About me
My experience
Hi, I'm Mark, thanks for looking around my website. If you are here then you're probably wanting to make changes in your life, or have goals or a dream you want to achieve, and would like some help and support to get there.
So who am I?
After a career in retail banking I decided I wanted to leave the corporate world and make changes in my life; so I took a year out to travel around Australia and New Zealand. Then after returning to the UK I've had a 20 year career in the charity sector, working within different areas: homelessness, mental health & emotional wellbeing, children & young people, sexual health, LGBTQU+ communities, exploitation & crime prevention, and youth unemployment.
I've worked in support roles with clients, in project management, and at a senior leadership level.
I'm now a self-employed life coach, freelance consultant & fundraiser, and in 2021 I set up a Community Interest Company to support young people to have their voices heard and raise awareness or campaign around issues that affect their lives or that matter to them.
I gained my Diploma in Transformational Life Coaching in 2016 with Animas Coaching. I find it rewarding to watch people grow and flourish through coaching, as they make positive changes in their lives and achieve their goals and dreams.
My interests
Beyond travelling, my interests include tennis, I love playing tennis (quite badly) and watching live tennis; I enjoy being outdoors, whether at my allotment, walking in woods or camping in a field somewhere; I like going to gigs and the theatre; and in recent years I've learned that I can be quite creative (I was in denial about that for years)!
My values
I've come to realise the importance of living true to our values, if we want to live a happier, more fulfilled life.
There are many things I value in myself, in others, and in the world around me, including spending time with my friends and family; the natural environment is particularly important to me; being honest, transparent and having integrity.
Why choose me as your life coach
That's an important question. If you take the decision to work with a Life Coach it's important they feel a good fit for you. Similarly for me as a Life Coach, I might not feel I'm the right fit for some people and vice versa.
Another consideration is around choosing a qualified coach as only 1.6% of practitioners are actually certified (Source: 2020 ICF Global Coaching Study). My Diploma is accredited by the International Coaching Federation.
Past clients have said that I'm interested in them; that I might challenge them, but with compassion and sensitivity; that I am reliable and can build trust and create a safe space for them to be open and honest, and perhaps brave; and that I am good humoured and enjoy having fun.