Participants at the 2025 Kent Arts Conference pose on Day 2
Kent Arts Conference

Kent Arts Conference 2025 – A Great Success

We are truly delighted at how well this year’s Kent Arts Conference (KArtsCon2025) went. This year, we were kindly hosted by the marvellous Medway School of Arts within their Historic Dockyard Chatham campus. We had Cr Nina Gurung come along on the 15th July to talk about the importance of the arts in school, and to hand out prizes to the winners of our Schools Art Competition. The conference kicked off properly the following day, and over 3 days, participants from around the world gathered together to share knowledge, build or rekindle friendships, learn new skills and just have a jolly swell time. For a day-by-day breakdown and more photographs, visit the KArtsCon website.

Some of the participants pose at Warnborough HQ
Events, Fundraising, Talks/Lectures/Workshops

A Marvellous Day of Connection and Creativity

Canterbury, UK – June 6, 2025 – What a fantastic day it was as the Warnborough Foundation recently hosted its vibrant Community Engagement Day! The event was a true testament to the power of coming together, offering a rich tapestry of creative, hands-on workshops and invaluable opportunities to connect with our incredible community partners. The atmosphere was buzzing with enthusiasm as attendees seized the opportunity to acquire new skills and explore how they could contribute to positive change within our community. Here’s a glimpse into the highlights that made the day a resounding success: “The energy and passion shared by everyone who attended was truly inspiring,” said Dr Brenden Tempest-Mogg, Chair of the Warnborough Foundation. “It was a joy to see so many individuals engaging, learning, and making connections that will undoubtedly foster further positive action in our local area.” A huge thank you to all our dedicated workshop leaders, fantastic partners, and every single person who joined us and made the Community Engagement Day such an unforgettable success. The Warnborough Foundation remains committed to fostering creativity, strengthening community bonds, and championing well-being through accessible and impactful initiatives.

Colour YOU Confident workshop
Events, Talks/Lectures/Workshops

Colour YOU Confident – A Goal-Setting and Self-Expression Free Workshop for Women

Do you feel life is passing you by, realise your lifestyle no longer works for you, sense reduced individuality and, want to learn how experiencing colour as a powerful tool for change can help you become what you’ve always wanted to be from being a more confident, happier and fulfilled YOU? Please join Sheila Caulfield – Award winning Lifestyle Coach – Professional Colour Consultant – Experienced Confidence Coach –  in this inspiring, friendly and empowering workshop. During this creative workshop Sheila will guide you through colourful, practical and fun activities to help you experience colour, get a sense of how colour effects your thoughts, emotions and  behaviour and to reflect on what this means in your everyday life. The event will be held on June 6, 2025 from 10:20am to 12:20pm at The Warnborough Foundation, 18 Lower Bridge Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2LG. Places are LIMITED to 10 participants. Registration is required. Colour YOU Confident Today’s workshop includes: Please bring to the workshop a notebook, pen and an open-mind. All other workshops resources, water, tea and coffee will be provided. You will leave this workshop with new skills, ideas for moving your lifestyle forward and have the benefit of being part of the Colour YOU Confident Community –  an on-line network of ‘like-minded’ women offering inspiration, learning and development opportunities and support for members. About Sheila Caulfield Sheila is an approved speaker for the Women’s Institute (WI) and a top coach for business clients and clients within communities.  Her pioneering work as a thought leader for helping people promote confidence and wellbeing led to invitations for sharing her unique approaches and methods with her peers. She became a regular speaker at national conferences and enjoyed working with many local and nation-wide project teams with the role of building confidence and growing skills across all levels of the organisation or communities she worked with.

Warnborough Foundation Community Engagement Day
Uncategorized

Community Engagement Day

Join us on June 6 for the Warnborough Foundation’s Community Engagement Day — a vibrant, hands-on celebration of creativity, connection, and community action. This exciting event will feature FREE interactive workshops — all designed to spark expression and bring people together. A handful of our community development partners will also host small stands to showcase their work and share opportunities to get involved. Workshop 1: Colour You Confident Sheila Caulfield kicks off a 2-hour workshop specially for women on how colour can build confidence in whatever you do, whether it is work, love or life. Workshop 2: Lyric-Writing Those who want to try something more artistic can join the lyric-writing workshop by Julian Ng, our CEO. Julian’s musical “Snakes!” debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013 and became (in Elaine Paige’s words) a ‘cult classic’ ranking 5th out of over 2700 shows that year. Workshop 3: Lyric-Writing We are honoured to welcome Dr. John Gaal from the USA — a leading voice in workforce wellness — who will lead a special workshop on mental health in the construction industry at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge. He will lead the floor on the critical need for an effective suicide postvention strategy, inviting collective wisdom and collaboration. Click on the link to read about this workshop in greater detail. Above all, take the time to learn about the Warnborough Foundation, what we do, and how we engage with communities. All workshops are FREE but strictly limited in terms of space, and you MUST register. Learn More About Us If you are just popping by to learn about the Foundation, then no registration is required. Our partner, Think Healthy Me, will have a stand to showcase what they do as well. Think Healthy Me provides resources to East Kent organisations and individuals to help promote and implement health at home and in the workplace so they can increase well-being, performance, productivity and make substantial cost savings through a motivated, healthier workforce and reduced sickness absence. Come connect, create, and contribute to positive change in our communities. All are welcome! Events Timetable Time 10:00 10:20 – 11:30 10:20 – 12:20 14:00 – 15:30 Events Official Welcome Lyric Writing with Julian Ng Colour YOU Confident with Sheila Caulfield Mental Health Workshop with John Gaal

Special Event: Addressing Mental Health in Construction – Exploring the Need for a Postvention Program
Events, Talks/Lectures/Workshops

Free Workshop: Mental Health in the Construction Industry

We are pleased to announce a FREE special gathering led by our Council member, Dr John S. Gaal. The event will be held on June 6, 2025 at 2pm at The Canterbury Cathedral Lodge within the Canterbury Cathedral Precincts. Places are LIMITED. Registration is required. Addressing Mental Health in Construction – The Critical Need for Postvention The construction industry faces a silent crisis. In the U.S., suicide rates are five times higher and overdose deaths a staggering seventeen times higher than workplace injury fatalities. This isn’t just a U.S. problem; it’s a global challenge rooted in an industry culture that often prioritizes toughness over vulnerability. While prevention and intervention efforts are gaining traction, a vital piece is missing: suicide postvention programs. These crucial support systems help teams and individuals cope after a suicide or overdose event, mitigating ripple effects and fostering healing. This workshop will explore the urgent need for postvention in the UK and European construction sectors. We aim to collectively address: Join us to share existing strategies, outline essential program components, examine delivery methods, and potentially form a working group to pilot an international program. This is more than an exchange of knowledge; it’s a call to action to embed mental well-being as fundamental to industry safety and sustainability. Who Should Attend Anyone interested is welcome, specifically: What You Will Get From This Practical outcomes of the session may include: The aim is not only to exchange knowledge but to catalyse action—sending a clear message that the mental well-being of construction workers is essential to safety and sustainability in the industry. About Dr John S Gaal In March 2021, Dr. Gaal accepted the newly created position of director for the MO AFL-CIO’s Missouri Works Initiative’s Worker Wellness Program. (At the end of January 2019, after 40 years of service, John retired as the Director of Training and Workforce Development for the St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council.) As a labor representative, he continues to serve on the St. Louis County Workforce Development Board, Missouri Suicide Prevention Network’s Advisory Committee, and International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plan’s Mental Health Expert Panel. John completed a union apprenticeship in carpentry over 40 years ago and has since earned an associate’s degree in construction management, a bachelor’s degree in architecture, master’s degree in international business, and a doctorate in organizational leadership. In addition, he completed post-doctoral projects at Harvard University (Trade Union Leadership: 2009) and University of Florida (Marketing & Management: 2014). John was honored with two Fulbright (Specialist) Scholarships in Labor and Industrial Relations (Tokyo, Japan: 2010 and Toronto, Canada: 2015). He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed and professional journals on issues related to various aspects of workforce development and worker wellness. Since 2018, John has completed a variety of mental health certifications and in Q4-2023 earned his Labor Assistance Professional certification. Dr. Gaal has been married for 41 years, has four children, and is in his 30th year as an adjunct professor at Webster University.

Kent Arts Conference

KArtsCon2025 is Ramping Up

The Warnborough Foundation organises and runs the annual Kent Arts Conference and has done so for the last 4 years. Originally started in 2013, the arts conference has grown stronger over the years. The theme for 2025 is Art to Be. What does the future hold for the arts? In a rapidly evolving world shaped by technological innovation, societal shifts, and global challenges, artists, creatives, and cultural leaders must gaze into the “futurescape” and envision new modes of artistic expression, audience engagement, and creative impact. Submissions for presentations and workshops are coming in fast, and some of these are already online at the KArtsCon website. Participation is free for residents of Kent, and a very lowly fee for all others.  Why not see what the fuss is all about and become part of the KArtsCon family? Visit the Kent Arts Conference website

Warnborough Foundation at the Amber Foundation Open Day
All About You, Compass, Partners

All About You (AAY) Cohort

We ran a cohort of our All About You (AAY) programme with 6 participants in late Spring/early Summer 2024. Here are their stories: Leon Leon had been struggling with his confidence and was feeling increasingly isolated due to bouts of anxiety, which were particularly evident when he found himself in crowds of people. He was also not sure what he wanted to do regarding further education or employment – he had a place at college to study art which he deferred for a year. When the opportunity came up for him to take part in the All About You Course he saw the opportunity to work on increasing his confidence as well as his motivation and focus. His main goals he set for himself at the start of the programme were to increase his self-confidence, to be able to feel comfortable ingroups of 3 people or more, and to feel comfortable in a social settings with friends and family. During the 8 sessions Leon developed his CV and set some new daily habits for himself including spending quality time with his family, socialising more regularly with his friends, getting up earlier and having a more regular sleep schedule and doing something creative each day. Moving forward, Leon has decided to take his place at college in September and to also look for a part time summer job. When reflecting on his progress he said he has been able to better manage his anxiety, that his confidence has grown from 3 out of 10 to 8 out of 10, he feels he has more focus and motivation and clarity as to what he wants to do next. When asked what he has enjoyed the most about the programme, Leon said ‘having someone to talk to and the time to put a plan in place.’ Progression: Starts a College Course in September, is looking for part-time work and accessing remote mentoring from coach when required before September. Malloy Malloy and his mum, Sharon Malloy had been struggling with filling up his time and talking to people about what he wanted to do at college. He wanted to believe in himself more and be able to ask people to explain to him what he doesn’t understand. He also wanted help to get ideas out of his head and be able to explain it better. He set course goals as getting into the course and talking to someone about his future. During the 8 sessions Malloy developed his CV, and increased self-awareness of his skills, qualities and his personality. Malloy enjoyed doing the creative activities in each session and  engaged in the reflective thinking questions posed by his coach using WhatsApp following each session. He also developed new sleeping habits, set new boundaries and times for his friends to contact him and said he felt much better for doing this.  In a recent college interview, he fed back to his coach that he felt more confident and comfortable to express who he is and to ask questions. Malloy particularly enjoyed learning new techniques for understanding words relating to his strengths. He says “I am now more confident getting my thoughts out when talking to people and I’m doing this much more frequently, and this is real progress for me” When asked what he enjoy most he said, “the whole course, I’ve waited 2-years for something like this”. He said being able to draw a sentence and then this drawing would become a sentence and I would read off that basically”. When asked what he found hard he said “doing the work, but once I got into the routine I found it easy. Getting started is the most difficult thing for me”. Moving forward, Malloy says “he is starting college in September, doing that for a year studying maths, English, business and sports and after that I can go into an ICT course in Maidstone at Mid-Kent to get my career off” Malloy says everyone should go for this course, there are no down-sides and 8-weeks is not too long and not too short”. Progression: Starts College Course in September. Accessing 30 minutes mentoring support between July – September to help him stay on focus. Finley Finley started the course with low confidence and communication skills. Observation of his first session showed engagement with his coach and, when encouraged, he talked openly about what he wanted to do. Finley chose to progress into the 26-week work ready course offered in Ashford Gateway before completing AAY coaching. His mum said “she’d noticed an improvement in Finley’s confidence when accessing AAY coaching Progression: Ashford Gateway 26-week work ready course. Reece Reece started the course with low confidence and showed commitment to doing the course. Observation of his first session with his coach showed, when encouraged, he could talk openly about what he wanted to do. Reece chose to progress into the 26-week work ready course offered by a provider in Ashford Gateway before completing AAY coaching. Progression: Ashford Gateway 26-week Work Ready Course Lily “I came into the course at a time of “metamorphosis in my life. I was and am actively seeking ways to improve myself and the way I see myself and the world around me. I had gotten to a place where I didn’t have a lot of “me” left and I simply didn’t recognise myself. And so regardless of how hard I may find it to put worthwhile effort and love into myself, I knew that I had to do something. Initially that was purely motivated by love for my children, my partner and the life we all want to lead together but throughout the process I have learnt to be mindful of how taking care of and nurturing all those things means that I need to be mindful of caring for and nurturing myself, too. Ultimately, “All About You” has been something that has greatly furthered my ability to be mindful of myself and about myself. There are so many things I

Partnership with Millmead Centre
All About You, Community, Compass, HELM, Partners

AAY Partnership With Millmead Children’s Centre

Working with a Community in Need The Warnborough Foundation has been pleased to work with the Milmead Children’s Centre Partnership (MCCP) in Thanet to run our flagship All About You (AAY) programme. Our new cohort of aspirant participants are young parents who make use of the MCCP nursery services.  As is usual, we ran several pre-course sessions which covered an initial assessment, introduction, induction and recruitment. The main reason is to ensure the participants are a right fit for the programme, which is a self-development and ‘employment themed’ course. In total, we began with 6 learners who are involved in MCCP’s outreach services. Two were unable to continue with the programme part way through. All sessions were held at the MCCP’s premises so that location is familiar to learners, and they are around people they know and trust to help them feel safe. The group get together for a brainstorm session Participant Profile AAY participants were young mothers and fathers (18++) living in the Millmead area with complex needs including anxiety, low self-esteem and negative belief systems. Additionally, each learner has their own unique learning style and starting point in key development areas including low motivation, self-awareness and confidence. All learners require support with learning to learn. Key skills development required them to complete their course to full potential , including increased self-awareness, information processing and remembering, problem solving and decision-making and being more able to communicate ‘who they are’ with more confidence to self and to others. Agreeing on an impact statement The Learning Process AAY participants gain knowledge through a series of specific, interactive and facilitated themed tutorials that include an introduction to the theme, team and individual tasks individual reflective learning activities and one team presentation to a ‘selected’ audience. Tutorial Themes include teams and teamwork, learning to learn, goal discovery, career discovery, projects, CV  writing, delivering more confident presentations and action planning. In terms of support, each learner had access to personal time with the course ‘tutor’ in session. MCCP staff continued with this support between sessions and learners had access to the course ‘tutor’ throughout the course. Steven hard at work Courtney and Lucy work on things together Outcomes Each learner received a Certificate of Achievement, produced a CV using a computer and generated 3 progression steps to discuss with the MCCPL Lead after completing the AAY course. Evaluation activities were carried out throughout course and a follow-up evaluation with learners and MCCP as the referral and progression partner 3 months following course completion measured the impact. We are incredibly proud of our participants and would like to thank the staff at MCCP for being so helpful and amenable to everything. Of course, the programme is run in partnership with Sheila Caulfield. Steven receiving her certificate Lucy receiving her certificate Cydney receiving her certificate Courtney receiving her certificate

All About You, Compass, Fundraising, Partners

New Compass AAY Cohort Begins: November 2023

Meet Some Aspirant Individuals The Warnborough Foundation’s new flagship All About You (AAY) programme under the Compass brand has begun with a new cohort of aspirant participants. The programme’s success means that anyone of any age can benefit. See some of the initial responses and stories of our aspirant participants below.  Keira (Ashford) Keira says, “I was happy in school before lockdown. I had lots of friends, enjoyed school work, and was interested in following a career in professional dancing, photography, or interior design. When I returned to school in year 11, I could not cope with the structure and the big classes. I now have no friends because I don’t go out”. Keira wants her ‘All About You’ coaching course to help her achieve her dreams and goals. She wants to have more confidence to talk to more people and become more focused with her work. Chris (Margate) This is Chris at his first AAY session. Chris says his goal is “I want to find out what I can go with into work. I want that I feel confident to manage. I’m doing AAY because I think you will listen to me and help. I want to develop my skills, health and energy as I go through the course”. We certainly believe you will do swimmingly well, Chris! Jerrard (Ashford) Jerrard is looking to join the army. With the support of his coach Sheila, he wants to put together a CV and develop his interview skills.Good luck Jerrard! We can’t wait to see what the future holds Michelle (Canterbury) Michelle says “I feel more empowered to make changes in my life. I’ve rediscovered who I am and the skills I have and I’m using my new confidence to tackle the things that I was stuck on so I can move forward in my life. I feel lighter and happier in myself and always leave the session with lots of practical ideas and feeling hopeful and excited”. Meet Our Wonderful Coaches We are truly fortunate to have a wonderful team of coaches and trainers led by Sheila Caulfield. Joining us going forward are Carmen Beyxer and Sarah Morris.

All About You, Compass

Another Successful Cohort

The Warnborough Foundation ran another successful cohort for its Compass programme, called ‘All About You’ based on funding received from the Kent Community Foundation and The Lawson Endowment for Kent. This programme received participant referrals from other partners including The Education People and the Amber Foundation. We worked with a range of participants who had their own challenges, finding learning in a more formal environment difficult. Many sessions were conducted 1-2-1 and in more relaxed environments such as public libraries, cafés, parks, and farms close to where the participants lived. Personal Stories of Change (with Photos of those who signed consent) Louis Louis did not achieve GCSEs. Since COVID, his mum had been trying to find help to support him gain confidence to get into college and did not know where to turn. He preferred in-person sessions in an outside space, so we used a local garden centre to facilitate his course. He identified his goals as writing his first CV and getting better social skills. He created his first word-processed CV and used it to guide course applications and when speaking in interviews. He does not like big groups, however when needing to engage in a second interview for college, instead of running out of the building he faced the fear, did the interview and said, “he did alright’. Louis completed his course and starts a 2-year, level 2 motor vehicle course in September with an option to progress into year-3. His mum (pictured with him) says, “I am delighted, I now feel I have time for myself now that Louis is sorted, I have found a job and I have never been happier”. Charlie Identified his goals as being able to build up more confidence, to get out of the house more often and to build a CV. Charlie had poor sleeping patterns and lacked structure. He said he wanted to do his course in Zoom and doing this weekly has helped Charlie get more structure in his life. Charlie achieved good GCSE grades at school however lost direction and his confidence to find out what he could do, as a direct outcome of becoming isolated due to Covid and lockdowns. From doing the course he has started to walk to the shops on his own, is getting out of his bedroom and into the garden and has created his first CV. He socialises with more people online and in-person and starts a level 3 college course in business studies in September. Sam Sam was home-schooled by his mum prior to being NEET. He identified his goals as increasing motivation to do more college work and to be healthier as his lack of structure was impacting a poor sleeping pattern and this in turn was affecting his health and well-being. Sam enjoys learning through in-person sessions and feels best in outside spaces.  His course was facilitated in his local garden centre in the morning because as Sam said, “this will help me go to sleep earlier”. He has been coached in developing motivation ability and has self-discovered his strengths and qualities. Sam has been shown how to access the National Careers Service and how to use it for finding courses near him and for finding job categories that interest him. From this Sam has discovered he would like to work with animals and to study courses in animal care using distance learning. The last coaching session, at Sam’s request, included his mum because he wanted to show her what he had achieved in the course and what he wanted to do next.  The outcome of this is that Sam communicated to his Mum what he wanted to do and helped his mum to understand how best to help him to achieve this. Sam is busy researching courses in animal care that he can study from home and is taking more regular exercise around his farm to build up his stamina and well-being. Sam says, “I really enjoy the talks we have in this course”. Mum says, “Thank you so much for talking with me and for all the lovely reassuring comments you have made that I’m doing the right thing for Sam, that really helps. Seb Seb identified his goals as building confidence and developing interview skills. Seb enjoys in-person sessions, so his course was facilitated in a learning space where he resides. During the course, Seb refreshed his current CV to help him remember what he has achieved recently and the skills he has gained from these. He enjoys researching using the computer and found a job he was interested in (working in a Lego store as an assistant).  We used the job advert as a guide for Seb to further update his CV. He was then coached in responding to questions he may be asked at an interview for this job.  When asked if he would like his interview session to be recorded, he initially said no. Then ten minutes later he asked if it could be recorded. The recording is stored on Seb’s WhatsApp, and he says, “I enjoy looking at this as it helps me remember how confident I can be at an interview”. Seb is busy applying for jobs and was confident enough to attend a Warnborough Graduation event to receive his certificate and to talk about his job ambition on the stage in front of a large audience! Emily Identified her goals as being better at maths, being more confident when meeting new people and being good at something. During the course, she passed her driving theory, started driving lessons, identified her preferred method for gaining a math qualification that she is due to start in September with the help of her support worker and says, “This course has helped me see the skills I do have”. Cameshia Cameshia joined the course because she had lost her confidence from being 26 years away from the workplace. Her goals were to find routes into teaching as a mature student and to construct

Scroll to Top