On 11 August 2026, we had our annual CPD (Continuing Professional Development) day in Manchester. Jane Cordell writea bout what a significant event it was.
Are you self- employed? If so, you will understand how resilient you need to be. And if you are a self-employed coach or facilitator, you may well spend long periods of time alone, working online. It takes a lot of self-discipline to develop and sustain your own business.
Result is fortunate to have a group of highly motivated, skilled associates in our team. At Result we work in flexible formations on diverse projects – some involving 12 coaches, others only two or three. We do our best to keep in touch with everyone and, where possible, organise reviews and project team gatherings (usually online). We never cease to be grateful for – and to appreciate – our associates’ commitment and professionalism. To show this, and encourage our associate team to feel like a team, we organise an annual gathering in person in Manchester - with an evening dinner then a half-day CPD (continuing professional development) event the next day. This has become a fixture in Result’s calendar and a source of joy.
There was a positive fizz of energy in the air as we gathered on the first evening. So much had happened over a year; there were wonderful stories to be told. As Result associates, we have extraordinary intersectional life experience of exclusion in different forms. Getting to where we have has not been easy or straightforward and, in several cases, has involved the type of pain and exclusion most people could not comprehend. But getting through that, and beyond it somehow, gives us a special quality - a self-acceptance, a desire to support others, and help them carry their loads. When we gather together, there is an extraordinary energy created and a sense of our combined positive power.
This year we had a special guest at our dinner – a longstanding member of the Result community who has had coaching at different points for, as he put it, ‘half my life’. Samuel Remi-Akinwale is CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Young Manchester. You could not wish for a more engaging and authentic dinner guest, and we were grateful that he could join us. Keep an eye out for a further blog featuring Samuel’s video about his coaching with Result.
Sometimes formal dinners can be a bit stiff. The conversation doesn’t always flow naturally. That certainly wasn’t the case with this one. I marvelled at the end of the evening at the range of subjects we have covered at our table- global travel, living in Brazil (pros and cons), starting a charity in Africa, working in the music industry, Andy Burnham’s style (witness first-hand) pre-mayorship, our favourite parts of London, the most frightening speech I had to give (in Polish - with no warning!)… and many more.
Our CPD event aimed to foster a sense of community between us and to let us celebrate. We felt this was important given the dark, unpredictable times we are living in: to be able to coach and train others well, you need to be able to feel positive yourself and draw on your resources well.
After a mingling warmer encouraging the group to find as many things as possible that they had in common, we shared professional learning and insights from the year in groups. It can be heartening to witness others’ stories. It was also useful to pick up ideas of what had worked well for the coaches and how they had made a particular impact on individuals.
The thing most event delegates remember best is the tea breaks (!) so we took advantage of Result having just turned 14 years old and arranged a birthday cake complete with candles and a firework! It was all in the best possible taste (as Kenny Everett might have said) and it tasted absolutely delicious. The average UK company has a lifespan of 9 years, so we decided that it was well worth celebrating having managed 50% more than average! Go us!
After the break, the group worked in groups to practise group coaching together, with two volunteers opting to present a challenge they are currently facing. It was humbling and inspiring to witness the courage of the volunteers and the sensitivity and skill of the coaches offering constructive questions to help the volunteers find the best options and potential solutions to their challenges.
It was a very warm day in Manchester for our CPD event, and our venue’s air conditioning wasn’t working; yet despite this, everyone contributed wholeheartedly. There was great feedback from the event, with participants appreciating the time to get to know each other and feel part of the team. One person’s key takeaway was ‘that Result CIC is such a dynamic and engaged organisation, really flying the flag for coaching - especially for seldom-heard groups.’
We would like to thank all our lovely associates for travelling to take part and for all the great work they do. We cannot wait to work with you all further!