The latest news from SPEAR, the West London based youth development project, includes a heart-warming story of another personal triumph. Sharon, a sixteen year old aspiring student, has been set on the road to success thanks to the support of The Wilsher Group.

Chairman Simon Wilsher comments:
"This remarkable young lady has, with our guidance, torn down barriers which have prevented her from making an exciting personal discovery. Her celebration motivates her to initiate yet more transformation at SPEAR, which commits itself wholeheartedly to the development of young people."

Managing Director of the Wilsher Group, Geo Roberts, added:
"This non-commercial application of our coaching shows the robustness of the business model, and underlines its limitless scope and reach. It works, and we make a difference to Communities on many levels. Personally, professionally - permenently."

This Thursday Chris Wisdom took his WinWin toolkit to the NHS Confederation Conference at Excel London, where he faciliated a highly successful interactive WinWin workshop. The Wilsher Group's sell-out event was one of very few at the conference that got people up and moving around, gaining excellent feedback.

Jane Simmons, from Brighton & Hove PCT, also spoke giving a practical illustration of how the WinWin programme had helped them at an individual and team level. The WinWin toolkit was first used by Brighton & Hove and has now been taken on by Sussex Cancer Network.

All the delegates went away with something specific they could do to improve their partnership working. Immediately following the event there were expressions of  interest from some participants who saw that it could be relevant to their organisations.

Hartham Park Visit

On Friday 15th June David Cameron visited the business centre and met Simon Wilsher. He was meeting one of his most exciting recent parliamentary candidates, the Black Farmer (Wilfred Emmanuel Jones), and local business leaders.

SPEAR visit

Jo Rice, Wilsher Group associate and Course Director of SPEAR, recently welcomed the leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron MP, the Shadow Education Secretary David Willets MP and Shadow Minister for Vocational Education, John Hayes MP, to the Spear Centre at St Pauls Hammersmith. They all spent 30 minutes with a group of SPEAR students, past and present, in the SPEAR training room asking their views of the education system and their experience of the SPEAR programme. This was followed by a presentation by Mr Willets and Mr Cameron on the Conservative Party's education policy.

Mr Cameron commented, "Social enterprise is the answer to these problems (reskilling excluded young people). We have to look at the example of SPEAR - 90 students going through their programme a year on a budget of £150,000. This kind of operation provides the answers so much better than the state."

The Conservative Leader's visit to SPEAR was covered in a variety of press including the BBC news website, the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard.

The Wilsher Group helped SPEAR to set up as a charity to serve young people in Hammersmith who have never been employed. We develop their self esteem, the communication skills, and give them interviewing practise plus work experience that has led to an unprecendented percentage of young people finding and staying in employment.

All of SPEAR's trainers have graduated from The Wilsher Group's Change Leadership and Coaching College, CLACC - with the two latest to go through in May this year.

Congratulations to Matt Perry, who last night was awarded the Guinness Premiership Community Player of the Year award, for work in the community.

Matt won awards all the way through his career and it is quite natural for him to reinvest in his community. Firstly it is in Matt's nature and secondly it fits with The Wilsher Group's 5th value - we all reinvest in the community. On a lighter note, he's probably done more hours for the community than on the pitch this year!

The award was presented by Simon Lazenby and footage of the event will be shown on Sky Sports this evening, which will include Matt talking about the anger management scheme he has been running through Bath Rugby Community Foundation, and his future with us.