ABC Founders Birthday

Simon Collyer

It is ABC founder Simon Collyer’s birthday today: November 25th. 

****

I would just like to say a special thank you to all those who have helped me found the ABC and this includes Christopher Johnson - a finer friend no one could have. Without the help from Chris I would have not have made it this far. A big thank you to Chris for being my helper, strategist, sounding board and mate!! 

I would also like to say a special thank you to, Tomas Kasiulis, Volunteering Coordinator, of the Essex University, Student Union VTeam, who is giving us so much support currently. Essex are one of the UK’s finest universities with an international reputation, [especially] in Politics. We are going to have a student crew from the University working with us early next year, and I am looking forward to meeting you all next week.

I would especially like to thank Gareth Bickerton, a [former] director and expert practitioner from UnLtd, who saw the potential of the ABC and put me forward for a Millennium Award. A great honour and the spark that ‘lit the ABC fire’. Also, we must thank our friends at BIG Lottery for their support.

We have some exciting plans, but for now we have been steadily building up the content and building up our relationships with a wide range of people and organisations. There are many other people I could mention, whose help has been invaluable.

I was excited this week when mid-week, I found that if you typed ‘Autumn Statement’ into Google - the ABC was featured just below the Government website, but just ahead of the BBC!! 

Next year, as ABC founder - I am featuring in a documentary film series by Applecart Films about the effects of poverty on people. A counter to the Jeremy Kyle/Benefit Street offer, that has so derided the image of job seekers and others managing on low incomes.

The ABC are partners of the Electoral Commission [promoting registering to vote by this hard-to-reach group] and this year I attended a business course at the renown Cambridge University, Judge Business School, thanks to Social Incubator East. We have had a lot of additional help locally from Colchester Community Voluntary Service, an umbrella organisation that helps organisations with a social mission.

We have worked in conjunction with Oxford University, and the Colchester Institute Film and Media Department, winning a prestigious ‘Collins Award’ for a documentary film featuring a ‘Career in Watersports' with Brightlingsea sailboard legend, David ‘Whitey’ White.

And much more of course....

I may not be very productive today! But thank you all,

Best Wishes,  

Simon COLLYER

ABC Founder

Image: Interior of the Cambridge University, Judge Business School.