Welcome! I am Cathy Fieldhouse, the CF of CF Project Support. Not very imaginative I know. My advice is to not name your business at 3am while nursing a 9 month old baby! 😆
I have been an IT Consultant since October 2011. I had several great years working in different parts of the UK and Europe with IntoSolutions Ltd, then a miracle happened and my role had to change. My daughter’s arrival in 2016 meant I would need to be mostly home-based for a few years.
My boss and mentor, Paul Slater, supported me setting up on my own and taking on one of our big clients, the Cineworld Cinemas Group. CF Project Support was founded in February 2017 as I came to the end of my maternity leave.
My dream from the beginning was to create a business support consultancy that would provide flexible, affordable services to local businesses and flexible employment to local parents. However, between my work with Cineworld and family life I never seemed to have the time or the drive to grow the business locally.
In April 2019 I made my first hire! My friend and fitness trainer, Harvin Dempsey, joined as my assistant and accountability coach. Together we started to make big plans.
Harvin is a certified Mental Health First Aider and a trainee counsellor. Her background in fitness and mental health opened up whole new exciting avenues for us. The direction of the business shifted from just IT solutions to a holistic range of community focused services.
September 2019 my husband Stuart joined the business too. You know how every school has one of those teachers with either weird ties or socks? Usually they are a science or maths teacher. Stuart was well known for his odd socks and sandals…
He left teaching summer 2019 to work part-time for CF Project Support and to support our children as one transitioned to secondary school and the other started preschool at our local primary.
Stuart is our Inclusion and Education Consultant. He has a keen understanding of the issues that cause discomfort to employees with autism and sensory processing difficulties, from personal experience and 15+ years working in the SEND community including 12 years teaching secondary science at an award winning special needs school.
Sophie Parker joined us in February 2020 to manage our accounts, marketing and social media.
Slowly things were taking shape.
We were preparing to launch team wellbeing days, inclusion training, mental health in the workplace support and so much more.
Then lockdown happened.
We made the hard decision to furlough most of the team, with Sophie working part-time so we would be able to maintain a presence. Two months ago we also hired Social Media Manager Sharon Crowley to help push our profile as we prepare to relaunch in September.
But we haven’t been idle during lockdown. The team are also responsible for Stuart’s tuition business, Outside Education, which was founded in February this year. We have put our efforts into creating a community hub and training centre in Prestwich. There is still a lot to do including tidying up the outside space. Grand Opening is 12th September, subject to any changes in the Greater Manchester local lockdown rules.
We are excited about the pending relaunches of both businesses. We look forward to getting to know you and finding out how we can help you grow your business or upgrade your skills. Call or message us for more info.
😁🎉👩💻
