies Of Code group as well as being on the Industrial Advisory Board for the University of Leeds' School of Computing. If that wasn't enough prestige, she's been named one of the top 100 women in tech for founding the national Empowering Women With Tech initiative, which has welcomed more than 1,000 people to its educational events and mentoring scheme.

Meanwhile, The Times'named Sky as one of the top 50 employers for women.

Natasha's talk will discuss why human or 'soft' skills are every bit as important as the 'hard' skills, aka the technical stuff. The title - Anything but FLUFFY - refers to the fact that while they might be called 'soft,' human skills aren't some woolly nice-to-have attributes. They're actually vital, especially considering the skills shortage in tech right now.

Natasha will also cover personal development, especially outside work, and how we improve inclusivity in tech.

Decided which talks you most want to see? Grab your tickets for the Women in Tech Festival UK 2019 here.

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Who's heading today's Women in Tech Festival? - http://www.channelweb.co.uk

DUBAI, 17th September, 2019 (WAM) -- The Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, MBRU, welcomed its fourth batch of students for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, MBBS, programmes.

The university celebrated the arrival of new students at the 4th MBRU White Coat Ceremony in the presence of Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences.

MBRU welcomed 62 students of 18 nationalities, taking the total number of MBBS undergraduates to more than 200, in line with its mission to advance health in the UAE and the region through an innovative and integrated academic health system.

This years ceremony expanded its reach to welcome students from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malawi and Dominica, representing an important step for the students, as they took the Hippocratic Oath and wore their medical white coats for the first time.

In her keynote speech, Al Amiri said, "Students pursuing a career in medicine are well aware of their future role as doctors and the intrinsic ethical, national and humane responsibilities associated with this role in saving peoples lives and preserving their health."

She added that medicine is largely and essentially dependent on advanced sciences and future technologies, which makes it imperative for doctors and medical students to pursue continuous learning and acquire high-end skills to further develop the medical sector in the UAE.

The minister hailed the role of the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in nurturing specialised medical staff.

Professor Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Dean of the College of Medicine, said, "Through a transformative learning experience, access to research opportunities and global connectivity, our students are the embodiment of our mission to advance health in the UAE and the region, while embracing respect, integrity and excellence, which are the qualities of a complete physician."

Dr Laila Alsuwaidi, Assistant Dean of Student Happiness and Wellbeing at the College of Medicine, added, "In addition to interactive learning and clinical exposure, the students will have access to a range of facilities and activities to enhance their experience and personal development during their time at the MBRU."

The 4th White Coat Ceremony also recognised the key supporters of the students at the MBRU, including the Dubai Ruler's Court, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, the Dubai Health Authority, the Al Jalila Foundation, the Al Jalila Children's Speciality Hospital, Mediclinic Middle East, Queens University Belfast, and the Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai.

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Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine holds 4th White Coat Ceremony - WAM EN

Friday, September 13, 2019

Teagasc are hosting a number of courses through their College of Amenity Horticulture, based in the National Botanical Gardens. There are currently 5 programmes on offer between their centre at the National Botanical Gardens and the unique setting of their Ashtown campus, just north of Dublin City.

Students will spend 16 weeks of practical learning on approved horticultural units within the industry directly linked to their chosen learning stream. This will enable students to learn the management and manual skills associated with their chosen specialism.

Sixteen weeks are also spent at the College. The emphasis during this course is both on the development of business and management skills and also on developing proficiency in a range of skills associated their chosen stream of learning.

Examples of the programmes below display the extensive body of coursework available.

Horticulture Enterprise (Level 5 QQI):

The general horticulture course is designed to allow students to gain a firm foothold in the horticultural world and to allow progression in to more specialized fields at Level 6. Here, students will learn basics such as work practice, plant protection and science, soil science and growing media and how to identify plants.

Progression from Level 5 to Level 6 allows students to choose a field to sepcialize in

Landscape Enterprise (Level 6 QQI):

This comprehensive course covers key components of the landscaping process such as design and construction, park and garden supervision and production mechanisation. Through this course students will gain practical knowledge and experience through working on the landscaping elements of the Ashtown Campus.

Propagation and Tree Management (Level 6 QQI):

During this programme students will learn essential skills with regards to tree and nursery enterprise. Modules covered within this course handle subjects such as garden centre operations and nursery stock production.

Food Production (Level 6 QQI):

With a focus towards the production of fruit and vegetables, this particular course gives students a chance to get their foot on the ladder with regards to practicing the production and maintenance of these crops. Over the course of their learning, students can expect to cover features such as market gardening, organic crop production and sustainable horticulture as well as furthering their knowledge on the environment and ecology.

Sports Turf Enterprise (Level 6 QQI):

This outlet of horticulture will allow students to embark on learning about the growing industry within the realms of sports turf. The Ashtown campus contains a dedicated grass and golf area where students will be able to perfect their skills and knowledge with regards to managing sports ground.

All the above courses also provide personal development modules as well as a wide range of elective subjects which will allow students to further the horizon of their learning.

Opportunities on completion of a Level 6 course include progression to Year 2 of the Level 7 Horticulture programme being hosted by Waterford I.T. as well as prospects throughout the field of horticulture.

To apply to these courses or for more information Click Here.

The College of Amenity Horticulture, National Botanic Gardens will also be holding their open day on Thursday October 3rd from 2PM until 4.30PM.

More:
Back To Their Roots: Teagasc Hosting Horticulture Courses - CareersPortal

Change in Sky Blues pecking order

Mark Robins has changed his Coventry City striking pecking order, admtting he cant ignore the form of fan favourite Max Biamou.

The Sky Blues boss moved the popular Frenchman up the matchday rankings on Saturday when he named him on the bench at Burton Albion ahead of Amadou Bakayoko.

Bakayoko travelled to the game and was fit to play but missed out of the 18-man squad to Biamou whose recent hot form of four goals in four games in the Under-23s has seen him promoted to second choice striker behind Matty Godden.

Robins could have named both among the subs but needed to cover all bases in terms of back-up for key positions in the team, explaining after the goalless draw with the Brewers: I needed a midfield player on the bench and I wanted Max because I cant ignore him.

I have spoken about Max. Hes scored four goals in the Under-23s and he warrants a place on the bench and people have got to fight for their place.

City face AFC Wimbledon at St Andrews tonight, looking to strengthen their grip on the top spot in League One against a side that is currently third from bottom and yet to achieve their first win of the season.

The Sky Blues, meanwhile, have been victorious in all four of their opening games at their groundshare venue but have not been able to beat the Dons in their last four league meetings, home and away, since their return to the Football League, having drawn all of them.

There are battles for the shirt throughout the squad, none more so than at centre-half where Kyle McFadzean, Dom Hyam and Michael Rose have been competing for the two available berths.

Roses groin injury late on against Blackpool last week opened the door for Hyam who was outstanding at Burton where he played a key role alongside McFadzean to help keep the teams fifth clean sheet from eight games in the division.

Yes thats good that is, it really is, said Robins , reflecting on the impressive defensive record.

And particularly so against a team that put you under an inordinate amount of pressure. I thought we defended pretty well and some of the defending in the wider areas was outstanding.

Its brilliant and they are going to have to bide their time from time to time because they are three really good centre-halves who are all performing really well at the level.

So its a great problem for me to have and they have got to fight to keep the jersey.

Asked about Roses availability, the player having travelled to the Pirelli but not involved in the matchday squad, he said: He is pain free so available again.

Left-back Brandon Mason is another who comes back into contention for the midweek fixture, albeit young understudy Sam McCallum having done a fine job in his absence with a hamstring strain over the last four games.

Brandon Mason was here as well and its good to have them available again.

He got through 90 minutes in the Under-23s on Friday and will be ready for Tuesday night.

Coventry Citys Academy Manager Richard Stevens is leaving the club to take charge of Championship West Bromwich Albions own youth set-up.

Stevens, who has been at the Sky Blues for the last 12 years, six in charge of the Academy, leaves the club with its huge thanks and gratitude after it says he has played a huge role in the development of individual players and the Academy as a whole.

The club say he has, shown incredible dedication to the club, spending countless hours going above and beyond to ensure the continued success of the clubs Category 2 Academy at the Alan Higgs Centre.

Stevens said: The decision to leave my role has without any question been the toughest Ive had to make, having been here for 12 years.

The Academy and people within it have given me some of the best times Ive had in football and also some of the toughest challenges.

The securing of the Academy training ground and Category 2 status leaves the Club and Academy in a strong position to push forward. The step to Category 1 in the Academy system is a challenge I could not turn down for my own personal development and career progression.

Although I will be around for a period of time yet, I would like to thank the Owners for full support throughout the journey and also all of the staff, players and parents who have played a part in providing experiences for all levels of development.

Its been a privilege to have been a part of this Academy.

Manager Mark Robins said: While we are of course disappointed to see him leave, his work at the Club has earned him the opportunity at a Category One Academy, and we wish Richard all of the best for the future and thank him for his hard work and achievements at Coventry City over the years.

Dave Boddy, Coventry City Chief Executive, said: We are sorry to see Richard leaving the Club. He has shown incredible dedication to the Club over many years, and his role in the success of the Academy and the impact that has had on the Football Club as a whole cannot be underestimated.

For Richard, I know this has been a difficult decision, but moving to a Category 1 Academy at West Bromwich Albion is a terrific opportunity for him and he goes with the thanks of everyone at the Football Club, past and present Academy players & parents, and no doubt our supporters too.

Russell Slade has turned to his former club Coventry City to strengthen his backroom staff at Hereford.

The ex- Sky Blues boss, who had a disastrous spell three month spell in charge of the club in 2016/17 the season City were relegated to League Two has appointed Academy coach and former player Andy Whing as his first team coach.

The 34-year-old, who holds his A License, has coaching experience with Oxford United, Kidderminster Harriers and more latterly with the Sky Blues, whom he re-joined in February 2018, helping to coach the Under-18s.

Whing hadnt officially left City as of this morning despite Hereford announcing his appointment at the weekend.

Its unclear at this stage whether he hopes to continue working for the Sky Blues alongside his new responsibilities for the non-league club in National League North.

Speaking about the appointment, Bulls manager Slade said: Im really pleased to bring in Andy, hes played for me at Brighton and Leyton Orient so I know him well, hes a really good type.

Hopefully the balance between an older manager and a younger coach will work. Im sure hell do well for this football club and Im delighted that hes with us.

Whing made close to 400 Football League appearances, including 106 at Coventry for whom he scored two goals.

After retiring through injury at the age of 31, Whing immediately joined the Oxford United Academy set-up, and has also had spells coaching with Kidderminster Harriers first team and U23s.

Most recently Whing has been a part of the Coventry City Academy, with whom he graduated himself earlier in his career.

He's most fondly remembered by fans for scoring the last ever goal for City at Highfield Road in the 62 win over Derby County in the 200405 season.

Speaking about his appointment, Whing said: Im really looking forward to the challenge I enjoy being out on the grass in the week working with the players and then seeing the results on a Saturday.

Ive played at Edgar Street a few times in my career and I know that the atmosphere can be really rocking. This is a really big club and Im looking forward to getting going.

Coventry City Supporters Club have explained their decision to revoke the membership of a life-long fan because of his association with the Sky Blue Trust.

The recently formed club, which is based at Freehold Street and has around 140 members, have kicked out Moz Baker, former chair of the Trust, sparking a backlash from fellow supporters on social media.

Rob Foster, a spokesman for Coventry City Supporters Club, says the fan group took the action after hearing he was organising a protest at Ricoh Arena owners Wasps first game of the season on Saturday an allegation denied by the Trust and Mr Baker, who stepped down from the Trust board in July.

Mr Foster also claims that the resulting Twitter storm of outraged fans has been created by fake account holders.

Read the full story here:

Visit our Facebook pages for Coventry and Nuneaton or visit our Twitter pages for Coventry and Nuneaton

Watch our videos on YouTube and see our photos on Instagram

Find old stories in our online Archives and search for jobs, motors and property, or place an advert or family notice here

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Championship club come calling as Coventry City players fight to keep the jersey - Coventry Telegraph

The IMG coaches envisioned him as an offensive tackle, a blocker who clears lanes for running backs and, more important, protects high-priced quarterbacks. His wingspan alone (35-inch arms) promised to make him hard to get around. His performance in the tests given to offensive linemen the 40-yard dash, shuttle runs and various agility drills that measure an athletes stamina, balance and ability to change direction put him in the top ranks of the N.F.L.s offensive-tackle prospects in recent seasons. His body fat was below 20 percent, exceedingly low for a man his size. In my years of coaching, I probably havent had anybody who looks like that, top to bottom, Jay Butler, a former N.F.L. strength and conditioning coach who worked with Mailata at IMG, told ESPN.

Offensive tackle, though, is one of the most technically demanding positions in football. It requires size, complicated footwork, a high degree of intelligence and, usually, the acquired wisdom gained over years of high school and college competition needed to win the battles against defensive players who come charging across the line of scrimmage. One mistake can cost a team a game or a season, if the error results in a $30-million-a-year quarterbacks leaving the field on an injury cart.

As Stoutland, who is the Eagles offensive line coach, watched Mailata go through drills mainly simulations of pass blocking and run blocking his skepticism evaporated. Right away, I was like, Hello! he recalls. You better pay close attention here. He was standing next to a scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We were both looking at each other, like, Holy cow, what are we seeing here?

Less than two years later, Jordan Mailata has just begun his second season as an N.F.L. player, following a year in which an ESPN writer named him the Eagles most improved rookie a highly unusual honor, considering that he never set foot on the field last year in a regular-season game. But his performance during the 2018 preseason had turned some former offensive linemen into cheerleaders. Borderline obsessed with this dude at this point. This is crazy, Ross Tucker, a broadcaster and former N.F.L. lineman, tweeted while also projecting Mailata as a future All-Pro. Mailata had pass-blocked competently and used his strength to clear big corridors for running backs; it was not the man-versus-boys stuff of the rugby video, but for a pure novice, it was impressive. His progress in practices was said to be remarkable (hence the most improved accolade). The buzz raised expectations and, if anything, increased the pressure on Mailata. Is he really a future star or just a curiosity piece? How soon until he is trusted to play in a game that counts? More broadly, how much football can you cram into an athlete, even one as big and outlandishly gifted as Mailata, if he has never played the sport before?

The 2018 N.F.L. draft took place in April, less than four months after Mailata arrived in Florida to begin his football education. The Eagles actually made a trade in order to move up in the seventh round and select him before the Steelers could. When his name was called, he walked out onto the stage at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., wearing a white untucked shirt and a pair of jeans, along with a beige bomber jacket purchased from Johnny Bigg, an Australian mens wear store that features garments in sizes XL to 9XL. (Many of the top college players dress for the draft in expensive bespoke outfits.) The commentators on the N.F.L. Network went into near hysterics when his name was called. Youre about to see absolutely no footage of him playing American football, one said. They showed the rugby video, and when Mailata steamrollered an opponent and sent him staggering backward, another commentator cackled, Get some, little fella!

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Can the N.F.L. Turn a 360-Pound Rugby Player Into a Football Star? - The New York Times

Personal development is an often used but rarely explained term. It is about investing in yourself so that you can manage yourself effectively regardless of what life might bring your way. Personal development allows you to be proactive. Rather than wait for good things to happen, you get out there and make them happen. You may not always achieve your objective, but you will experience a richer and more rewarding life when you commit to pursuing your own objectives. Making that commitment to personal development is the first step on the path to personal fulfilment.

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6 Benefits of personal development

The following are 6 of the most important benefits of a personal development mindset:

1. Self-awareness

Personal development begins with self-awareness. You get to know who you really are; your values, beliefs and the purpose you wish to pursue. True fulfilment can never come from chasing other peoples dreams. If you want to achieve lasting happiness, you need to design your life based on who you are. Then you can chase your own goals and objectives. When you are chasing your own goals, there is as much pleasure to be derived from the journey as there is to be derived from reaching your destination. Self-awareness is the first fundamental step in the personal development process.

Each day, you receive information about what you want from life but if you are not aware, these messages slip by without you even noticing them. A great opportunity for learning and self-improvement is lost. It would surprise some people to learn how many coaching clients I have spoken to who have told me they have no idea what they want from life. They have spent their life missing the feedback and messages, which would lead to their own personal development.

You might be wondering how these messages are delivered. The answer is that they are delivered in the form of feelings and contrast. Each day you encounter things which you feel bad about. You dont like something or, you dont like a situation the way it currently is. Imagine if you took the opportunity to ask yourself questions such as:

By asking these questions and, others like them, you get clearer about what you really want from life.

If you are not committed to your own personal development and, you lack self-awareness; you just give out about every problem you see. But when you are aware, you use the power of contrast to determine areas for personal development which will help you improve your life.

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2. A sense of direction

Once you have raised your self-awareness, you are clearer on the things you wish to achieve from life. Decision-making becomes a lot easier. Tasks which used to take a great deal of your time, no longer make it onto your to-do list. You now realise that they do not move you towards your objectives and therefore are not worthy of your time.

This is where many people make a major mistake with goals. They see goals as something extra that you add to your life. You find time to work on your goals when you have everything else done. When you set goals this way, you think you are going to make your life bigger and better by adding more to it.

What really happens is that you make your life smaller by overloading yourself with things that you dont really need to be doing.

If goals are set properly, they reduce your workload and improve the quality of everything you do. The real magic of goals and personal development is not just that they tell you what you need to be doing.

Just as importantly, if not more so; they tell you everything that you should not be doing. The biggest mistake in personal development is trying to do more. If you want to improve, the real key to success is to do less and, do it better.

When you have a clear sense of direction, you can eliminate anything which does not take you in that direction. When you have done that, you can use the 80/20 principle to identify the vital few things which take you in that direction with the greatest speed and least effort.

Personal development and a sense of direction allows you to shift your focus from quantity to quality. Do more and do it better. Even in your leisure time, do more and invest yourself more fully in it. Give 100% to the vital few and you will do far better than dividing your energy among too many tasks and activities.

Life is most enjoyable when you have a clear sense of direction and purpose. Personal development gives meaning, purpose and direction to your days.

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3. Improved focus and effectiveness

With personal development comes clarity. Even with an improved sense of direction, there will always be multiple tasks looking for your attention. As your personal development improves, prioritisation becomes much easier. You are clearer on your objectives and you can quickly identify which task will give you the best result with the resources available to you at that moment.

Improved focus and effectiveness comes with knowing and playing to your strengths.

One of the biggest obstacles to focus is distraction. Distraction mostly happens because you dont see the great difference between the benefit you will derive from the activity you should be doing and the one you are distracting yourself with. Therefore, you work better when there is a deadline looming i.e. the benefit of meeting the deadline becomes much clearer and the problems caused by the distraction become just as apparent.

Being committed to personal development helps you to become more focused. It helps you to resist distractions without needing to have deadlines constantly looming. Because having too many deadlines can lead to too much pressure and stress. Pressure and stress also arise from feeling the need to be perfect; as if you only get one go at anything.

Personal development is a continuous journey. With each step, it becomes easier to see the true value of each activity. The following are just some of the reasons why you get more focused as your personal development progresses:

Personal development allows you to see each task, project and activity for its true value, making it easier to do what you need to do.

When you see each task, project and activity for what it is i.e. a step along a continuous journey, you feel less desire to be distracted. You also see the pointlessness of perfectionism because you know that you, and your work, are constantly improving.

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4. More motivation

When you know what you want to achieve, it is easier for you to see the benefits of taking action. Even when the task ahead is not enjoyable; if you can see a clear benefit, you are more motivated to take the necessary action. There is truth in the old adage

Where there is a will there is a way.

With strong personal development, you develop the necessary will.

Once you accept that personal development is a continuous journey and, you commit to that journey; you realise that each day you will become a little clearer about what you want.

As you become clearer about what you want, you start to see how achieving your goal will improve your life. You can visualise the benefits you will experience. This is what builds the will to accomplish the goal. This is where your most powerful motivation comes from.

One of the biggest obstacles to motivation is the overwhelming size of the goal. There just seems to be so much to do that you feel like you can never achieve it all. And if you dont feel like you can achieve it, how can you get motivated to get it done? The answer is that you really need to understand the truth about goals.

The end goal/dream is just the culmination of a process so, you dont need to motivate yourself for that. You only need enough motivation to take the next action.

As you progress further with your personal development, you see that the real goals are the actions you need to take each day. You are confident that each action you complete will take you closer to the end goal /dream so, you dont need to worry about that.

You just focus on what you need to do next and, get that done. Then, you move to the next task. Occasionally, you check to see what progress you are making but, most of the time, you are only focused on what you need to do next.

You rarely need as much motivation as you think. Instead of motivating yourself for the big goal, you only need enough motivation to take the next step. Personal development enables you to see that.

Motivation is about building the will and desire to achieve your goal. Nothing great was ever achieved without a strong will and a burning desire.

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5. Greater resilience

There will be tough times in life. When these tough times occur, you need to have the skills and attributes to deal effectively with them. Personal development cannot prevent bad things from occurring but it will help you deal with them when they do. You will have greater confidence, resilience, personal and interpersonal skills to cope with any eventuality.

So far, I have spoken mainly of the positives associated with personal development. However, personal development cannot make all your life experiences positive. There will always be times when bad things happen.

Many times, these events will happen due to circumstances beyond your control, Other times, you will screw up and create a bit of a mess for yourself congratulations on being human!

When you understand personal development, you learn that you can change just about any circumstance in your life. If you cant change the circumstance, you can change your attitude towards the experience which makes it less unpleasant.

Knowing all this allows you to stay calm, composed and in control when a crisis strikes. You can then determine the best course of action to take. This allows you to minimise the damage caused by the negative experience.

Personal development is not just about improving your life by helping you be, do and have more of what you want. It improves your life by helping you deal better with negative experiences too.

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6. More fulfilling relationships

Relationships are a double-edged sword. They either lift you up or drag you down. When you improve your personal development, you are better able to see which relationships are worth investing in and which need to be cut loose. You also develop the skills to make the most of those relationships which have the most positive impact on your life.

When you give no thought to your personal development, you give little thought to the value of your relationships. You just take relationships as they come. You end up with friends who became friends because you spent time around each other. You didnt become friends because you help each other to be better people; to be the people you want to be.

You wouldnt choose your life partner that way because you understand the importance of being with someone who is right for you. Friendships should be chosen the same way.

Of course, you should be friendly with everybody, if possible. But being friendly and being friends are not the same thing. If you are friendly with someone, you spend time with them when you bump into them.

If you are friends with someone, you make time for them and, you are prepared to go out of your way to help them, if you can. You genuinely care about them and their wellbeing is important to you.

A great deal of stress in life comes from not distinguishing between those whom you are friendly with and, those whom you are friends with. You end up giving too much time to the wrong people and, not enough time to those whom you should be giving your time too.

When personal development is important to you, you ensure that your friendships are mutually beneficial, enabling both people to be the best they can be. You give as much time as possible to your family, friends and loved ones. Then, you try to be friendly with everyone else.

Give more of your time to the people who make you better and less to those who bring you down. Every area of your life will benefit as a result.

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Conclusion

Personal development is a much used and much maligned term. It is about taking the time and, making the commitment, to invest in your greatest resource you. When you put the effort in to developing yourself, the rewards are amazing. Many people are put off personal development because the results are not always measurable. However, the greatest achievers in life know that the key to success is the ability to manage yourself in a variety of situations. That ability comes through personal development.

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6 Core benefits of personal development. Take charge of ...