Becki Coombe : The Learn 2 Group

The Learn 2 Groupare devisers and deliverers of alternative curriculum models and programmes of study in schools across the Midlands. Becki Coombe has been developing the business - with a little help from her friends...

Prior to starting my own teaching and learning company, I was a secondary school Physical Education Teacher. I completed years at schools in Hinckley, Birmingham and Coventry, ranging from schools with 1600 Y10/Y11 Students to a Special Needs School catering for 75 Pupils with Autism/Aspergers Syndrome.

In addition to teaching, I was heavily involved with planning for both the Scouting ‘EuroJam’ and ‘20th World Scout Jamboree’ for 40,000 people in 2005 and 2007 respectively. As if this didn’t keep me busy enough I was also an active member (and still am) of my local Territorial Army Unit.

Help for business planning

At the very beginning, I was extremely nervous about how I was going to be able to generate an income from a business that had no clients and at the time, no direction. I had no idea where to go to help me find some structure and form some kind of plan to work to. I had no business experience and could only rely on the fact that I felt my services were retail able and worth developing.

Being a new resident to the Coventry area I heard of the Women’s Business Development Agency through a free Business Link workshop I attended called ‘Setting up a Business’. I contacted WBDA and was easily slotted into an appointment with a Mentor and it all started to snowball from there!

My first mentoring session, with Michelle, started with me placing my newly formed business plans (I had very recently completed my business plan, due to the fact that I wanted to open a bank account and needed to present one to the bank!) on the table and talking through my plans and aspirations.

Each mentor session I attended appeared to be nicely timed so that I could work on or complete the action points from my previous session. The great thing that I found, however, was that the action points weren’t really jobs as they were focuses that I had already identified and planned to work on. It was a great tool to make sure I did complete them! Of course there were always a couple of things that I hadn’t thought about or I didn’t have access to the information for which were welcomed additions to the list!

I never really felt as though I had specific barriers, just lots of things that I didn’t know! I usually made a list before each session and Michelle went through them with me so I never had any overwhelming concerns.

About the Learn2 Group

Now I have my own business! The Learn2 Group started as Learn2 which did some rather unidentified ‘teaching bits’ and First4Aid that delivered accredited first aid courses. The Learn2 Group quickly focused on its areas of expertise and became devisers and deliverers of alternative curriculum models and programmes of study in schools across the Midlands.

Closely linked to alternative curricula, Learn2 also delivers Sports Leader Awards and in the near future we will be delivering theory driving test tuition in local community centres. In October 2008, The Learn2 Group will be publishing a national PE educational resource which is a very exciting venture!

First4Aid continues to thrive under The Learn2 Group ‘umbrella’ and has become a choice first aid provider for community groups due to the discounted prices for charities and the flexibility of course delivery available.

Ongoing help from WBDA

Without sounding ‘cheesy’, WBDA have really been with me every step of the way through the setting up of the business and the further growth and development. I personally found that the mentor sessions I attended always stayed focused to ‘the task in hand’. Particularly at the beginning, lots of references were made back to my original business plan.

And funnily enough, I met quite a few people, through networking events, which also tapped into the WBDA services. It is always nice to think that you and other ‘new starts’ want to and will support each other where possible.

Later on, I accessed the WM Women’s Business Centre website, which proved to be a useful tool for referencing information.

My business had changed steadily and quickly over the year it has been up and running, I have been with WBDA since day one so it would probably be fair to say they played some part in its success to-date!!

I know that my mentoring session allocations will be coming to an end soon, but I am confident that I have learnt how to use the tools on the website and that the WBDA Women would be there if I needed to call on them.