Writing is a must-have skill in the communications portfolio of any organisation. So Judi Goodwin is a welcome addition to our talented team of training consultants.
Judi has skills in many areas. First, with a background in journalism and radio, she knows how to attract the attention and interest of journalists to your organisation with interesting press releases and newsletters.
In recent years she has expanded and now teaches all kinds of professional people to write everything from emails and reports to letters handling difficult situations with tact and diplomacy. Her aim is to help delegates achieve win-win solutions for all.
She also has considerable experience working with volunteers and service users, encouraging them to build self esteem and confidence with a pen. She calls it “holistic writing”, Others call it “writing for well being”. Whatever the label, the results can be transformational.
Judi's client list includes:
- Housing Associations
- Big Life Stockport Well Being Centre
- Stockport MIND
- Langley Women’s Centre
- London Lighthouse
- Body Positive
- Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
- Bracknell Forest Council
- Stratford-upon-Avon District Council
- The Police Service Northern Ireland
- The Chartered Institute of Public Relations
- The National Union of Journalists.
She has successfully worked with people at all levels.
Training Courses for Organisations include:
Writing for Impact – Overcome procrastination, Write faster, more fluently and with more confidence and power
Writing for Professionals – Convey your message clearly and concisely, make writing part of your brand - and use it to create good working relationships
Writing Press Releases and Newsletters – journalistic skills to add the professional touch to your internal and external communications
Meet the Press – Interview skills to get your messages across
Writing for Wellbeing
Dozens of experiments around the world have proved that writing about thoughts, emotions and experiences can be beneficial to physical and mental health.
Writing for well being is becoming more widely accepted in many health and social care settings and Judi has developed a specialism in this area. She combines writing tuition with personal development techniques, empowering people to achieve their personal best.
Her flagship course ‘Unleash Your Writing Power’ was developed almost two decades ago and it has transformed the writing and sometimes the lives of many hundreds of people. This unique, inspirational workshop enables participants to develop their personal voice and self-expression, building confidence and creativity in writing and often in other areas of their lives.
Background for this work:
Judi has worked extensively with people with AIDS and HIV, leading a small team of caring and committed volunteers to bring the internationally acclaimed ‘AIDS Mastery’ courses to Manchester. She has also worked with life term prisoners, as well as people with addictions and mental health issues, and with long term unemployed. She sees herself as a catalyst to help people access the skills and strengths they already have but may not recognise in themselves.
Courses for Well Being include:
Unleash Your Writing Power – for self-expression, confidence, creativity and personal development
Writing for Well Being – for self-discovery, finding direction and tapping into inner resources to get more from life.
Assertiveness – how nice people can say no (not a writing course)
Judi met Paul when he worked as a volunteer at the Stockport Well Being Centre during a spell of unemployment from a manual job. He was in his mid 20's and came from a family of nine. At school he had suffered shyness and told her that throughout his early years he let 'negative thoughts' control his life.
Paul's story:
“There are two reasons I decided to take part in Judi Goodwin’s 'Unleash Your Writing Power' course. The first motivation was that I had always enjoyed the small amount of creative writing I had done.
The second and more important reason was that I was applying for a funded place on a 10 weeks trip working in an undeveloped country and needed an 800 word personal statement. I was desperate to gain a place on what would surely be a life changing experience, but the dauntingly large word count left me slightly worried. Time and time again I merely stuttered through the piece unable to gather together my scattered ideas into a coherent mass.
On Judi Goodwin’s 'Unleash Your Writing Power' workshop, I learned to tap into my feelings and to articulate those onto the page. The exercises were always fun and interesting and my writing flowed so much that my hand sometimes had trouble keeping up with my brain.
With my confidence soaring I set off to work on my statement for the trip. Sure enough my thoughts and feelings fluently found their way to the once feared blank page. Easily achieving the word count I completed my statement and sent it off.
After the course I felt a fresh wave of optimism towards ending my (then) current situation of unemployment. With my newly attained skill I now felt I could easily tackle job application forms. In the past I wouldn’t plan much and just dive in enthusiastically but unprepared. Judi’s course taught me to take a step back and view things from my potential employers’ viewpoint.
With a huge increase in my self-confidence I noticed I walked slightly taller and could see before me a myriad of new opportunities. I was accepted for the voluntary work overseas – a ten week project in Peru. I also gained a place on a scheme called the Future Jobs Fund. I am now awaiting a guaranteed six month work experience in a teaching assistant role.
Although I remain unsure about what the future holds, I can honestly say that a million new doors have been opened and if it wasn't for Judi’s course I would still be stumbling in the dark for a single key”.