AN EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT

We recently ran the first of many competitions through our UK & Europe Facebook page. The competition has now closed and we'd like to congratulate our winner.

Rachel Conti from Exeter has won £100 worth of Theatre Tokens to be redeemed at a theatre of her choice. Here she is at class yesterday with her daughters Maia and Sasha, who attend drama classes in Exeter.

Exeter Principal, Abbe Martin, with Maia andSasha

 Perhaps Maia and Sacha will join mum to see a pantomime or a play in the Christmas holidays!

There will be more competitions with fabulous prizes, so do visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/helenogradydrama to join in the fun!

REMOTE EMPLOYMENT AWARDS 2010

In a lavish ceremony yesterday at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London, National Director, Nigel Le Page, was delighted to present the Helen O'Grady Special Award to Janine Van Den Berg.

Janine was the outright winner from a shortlist of six candidates andwill become Principal of the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in Harrow, Middlesex. Janine's background in the arts and, in particular, acting and singing, made her an excellent candidate to operate an Academy. Her passions for children and the theatre, along with her business experience, provide her with all the necessary credentials to be a most successful Academy owner. Janine will bring energy, enthusiasm and a positive approach to running her own business.

Janine said: “I have been striving towards this goal for a long time and to have won the Helen O’Grady Special Award and to have been recognised in this way is absolutely wonderful. I am over the moon and very excited to be joining such a well renowned organisation and can’t wait to start teaching the children and look forward to a long and fruitful career. I am deeply thankful to the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy and to Remote Employment for making this possible.”

Earlier in the ceremony, last year's winners spoke about the effect of winning awards. Karen Reyburn, who won last year's Home Worker Award and Polly Marsh who won the Remote Employer Award joined Nigel Le Page to answer questions. Nigel was speaking on behalf of Exeter Principal, Abbe Martin, who won the Helen O'Grady Special Award in 2009 and who was yesterday, with the new term fast approaching, busy with setting up her new classes for 2010 after a successful first year in business.

Before closing the proceedings, Ken Sheridan, co-founder of Remote Employment with Paula Wynne, introduced entrepreneurs Karen Darby (Call Britannia) and Claire Young (former runner up on 'The Apprentice') who were happy to pass on some of their knowledge to the assembled business people.

Janine is now looking forward to training with other new Helen O'Grady Franchisees in Bristol and to starting her very own classes in the New Year. All at Helen O'Grady welcome her to the network and wish her the best of luck!

AMBULANCE - STOPS 2, 3 & 4

Bournemouth Principal, Susana Ayala - who just happens to be eight months pregnant! - was the first host stop after Portsmouth. She really did the Academy proud with lots of colourful and delicious fruit and face painting for the children.
















In Exeter Principal, Abbe Martin, dressed in African clothes and provided lots of materials for the students to make props and display them on African cloths. They were joined for the photo shoot by Oscar, a very non-African animal!


Stop 4 was in South Wales. Principal Becky Goodfield and her teacher, Gemma Carter, obviously enjoyed their ride in the ambulance! The stop was at the Welsh Assembly. Roy Gee, a past volunteer, is seen in the picture in his African shirt.


Liz Collyer, who is driving the ambulance, has a son who attends Helen O'Grady classes in Portsmouth. She is seen here (R) with the director of Village Africa, Caroline Johnston, and also with Chris Franks who is a member of the Welsh Assembly.

To learn more or to make a donation visit http://www.villageafrica.org.uk/

NEW PRINCIPALS RARING TO GO

From left to right, Catherine Prout, Warwick, Sarah Walton, Blackpool and Abbe Martin, Exeter, are the three new Principals who were chosen from hundreds who entered the Remote Employment Awards this year and are now preparing to start their own Academy in January 2010. After training in October, they were sent away with a list of tasks to work on to have the best possible start in the New Year. All three are very excited. Sarah said: "It was amazing to see my name in the listing on the website http://www.helenogrady.co.uk/ It makes it all real and I can't wait to start classes."

In Spain, it is the same story - Jose Miguel Cubillo (L) and Luis Valenzuela (R), seen here with National Director, Nigel Le Page - are working closely with schools in Madrid to confirm classes for 2010. We wish them all the best of luck in the New Year.