Happy Christmas To Our ABC Audience

We would line to wish all our audience a very, Happy Christmas.

Special thanks must go to all those who have assisted the ABC in 2017. Christopher Johnson, friend, adviser, administrator and all round unwavering supporter. Co-director David Chivers. Tomas Kasiulis and the magnificent, University of Essex, VTeam. Our student volunteers, not in particular order, include: Aba Darko, Jack Hicks, Cherry Lam, Aiste Rapalaviciute, Joanie De Muro, Vilius Gudziunas, Isabel Buliani, Mihaela-Georgiana Mihailescu, Aishwarya Balan. We also remember our alumni at this time of year and those who have assisted us in the past.  There’s a whole bunch of you as you know. Over 50 students have worked with the ABC and in 2018 we want to grow that number.

We have had 70 000 visitors and we have almost 15 000 contacts that have grown over time. We have around 2 000+ articles now in our archive. We have very exciting plans for next year and we are looking forward to building a relationship with a team of MA students in the Literature Film & Theatre Department under senior lecturer, Annecy Lax.

There is a whole host of others we could mention of course. We must give a mention to Roddy Swearngin at ART19, Inc. in San Francisco, James Brown at Proactive UK Ltd and Carol Spiers, Chair of the International Stress Management Association (ISMA) and founder of National, now International Stress Awareness Day.

We must say a very special thanks to UnLtd and BIG Lottery for our initial support and Gareth Bickerton, the former director of UnLtd who saw the potential, and coined the name we are best known by, ‘The ABC’. Ben Green and the Team at This is Fever who built our website.

We are extremely grateful to Foundation East that have helped so many entrepreneurs get a start, and locally Community360 an organisation in Colchester that fosters and nurtures social enterprises.

All those in the DWP Select Committee, but a special mention of, Frank Field MP, Parliament TV, Europarl TV and a mention or the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House and even statesman Michael Heseltine who gave us some kind words during the year. Our new-found friends in politics in Northern and Southern Ireland. All those who send us information daily from political parties, think-tanks, NGO’s, Not-for-Profits and the European Union.

Lastly, family and friends.

We know it is very tough right now. We know there are ‘job snobs’ who can look down on those unwaged or struggling in precarious employment and on low incomes. However, we also know that a far greater number, millions more people in fact, who identify with, and fully understand the plight of those struggling on low incomes. The threat posed by a lack of social mobility and inequality of wealth in a country, run by an uncaring, out-of-touch government, cling onto high office but no longer reflecting the wishes of most of the people. The tide will turn as it does in human affairs and things will get better.

The ABC is truly international and in 2018 we will be growing our offer to a larger international base of citizens.

Before I bore you all by droning on…. Thank you to all those who have supported the ABC. Have a very Happy Christmas, drive safely - if you have a car, and don’t drink more than your doctor if indeed you can afford to drink at all! Stay warm, stay safe and stay well.

Best Wishes,

Simon COLLYER

ABC Founder,  

Lastly if you are a student who is interested in volunteering and taking part in a formal programme in 2018, please email us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.