Tuesday 17 December 2013

Merry Christmas from Almond Vocational Link


We wish you all magical, family Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Please see our Christmas opening times below. 

If you wish to contact us during this time please do not hesitate to do so via email:

janetw@almondvoclink.co.uk


            For information about our services please visit              www.almondvoclink.co.uk

Friday 6 December 2013

Meet the team


www.almondvoclink.co.uk
Meet the team

   It's always nice to know who are you reading and writing your emails to :) Here at Almond Vocational Link we are not just a "one man band", we have a very dedicated team, making sure everything is running smoothly. Let us introduce ourselves to you..


Janet Wonnacott
Managing Director

Janet has worked with European Lifelong Learning Programmes since 2004 and she is very passionate about maintaining high standards of service in finding quality work placements and accommodation for students and creating a positive experience for them.
Janet named her Company Almond, as the Almond flower is the first flower to appear in Spring to signify a "new beginning". Janet wants students who come through the organisation to have a good experience, which will give them life-changing opportunities.
Almond Vocational Link has had a prestigious Partnership project approved under the Lifelong Learning Programme in 2009 and also gained many partners under the LLP in Mobility both for students in Initial Vocational Training as well as for People in the Labour market. The Company has also been involved with VETPRO projects  and had a great experience as a co-ordinator of the Grundtvig project. Janet formed many close relationships with partners from abroad that have brought students to us year after year. 


        




Petra Nesbit
 Senior Administrator

After 12 years working as Office Manager, PA to the MD and Secretary to the Management Team in a software house in Germany, she came to Plymouth on the 18th May 2003. During her first 18 months she was working together with Janet Wonnacott as Office Manager on EU-funded projects. Petra then moved on to a training company here in Plymouth, working as Administrator, responsible for student affairs. On the 23rd September  2013, she joined Almond Vocational Link Ltd as Senior Administrator.










          



Kamila Bielawska
     Marketing and Design
Coordinator
Kamila joined the team on 24th September 2013 and took on a role of Marketing and Design Coordinator. After over 7 years of working and managing within the hospitality trade, she gained great experience in event organizing, marketing, customer service and designing promotional materials. Kamila also works for a local Media Company where she writes content, manages social media for small businesses, helps to create banner adverts.











                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                 



Valentina Pelle
     Marketing Assistant
Valentina is one of the Italian participants to the Leonardo Da Vinci Programme and she is undertaking a work experience placement as a Marketing Assistant for our company. Valentina took her Master Degree in Foreign Languages for International Communication in English and French at the University of Turin and after a work experience as Business Developer for an Italian company, she decided to improve her English language skills. She currently deals with the promotion of Almond Vocational Link in Europe as potential partner.













Scott Grenney 
    Website Developer
Scott has been designing websites for a number of years for a wide range of small businesses. Scott works with the Almond Vocational Link’s team to help support Almond Vocational Link's web development. Scott also works in helping promote Plymouth wherever possible and runs his own Media Company.

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Barbican Christmas- social event




Slowly but surely we are getting closer and closer to Christmas (yikes!). Our current group are returning home on the 21st December, so we felt it was an absolute must to inject some festive cheer into them before they go :)


 Plymouth Barbicanis an area of great historical value. Hosting some of the city's eldest buildings it also has one of the largest congregations of cobbled streets in Britain. The historical Mayflower steps , from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail from to America in 1620 are one of Plymouth's most popular tourist attractions. 

On Thursday the 28th of December we invited our students to enjoy some Christmas celebrations on the Barbican. We started by meeting outside of the famous Plymouth Gin Distillery. We took a slow stroll towards the Mayflower Steps where we waited for the Lantern Parade to begin. The plaza was filled with people, many children were holding lanterns, which I must admit looked beautiful. The great Uncle Sam and his American flag were towering over the crowds, reminding us all of the Thanksgiving celebrations that took place on the Barbican earlier that day. 


After the Lord Mayer greeted the crowds it was time for the Father Christmas to arrive by RNLI Lifeboat. The choir was singing as Santa and his elves made their way to the Mayflower Steps, stopping and chatting to all the children along the way. It was truly a "picture perfect" sight, and we all felt like we were kids again for a moment. 

Soon after, it was time for the official Barbican Christmas lights switch-on followed by the Lantern Parade. It was a real feast for the eyes and the great magic of Christmas was in the air. We all followed the parade and were in great awe of the delicate structure and beautiful finish of the lanterns. The large Mayflower ship lantern, giant snowman and even an elf shaped lantern were part of this great festival of light. All of our students complimented on the idea and were enjoying the festive atmosphere. 

Slightly cold and most definitely hungry, we finished off our evening with a delicious dinner on the Barbican. It was a great chance for all of us to catch up, spend some time together, practice English and learn more about Christmas traditions in England and Italy 

To find out more about events on the Barbican please visit: www.barbicanwaterfront.com

Monday 11 November 2013

Social Event - Bonfire Night 2013

Bonfire Night 2013 - Social Event 

I must admit, our team really enjoy organizing and taking part in our popular social events . Those meetings always make a great opportunity for our students to socialize, have fun and learn English at the same time!


This time we invited our students from Germany and Italy to take part in this year's Bonfire Night celebrations on Plymouth Hoe. We started off by meeting in the City Centre, then we took a stroll towards the historical Plymouth Hoe. This year, thousands of people of all ages gathered to enjoy the fantastic entertainment organized by the Plymouth City Council. Live music provided by local bands, various refreshments stands as well as bright and colourful lights of the fairground were all covering the Promenade and truly brought the area to life.                                                               
7.30pm was fast approaching, so we moved closer to the Smeaton's Tower to find the perfect spot and within minutes the spectacle began. We saw a cloud of thick, grey smoke that started whirling around the Smeaton's Tower and making it's way into the crowds. Soon the flames appeared along with a loud cheer from the public. After the Bonfire was lit we turned our heads towards the Royal Citadel and awaited with anticipation for the firework show to begin. We were all kept entertained by the local musicians and popular radio presenters. First sparks lit up the sky shortly after 8pm and the whole show lasted about 20 minutes. Lots of "ooohs" and "aaahhs" were heard from the crowds ,many were also dancing and singing to the popular British tunes that were bursting from the speakers. 

Slightly cold and perhaps a little bit wet from the rain we all made our way to a nearby watering hole "The Pub on the Hoe". We reserved our tables to avoid disappointment, a great move considering that the place was packed by the time we got there. I guess we were not the only ones who thought a trip to the pub afterwards was a good idea :) The students really enjoyed themselves. The two groups mixed well, especially when exchanging tips and info about places to see in the area. Overall it was a great night that brought our groups together and gave them all a cultural and social experience to remember.