Jenny Sims tells a roomful of people how networking at the NUJ courses in Wales has led to a new venture in her journalistic life.
I hate public speaking – even for three minutes. So it was with some reluctance I agreed to Anna Roberts’ email appeal.
Project Manager of NUJ Training Wales, she was giving a presentation at the “Well done WULF” (Wales Union Learning Fund) event, which has helped finance recent NUJ courses in Wales, and wanted a couple of personal testimonies from course participants to support her.
As I probably hold the record for having attended more of these courses than anyone else, I felt obliged to say ‘yes’. Especially if it helped ensure continued funding. And Welsh Assembly representatives would be in the audience to hear how their money had been spent.
Speakers included UCATT, the RCN, UNITE, Jocelyn Andrews, author, Learning Through Sport and guest inspirational speaker, Camilla Lovelace – who, after a life-threatening brain tumour, described how her life had been transformed through various training courses and has led to her becoming a trainer herself.
Anna did a good job reporting on the benefits to both freelances and staffers of courses and activities currently being offered by NUJ Training Wales as well as new ones in the pipeline.
And former Media Wales production journalist Steve Jones, vouched for the ‘outstanding value for money’ of the courses he’d been on since taking redundancy, e.g. CV writing and career development workshops.
Despite the butterflies in my stomach, I managed to tell delegates that through networking on the NUJ ‘s training courses, colleagues and I have launched a new media consultancy, which is taking off very nicely – thank you. Visit us at www.everymediasolutions.co.uk
Hope WULF think we’re all worth it!
Jenny Sims, journalist, editor ….. and entrepreneur
Photo of Jenny doing what she hates most (she’s actually very good at it)