“It is important to look after the wellbeing of staff teams and the session with Francine at our annual training day did just that. Francine has a calm and encouraging way of presenting which engages everybody. My team now has a toolkit of strategies to ensure they take care of themselves and they are still talking about the morning with Francine. An added bonus was the overnight oats which many of them are now making regularly!”
— Nicky Bale Education Consultant Early Years Bristol
“Francine delivered a mindfulness workshop and a healthy breakfast activity at a training day for early years practitioners - it was a great start to the day. The session promoted emotional health through an engaging, thought-provoking introduction to mindfulness and physical health with a nutritious breakfast. There were lots of practical ideas provided as to how to incorporate mindfulness into the delegates’ daily lives, which would support their own wellbeing and their professional roles working with children. Delegates’ feedback included that they found the session enjoyable and informative, and were inspired to share the learning with colleagues and plan to implement the practical ideas in their settings.”
— Jessica Williams, Public Health Principal – Early Years, Bristol City Council
“Francine held an engaging and practical session to encourage staff to think about how they take care of themselves, with practical tips covering nutrition, building resilience, and an introduction to mindfulness with lots of takeaways for the staff to try.
A surprise bonus was making a healthy tasty breakfast which staff thoroughly enjoyed!
Francine delivers in a delightfully easy to follow approach which engages staff in what was a new subject for the group delivered in a work environment.”
— Liz Jones, People and Learning Manager, The National Trust
“Francine provided two mindful wellbeing breakfast sessions for my team - a very diverse group of different service leaders. These sessions provided an oasis in our busy work lives - making time to focus on our wellbeing through a useful audit activity, sampling a delicious breakfast accompanied with useful hints and tips on making food to eat on the go and an introduction to mindfulness. The team valued this time spent on wellbeing and bonding.
Francine was an expert facilitator catering for complete beginners to people who practice mindfulness regularly. There was a great mix of different exercises and the food was delicious - would highly recommend this session.”
— Aileen Fraser Clinical Director Bristol Community Health
“I had a series of coaching sessions with Francine to help me think through my options following redundancy. Her understanding and insight were invaluable at a time when I was feeling quite conflicted and indecisive.
She created a supportive and relaxed environment in which she used a variety of tools and approaches to help me focus and develop my thoughts, and to challenge me. Francine enabled me to feel more confident in understanding my situation and personal needs, and to value the skills and experience I had to offer in a new work setting. This in turn really helped me in making the right choices. The whole process was enjoyable and interesting. I learnt a lot, both about myself and about different ways of approaching challenges and thinking things through - tools which I have been able to use since, either for myself or to share with others.”
— Judith T
“I worked with Francine at a moment of transition and very much feel I wouldn’t be at the stage I am now without that support. It enabled me to take proactive steps to achieve some short-term goals and look practically at what was achievable with the time and resources I had.
I completed some qualifications I’d been delaying on, found an employed contract that served me well and am now running my own successful business full-time. The visioning and mindfulness, in particular, are things I revisit when I need a boost. I couldn’t recommend her more!”
— Nemia M
“I highly recommend Francine Russell for coaching. She helped me through a particularly difficult period in my life and I found her coaching style to be extremely effective.
Francine focused on the positives and has a very emphatic approach. Her skillset, I believe, makes her approach unique and certainly made a difference for me.”
— Marcus Ahmad
“I think anyone attending one of Francine’s Wellbeing at Work days would find it very enjoyable, interesting and helpful. Francine’s approach is extremely accessible and practical and I have taken away several ideas that I could very easily – and inexpensively – incorporate into my life, from the nutrition segment, to personal coaching and mindfulness. The mindfulness section was my particular favourite and I am trying to use these new skills at least once a day.”
— Sharon Miller Coussins Associates Marketing Consultants
“I have heard Francine describe her work for years, and have seen lots of her course outlines and other materials, so I thought I knew what to expect from her Wellbeing at Work session. But I was blown away by it! It’s hard to describe the feeling of actually being there because the ingredients sound so familiar, but somehow, in Francine’s warm and capable hands some real magic happens, and I and all the other participants left feeling inspired, challenged, motivated and informed. I can’t see how anyone could fail to get at least something out of this experience and I’d be surprised if most did not leave feeling as positive and uplifted as we did. Don’t assume you’ve heard it all before, as you haven’t experienced it the Francine way. I want to come again!”
