Eve Croft

Years of hard work and commitment paid off for CGM CRC’s Eve Croft earlier this month when she scooped the top prize at the Interserve Training Trust Awards at Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens.

The Trust, a charitable body established in 1981, aims to promote and recognise training achievements within the Interserve Group as well as advancing the education of it’s employees and volunteers.

Eve, the winner of the Exceptional Achievement Award for 2016, is a Volunteer Coordinator with CGM CRC (Cheshire & Greater Manchester Community Rehabilitation Company) having joined probation straight from University sixteen years ago.

She said: “I was really shocked when they announced my name. I’ve never actually won an award before and I really didn’t expect to win this one.”

“For me winning is not only welcome recognition of all the effort I’ve put into furthering my education over the years, especially this last year, but it’s also recognition that doing so, and gaining new qualifications, is truly worthwhile.

“The fact is that a lot of people have skills they’ve acquired, from various parts of their lives, which they can’t objectively prove they possess.

“Acquiring new qualifications enhances not only your professional credibility, especially with new contacts and in new situations, but it also enhances the credibility of your employer. In my case the ILM Management of Volunteers is especially useful in that regard.

“Doing this, becoming qualified, is also a great confidence booster. There’s a real feeling of pride when you get those certificates, a real sense of achievement. And I have to say it felt good knowing that I could still do all that academic stuff 16 years after leaving University!”

Eve was keen to pass on to other would-be learners what she’d learned in her own educational journey, saying: “You need to be clear about what you’re embarking on and what it is you want from the qualification.

“Do your research and ask yourself if this is the right qualification, how much of your time it will it occupy and how much will it cost. And most of all you will have to learn to plan your time properly!”

Donna Yates, Community Director for CGM CRC and Eve’s manager, said:

“Eve’s ambition to widen her understanding and expand her knowledge is second to none and I had no hesitation in putting her forward for the award.

“Her outstanding dedication to her job is demonstrated by the fact that her recruitment and training of our volunteers is the very epitome of best practice.

“In addition to this Eve has remained committed to her own continuous professional development, gaining numerous qualifications in the last twelve months, including ILM Management of Volunteers, a Higher Level Apprenticeship in Leadership & Management and an NVQ Level 5 Diploma in Management.

“Despite a busy job, being a mum and contributing to the development of the business, Eve has still found the time to work hard at achieving these qualifications. This was no easy task and her achievement is a genuine credit to her. We’re all very proud of her.”

You can read more about this years Interserve Training Trust Awards here.