Posted: 08/04/20
Coach helps students REALISE strengths in tough times
A Newstead-based life coach has been lending her skills to students from West Nottinghamshire College, to help with motivation and emotional and spiritual wellbeing during these uncertain times.
Sarah McNicol has been helping students overcome barriers and improve potential
Transformation coach Sarah McNicol has almost 30 years of experience in coaching and mentoring. Her interest was first sparked in this field after attending a transformation training course herself. Eventually qualifying as a coach she sold her architectural glass business and began to teach and coach graduates in enterprise and business at Nottingham Trent University.
She has worked with business leaders, large organisations, individuals and students both in the UK and abroad, helping them to achieve their potential and create happy and fulfilling lives.
Since Coronavirus emerged she’s focused on providing coaching support on a weekly basis to support people working at home who would normally be working in the office, to help them feel less isolated and cope with the challenging circumstances. It is hoped that it will help them feel supported and connected as well as be constructive and productive and in a strong position when we come out the other side.
Over the last few weeks, several groups of students at West Nottinghamshire College, who are now having their lessons delivered online by tutors, have met with Sarah online for her REALISE coaching programme, as part of their regular tutorial sessions. This opportunity has been funded by DANCOP - the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Programme. It is is a partnership of universities and colleges from across the two counties, working together to raise the aspirations of young people. The Nottinghamshire division is based within the heart of West Nottinghamshire College.
Sarah said: “The REALISE programme will help students to be more confident, get an idea of what they want to do in the future and know how to take steps towards that. I help them to see what they want and how to create it, how to feel more confident and how to deal with life’s ups and downs.
“The aim is for them to feel more confident in themselves, have a sense of direction and know how to take steps towards what they want. To understand that they are in the driving seat of their life and by their own choices and actions they can achieve their ambitions.”
Each week has focused on a different topic to help students to discover what is important to them, their likes and dislikes and their values. Sarah’s coaching helps them develop a vision for the future and teaches them skills for dealing with the ups and downs in life, as well as learn how to speak in public and contribute better to group sessions.
Jo Hayes, a 17-year-old student on the BTEC National Foundation Diploma in Performing Arts, has recently taken part in the REALISE sessions online at home. She said: “It’s taught me new coping strategies that I now use regularly. If these current hard times were to come before this programme I don't think I would have coped half as well as I am doing now. It has really helped me in the last few weeks, not only with college work, but basic day-to-day life.
“The biggest thing the sessions have shown me is to have self-belief and to know what I want and when I would like to achieve things. This has helped me massively going into the second year of my course as I know what I'm working towards and I have goals. It’s also given me confidence within myself and I won’t judge myself too harshly if I go wrong as I now have the motivation to try again until I get it right.”
To find out more about Sarah’s coaching and transformational programmes visit her website on www.sarahmcnicol.com
