There is an I in TEAM

Business have evolved, no longer driven by muscle today’s business are driven by the mind. Information and knowledge are what drive the world now. Leadership must also evolve if a company is to continue to thrive and prosper. Business no longer needs automatons, mindlessly following orders given by a select few. It needs collaborators working together.

Job minded people serve time where as career minded people live time. They come to work because they want to rather than have to. Career minded people are self motivated; they want to learn and excel. They understand that each and everything they do enhances them as a person. Each project is a learning opportunity which increases their talents, experience and knowledge bringing them one step closer to wherever they choose to go. One more step that broadens their horizons and expands possibilities. In the truest sense they are working for themselves; refining their product which is them.

The days of “There is no I in TEAM” are over. In today’s world employees must be able to work with the management not for management. The challenge is how to put the “I” in Team. This is a team in which each individual works in unison with others whilst utilising those talents and abilities that make them unique. Success in business is all about relationships. Management must not hoard information or wisdom but share it willingly and understand that what is good for one is good for all, that what benefits one benefits all. When one succeeds all succeed. Employees under this leadership style view problems as challenges, they persevere and are proactive. They are not afraid to speak up and share their ideas or to ask for information or help.

Owls and Larks

It seems to me that more CEOs are owls than larks. Over the years I've heard countless business leaders describe their horrendously long work weeks in “last car out of the car park” terms. It's an existence of flickering fluorescents; take-out dinners, and the clatter of cleaning staff emptying trash. As these leaders sit nodding over their stacks of reports, the day's stresses, frustrations, and failures hang in the air around them like stale smoke.

I prefer to burn my candle from the front end. That's because I love offices at dawn. I want to be there as pale light washes slowly over the utilitarian landscape of desks and computers. I enjoy the hush that plays prelude to the soundtrack of workaday activity.

I like to miss the traffic, make the first pot of tea, drink the first pot of tea; then pretend I didn't and start another. You don’t want to be doing that at the end of the day with the prospect of an hour in the car!

The very early morning is the best time to go desk-browsing. During the day no one spares more than a glance for their colleagues' workspaces. Yet many desks are made over into miniature museums of collectibles, galleries of beloved images, scrapbooks of rich family lives. Such exhibits powerfully evoke their curators. As you peruse the idiosyncratic display on a desk, you find yourself looking forward to its occupant walking through the door.

If you walk by an office where a colleague or employee labors after hours, it seems natural to poke in your head and commiserate. But often commiseration devolves into passing the time; and after hours another's time is not yours to pass. In the early morning, by contrast, no one is yet late for anything and so conversation is relaxed. During work hours I have argued and gossiped and traded stiff pleasantries with office mates. But my best true "chats" have been with fellow early risers.

When I gaze out the window at night I see my face floating in a dark pool. In the morning I see the world. And I am reminded that everything I do that day will contribute to it.

I'm sure that you know your company better than anyone, that you love it more. Still, try going in some day at dawn and wandering around in the silence. To watch the office wake up is to see it fresh.

Private, broad and serious

It should be nice to receive praise but I’m not comfortable with praise it makes me feel embarrassed. How should praise be used in the work environment? Some people are addicted to praise, if they don’t get it they go into a decline, if they do get it they hold it up to the light and asses its worth. They may then get a brief praise rush but quickly need more.

Praise is surprisingly difficult to get right. Even good praise looses its power if there is too much of it. It can be ruined in any number of ways. A surprised tone of voice wrecks it, whilst any hint of negativity wipes out all the positive impact. As with all addictive substances there is a level of safe use, after which it gets dangerous. Two units of alcohol a day are deemed safe, two units of praise is far too much. If one is praised every day you quickly stop experiencing any rush and any reduction leaves one feeling de-motivated.

In my view the correct praise “dosage” is gender dependent, as with alcohol. Men take praise on face value and so are sustained by less. Women reject half the praise as being insincere, misdirected or offensive so need more to get by on. I’m not sure where that puts me with my aversion to praise, a house cat maybe!

It is not only the quantity of the praise but the quality that is hard to get right. There are three pieces of advice often given to managers to make their praise more effective.

1. Praise must be public: this is down right irresponsible, whilst it is never certain that the praise will make the person feel any better. It is always certain that public praise will inflict heavy collateral damage on everyone else who hears it.


2. Praise must be specific: I thing that this is poor advice as the detail chosen by the manager may not be the thing that the recipient wants to be commended for. They might be praised for their eye for detail, when in fact they’d like to be praised for their creativity.


3. Smile when praising someone: this is also a bad idea. The point of good praise is that it should look deadly serious in order to seen as sincere. If it comes from some grinning fool one knows to disregard it all together!

In my opinion praise should be private, broad and serious.

A Trusted Advisor

“Nowadays we seem to put a price on everything and you think you only work or do something if you are getting paid for it and I do think that in recent times a lot of people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. I have always been passionate about community and people having a sense of place." Benjamin Zephaniah, Poet

I’m fortunate to have a rewarding career that has been centered around working with other people. Recently I’ve been looking for a way to use my business skills to support the community that I live and work in. I’m already working with the Small Charities Coalition and the Portsmouth Business Champions. This has led to an opportunity to act as a volunteer mentor with Mentor-Net.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what a mentor is. My understanding is that, in an employment context, a mentor is a person with skills and experience who counsels an individual and helps guide their thought processes. I suppose that a mentor relationship is one where the outcome of the relationship is expected to benefit all parties in the relationship for personal growth, career development, lifestyle enhancement, spiritual fulfillment, goal achievement, and other areas mutually designated by the mentor and partner ( I’m not sure about the word “Mentee”). The dictionary definition is “A trusted advisor”.

A few times in my life, I’ve had someone see potential in me, and give me advice on a continual basis. I considered these people mentors, although at the time I would not have used this title. I believe a true mentor sees potential in someone by taking a personal interest. They will advise and motivate, celebrate and commiserate, but never control. I suppose they are your critical friend

So what are the characteristics of a mentor? I think of a mentor as a role model, a teacher and a companion. They support you by listening to your ideas and concerns. They will boost your self-esteem and encourage your efforts, whilst introducing you to new people, places, interests, ideas, or suggesting new sources of information or ways of doing things.

Perhaps I’m being too idealistic. Do you have a mentor? Could you see a mentor being beneficial to you? What do you think a real mentor provides?

I’m delighted to say that we had a great day, met some wonderful people with awesome stamina and generally enjoyed ourselves. Cycling along the Tennyson Trail took us up a couple of near vertical chalk hills. The view from Compton Down was breathtaking, or was that the lack of fitness! It was almost as breathtaking whizzing down the other side at 40 miles an hour! As we toiled up past an old barrow, a belted Galloway calf stood in amazement, as three red faced men puffed past. We managed to cycle 21 miles in the end with a few minor detours, we still didn’t find a pub. The canoe was hard work on the shoulders and although it only took us just over half an hour it seemed a lot longer. We did an impressive beach landing at the end, which was spoiled by my inability to stand up, as my back had locked (thanks John for helping the old man up). It was a lovely sunny day, which made for a sweltering run. My back problem kept me from completing the run, but John and Grant came back talking about narrow cliff paths and being hosed down by a couple. You will have to ask them for the details. The map turned in to papier-mâché in John’s running shorts. As far as I know it is still there! I can’t thank everyone enough who helped run, organise, support and sponsor the event and of course a special thanks to those who participated. I would urge you to get involved next year.
With the money raised from my justgiving this site we will be able to provide community support through our "Your Healthy Heart" scheme for 6 months. From the giftaid alone we can now supply leaflets for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team to give to people who have suffered heart attacks, helping them understand what is going on. That is quite an achievement.

Volunteering in the new Millennium

I've been reading how volunteering is changing. The figures seem to say that the days when charities could pick out the jobs that needed to be done and hand them to unpaid but willing recruits are over. According to Cabinet Office national survey on volunteering and giving from 2007 volunteers do give less time than they used to, volunteers spent an average of 4.05 hours per week in their role in 1997, but only 2.75 hours a decade later.

It seems that in the past, people volunteered in fundraising because they were committed to a cause. Now they want to have an idea of what the money they raise is spent on. They're businesslike and they expect tangible outcomes. They want a bigger role. They're not content with being given tasks. They want to innovate and come up with ideas for new fundraising strategies.

The increase of employer-supported volunteering has also encouraged this trend. The survey found that only 16 per cent of respondents in 1997 said their employers ran volunteering schemes, but 36 per cent said this was the case in 2007. It found that employees have specific demands: 43 per cent want "personal achievement" and 41 per cent to enjoy volunteering.

It is intereting to look at why people dont volunteer;

• Not enough spare time- 42%.
• Put off by bureaucracy- 42%.
• Worried about risk and liability – 39%.
• Not got the right skills/ experiences- 35%.
• Would not be able to stop once I got involved- 31%.
• Worried about threat to safety- 31%.

A lot of charities have changed the way they work in response to these developments. In 1997, 71 per cent of volunteers said their work could be better organised, but only 31 per cent said the same in 2007.

I'm delighted to say that charities themselves are becoming increasingly professional in their work. All of this means the task of attracting volunteers has now become as much a marketing challenge as anything else.

Having reported on the figures I find that my charity, Wessex Heartbeat, seems to be bucking the trend. Our volunteers, although small in number at the moment, are willing to do what ever they can to help. It is true that they need to see how their work makes a difference and they need to be appreciated. However, this applies to us all, doesn't it?

Are you ready to support a charity?

If you are thinking of becoming a Knight in shinning armour and being a supporter of a charity please take the time to ask charities questions about their programs, mission, and goals before you decide to support them.



For those of you who don't have the time or resources for this here are six questions that you as a donor should expect to get clear answers for:

1. Can your charity clearly communicate who they are and what they do?

If a charity struggles in articulating its mission and its programs, it will probably struggle in delivering those programs. Organisations that can explain who they are and what they're trying to accomplish have a singularity of purpose and a commitment to focused institutional change. If a charity can't explain who it is and what it does, and why it is needed, find one that can.

2. Can your charity define their short-term and long-term goals?

Organisations without quantifiable goals have no way to measure success. If they have no way to know if they are successful, how can you be sure they are working toward something? Demand that your charity tell you what it is trying to do. Good organisations relish this opportunity. They know what they are working toward today and tomorrow.

3. Can your charity tell you the progress it has made (or is making) toward its goal?

Once again, it's not enough to merely be concerned with a problem. Good intentions are no longer sufficient to warrant your charitable support. The marketplace is too crowded with nearly 187,000 charities registered with the Charity Commission. Ask your charity what it has done to make the issue it confronts better. What are its results? You wouldn't buy a brand of toothpaste if the manufacturer couldn't prove to you that it fought cavities successfully. Why should you support an environmental clean-up charity if it can't show you that it is cleaning up the environment?

4. Do your charity's programs make sense to you?

If you support the mission of a charity, ask yourself if its’ programs also make sense. You believe in the cause, and you hope for the end result, but is the charity working toward that result in a way that seems rational and productive to you? If the charities goal is to promote kindness toward animals, does it pursue its goal in a way that makes sense to you, or does it merely inflame the issue? Do you want your research charity doing advocacy? Do you want your outreach charity making policy, or your policy charity doing outreach? Maybe you do, maybe you don't. This doesn't mean that every organisation should be singular in focus. It also doesn't mean, however, that you have to support every organisation that has the same belief system as you. Just because you support the ends, you may not support the means. If you know you want to support the outcome the charity aims to deliver, ask yourself if its method of arriving at that outcome makes sense to you.

5. Can you trust your charity?

There has been much research on public trust of charities. Generally it has shown that the overwhelming majority of charities are not only responsible and honest, but well-managed. So we give with confidence. You should feel the same way before you give. Don't support a charity until you feel comfortable with it. To gain this trust look at unbiased sources of information. The Charity Commission or Guidestar are good starting points. Call the CEO of the charity and ask the questions you need answered before you can be assured this is a good use of your money. Ask for an annual report. Do whatever it takes to put your mind at ease. Good charities will encourage this. A happy and trusting donor is a willing and supportive donor.

6. Are you willing to make a long-term commitment to your charity?

We like to think of giving to charity as a long-term commitment, more akin to marriage than dating. Intelligent giving is motivated by altruism, knowledge, and perspective, not a knee-jerk reaction to a television commercial. You are an adult. You have a budget. You have the means to help others. You want to help. Ask yourself if your charity is the type of organisation to which you're willing to make a long-term commitment. When you do this, you agree to support them through good times and bad, and provide the funding they need to weather economic downturns. In return, they promise to continue working toward addressing the issue you both think is so vital. Look hard and find a charity you can support for many years to come. When you find that charity, give it your financial commitment, tell it you'll be there through thick and thin, and then continue to support it. Only then will long-term sustainable change take place.

A jolly good "fellow"!

Yesterday I received my certificate showing that I have been elected a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM). The Institute is the world’s largest professional body for marketing and business development.
I have been a member of the CIM for 12 years, and as you know I’m passionate about professionalism within the voluntary sector. I believe that charities must be run in a businesslike manner and prove to their benefactors that they are managed in both a cost-effective and efficient way. During these challenging economic times those who work within charities need to be savvy marketers and be evermore ready with a business plan and proof of where public donations are being spent.

Carpe diem - "seize the day”

I’m luck to have a great network of friends and business colleagues Recently I read an e-mail from one such friend in which they had been inspired by a 90 year old and his 45 lessons of life.

I’m not quite 90 yet so here are 26 of my favourite lessons;

- When in doubt, just take the next small step.
- Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
- Pay off your credit cards every month.
- You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
- Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
- It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
- Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.
- Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
- It's OK to let your children see you cry.
- Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
- It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second oneis up to you and no one else.
- Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
- Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
- What other people think of you is none of your business.
- When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
- No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
- Forgive everyone everything.
- Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
- Believe in miracles.
- God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
- Your children get only one childhood, be there for them.
- All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
- If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
- Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
- Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
- The best is yet to come.

This is the second open event that I have taken part in in as many weeks. Although the Wessex Cycle Festival (http://www.cyclefestival.com/) is not strictly a charity fundraising event it has presented a great opportunity to get involved. My small attempt to support both Wessex Heartbeat and the Festival was a 25 mile bike ride from Somerton to Glastonbury and back. As I struggled up a long steep hill, thankfully not to the Tor, I thought that on a bike gravity is rather like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. I certainly loved gravity as I sped down the other side at 40 miles an hour! I was pleased with my time of 1hr 58mins. Although I felt it was a bit tough having to cycle 3 miles to and from the car park! We were blessed with a fantastic day and it was enjoyable cycling past fields of buttercups with lambs in. There were a couple of magnificent bulls, one black as coal and shining in the sunlight like satin.

The more I think about the sorts of things one can do to support charity the more I am convinced that charities should offer as wide a choice as possible. After all people support charities for very different reasons; the kids have left home, it's a milestone birthday, that special anniversary, they are recovering from an illness or a bereavement, having a midlife crisis ( I do hope that is not me!). Or they are just looking for the challenge of a lifetime?

If as a charity you only offer a couple of your own events you run the risk of appealing only to those people interested in those particular activities and that they will be free on those dates. You also take all the risk, which doses not strike me as prudent particularly in this economic climate. However, if you can offer a wide range of events and dates you maximise the opportunities for your supporters to find an event that excites them and at a time that suites them. Of course you can’t put on all these events yourself so partnerships with other charities and event organisers spreads the risk and in the case of open challenges negates the risk completely. I’m always mindful that money gifted to my charity is in my care and I have to be the best steward I can be. After all the money has not been given to the charity to pay for more fundraising.

I found the Just Walk event (http://www.acrossthedivide.com/) inspiring as there were over a 100 charities supported by 850 walkers. There were plenty of opportunities to expand your horizons both literally and by learning about other charities and the stories behind the walkers.

One small step

I’ve taken the first step towards completing 1 of the 4 challenges that I set myself in support of all those people affected by heart conditions; well, actually 14,500 steps to be exact! The ‘Just Walk’ Challenge involved walking 60km through West Sussex and along the South Downs. The walk went really well, the weather was perfect and the scenery superb. It took me twelve and a half hours actually walking with an hours’ worth of rest stops. The last 4K was uphill, in the wood, in the dark and on flint!!

It was a little bit of a wake-up call as I had not done any training. I’m nursing two blisters but other than that have come off well. However, my next challenge, the ‘Wessex Cycle Challenge’ on Saturday 23rd May is only a week away and the route is 35k........ (I had better get my bike out this week!) http://www.heartbeat.co.uk/wessex-cycle-festival

The Wight Challenge on Saturday 19th September requires some serious training, this Challenge consists of a 20 mile cross country cycle, followed by a 3 mile canoe, topped off with a 8 mile run! http://www.heartbeat.co.uk/wight-challenge

If you would like to sponsor me or would like to take part in any of the Challenges, please click on the widget on the right of this blog to donate or to take part, please click on the links in this post.

Anger for good

Why do we need anger? We react with anger for a number of different reasons. For example, we get angry when we are trying to protect our rights or maintain our individual identity. To stand up to those who are bent on preying on the weak or against social injustice. It can be a crude way of protecting more vulnerable emotions or to give us the time to retreat, compose ourselves and live to fight another day.
I was taught that all anger is sinful, but in itself anger is just a feeling, and as such neither good nor bad morally. It is true that anger is a dangerous thing and can result in each of us saying or doing things we later regret. But anger can also be a good thing. It can spur us to put right something that is blatantly wrong. There are times when we ought to be angry. An unjust situation should make us angry. Yet let us not be in any doubt, anger can be an expression of love.
All of us should look at things which make us angry. It is said that you can measure the size of a person's soul by the size of the things that make him or her angry. Most of our anger is motivated by self-interest and it is also true to say that we very often get angry about petty things.
We should never forget that anger is a tool, it must be understood and used effectively for the purpose it was designed. Anger is neutral and it is the individual who decides if anger will be put to constructive or destructive use. The emergence of anger is not a call to action necessarily. It is a signal that something is not right and must be addressed. Our job is to use our anger to make worthwhile decisions that help us grow as human, not destroy us and those around us.
After a business meeting recently we were discussing charity leadership and I was reminded that my drive comes from my anger. At first I disagreed, but they were right, I am driven by the anger generated when I see a charity poorly run. I feel that everyone working in a charitable organisation has a duty of care to be the most professional they can be as they have to make the most of the gifted money that charity receives.

Three challenges one goal

I’m not known as the most sporty of fellows. I would rather be sitting back admiring the view with a glass of something in my hand. However, I’m also keen to encourage others to care for their hearts and live a full and healthy life. Leading from the front, no that’s not right, I’ll probably be at the back of the pack. So, leading by example I’m undertaking three of Wessex Heartbeat’s challenges this year. Kicking off with a 37 mile (60k) walk on the South Downs on May 9th closely followed on the 23rd with a 22 mile (35k) bike ride as part of the Wessex Cycle Festival. I’m then going to bring my peak physical fitness to bear on the 9th September for the Wight Challenge. I’ll be cycling 20 miles, canoeing 3 miles and then running 8 miles.
As long as you have not hurt yourself laughing at the thought of me doing all of this exercise, please ensure that I have to complete this by sponsoring me. Just click on the widget on the right of this blog. Of course you could join me by clicking on the links in this post.

Luck, where hard work meets opportunity

I was asked the other day why I thought some people are more lucky than others. My reply was that I don’t believe in luck as a factor in life. I think we see people as lucky when their hard work meets opportunity. Many “lucky” people leap at opportunities and are prepared to embrace failure.

Embracing failure dose not mean seeking out failure, rather love it, listen to it, make a friend of it, learn from it and treat is as a real insight on how you can grow and develop.

There are a number of reasons to embrace failure;

1. Failure teaches us. Failure narrows down the possible approaches to success. Scientists rely on trial and error in their research. Each failed experiment brings them a little closer to revolutionary breakthroughs. Think of your own efforts as experiments. When you don’t get the desired result, figure out why. Then try again with your new knowledge.

2. Failure reveals our ability. You’ll never know how much weight you can lift until you reach an amount you can’t. I think trainers often refer to this as “lifting to failure.” Pushing yourself as far as you can lets you know what’s possible. By avoiding limits, you’ll never reach your peak. The fear of failure stops us a lot shorter than failure itself. So keep going until nothing more is possible. Then celebrate what you’ve accomplished.

3. Failure makes us stronger. Those same weight lifters who lift to failure also have learned that is the way they build muscle. At first the tissue is damaged, but it’ll heal bigger and stronger than before. Soon the athlete will be able to lift more weight. The same is true for our pursuits. Failure strengthens our character, with each effort, we grow a little stronger.

4. Failure inspires us. When we don’t let discouragement hold us back, failure makes our desire burn hotter. Often this inspiration is a wish to avoid another failure. If failure makes you work harder or focus more, it’s an experience with tremendous value.

5. Failure inspires others. Leaders must take risks. Even when they don’t succeed, their courage can still make a difference.

6. Failure builds courage. Becoming more comfortable with failing enables you to take more risks. If you know you can deal with it, it will no longer threaten you. If you're open to failing, you'll readily take more chances.

7. Failure is better than regret. The times I’ve been denied an opportunity never felt as bad as when I’ve let opportunities pass me by. At least when we fail, we know. Not trying at all leaves us wondering. Avoid kicking yourself later by taking a leap when the opportunity presents it’s self.

8. Failure leaves us open to better opportunities. Without an awareness of the big picture, it’s easy to perceive failure as misfortune.

9. Failure makes success a little sweeter. We appreciate victory more when we’ve tasted defeat. We expend a lot of energy running from failure. Try embracing it. Find the opportunity in the adversity. If there’s a recipe for success, failure might be its primary ingredient.

I’ve heard a lot about SMART goals, how in order for goals to be effective, they need to be SMART. That the gaols are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. However, I think this can go against our own motivation to take that opportunity. It can steal our potential by making us conform. If we are fearful of failure and want to protect ourselves by setting goals that don’t push us and open us up we won’t reach our full potential.

I’m not suggesting that you should not have goals; rather you should reach for the stars. Successful people know the importance of setting goals, they also have many failures on the way to their success.

I know I’m an opportunist I don’t see the glass half full, I see the full jug beside the glass ready to top it up. If I start each day reflecting on the things that I am grateful for such as a lovely wife and children, my health, a stimulating and challenge career, my glass is filled to the brim. If I let the negative things empty the glass I’ll end up setting smart goals!

How about setting goals that are your vision. Step out of that comfort zone, manage the risk, learn from the failures and create your own competitive advantage. Create your own luck.

Setting goals to help achieve success

Since my last posting, I am pleased to report that I have made some progress towards improving my BMI! This in itself, is significant as the difficulty I have had with exercise in the past is keeping the momentum going. Now that I have set myself goals to reach, I am actually making headway.

Snacking between meals has been my biggest downfall, I don’t eat breakfast (which I know is one of the most important meals of the day), I sometimes eat a lunch late, or miss that too and then by the time I get home, I am really hungry. I then snack until my evening meal and by the time I have eaten, I've made up for lost ground! It’s hard to break out of this habit but with my new goals to reach (and willpower!), I am trying to alter this.

From an exercise perspective, I have implemented small but significant changes. I use the stairs not the lift, I walk to the train station and have recently purchased a hybrid bike. If I am to achieve my goal of entering at least 4 challenges within the Wessex Heartbeat calendar, I must be fit enough to complete them!

The really positive aspect of the Healthy Heart initiative is that I am changing my lifestyle for the better. If you would to request a visit from the Wessex Heartbeat team or for more information, please contact either myself or Melody Carter on 023 8079 5907 or email melody@heartbeat.org.uk.

Healthy Heart goes ‘on air’

The start of the New Year has proved to be a busy one already. The Healthy Heart initiative which has already rolled out in Chichester, Bognor Regis and Southampton is now in Portsmouth. Radio interviews with Darren Gamblen and Rob Davies, radio presenters at the popular Portsmouth Radio Station Express FM 93.7 has ensured that the Healthy Heart message is reaching the local community. The radio station based in Arundel Street, Portsmouth has also agreed to take part in a Healthy Heart session and publicise the event on-air so that listeners will get a practical insight into how you can look after your health and suggestions on how to keep fit and eat well.

If you would like to listen to the radio interviews, click on this soundbite to hear Darren Gamblen on the Morning show or follow this link to hear the series of podcasts http://expressfm.com/tabid/267/Default.aspx from The Volunteering Show on a Wednesday evening with Rob Davies.

Photograph includes Ellie Young, Producer and Rob Davies, presenter of The Volunteering Show