What is The Colour Works Foundation?
Founders of The Colour Works Foundation, Giles and Liz, believe passionately that really understanding yourself is the stepping stone to discovering your unique contribution to society and being able to live a life full of purpose, happiness and hope.
Through our state-of-the-art colour model, we enable young people to develop self-belief. With this foundation, we work with them on understanding the differences in others so that they are able to build stronger, more collaborative relationships and make better life decisions.
Without self-belief, young people either shrink and withdraw or lash out in frustration and despair. Some of the most socially excluded in our society have no self-belief, perpetuating their isolation.
The growing dependence on social media by developmentally vulnerable adolescents has been proven to negatively affect their sleep, their interpersonal skills and their self-image, leading to anxiety and depression.
Many teenagers are unhappy by the time they leave school, often feeling like failures and lacking confidence.
Why is it needed?
8 in 10
Under 34-year-olds in the UK identify as being ‘always or often’ lonely – British Red Cross.
71%
Of employers value emotional intelligence (EQ) over IQ – 2011 Career Builder Survey.
Research by the Demos Think Tank suggests that happiness amongst teenagers declines as they grow up, with many concerned that their schooling is only helping them to pass exams. The findings come amongst growing calls for youngsters to be taught skills and abilities outside lessons, such as character and grit that will help them later in life.
Those young people who end up not in employment, education or training (NEET) have a much higher chance of developing mental health issues, getting involved with drugs, depending on benefits, going to prison – all of which is not only a waste of their own potential but also a huge cost to society.
What we do
We run an 8-week programme with young people based on The Colour Model. The full course outline can be downloaded below.
By building self-belief through our colour profiling tool, we equip young people with tools that build confidence and resilience. Participants develop strong interpersonal and communication skills so that they are able to make positive life choices for themselves.
Through a tailored programme of group workshops, using models and methods that have proven success with private and public sector employers, we cover:
- Self-Awareness
- Who am I?
- What am I great at?
- What do I struggle with?
- What inspired me?
- Self-Management
- What frustrates me?
- Do I react or respond?
- How well do I present myself?
- How do I build resilience?
- Understanding Others
- Who do I naturally get on with and who not?
- Why might that be?
- How might I learn to value the differences?
- Relationship skills
- How do I come across to others?
- Who are the critical people in my life?
- How might I adapt my style to better meet their needs?
- Decision-Making
- Do I have a purpose?
- What help do I need to make better decisions?
Course programme
- I can recognise personality types
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Understand the colour model and recognise the colour energies in myself and others.
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- I value differences in people
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Recognise that some people are very different from me and that their strengths can complement mine.
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- I am enough
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Acknowledge that, like everyone else, I have both strengths and weaknesses, and that’s fine.
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- I can manage my emotions
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Understand how emotions govern behaviour and recognise self-management techniques that work for me.
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- I can develop healthy relationships
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Acknowledge that some relationships are difficult and take responsibility for my contribution.
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- I can communicate effectively
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Recognise the need to adapt my style and have improved strategies for communicating and presenting.
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- I am a team player
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Be able to recognise team roles and the value my own and others’ styles bring to the whole.
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- I know what’s next
- Move forward with 3 clear learning outcomes.
