Based on individual discovery and personal achievement.
As the Founder and Innovation Lead of Empower – Be The Change, my mission is to create a dynamic company that empowers people through positive change.
In 2013 after working in the public sector for 10 years in a senior role at Sports Wales, I took a 12 month sabbatical to try something completely different.
I wanted to experience a different culture, a different environment, test my skills in other sectors and re-evaluate what I wanted to do. I took this opportunity to empower myself and follow a path that is right for me.
I firmly believe that individuals who are empowered to improve their lives, not only bring out the best in themselves but also the communities in which they live and work.
Skills + Passion + Knowledge = Change
Initially volunteering in India with a major volunteer company I quickly learnt two important things
- The skills people have developed are transferrable.
We are led to believe that our skills are suited to one particular sector or career path, but this is simply not true. - When individuals learn to apply their skills, passion and knowledge, they create a powerful combination that results in positive change.
It is clear that empowered individuals not only improve their lives, but also the communities in which they live and work.
Jo Clay, Founder & Innovation Lead
Setting up Empower – Be The Change
Empower was founded by Jo Clay following 18 months work in collaboration with Vi-Ability setting up, delivering and managing the very successful “India Adventure” international volunteer program.
The programme supported 16 young people from the UK to take up month long volunteer placements with Silo India. Volunteers delivered a range of community projects and received weekly 1-1 coaching sessions focused on long term career and education goals.
On their return to the UK, all 16 volunteers successfully secured employment and / or education placements.
The success of the “India Adventure” program demonstrates that volunteering, as a catalyst for wider personal development, makes a significant and lasting difference to the individual.
Thanks to a micro-investment from Vi-Ability Jo was able to build on this success and create a new social enterprise that places soft skill training and high quality mentoring at the centre of personal change.
Building on success
On 6th May 2021 Empower – Be The Change celebrated its 5 year anniversary.
The company has grown exponentially during this time: in year one we empowered 35 people with an income of £17,000; by year five we had empowered 500 people and had an income of £145,000.
YEAR SIX AND BEYOND
In the last 18 months the world has changed beyond recognition and, whilst things are returning to some sort of normal, significant challenges remain for both the social enterprise sector and individual enterprises.
Since the pandemic Empower – Be The Change has undergone its most significant change to date with a complete transformation in the way its products and services are delivered – from North Wales classroom-based delivery pre-pandemic to full online delivery across the UK. We have also increased our staff base and built partnerships with new organisations across the UK.
One of our primary missions is to increase the mental well-being of our participants. In response to this Empower – Be The Change has successfully created and implemented a successful online coaching programme. This has empowered individuals to reflect honestly on their circumstances and take positive actions to improve their well-being. The success of this programme has also enabled the company to make regular contributions to the local food bank to support some of the most vulnerable people in society.
To build on the success of our current qualifications, Empower – Be The Change has created new, bespoke recognised training through the Institute of Leadership and Management. Check out our qualifications and training page for more information.
Our online presence continues to grow with more followers and support across all our social media channels. We have also invested heavily in website development to make it easy for people to book directly online and review our products.
Over the coming year Empower – Be The Change will be launching new products and services and continuing to deliver highly effective, engaging and interactive online training.
We look forward to enabling more individuals to achieve their goals and hope you will join us on this exciting journey!
Jo, Charlotte, and Dave