Employee Spotlight: Alison Collington - Young Enterprise & Young Money

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We believe that the potential of the UK’s young people is unlimited. Through our work we help them discover, develop & celebrate their skills

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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: ALISON

Alison Collington has worked with YE for 5 years and is the Project Manager for our flagship Tenner and Fiver Challenges.

What are you responsible for at YE? Running Tenner and Fiver Challenge. both are free national enterprise programmes and around 77 000 young people will be taking part this year.

Describe a typical working day? From communicating with schools all over the UK, designing content on website, writing copy for marketing campaigns to designing the resources available online. I am also responsible for all the competitions we run weekly and nationally and organising the two national awards events. No day is ever the same!!

What attracted you to working at YE? I am passionate about supporting young people and helping them to find a rewarding future in work and life. I like working with a charity and people, that I feel, can really make a difference.

What are the best bits about your role? Hearing feedback from people who took part, even if for some, the challenges didn’t always quite go as planned. It’s important that everyone has the chance to find out about their interest and talent at school and have opportunities to build character development from a young age. That’s when the job satisfaction really kicks in.

What is something you have learnt in the last week? We have a 10 minute “grace period” to avoid getting hit by fines when parking tickets run out. Just saying…!

What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this? I’d be a DJ – I’m seriously thinking about buying a mixing deck! My family will be so relieved I didn’t say a singer!

Who inspires you? Impossible to name just one person – I most admire people who have a passion about all they do, and I’ll look for integrity and courage too. For me, it’s always following this inspiration that leads to action.

What would you most likely tell yourself at age 13? Don’t give up on sport – you will one day run the London Marathon (I did both!)

What does true leadership mean to you? Calmness, excellent motivator and always ready to listen and take on change to get the results!

What three traits define you? Positive, energetic and probably too enthusiastic!

What do you like to do when you’re not working? I go to theatre or live music and walking

What would you name an autobiography of your life? ‘Always and forever…’

If you could pick one superpower, what would it be? Travelling back in time – so many people I would love to have met and maybe even my younger self!