Zenergi brings school business professionals together for a day of networking, professional development, and tips to manage stress and develop a positive mindset at Invest in You Croydon conference
Zenergi’s second Invest in You conference of the year brought together school business professionals from schools and colleges in the South East to the spectacular setting of Addington Palace in Croydon on Wednesday 5 July.
The event provided delegates with a well-planned mix of CPD gained through informative workshops, alongside sessions designed with wellbeing in mind. The day allowed lots of time for delegates to network with their peers as well as to meet with a range of exhibitors offering products and services designed to save schools time and money.
Darren Edwards, a former mountaineer and Army Reservist, joined us to deliver his powerful and moving talk about his own personal story of overcoming a life-changing injury and demonstrating how to overcome adversity with a positive mental outlook. Darren generously spent time talking with delegates for whom his story resonated with their own experiences, and two members of the audience won a signed copy of Darren’s book in the prize draw. One member of the audience described the session as “truly inspirational”.
Delegates enjoyed a long break, allowing time to meet with exhibitors to understand the products and services on offer, as well as to bag some goodies!
The positive mental outlook conversation continued with self-development and career coach Nadia Ismail bringing some practical advice to help delegates develop a toolkit for positive mental health and wellbeing that can be applied to both work and personal life.
During the lunch break, delegates were able to make the most of the spectacular setting, enjoying ice cream and prosecco in the sunny grounds of the Palace, and allowing a good amount of time to catch up with colleagues and visit the exhibition.
The afternoon offered three workstreams to allow delegates to choose sessions that would offer the most value. Topics included net zero and decarbonisation; cyber security; procurement and compliance; and how to benefit from high-speed broadband in the classroom. Alongside these workshops, The Workplace Yoga Company offered two opportunities to join in with Desk Yoga and Mindfulness to help let go of stress, boost mood, and cultivate a calm and clear presence of mind.
After the final break a panel discussion offered delegates the opportunity to hear from two school practitioners sharing their successes on implementing sustainable practices within their schools which sparked conversation in the room and offered a wealth of practical ideas for delegates to take back to school. A final closing session provided an update on the energy market and information on current energy prices with advice on options for renewals, before one lucky winner picked at random was presented with the hamper for participating in ‘exhibitor bingo’.
Thank you to our brilliantly collaborative delegates who brought a lovely community feel to our event; our exhibitors who furnished delegates with arms full of information and freebies; and all our suppliers and team for putting on a wonderful event for school leaders.
Hear what delegates said for themselves…
“Thank you for a lovely day.”
“Loved the food and the ice cream and fizz.”
“Thanks for putting this on, good time of year to do it too.”
“Lots of info to take back to my team.”
“Thanks very much, was great to get out of the office.“
The Invest in You series of events aims to address the demands the role of the school business professional places on those at the sharp end of managing ever tighter budgets and increasing workloads. The day is designed with wellbeing in mind, while enabling delegates to learn about important topics including cyber security, compliance and decarbonisation. The event aims to leave delegates feeling refreshed and energised, armed with a toolbox of tips and ideas ready to overcome their challenges.
