News
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Digital Outreach builds local skills in work placement scheme
17th February, 2011
Digital Outreach, the community outreach provider that is part-owned by CEL Group, has been helping to build the skills of local young people by providing them with work experience as part of a work placement scheme run by Age UK Training. The training programme is for people aged 18 to 24 who have been looking for work for more than 26 weeks, and aims to support people to develop the skills they need to find permanent employment.
Luke Kennedy recently completed a 13-week placement with us and told us about his experience. More...
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Former Vice Chancellor and Student Loans Company Chairman joins the CEL Transact Board.
14th February, 2011
International payment services firm CEL Transact has appointed former Vice chancellor and Chief Executive of London South Bank University, Professor Sir Deian Hopkin, as non-executive Chairman.
Sir Deian’s career in higher education spans over forty years, in six universities, including 20 years in senior management. He has been a government adviser on education and skills, has served on a number of national educational boards, and in 2009 conducted the independent review of the Student Loan Company; subsequently the government appointed him as interim chair of the Company until November 2010. He was also Chairman of the UNIAID Foundation, the student finance charity, and continues in a number of roles in education policy and delivery. In 2009 he was knighted for services to higher education and to skills in the UK.
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CEL Group achieves 'Best Companies' accreditation
7th February, 2011
CEL Group has achieved 'Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For" one star accreditation. Despite not quite making the 'top 100' the business gained an excellent accreditation score.
Paul Kennedy, Chief Executive, CEL Group "It is a excellent achievement in what is our first attempt, especially given all of the other challenges our business faces."
What does the accreditation mean?
The highly regarded accreditation process is run by The Sunday Times and Best Companies Ltd to measure the quality of UK companies' workplaces. In 2011 the process attracted more organisations than ever with 1165 applying to achieve star status, of which only 498 succeeded. CEL Group's 'Best Companies Accreditation Score' was 689.5 which means the company achieved a one star rating and came very close to reaching the 2 star band which starts at 696.5. Other companies that were awarded one star accreditation include: Accenture, Affinity Sutton Housing Group, Age UK, Aviva, Boots, British Gas, British Red Cross, Deloitte, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, PricewaterhouseCoopers, UNICEF and the World Wildlife Fund.Paul Kennedy "The accreditation is an indication of our status as an exceptional place to work and it shows how far we have come with our workplace engagement over the last two years. However, we are not going to get complacent. The process has highlighted areas for us to improve and we are determined to do so every year."
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Life as CEL Group Chief Executive - Paul Kennedy Interview
25th January, 2011
Paul Kennedy is interviewed by the Liverpool Daily Post.
In Paul Kennedy's office, classical music acts as a soundtrack to a tale of business success with a big heart.
Kennedy leads Cheshire-based CEL Group, a business which offers services from training to public sector procurement and international money transfers.
He led a management buyout (MBO) in 2008 and has since seen CEL double in size.
Now he wants it to grow still further by working with public sector bodies looking to cope with the cuts - and he is on the hunt for more investment to help him.
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Supply Management interviews Steve Malone, Managing Director, CEL Procurement
24th January, 2011
Steve Malone, managing director of CEL Procurement, on the joys of making deals and making a difference to people's lives.
My big break
I got into procurement while on a graduate training programme with AAH Pharmaceuticals. I found deal making to be the most enjoyable part of my work. This led me to focus on roles with a commercial slant, resulting in a category management position. My biggest career break was moving to Hays Information Management. This brought me into public sector procurement and made me realise the value of a strong and appropriate contract.
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Positive future for young people in Liverpool
17th January, 2011
For Christmas 2010, CEL Group donated £1500 to Positive Futures in Liverpool, a national social inclusion programme that helps young people from deprived communities steer clear of crime, drugs and alcohol misuse and move forward in their lives.
Paul Kennedy, CEO, CEL Group said "We're delighted to have been able to contribute to the great work that Positive Futures are doing and we'll continue to support and work with the communities in the north-west."
Clare Corran, Project Manager, Positive Futures North Liverpool "The donation that CEL Group has kindly made will support training for Young Volunteers aged 16 - 19 year olds and will result in them achieving CRB, First Aid and H&S Certificates. This will allow them to work for Positive Futures and attract prospective employers."
Clare Corran (pictured far right) received the donation from Andrew Clough (pictured centre), Group Marketing Manager, CEL Group along with the rest of her team: (from left to right) John "oggy" Ogden - Fishing Coach & Mentor; Megan Jones, Helen Whitefield, Dean Willo (now Sessional Youth Coach), Darren Viney - Young Volunteer and Youth Advisory Members; Chris Capstick - ( blue t - shirt) Youth Development Worker (Everton); Ashley Shawcross - Young Volunteer; Alan Walsh - Youth Development Worker (Anfield); Nikki Connelly - Youth Development Worker (Walton); Tom Myers - Young Volunteer; John "BJ" Goulding - Fishing Coach / Youth Coach.
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Digital Outreach invents new social marketing model
5th January, 2011
The Marketer interviews Ian Agnew, Chief Executive of Digital Outreach Limited (part owned by CEL Group).
Digital Outreach invented a new marketing model to ensure the message of the national switchover from analogue to digital TV reached everyone in the UK.
The biggest national change programme since decimalisation is now happening in the UK, says Ian Agnew, chief executive of Digital Outreach. In 2012 the analogue television signal will be switched off forever, meaning that anyone who hasn't understood the need to change over to digital will be left staring at a blank screen.
"For many older and vulnerable people television is a very significant part of their lives, and is often their main link to the outside world. The prospect of being left without any television service is very serious for them," says Agnew.
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Digital Outreach shortlisted for 'Digital Inclusion Achievement of the Year' Award
10th September, 2010
Digital Outreach Limited which is part owned by CEL Group has been selected as a finalist for the 'Digital Inclusion Achievement of the Year' award in the UK IT Industry Awards 2010.
The organisation has been recognised for its successful and innovative 'Get Connected, Get Online' pilot project which tested an embedded outreach approach to encourage hundreds of older people and people on low incomes to 'have a go' on the internet.
The community outreach project, delivered over three months in Spring 2010, reached over 1,100 people in the North West at more than 100 community events.
Digital Outreach, a partner of Race Online 2012, worked with partners in the voluntary and community sector to bring internet 'taster' sessions to groups of digitally excluded people at existing events in the local community like lunch clubs and domino mornings.
Ian Agnew, Chief Executive of Digital Outreach Limited, said: "There are many reasons that people haven't chosen to go online - some need a bit more confidence to have a go, and others just don't think it is relevant to them. This is why it is so important that these sessions were delivered at events people already attend."
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Health through Warmth partner commended at national awards.
12th July, 2010
CEL Transform’s partner on a national charitable grant fund has been highly commended at the Business in the Community Awards 2010.
npower’s ‘Health Through Warmth’ scheme received the commendation in the Building Stronger Communities Award category following an investment of £11.7 million pounds since 2000.
The aim of Health Through Warmth is to provide support to vulnerable people with cold and damp related illnesses who are in need of assistance with heating and insulation. Since 2000, the scheme has worked with partner organisations to access funding and install the necessary measures. Health Through Warmth’s achievements to date include the following.
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Over 45,500 vulnerable people have received measures.
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18,111 community workers have been trained to identify households at risk, enabling them to make referrals to the scheme.
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Over £5.1 million of the Health Through Warmth Crisis Fund has been invested in repairing/replacing boilers, heating systems and appliances, draughtproofing, insulation, energy efficiency and benefits advice and so on.
Volker Beckers, Chief Executive Officer of RWE npower said: “Health Through Warmth offers a comprehensive solution to people who don't have the means to fund heating and insulation in their homes. It helps to improve their levels of warmth, comfort and quality of life. The scheme has adopted an innovative approach to partnership working and supports our commitment to helping people most in need, we are proud of its success.”
Click here to read more.
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Digital Outreach is praised for work in digital switchover community outreach programme.
12th July, 2010
On Tuesday 6 July Dianne Jeffrey, Chair of Digital Outreach Limited which is part owned by CEL Group, joined Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries (joint Minister with Department for Business, Innovation and Skills), and David Scott, Chief Executive of Digital UK, at a special event held in London’s Southbank Centre to mark the progress made towards the UK’s switch to digital TV.
Joint venture social enterprise Digital Outreach Limited (DOL) is delivering Digital UK’s national Digital Switchover Community Outreach Programme, working with thousands of voluntary and community organisations across the UK to build people’s confidence around the switchover, giving them the information and support they need to make the switch to digital TV. Working with local voluntary and community sector partners, the programme has provided information and advice to target groups at over 3,500 community events so far, spreading the message about switchover to over 500,000 people.
At the event, Ed Vaizey praised the work of the community outreach programme, saying: “Digital Outreach is an excellent example of how a social enterprise can contribute to delivering the Big Society model, recognising and working with the grain of what people are doing on the ground, and interacting with members of the community we really want to reach.”
Click here to read more.