Passionate Blog

Marvellous mum gets hotel's Mother's Day treat

2010-03-12T16:33:30+00:00

MUM Diane Holmes is one in a million - and thanks to son Chris is all set for a Mother's Day to remember.

The Walsall sixth former has won Diane a treat by nominating her for a pamper day and family meal from The Village Hotel.

He said she deserved the special thank you for her support in him getting a place at Oxford University.

Single mum Diane will dine in style this Sunday, 14 March, enjoying a five-course meal for four at Walsall’s Village Hotel and get a make-over and hair styling session from a hotel beautician.

Queen Mary’s Grammar School pupil Chris, 17, put forward his mum, a teaching assistant at Walsall’s Joseph Leckie Community Technology College, for the Mother’s Day prize to say thanks for all her encouragement and support over the years.

The teenager, who is studying five A levels, has been offered a place at Mansfield College, Oxford, to study geography next year, if he is successful in his exams. He has already got 12 GCSEs, 10 at grade A star and two at grade A.

“She’s just a fantastic mum and really deserves a great treat,” said Chris.

“I thought this would be a fantastic way to say thank you to mum for all the support she’s given to me as I’ll be leaving her soon to go off to university.

“She’s always encouraged me in every way and given every type of practical help, she couldn’t have done anything better and she’s brought me up on her own.”

The 45-year-old mother of one said: “I’m absolutely delighted, I’ve already got the best Mother’s Day present in Chris, I’ve got a great son but what a lovely surprise – it’ll be a really special Mother’s Day and some nice quality family time as well.

“It’s typical of Chris, he’s very thoughtful and caring, it’s difficult to repay your Mum when you’re not earning, this gives him the chance to give something that he couldn’t give himself.”

The lucky mum and son, who will be taking along Diane’s partner and his daughter, will be tucking into a five-course Sunday carvery at the hotel’s Verve restaurant. The menu features food from around the world including pasta dishes, cooked to order, and freshly cooked American-styled waffles.

For the Mother’s Day meal head chef Rob Hawdon has created a special rose shaped savoury waffle with rose jelly, strawberry ice cream and fresh strawberries, that is freshly made, which is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Diane will also get a full-on pampering session at the Village Hotel in Dudley with a full facial makeover with hair styling from a beautician.

“Diane sounds a marvellous mum and it’s great to be able to give her a Mother’s Day to remember with style, great food and bit of glam from us all here at the Village Hotel Walsall,” said Damian Goom, general manager of the hotel next to junction 10 of the M6.

* Thank you again to everyone who responded to our earlier post on this and thank you to those who emailed or called following coverage in the local press.

An introduction to freelance journalism workshops, London and Midlands

2010-03-03T03:59:00+00:00

SINCE running workshops for writers in how to diversify and survive and receiving such brilliant feedback from those attending, we've also been asked to consider running training sessions for aspiring freelancers.

In response to these queries, we've booked four training dates for 2010.

These are:

Saturday March 13, 9.30am-4.30pm

Friends House, Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

Saturday March 27, 9.30am-4.30pm

Passionate Media, 2 New Street, Cannock, Staffs WS11 0DD

The itinerary will include practical exercises to highlight the skills, aptitude and realism needed to have any chance of making it in this most highly competitive of fields.

This workshop is for you if:

* You are considering launching a freelance journalism career

* You need realistic, straight-talking advice on whether this career is for
you

* You'd like realistic feedback on pitching and writing style

* You are new to freelancing and would like to add to lessons learned so
far

What’s covered:

* Practical information on setting up as a freelance: Getting started with
tax and other financial matters

* How to find ideas

* How to find work

* How to pitch editors: When, why and how. How to follow up.

* How to keep editors coming back for more

* How to get paid on time

Cost: £150 plus VAT

About the trainers:

Linda Jones:

Managing director of Passionate Media, established media trainer, working with in-house teams and with individuals. First freelanced in 1995 in Russia before returning to freelance journalism in 1999. Former news editor regional evening papers and regular contributor to national newspapers and magazines. Author of The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World. Now also blogger and social media trainer.

Carol Garrington

Award-winning marketing director at Passionate Media and oversees sales, business development and the financial aspects of the business. Carol offers realistic advice on contracts, dealing with clients, charging and getting paid.

How to book

If you are interested in knowing more, or would like to book a place, please contact Paul paul@passionatemedia.co.uk and an order form will be sent to you.

Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis as places are limited to allow maximum one to one feedback, participation and value for money.

Further one-day events will be held in November 2010.

Marvellous mums wanted for hotel's Mother's Day treat

2010-02-26T11:46:11+00:00

The Village Hotel Walsall is calling for marvellous mums to be put forward for a special Mother's Day pampering treat.

The hotel, next to junction 10 of the M6, is offering to make Sunday 14 March extra special for one mum and her family with a makeover and hairstyling session by a hotel beautician along with a family meal for four at the hotel's Verve restaurant.

Village Hotel Walsall restaurant staff and mother and daughter pair Jill and Alison Fewtrell are pictured tucking in to a Mother's Day meal waffle with sous chef Michael Chambers.

“We know how hard mums work so we just wanted to show our appreciation,” said Damian Goom, general manager of the hotel.

“We’re asking people to tell us about their fab mums for this special Mother’s Day treat and we’ll make sure one of them gets the pampering they deserve,” he said.

The lucky family will enjoy a five course Sunday carvery which features food from around the world including pasta dishes cooked to order and freshly cooked American-styled waffles.

Dessert will include a special heart-shaped Mother’s Day chocolate waffle made especially for the day by head chef Rob Hawdon, which is sure to satisfy any chocolate lover’s cravings.

The marvellous mum will also get a memento of the day with a professionally taken photograph taken with her family.

The make-over and hair styling treatment will be provided at the Village Hotel in Dudley and can be arranged separately to the Mother’s Day lunch.

To put forward a mum for the Mother’s Day treat email Carol Garrington at Passionate Media at carol@passionatemedia.co.uk or call 01543 468621 explaining why your marvellous Mum deserves a special pamper day.

Colin Lee optician praises support after crippling virus

2010-02-17T20:23:16+00:00

A STAFFORDSHIRE optician is battling to get her life back to normal after being struck down by a rare and debilitating virus which attacked her spine and left her wheel-chair bound.

Gina Larkin, an optometrist at Colin Lee Opticians in Rugeley, became ill in November 2008, and within a month, was paralysed from the chest down.

“I had had what felt like flu, and been unwell, but felt like I was getting better when I awoke one morning to a tingling sensation in my legs,” explained the 53-year-old, from Austrey, near Tamworth.

“Within two weeks I could not walk, and a further fortnight on, I had no movement from the chest down and was wheelchair bound.”

Gina had contracted a rare and aggressive virus, Transverse Myelitis, which attacked her spine and inflamed her nervous system.

“I had no choice but to cope with it, and found some inner strength to help me through, but I never envisaged at that time that it would leave me disabled,” said Gina, who has two grown-up sons and a step-daughter.

“Whatever my doctors have recommended I have done – I cycle, and can now do 25 miles on my trike, I swim, I do physiotherapy. My muscles are still strong, but the virus has left a scar on my spine, which is why the message is not getting through to my legs from my brain.”

She is now able to get about using sticks, but has had to learn to walk all over again, and is unlikely to ever have the full mobility she enjoyed before the virus.

Prior to her illness, Gina also frequently helped her husband John at the Starfish Project in Tamworth, a charity giving help and advice to vulnerable people. She still helps out whenever she can, offering a friendly ear to people with problems ranging from drug abuse to homelessness.

She has always been very active, and had been fell-walking in the Lake District just a fortnight before her illness struck.

“It is difficult to believe how quickly things can change – one weekend, I was on top of a mountain, literally, and just a fortnight later, I could not even get out of bed,” explained Gina.

She returned to work at Colin Lee Opticians in Rugeley after three and a half months, initially working a day a week, then three, and since the new year, has now increased this to seven days over a fortnight.

Her boss, Clive Marchant, director of Colin Lee Opticians, said it is a reflection of Gina’s determination that she is back at work, and continuing to serve her patients so well.

“Gina has not allowed her illness to faze her, and she returned to work determined to carry on as she had before,” he said.

“Her reduced mobility has made everyone in the practise, and indeed across the company, take greater consideration as to what it is like for others using our facilities who have a disability of any kind.

“Since Gina’s illness was diagnosed, everyone has been concerned about her, and we are delighted to have her back.”

Like every other area of her life, Gina said she was very focused on getting back to where she had been before the illness, as far as she possibly could.

“Apart from the fact I have trouble bending down to reach things in my filing cabinet, there is not much about my working life that is different,” she said.

“I am on sticks, and slower at getting about, but I am still able to do my job, and have been overwhelmed by the support of my patients, which has made coming back to work so much easier. We have scheduled longer appointment times to allow for all of this, which means that my patients still get the very best eye examination.

“I don’t want to go on about what the virus has done to me – but I did want to say how wonderful people have been.

“As soon as I returned to Colin Lee Opticians in Rugeley, my patients offered me so much support. They have all had a kind word, all been encouraging, and without that kind of backing, it would have been very difficult returning to work and trying to get back to normal.

“They have been inspirational. Many have commented about how much I have achieved, and praised me for my strength – if I have helped them that’s great, but I don’t really see myself as an inspiration.”

Counsellor Frances shows off her gorgeous assistant!

2010-02-16T14:41:56+00:00

ISN'T she gorgeous?

Well both ladies are of course!

The picture shows Frances Weston with labrador Tilly who has now helped more than 50 children in counselling sessions.

Frances is proving that a dog is not only man’s best friend but can be a terrific aid in helping people overcome some of their most difficult emotional problems.

Masters trained and accredited counsellor Frances Weston from Brighter Futures Counselling is one of only a handful of therapists in the country who use animals in some sessions to help people talk about their psychological difficulties.

She says her lovable and playful chocolate Labrador Tilly can play a vital role, particularly for children, acting as a great ice-breaker, and a way of helping people relax, and open up about an issue that is troubling them.

Charitable organisation Pets As Therapy has long been championing the use of animals as a way of helping people in places such as hospitals and nursing homes, but this involves owners taking their own animals into different settings, and though using the same principles, is different from Animal Assisted Therapy, where animals are actually used in therapy sessions.

Frances bought Tilly in September 2006, after years of researching the benefits of AAT, which has been a great success in North America, and once Tilly was old enough, began to prepare her to become an AAT dog for clients who choose to include her in their sessions.

Tilly had obedience training, which included socialising her, getting her used to loud noises and being around young children, and after passing her Pets As Therapy assessment, she began attending counselling and play therapy sessions with Frances.

The Uttoxeter-based therapist, who has almost 20 years’ experience in private practice and the NHS, and who offers a range of counselling techniques as well as Animal Assisted Therapy, says children and their parents have all responded positively to Tilly’s presence.

“Tilly provides a compassionate and stimulating environment which helps clients recover from a range of difficulties,” said Frances.

“Children like having her in their sessions and feel her presence helps them in some way – to feel welcome, to calm them down if they felt angry or upset, to feel good, and because she made them want to come back and see me again.

“Parents and carers said they felt that their children had benefited from having Tilly present, and some stated they believed their children would not have wanted to attend if Tilly had not been there.”

Benefits are vast, including helping children to develop empathy, and a bond with their therapist, encouraging withdrawn children to open up, and an increased motivation to attend sessions, and an outside focus for children with low self-esteem, who are often very inward looking.

AAT can also help the children develop nurturing skills and also gives the children the chance for physical contact, which is safe and affectionate.

“In just over two years, Tilly has now worked with more than 50 children, and I have witnessed many incidents of how her gentle, loving nature has enhanced a child’s experience in therapy,” explained Frances.

“On one occasion, not long after she had begun working as a therapy dog, I saw a young girl of 14 who was talking sadly about how much she missed her father who, since her parents’ divorce, had not had any contact with her.

“As she spoke and became more upset the pattern of her breathing changed slightly as she fought back her tears. Tilly, who had been lying in her bed some distance away, spontaneously got up and walked over to where the girl was sitting, then gently laid her head in the girl’s lap and looked up into her eyes.

“She seemed to intuitively sense her need for comfort. The girl leant forward and embraced Tilly, then began to sob.

“At other times, Tilly’s playful and ‘gallumphing’ personality causes great amusement and has definitely helped me to build an alliance with children.

“The great thing with Tilly is she makes the atmosphere fun. Children can play with her and she is a very playful dog.”

There are just a handful of counsellors in the UK offering AAT, mostly with dogs, and some using Equine Assisted Therapy.

* More information is available at www.brighterfuturescounselling.co.uk

Pupils' designs are a recipe for success thanks to Suki's restaurant

2010-02-10T16:26:44+00:00

YOUNGSTERS at a Darlaston school have been learning how hard work really can pay off after their designs for a children’s menu for their local Indian restaurant earned them £250.

Children from Salisbury School took part in a competition to come up with ideas for a new ‘mini menu’ for Suki’s Bar and Indian Restaurant in Walsall Road last year.

The winning design, by 10-year-old Haytham Yasin was used on the menu’s cover, which includes a host of little dishes for younger customers.

The school PTA has now been presented with £250 after Suki’s owner, Bharat Patel, pledged to donate 10 per cent from every child’s meal ordered to the school’s PTA.

The competition involved the children visiting the restaurant, having a behind-the-scenes peek at the kitchens, and sampling some of the food.

They also had a talk with Mr Patel about what is involved in running the business, and the work was tied into the children’s studies, incorporating things such as maths, art and healthy eating.

“We really enjoyed the whole project, the enthusiasm from the children was really infectious,” said Mr Patel.

“We have had lots of lovely comments about the design of the children’s menu, and the input of the children certainly helped us look at things from a different perspective.

“We chose the dishes with help from them too, after talking about all the considerations you had to make when putting together a menu.

“The pupils had lots of suggestions about what we should serve – and I am sure they will be interested to learn that the chicken tikka starters and chicken korma dish have been our best sellers!”

“I think they enjoyed the project, and I’m delighted that they are going to get even more out of it now, thanks to the money raised.”

Mike Wheeler, headteacher of Salisbury School, said he had been delighted with the success of the initial competition, and for the school’s PTA to now reap some financial rewards as a result was a real bonus.

“Our pupils put a lot of effort into their designs, and the project as a whole, which gave them a great insight into how things work in the outside world,” said Mr Wheeler.

“We are thrilled that the PTA will now benefit from some extra funds, which will also help reinforce the message to our pupils that hard work really does pay dividends in the end.”

Cannock accountants Rice and Co count down to move

2010-02-10T10:45:39+00:00

GOOD luck to Cannock chartered accountants Rice and Co, who are preparing to move offices after half a century based in the same building in the town.

The firm is set to relocate from its current home in Mill Street, to newer, more modern offices a short distance away at the Rumer Hill business park.

The company started out 50 years ago as a one man business, and has now grown to include a second office in Uttoxeter, with more than 20 staff, and five partners –Chris Stonier, Kevin Preece, Colin Dalton, Steve Dale and Matthew Gibbs.

Mr Stonier, a partner at the firm for more than 30 years, said the move is necessary to cope with the company’s growth, and the many technological advancements in recent years, which has meant they have just outgrown their current space.

“Rice and Co’s name has been associated with Bank House for 50 years, since Arthur Rice set up in business in an office above the Westminster bank, but we want to reassure people we are not going too far away, and the only thing that is changing is our location,” he said.

“When the bank eventually moved out, we took over the building, but obviously, we didn’t have the computers or modern office equipment we do now, or the number of employees.

“We want to thank our existing clients for bearing with us through the move, though we are hoping it can be achieved with the minimum of disruption and without them really even noticing.

“It is only natural that there will be some sadness – it is the end of an era. But it is also the start of a new and exciting one for the company.

“ We are very much looking forward to that, and to welcoming our clients to our new offices, which are large and open-plan, and much more suitable for our business as it is now in the 21st century,” added Mr Stonier.

The firm is due to move on Friday( February 12). The Mill Street offices will close for the last time on Thursday, the 11th, and reopen in Rumer Hill on Monday, February 15.

Two new blogs from Passionate Media

2010-02-05T13:09:55+00:00

THIS week we have been working on two new blogs and have been bowled over by the very positive feedback.

The first is for new online women's writing community, Judith's Room and we have been busy researching, writing and uploading content to inspire and inform aspiring and established writers.

Judith's Blog includes author interviews, hints, tips and advice as well as competitions and giveaways. It's part of a new community aiming to empower women writers set up by Staffordshire writer Josie.

We're very excited about the potential it has to help writers find new confidence and aim to fulfil their literary dreams. Please do come and see us if you're an aspiring Maeve Binchy or Marian Keyes.

The second is called Breaking the Silence and has grown out of a project we are working on with Lyn Jenkins, a regional co-ordinator with the mental health charity, Mind

It includes real life experiences, video and audio from people who have encountered difficulties through mental health issues and hopes to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.

This is a cause that is very close to our hearts and we feel privileged to be able to help in however small a way. We have been inundated with supportive messages from people wanting to voice their frustration from their own experiences, or to tell their stories.

To see such a response so early on has been amazing.

Please do drop by if you want to read more or add your own voice.

Golf club launches drive for women players

2010-01-29T14:56:25+00:00

Marilyn Castree, from the South Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, gets a first taste of St Thomas’s 10^th tee overlooking Hawkesyard Hall with the club’s director of golf Phil Gibson.

A Staffordshire golf club is launching a drive to encourage more women to take up the game by offering a series of free coaching classes.

St Thomas Priory Golf Club in Armitage near Rugeley is teeing up two sets of six coaching sessions for ladies which will give them the basic skills of the game.

The club which boasts an 18-hole championship course set in the grounds of the 19^th Century Hawkesyard Hall, has secured funding from the English Golf Union to provide the coaching.

Director of golf Phil Gibson said he hopes to interest up to 24 women to fill the places on the courses and so spread the word about how good golf is to more women.

“Of our 400-plus members at the club women are under represented and across the sport as a whole far fewer women play the game than men, so I’m hoping this initiative will go a little way to redress that balance. We’ve gained a grant for the course which is aimed at gaining wider participation in the sport,” he said.

“Golf is a fantastic way to keep fit but you don’t have to be super fit to enjoy it and play it well,” he added.

“And it’s such a social game, you can have a good natter about your day going round the course and relax in the club house after your round and it’s a great way of doing business. So it is a game I think will be attractive to a lot more women.”

The six, two-hour coaching sessions will be given by the club’s head professional Michael Beaumont. The PGA professional will take players through every aspect of the game with the ladies playing three holes of the course in the final session. Up to 12 places are available on each course, which are held during the week and at the weekend.

The club has recently completed £100,000 worth of improvements to the course which has included better quality grass and improved drainage on the greens and fairways as well as a major upgrade to the practise range.

Marilyn Castree, divisional director of the South Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce who has signed up for golfing course, said: “I hope more women do get involved in golf because it is a gem of game to keep fit, de-stress and keep in touch with range of people who are part of a club like St Thomas’s, which makes it a great sport for business people as well.”

The initiative is being supported by PGA professional Kirsty S Taylor, who finished 81^st on the money list on the ladies European tour last year.

“It’s great that St Thomas’s are taking up the cause of trying to get more women involved in golf and I hope more ladies do take part because it’s a great game that can be lots of fun for lots of women,” she said

For further details contact Phil Gibson on 01543 491 911.

Hello and welcome!

2010-01-28T14:21:16+00:00

THANK YOU for visiting the Passionate Media website.

We aim to keep this site regularly updated with news about what we are up to and how we are helping our clients.

You can click on the navigation bar above to read about our different services, find testimonials from customers or case studies about our work.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Carol Garrington

Marketing director Passionate Media