Description
Book SynopsisCarmel McConnell's background is a mixture of social activism and business. She is a campaigner and fierce optimist about creating a better world.
While researching her first book Change Activist, in 2000, Carmel interviewed five headteachers in the London borough of Hackney who told her that many of their pupils arrived at school too hungry or malnourished to learn. Carmel started buying and delivering breakfast food to these schools, with remarkable results as children's concentration, behaviour, punctuality and educational attainment significantly improved. As demand for her help grew, Carmel took time out from her City technology consultancy, setting up Magic Breakfast in 2003.
Today, Magic Breakfast and the National School Breakfast Programme (DfE funded to March 2021) provides healthy breakfasts to around 400,000 children in England and Scotland during term time. Carmel was awarded an MBE for her services to school foo
Trade Review
Could Carmel McConnell be our answer to Oprah? ***** This is a great self-help book. I have finished a course of study in a new area after having been a lawyer for too many years. I am now trying to find a job and have had a few setbacks recently. I had reached the stage of wondering whether I had made a big mistake to give up my salary to find something more satisfying to do. I had bought this book for my husband (he still hasn't read it) but decided to have a look at it myself. As a result I now have a revived sense of enthusiasm for job hunting plus some ideas on how to do it more effectively. More importantly I have realised that it is not "mad" to want to make changes and to challenge the status quo. I was once told by one of my bosses that I was too idealistic. This book has helped me to see that he was not idealistic enough. If more partners in law firms had read Carmel McConnell's book I might still be a lawyer! I enjoyed the bright colour of the cover, the difference in print size and type and the easily digestible chunks of wisdom. The exercises are practical-often self-help tasks are so daunting that I give up half-way through. These are manageable but still thought-provoking. I'm so enthused I'm going to look up the web links listed at the back of the book. That's a first for me.
A breath of fresh air! ***** Phew! - what a lady you are Carmel McConnell! This is truly brilliant writing, and, without sounding corny, yes, a book to 'change your life' - but in such a positive and outward looking way...
Table of Contents
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION
- What is a change activist?
- Why change activism is needed now?
- And you should listen to me because..?
- My change activist story
PART 1: CHANGE YOUR LIFE
- How can you take charge of your life?
- How open are you to change?
- What do you stand for?
- If the direction of your life feels unclear, it’s ok, start here
- Passion, purpose, plan for successful change
- What did activism ever do for anyone?
- The benefits of change activism
- Choose action or stay passive
- What do you want to change?
- Is very, very ok to ask for help
- My passion, my purpose, my plan
- Practical activism – here's how
- 10 step self-development plan
- And action – toolkit and exercises
PART 2: CHANGE HOW YOU WORK
- Change Activism can strengthen your bottom line
- What does purpose-led business look like?
- Purpose led companies outperform
- Fairness as a business norm
- To your mind and soul
- How to create multi million pound social partnerships
- Profit and principles
- What’s that got to do with me?
- Change led by you, energises you
PART 3: RADICAL SELF-CARE
- Nourish your mind, body and soul
- Why life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
- Resilience starts with radical self care
- Becoming a priority in your own life
- Your beliefs about reality create your experience of it
- Ask better questions
- Team You
Part 4: A NEW CHANGE ACTIVIST IDEA
- Can we create a post-poverty Britain?
- The L.I.F.E. programme – more information
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
