It has been a few weeks since I have contributed and this has been down to my husband’s illness, a few much needed days away in Cornwall and the mountain of work involved in starting a new and exciting contract.

Firstly, Phil has recently been told that his cancer has spread, an inevitable message we knew that we would receive from the doctors but one that is still very hard to deal with. His amazing consultants have discussed next steps and he has opted to try a relatively new and innovative cancer treatment. We have had to make many recent trips to London to initially establish that he is suitable for the therapy, he is! So, we travel again this week for him to have the first cycle. There has been massive uncertainty, difficult decisions to ponder and make but we both feel there is now a plan and greater feelings of hope and optimism in our lives again. Phil has been very lucky, as he has health insurance, to be able to access this treatment and we are also very lucky that we both have the skills and knowledge to motivate ourselves to maintain a positive mindset and push ourselves to get up every morning and to keep going, whatever life is throwing at us.

Others in life may find that the challenges and barriers in front of them are too great and they need help to find their way again and this is where our business Motiv-8 helps. It has recently been awarded a contract to help those who have been affected by the pandemic and who currently find themselves out of work and unable to move forward with their lives. It is not yet fully known or understood the longer-term effects that the pandemic will have on society but many who have not been working are finding it extremely difficult to motivate and inspire themselves back into employment. We are experiencing people who feel lost, abandoned, isolated and have a bleak and depressing vision of their own abilities and where they fit in society. The contract called the Restart scheme is part of the Government’s ‘plan for jobs’ and we are working in partnership with Seetec Pluss who are working with the Department of Work and Pensions to support 106,000 unemployed individuals across the South-West back into work over the next four years. Our part of this contract is focussing specifically on people in East Devon and we are working out of The Beehive in Honiton alongside the local job centre who refer people to the scheme. The contract has created seven new employees in Motiv-8 and as the scheme builds momentum we will be recruiting more employees who are responsible for supporting those who need it most back into training, education or employment. But we cannot do this without the help and support of the local community. If you know of any local opportunities for employment then do get in touch, we have dedicated people to engage with the local businesses and education establishments and they would love to talk to you.

Motiv-8 is an amazing business and we work on a philosophy of continuous improvement, we work hard on our culture that truly reflects our values and one that offers opportunity and empowerment to all those that are either employed or who engage with us. Motiv-8 started from small beginnings but our continued investment in employing excellent people has meant that it has continued to grow and succeed in gaining new contracts from Scotland to Wales and across the entire UK. We totally believe in our strapline that ‘every individual matters’ no matter what your background and that no-one should be left behind. Personally, during some of our darkest days, this business has played a huge part in giving us a reason to keep going, giving something back and creating a legacy that both Phil and myself will always be so proud of.