Every year at Brampton College, we host a series of talks and workshops from a diverse range of inspirational speakers, charities and leading professionals. Here are just a few of those who have visited the College recently.
Khadjia Owusu – https://www.khadijaowusu.com/
Junior doctor and international speaker, Dr Khadija Owusu is the Founder of AKAYA, Director of Programmes at Melanin Medics, Equality and Diversity Board Member at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, Ambassador at GUBA-Enterprise and Trustee for the charity Raising Futures Kenya.
Within these organisations, she strives to make change within the medical field, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. She further aims to encourage global health and female empowerment, impacting and improving upon the lives of hundreds of young girls across Ghana. The message behind her work has spread worldwide, even so far as reaching the Obamas in the White House; subsequently, she interviewed Michelle Obama via Zoom during the pandemic.
Owusu spoke to Brampton students on these key topics at the start of the school year. She highlighted the necessity of equality, diversity and inclusion in the medical sphere, as well as the ongoing need for further female empowerment within social entrepreneurship.
Floyd Woodrow – https://compassforlife.co.uk/floyd-woodrow/
Floyd Woodrow is Managing Director and founder of Chrysalis Worldwide, a world leading, values-based organisation, and owner of Quantum group, recently winning an innovation award for 2018 in the Fintech sector.
He is also CEO of Compass for Life, an organisation working to help people from all different backgrounds, in both personal and professional forms of learning and development, who spoke to Brampton students about finding motivation in their work.
Compass for Life’s philosophy and methodology continues to encourage students to become the best versions of themselves, unlocking qualities and virtues within themselves to influence their futures and contributions to the wider world.
Richard Allen-Campbell (Loudspeaker) – https://www.loudspeaker.org.uk/
Engagement Lead for the organisation Loudspeaker, Richard Allen-Campbell led an engaging and informative workshop for Brampton College’s students, helping students to improve their public speaking skills.
Highlighting key techniques around public speaking, confidence building, personal storytelling, teamwork and leadership, their philosophies encourage students to feel more self-assured, in the hope that they can leave feeling enriched, ready and positive when taking up whatever opportunities and challenges they may encounter in their lives.
Claudia McDonald – https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/red-roses/england-women/claudia-macdonald
English Rugby Union and Exeter Chiefs Women’s scrum-half, Claudia MacDonald has risen impressively through the rugby ranks since first picking up a ball aged 19. This mindset of sportsmanship has allowed McDonald to note the importance of creative marginal gains, focusing on the process, and the fact that, trusting all this will allow you to reach your desired outcome.
Through sports, McDonald has also become further aware of how each of our individual actions has an impact on the planet. This led her to create a personal blog, Let’s Talk 1%, in response to her increasing interest and concern for the planet. Using this platform that rugby had given her to spread important messages about sustainability, McDonald’s blog discusses some of the small changes that she is continuing to make in her daily life.
McDonald spoke to Brampton’s students about this very topic, explaining that she regularly sets herself environmental-related challenges, such as how to pack a sustainable suitcase when travelling around the world, or figuring out how to make our homes less wasteful by choosing more environmentally-friendly bathroom products. Inviting an open and honest conversation around environmental anxieties, McDonald allowed students to grasp how it is actually some of the small changes that we continue to make in our daily lives, like habits and mindsets, that can have a big impact.
Stuart Myers – https://disabilitypower100.com/project/stuart-myers-2022/
Named by Shaw Trust in the top 100 most influential people in the UK, Stuart Myers is a motivational speaker, providing an inspirational insight into what can be achieved against the odds.
Myers spoke to students at Brampton College, exploring his life so far in his own unique, humorous, thought-provoking way, taking students on a journey of what he has experienced in both his personal life and professional career. He talked openly with students about the challenges he has faced and overcome, progressing from being an office trainee to a local government manager, as well as thriving in his roles as charity trustee, school governor and judicial office holder.
Setting a fine example of how students can reach their goals, even when faced with uncertainty and adversity, Myers interacted with the students, not only inviting questions, but also challenging them to think about their life choices in a whole new way. He delivered an inspirational and moving talk, in which he discussed both mental health and well-being, as well as the topics of employability and volunteering, and how all of these link to how students can find their main drivers to achieving their own success.
Dr Ellie Cannon – https://drellie.co.uk/
With over 20 years of experience in medicine and the NHS, Dr Ellie Cannon is a true medical expert, writing and broadcasting on all aspects of health. Having written books on mental health and parenting, Dr Cannon is celebrated as a myth-buster and a voice of sense within health and science.
She has also presented at two All Party Parliamentary Groups, and has worked on several campaigns for Public Health England, as well as travelling around the world to work with Save the Children.
Dr Cannon’s expertise across her field is fuelled by a passion to empower patients to make sensible informed choices, a mindset that she brought to Brampton’s students, when she led a talk with them. A member of a new generation of doctors, she believes that communication skills are paramount, speaking about how this level of confidence that people can acquire allows them to improve their mental health and reduce stress levels.
Everyone’s invited – https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/
A charity dedicated to exposing and eradicating rape culture with empathy, compassion and understanding, Everyone’s Invited aims to provide a safe space for survivors to chare their stories, giving them a sense of catharsis, empowerment and a feeling of community and hope.
This survivor-centred charity provides a much needed platform ensuring that the voices and experiences of survivors are amplified and heard in their own words, encouraging positive change and engaging with government, institutions and key stakeholders.
Leading a workshop at Brampton College, Everyone’s Invited raised awareness among students about their key mission, centring around educating young people and empowering school communities to foster healthy relationships, sexual well-being and to tackle rape culture.
Client Earth – https://www.clientearth.org/
Client Earth uses the power of law to bring about systemic change that protects the earth for – and with – its inhabitants. They work in partnership across borders, systems and sectors, using the law to protect life on earth and bring about end-to-end change through informing, implementing and enforcing the law, advising decision-makers on policy, and training legal and judicial professionals.
In an environmental panel led by students, a representative from Client Earth described how they help shape environmental laws, hold governments and companies to account, and push for access to justice and information. They explained to students the ways in which they can get involved throughout their lives and futures, regardless of the careers they end up pursuing, in order to build a safer and more trustful future.
Alice Palmer (Charlie Waller) – https://www.charliewaller.org/
One the UK’s most respected mental health charities, the Charlie Waller Trust was founded by the family of Charlie Waller who took his own life in 1997 whilst suffering from depression. They seek to help young people to understand their own mental health, equipping them to support themselves and those around them, and empowering them to talk more openly about the subject.
Leading a talk at Brampton College, Youth Involvement Lead and speaker Alice Palmer shared the organisation’s overarching mission, to educate young people, and those with responsibility for them, about their mental health and wellbeing. She focused on the necessity to support all young people throughout their journey from primary school age to the early years of their working lives, recognising that the points of transition in that journey can represent moments of particular vulnerability.
The Charlie Waller Trust’s talk at college allowed students to improve their understanding of mental health, giving them the knowledge and skills to look out for and support themselves and those around them, and to give them greater confidence in talking openly about the subject. This open and informed conversation sought to further reduce the stigma that still surrounds mental health.
Brook – https://www.brook.org.uk/
Brook sexual health and wellbeing charity, that believes in a society where everyone is supported to live healthy lives, free from inequality and strengthened by fulfilling relationships. They recognise that, in order to meet young people’s needs in this field, it is vital to debate about the controversial and difficult subjects that affect them. Brook vows to continue to be proactive in their lobbying and advocacy work, in order to keep young people’s rights at the forefront of their political agenda.
Through a participative, informative workshop at Brampton College, Brook demonstrated the importance of holding evidence-based discussions around sex, sexuality and relationships, increasing the students’ knowledge and providing them with the vocabulary and skills to communicate with peers, parents and professionals.
Leyla O’Brian – https://www.playmakerstats.com/player/leyla-o-brien/950914
At only 20 years old, Arsenal Women’s midfielder Leyla O’Brian’s astonishing rise has come no doubt through her persistent determination and perseverance.
Speaking to a small group of Brampton College’s female students, O’Brian sought to share this message. She spoke to the girls about the importance (and the difficulty) of overcoming adversity, achieving goals and building a strong sense of self-belief, using her own career in sports and her personal experiences to drive this conversation. Having faced numerous obstacles, yet continuing to find strength and motivation no matter what, O’Brian was a true inspiration to these students.
Breck Foundation online safety – https://www.breckfoundation.org/
Founded in 2014 in response to the tragic loss of 14-year-old Breck Bednar, Breck Foundation works to prevent online grooming, exploitation and digital abuse of children.
Through sharing Breck’s story during a talk led at Brampton College, the organisation delivered a powerful, compelling online-safety presentation, educating both students and teachers on the dangers that children and young people face online from grooming, exploitation and abuse, as well as from exposure to inappropriate or harmful content.
Breck Foundation works to persuade people to act in a way that traditional online safety talks do not. Constantly updating the information they provide, they seek to ensure that no child or young person is left in danger, as cybercriminals adapt their tactics. Their session contained tools and signposts to help students and teachers understand how to spot the signs of grooming, how to stay safe in response to these signs, and how and to whom to report their concerns.
Greenpeace – https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/
Global organisation Greenpeace repeatedly champions conversations surrounding their key topics of interest: climate, justice, wildlife, oceans, plastics and food. They believe that these are some of the biggest, most serious issues facing our world, and so aim to continuously offer information about the most promising solutions.
Speaking to Brampton students, Greenpeace provided transparent information on these often-overwhelming subjects, breaking down key issues and showing students how they have the potential to make a difference. They explained the necessity to protect the planet, in order that the people who live on it may be protected too. Encouraging students and teachers alike to confront injustice and prioritise fairness in the green transition, Greenpeace inspired students to take part in building a better world for everyone.
Simon Parker – https://www.simonwparker.co.uk/
Simon Parker is an author, filmmaker and public speaker working across a wide range of themes and subjects. He has interviewed sports stars, politicians and celebrities, and reported on stories as diverse as product shortages in Venezuela, the ‘migrant crisis’ in Greece and social inequality in the barrios of Northern Colombia. He also paraglided solo through the Andes, hiked Bali’s highest volcanoes and has driven a rickshaw the length of India. In 2016, Parker sailed and cycled from China to London in 133 days, for a Telegraph series and BBC World Service documentary.
Speaking about all these achievements and more to the students of Brampton College, Parker led an engaging presentation. He connected with students on a personal level, inspiring them to aim high and continue to be driven by their ambitions, no matter what challenges they may face.
Parker’s highly polished talk was interesting, amusing and captivated the students, promoting his overriding message of pursuing passions, being resilient and overcoming challenges. He is living proof to the students that, with determination and ambition, they can achieve amazing life goals, and the questions that Brampton’s students posed at the end of his talk clearly demonstrated that they had been inspired by his message.
Gigi Moss – https://www.gigimoss.co.uk/
With music that has no age and no borders, Gigi Moss is passionate about writing lyrics that hold deep and important meanings. Taking great inspiration from prominent and celebrated female musicians, and having grown up in a musical family, Moss seeks to use the medium of music to send important messages, and is unafraid of lyrically tackling the more difficult aspects of her personal life.
Both speaking and singing to the students at Brampton College, Moss spoke about her creative inspirations and explained how she uses her skill in a therapeutic kind of way, to process complex situations and emotions.
HET (Ziggy Schipper and John Dobai) https://www.het.org.uk/
The Holocaust Educational Trust works to ensure that people from every background are educated about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learned for today. They work to make sure that the millions who were murdered in this dark period of history are remembered, and honour those who survived and continue to tell the world of their experiences. Since 1988, the Holocaust Educational Trust has worked with schools, universities and communities around the UK to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust. One of our earliest achievements was ensuring that the Holocaust formed part of the National Curriculum for History, where it remains today. They raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, providing teacher training, an Outreach programme for schools, teaching aids and resources.
Holocaust survivors Ziggy Schipper and John Dobai spoke to students at Brampton College, sharing both their own stories and experiences, as well as the organisation’s mission, highlighting the importance of education, training and support, in order to motivate future generations to speak out against intolerance. Their talk inspired students and teachers to consider their responsibilities to their communities and to remember the significance of this historical tragedy going forward in their lives.
