Our Clients

Here are two case studies about Happy People:

Diabetes UK: A Study in Change

Happy People became involved with the organisation in 1998 when it was called the British Diabetes Association and had just appointed Paul Streets as Chief Executive.

During his five years in charge Paul transformed this somewhat traditional charity. The name was changed to Diabetes UK, the charity moved to new modern offices, governance was modernised and streamlined and a new prominence was established to the issue of Diabetes. In April 2005, after Paul left, Diabetes UK was listed in the Financial Times Best Workplaces as the 12th best organisation to work for in the UK.

Facilitation

At the start of this period 130 key stakeholders (including all trustees and a range of client and staff representatives) came together to set the key principles and put in place the process of change. Happy People facilitated a positive forward-looking event, which agreed (from scratch) the key principles to guide the organisation as it moved forward.

In 2003 we returned to facilitate the national conference, with the aim of moving forward the disparate elements of Diabetes UK as a team. Events included debate of key issues, accounts of the user perspective and a Paxman-style interrogation of the Chief Executive.

Supporting Change

Over 1999 and 2000 Happy People delivered a training programme to the senior management, based on the principles of empowerment and trust.

Through 2003 and 2004, after Paul left and a new team was in place, Happy People worked again with senior management on a programme of team building and personal development.

Summary

Diabetes UK, now with the largest membership of any illness-based organisation in Europe, has transformed it self over the last few years to ensure it plays a crucial role and places Diabetes UK at the top of the agenda.

Happy People, in facilitation and in supporting change, has played an important part in aiding that transformation.

Reference: Paul Streets
(now CEO of the Postgraduate Medical Education Training Board)
020 7563 6887
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Abel & Cole: Supporting Growth

Abel & Cole, an organic delivery company and Organic Retailer of the Year in 2004, has doubled in size in each of the last three years – growing from £2 million turnover in 2002 to £14 million in 2005.

Entrepreneurial Business

Chief Executive Ella Heeks attended the LSC_funded Entrepreneurial Business course, starting in April 2004. Of particular interest was the focus on trust and empowerment, to enable change in fast growing organisations.

Support for the Chief Executive

The entrepreneurial business course included one-to-one coaching to develop personal executive skills. This was so useful for Ella that she has continued it after the course.

"It is the first ever time I’ve had structured support as a Chief Executive. IT has enabled me, in a period when we doubled in size, to actually reduce my hours and get a sensible balance." Ella Heeks, Chief Executive, Abel & Cole

Developing the Management Capability

Following the success of the programme with Ella herself, she commissioned Happy People to establish a full management development programme for the senior team.

"For the company as a whole it really seems to have inspired people. People are actually excited about being good managers. They have an idea of what that is, and a sense of it being possible." "We needed people to work together as a team rather than continually looking upward for guidance. That is now happening. They are working together, asking each other for help." Ella Heeks, Chief Executive, Abel & Cole

Reference: Ella Heeks, Chief Executive
08452 62 62 62
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