WOW… what a weekend!
Last weekend, we were delighted to head to the seaside once again, for our annual WOW Weekend in Blackpool. Since merging the North West and Merseyside ABCUL Forums, our combined credit unions have enjoyed the hospitality of the Carousel Hotel for the eighth year running.
We’re no stranger to blustery January weather in the North West, and the coastal winds certainly did help to blow the cobwebs off. It’s always a great chance to catch up with old friends and to learn from new ones, and this year proved to be no exception. Huge thanks go out to all who helped out on Thursday night, getting our venue ready before welcoming the majority of our cohort on Friday for a jam-packed weekend.
The weekend kicked off in earnest on Friday evening, with our very own Ant & Dec (SMCU’s Ryan and Ed), hosting ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here’ quizzes, games, and activities. Let’s just say it’ll be a while before I think about eating piccalilli again…
A regular theme of our WOW Weekends is raising awareness of mental health, and how to be better equipped to deal with it on a daily basis. With 1 in 6 people experiencing mental health problems in the workplace, it’s becoming an essential component of employee wellbeing. Our two-day, MHFA recognised course has equipped many attendees with the skills to identify, support, and manage work-related stress. It’s been very well received in recent years and we’re delighted to see it’s having a tangible impact on our North West credit unions. A healthy workforce is a happy one, and a happy workforce is an effective one.
Running alongside our mental health course are a number of different workshops, offering attendees a range of topics to choose from, including collaboration, macro-economics, psychology and B2B marketing. Our speakers came from inside and outside ABCUL credit unions, all of whom provided fantastic sessions that we’re still hearing positive feedback about. Thanks to you all.
It’s this idea of collaboration that really epitomises the credit union difference for me. Sectors like ours are quite unique in that we have so much more to gain from sharing experiences, and I certainly left Blackpool with a head full of ideas to take back to Manchester.
A special mention should go out to our ABBAtastic dancers (ABCULtastic?!), who yet again blew me away with their range of talent around me. It was a really enjoyable way to let our hair down after a jam-packed weekend of workshops and networking.
Thanks so much to all who made the weekend a success, and on to the next one!
Sheenagh
