Kate Welch - Chief Executive, Acumen Development Trust
Kate Welch is the Chief Executive of Acumen Development Trust.
Q. What was your background before working for Acumen?
A. Kate originally studied Physics at University then moved back home to work in the family owned garden centre. The garden centre won a National Training Award in 1989. When they sold the company, Kate decided to move into the voluntary sector running a vocational training centre in South Tyneside. Kate then moved to the Training and Enterprise Council as an adult training manager before being transferred to the Easington Action Team within Jobcentre Plus.
Q. Please tell me a little about your organisation and the role that you play.
A. Kate is the founder and Chief Executive of Acumen Development Trust. Acumen is a Social Enterprise and a Charity that aims to achieve social and economic regeneration through learning, employment and enterprise. Acumen is based in East Durham and works across the region helping people to gain the skills they need to get back into work or to start a business. Acumen also runs a number of small social enterprises, examples of which include the Greenleaf Café, Bloomin’ Marvellous Nursery and Landscapes, Wheels 4 Work, IT Acumen and People Acumen.
“I also spend part of my spare time as a trainer in Girlguiding UK”
Q. Why did you choose this career path?
A. Kate was working in Easington for Jobcentre Plus running the Action Team for Jobs and working with partners in the Aim High network that they formed in 2002. It became very clear to Kate that an organisation was needed to take the lead on delivering the first level activity in learning enterprise and employment, as well as acting as an umbrella body for social enterprises.
“We founded Acumen in 2003 to make that happen”
Kate was originally a volunteer director and trustee but as Acumen started to grow, a business plan and funding application was made to the Northern Rock Foundation which enabled Kate to leave Jobcentre Plus and become a full-time Chief Executive in January 2005.
“I am a natural social entrepreneur with a strong business background but also a commitment to the communities of the North East”
Q. Have you attended any training courses that have helped you in outside of work?
A. Kate says she enjoys participating in training and always gains something from taking part.
“I am very interested in how our minds play a major part in what we do and particularly how we go about doing it”
Kate mentions light bulbs coming on in her head when she learns about creativity, self-belief and emotional intelligence.
The Investment in Excellence course from the Pacific Institute was described as a course that ‘helped me to see where those elements fit into the work we do’.
Q. What or who, stood out from the course that helped you to further your knowledge?
A. “The course helped me to see how various things I already knew about could fit together”
Kate mentioned that understanding the way people see themselves and others ‘is probably the biggest factor in my success’. Kate describes herself as being fortunate in being able to see the big picture and then find ways to make it happen, but after the course Kate knew why that worked and could therefore make things happen more effectively.
Q. What can you do now that would have been more difficult before attending this course?
A. Kate has already integrated what she has learnt into a Community Transformation project called Bloomin’ Marvellous. This project aimed to bring people together in colliery villages to brighten up their area and to give people pride in their achievements.
“A lot of people said we couldn’t do it in the timeframe we had but we proved them wrong and have had success in many ways for lots of people”
Check www.bloominmarvellous.org for more information.
Q. Do you have any plans for the future related to training?
A. Kate’s personal development plan for this year is to participate in the Leadership Foundation for the VCS in the region which gives huge benefits of executive coaching as well as master classes in leadership.
“I am also developing a business plan for a regional centre for self-belief which will bring together a lot of the learning in this area and provide opportunities for many more people to participate in training.”
Q. Do you have any advice for people in a similar situation to yours before they took part in training?
A. “Start to look at your life as a whole and decide what your goals are. Once you can see where you are heading you can find the training opportunities that will help you achieve your goals. Too often do we just pick a course from what’s being offered on the shelf, or the website, without seeing how it will help us move forward in life. We are then often disappointed.”
“If you know where you are heading, training is a great way of gaining the knowledge or skills you require.”
