Henry, a one time apprentice and a Data Delivery and Insight manager from Legal & General, completed his ILM Level 4 over the summer. He's recently changed jobs and is managing a team of brand-new apprentices. As someone who knows the journey inside out, and its challenges, he is the perfect expedition lead, with a more hands-on and individualistic approach since he completed his qualification. In this interview, he dives into that management approach and how it helps his team to flourish. Let's discover Henry's story...

Tyran is a self-described 'serial careerist’ who loves to learn in every job that he’s in. When we caught up with him, he’d just finished an apprenticeship in Maintenance Engineering, and was looking forward to taking a degree next year. He told us about the highs and lows of an apprenticeship, and has some sound advice for new apprentices.

Food and volunteering are inextricably linked. Food is good for the soul, and so is lending your time, skills and energy for the greater good, and both bring communities together. For some, our fondest memories centre around food and random acts of kindness. Sometimes the two merge - when you baked a lasagne for the family with a new baby, or when you volunteered at a food kitchen. In this brand new feature to The Happy Manual, we step inside The Green Kitchen to meet Training Advisor, and vegetarian home cook, Stephanie Mills.

Rachael Southcott of Noah’s Ark Charity talks to us about the importance of volunteers and how they can bring a bit of sparkle to a child’s day.

Volunteer your time between rows of planters, bees and butterflies with ILM apprentice, and Inspire Programme Development Manager, Gareth Martin.

Volunteering is a gift you give to your community. When you lend your time, energy and focus, without expectation to others, you’ll experience a wellbeing lift. It changes how you see and feel about yourself. When how we act is motivated by kindness, to support a cause and prioritise it over the stresses and strains in your own life, it’s a mood regulator, so says The Mental Health Organisation. Kindness is linked to self-esteem, increased wellbeing, it makes us feel more active and changes our brain for the better. It’s as good for you to volunteer, as it is for the community. In this episode of The Calm Club, Training Advisor Sue Hampson, along with her New Zealand-based daughter, Kellyanne, and her brand new granddaughter, chats about how volunteering creates a community when your support network of family and friends are far away.

Training Advisor Jess Webb describes her experience as 'Bluebell', a volunteer leader at her local Rainbows unit.

The MenShed in Clydach has become a hub for the community, and, as the shed manager, Belinda Gardiner has brought together people from all walks of life. There are MenSheds all over the world and you’ll never find two the same. Designed to help men talk about their mental health, the MenSheds were formed due to research that showed men are more likely to open up when they’re working side by side on a task, than in a face-to-face conversation.

TSW Training’s Quality Manager, Lindsay Sandall, tells us all about bouncing her way to happiness with the latest Zumba inspired fitness craze, Funky Bounce.

How we wish we could start this podcast with the iconic riff from Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain'! We'll get to why in a second. But first, let us introduce you to engineering apprentice at FSG Tool and Die, Rhodri Jones. At FSG he's put his skills to the test on a national stage at Skills Wales and he's on his way to Blackpool in 2022 for UK Skills. During his studies he's realised his life goal; to work for Formula 1 (there's the Fleetwood Mac link!) Listen in to Rhodri's story in this latest episode of The Happy Manual: An Extra Smile.