Ward Williams Chartered Accountants’ Post

 Still aged only 32, ex-England international Reece Lyne knows he’s good enough to carry on running around in Super League. But the experienced centre joined Championship part-timers Doncaster when he recently left relegated Wakefield because he wants to plough more time into his big passion: helping disadvantaged children. Lyne has set up a house in Hull where he’ll help teenage kids who’ve been in care get ready for adult life. He explained: “It’s exciting. I’m just waiting for it to go through the OFSTED process. It’s a single occupancy residency, looking at 16 years plus and then maybe a bit younger, although it’s mainly down to demand. It’s all about getting them ready for that next stage in their life and organised with things which we may class as basic - learning how to manage money, applying for college, things like that - so once they get to adult age they’re independent enough to do it on their own. "There’s such a need for it. The councils have a list of kids who they’re looking to place and there’s just not enough places as there’s so many. That’s where we want to help.” Hull-born Lyne had a turbulent childhood himself and has looked to give back throughout his rugby career. When ex-Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams was RFL president, he gave the player a special award for his voluntary work with young offenders. Lyne added: “I’ve always dived into stuff during my whole career, whether it be with young offenders in Hull or going to mentor at Wetherby prison. And after a decade and more than 200 top-flight games for Wakefield, he knew it was time to move on - and also, to the surprise of many, forget about Super League. Lyne said: “The past couple of years I have found it tough. I’ve not really enjoyed it. I definitely needed to leave Wakefield. And I mean that in the best way as the club means so much to me. I don’t take it lightly. “But I do think it was for the best for both parties. I wish them all the best. It looks like they’re in good hands with a new owner. With me, having this work on the side, I really wanted to crack on with it. I was looking for something different. I still genuinely believe I can play Super League. But I’ve been doing it since I was 16 and gave it my all. I’ll continue to do that with Donny. But I just felt I needed something different to rugby to focus on.”

Great to see the roll out of #ActiveStart in North Yorkshire. We've worked closely with Active Cumbria who developed the programme, to train our very own trainers (see Liz Burkinshaw below!) and are now well underway in delivering, thanks to specific health inequalities funding . 🤩 50 people have been through the training 🤩 Nearly 40 settings have an Active Start resource 🤩 100% of learners say their knowledge and awareness of how much activity is needed in the early years has increased 🤩 100% of learners say their understanding of how to include more activity and active play into their day has increased 🤩 100% of learners say their confidence, inspiration and motivation has increased. The training has involved so much discussion which is great! Learners have come away with more ideas for their setting and have been able to talk through some of the challenges they face; for which we are working on some follow up webinars/support. More training is being planned for North Yorkshire in March: https://lnkd.in/epp4e64E #EarlyYears #PhysicalActivity #PhysicalLiteracy #ActivePlay #learning #Movement

🙋♀️How do you develop your leadership skills and do some good as you do it. 🤲🏻For many years I have volunteered my time and skillset to various charities and voluntary organisations. 🧗🏼♀️i always suggest that I’d like to do something that’s hard for others and potentially challenging for me – like Directing a play for a Drama group of people with learning difficulties or arranging an Irish Sea Dip for 100s on New Years day – you get the picture. 🏍️ This weeks Maverick Mondays is about the “Orange Army” of Marshal volunteers who enable Road Racing on the TT circuit. 🧑🦰People like you and I, who give hours throughout the year to develop their knowledge and skillset and then for 2 weeks of the year are essentially in battlefield conditions on the circuit, and everything they do protects riders, other marshals and public spectators. 🏅 When Promoter of TT , I discovered from UK governing body for motorcycle sport, A.C.U, that many of the UKs most highly qualified technical officials for the sport live in the Isle of Man – shouldn’t have surprised me, just hadn’t realised it . 🤲🏻And all are volunteers. 😮 Each race or practice needs 600 marshals before it can start, and over the 2 weeks in June the weather can disrupt everything ( as has happened more this year than last) so there can be long days. 🙌🏻The “Orange Army” though is like a family, united by a common purpose , crating amazing friendships, camaraderie and determination to do their jobs and keep everyone safe. 🇮🇲 The 37 ¾ mile racing circuit is split into 12 sectors controlled by a Chief Sector Marshal (CSM) and a number of Deputy Sector Marshals (DSM). Each DSM controls a section of the sector, usually a significant corner or a group of marshalling positions within a given area. 🤔 In the last 3 days I’ve met 3 local CSMs, I know, and realised that in their day jobs they are senior leaders. ☑️ So they get to practice different styles of leadership depending on situation and scenarios throughout the racing – acquiring additional leadership skills whilst serving an event they are passionate about. ✅ ✔️”win-win”. 💭 Which can be achieved in many different spheres of volunteering. 💡 So if you want to be a leader, develop the skillset or add new scenarios to test your current skills, volunteering can really help. 😊 And of course , if you’re a bikesport fan, then it doesn’t get much better than marshalling at the TT Races and they’re always delighted to welcome new faces. ❓What are you interested in or passionate about & how could you donate some time for the good of others, that helps you grow too . #Volunteering #Leadership #Growing

The signs were there all along (literally). What a trail running event made me realise about helping your team deliver a brilliant experience for customers. I recently posted about my out-of-work passion of trail running and volunteering for Maverick Race to help deliver events across the country. My job last weekend was to check the course route before the runners to ensure it was clear, correct and still in place (having been laid the previous day) - important in making sure participants successfully made it to the finish. All of this got me thinking about the recipe for success when it comes to delivering great experiences for customers. It turns out that I didn't have to look very far. The answers were staring me in the face in the form of the very course signage I was checking. So, here's my simple 4 rules for success when it comes to enabling your team to deliver brilliant experiences for your customers: #customerexperience #experienceiseverything #humanconnection #3HNA

this is a bit of a different post from my normal LinkedIn feed, but think it is worth publishing. I raced the 2024 Newport to Bermuda offshore sailing race with an awesome crew put together by Patrick Powers and won our division (Finisterre cruiser/racers) outright. It was harsh conditions and of the fleet of 160 boats racing across more than 600 ocean miles, one boat sank outright, another took on water to the point where the crew abandoned ship, another was dis-masted, and another lost their engine, all electrical power, and modern charts. I am confident to say such events attract veterans at a higher percentage than their representation in society for a variety of reasons. They are physically and mentally challenging events where you sleep no more than 3 1/2 hours at a time as you are on a watch schedule, and constantly in motion on the boat and problem solving issues constantly. You are part of a team working together towards a goal and have to endure hardships of no showers, difficult sleeping conditions (hot bunking, noise when you want to sleep), bad coffee, and sometimes cold food. But it is all that that attracts is. The allure of a sense of challenge and danger- facing off with the weather, luck, and other conditions, harkens back to our time in service. It can also be incredibly therapeutic with requirements to slow down, watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and see dolphins, flying fish, and whales. And the quiet and peace of being under sail with no noise but the softness of the wind across your canvas is a blessing that has to be experienced to understand (in between white knuckle moments). Making it even better is the teams association with Gold Star Sailing (goldstarsailing.org), a nonprofit that uses the beauty of sailing as a vehicle to instill confidence and leadership and promote healing for children of fallen US military service members. If you have a chance, please check them out, they are an amazing charity. https://lnkd.in/e_mXYMU6

Diversity in golf is paramount for our industry's growth and sustainability. Embracing diversity fosters inclusivity, opening doors for new perspectives, talents, and innovation. It enriches the fabric of our sport, reflecting the varied backgrounds and experiences of our global community. By promoting diversity, we ensure golf remains relevant and accessible to all, breaking down barriers that may have hindered participation in the past. More importantly, diversity enhances the quality of our workforce, driving creativity and productivity. It also expands our market reach, attracting a broader audience and securing the future of golf as a thriving and dynamic sport. As leaders in golf management, we have a responsibility to champion diversity, creating environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to excel. #golf #golfbusiness #golfmanagement #diversityingolf #golfdiversity #diversityandinclusion

Great little 9 hole short beginners course - my first hole-in-one

Prioritizing physical and mental health makes all the difference in life. Prioritze your well-being and check on others. Stay focused and centered. #healthcare #behavioralhealth #wellbeing #attorney #counsel #priorities #workingmoms #indiana #womenattorneys #crisis #running #mentalhealth #mentalcrisis

We’d just beaten Exeter in the final at Twickenham... In the clip there, I celebrate after seeing someone in the crowd but truthfully, I didn’t know why I was celebrating. My head was in its usual place, despite playing on one of the best pitches in the world and winning a trophy that we'd spent the last 8 months working for. I was engulfed in my pressure paradox, focussing on the poor bits of my game. I had some great moments but some average ones too. (In my head I branded average moments as poor moments because I had such high standards for myself). I know I had made some plays that objectively were wrong but meant some positive outcomes for the team. A tackle here, a shank there, a poor pass. Moments that have been forgotten by everyone else apart from me. I thought I was completely dedicated to the team and the team's performance. But when we allow the ego to dominate our thinking and being, it turns out that we feel empty after a championship win. That’s because the ‘I’ didn’t get validated. The ‘I’ wasn’t perfect. The ‘I’ didn’t get through the game without any errors or ‘average’. ‘I’ wasn’t good enough. Crazy to think. But that is how I felt. My own internal expectations limited my JOY in rugby. They were unrealistic and so high, they were damaging. You know when your team wins but you’ve had a load of errors so you feel unsatisfied… Yeah, that’s because your ego, your sense of self, your separate self, is dissatisfied. The ego often gets branded as the enemy. I understand why that can help people. But branding it as something negative only gives the ego more energy and it is harder to ’tame’. Instead, learning to understand the ego and all of its protective thoughts and ideas is a much more sustainable way to operate. Think swimming with the tide rather than against it. Pro sport (+life) is full of external, uncontrollable things that happen. Today then, I ask the question to you, the reader, What does success mean to you? My underlying, limiting belief upon reflection on my career is that success to me would mean 0 errors. I wonder how as coaches we can support people better to, yes shoot for championships, but on the way continue to learn and grow as a human, especially learning to work with our ego. I am helping people work with their egoic voice. If this post resonated with you and you'd like support on your journey, drop me a DM 'EGO'. #ego #mentalskills #reflections #sportperformance #performance

FAI - The 'Football Accomodation Index' It must be a sure sign of a deeply broken economic system when even upper-flight footballers can't afford to live in the city that their team/employer is located in - must it not? If it's not financially feasible for footballers to stay in the city then what must it be like for catering, hospitality, and health care workers ? Are we destined to live in a nation of sporting 'franchises' like North America rather than teams which embody the identity and culture of their native towns or cities? #distributed #regenerative #wellbeingeconomy #doughnuteconomics 'The commercial success of the city of Inverness – which will always be our home – both as a tourist destination and a place to live, has led to very high prices for the accommodation we require to house players. In addition to these high costs which our competitors do not carry, the extremely limited housing stock in Inverness continues to be both a challenge and a huge factor working against us.' Kirsty Innes, conscious culture and purposeful branding Patrick Wiggins Brian Connolly Lukas Bunse Eddie Wighton Christian Williams