As we approach the festive season we want to send you our best wishes after what has been an unsettling and challenging year for us all.

We are pleased that many of our students have found comfort and fulfilment in home study – whether they have been studying with us for a while or recently decided to learn something new. We would like to congratulate all of our students on their successes and achievements in these difficult circumstances. We are looking ahead to 2021 and helping new and existing students achieve their goals.

We have strived to do our utmost to support you with as little disruption as possible and we will continue to do so as we all move into the New Year.

Please note, we are closed from 12pm on Christmas Eve, December 24, reopening at 9am on Monday, January 4. If you enrol with us over the Christmas period, we will despatch course materials on our return on January 4.

We would like to wish all the very best for the holiday season and for the New Year.

From us all at BSY

We wanted to provide you with an update on our plans in light of the government’s announcement to introduce a second lockdown in England from Thursday 5th November in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

 We are continuing to operate as close to normal as possible within all Government guidelines – with many of our staff continuing to work from home.

As before, we hope we have implemented all of the right measures to ensure a seamless service for you, and one which ensures safety for all involved and we continue to accept new enrolments onto courses and welcome back past students.

We receive postal assignments daily, but please remember you can also submit your assignments by email to assignments@bsygroup.co.uk, this will be marked and returned to you as soon as possible.

In line with the latest developments, Practical Training at BSY is postponed until further notice. We are aware that the situation will be fluid following the lockdown and we will provide updates on any changes to this as soon as we have them.

We consider learning to be a great source of comfort and fulfilment and home-study is a great way to make positive use of any free time you may have. We are here to support you and your self-development in any way we can.

We will continue to communicate any updates and we wish you and your loved ones all the very best during this period.

From us all at BSY.

Remember, you can stay up to date with the latest public health information at:

• https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus (from here you can also access help and advice for businesses and the self-employed)
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

*As public health is devolved in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Government guidance should be considered alongside local public health and safety requirements and legislation in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For advice to businesses in other parts of the UK please refer to guidance set by the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government, and the Welsh Government.

Volunteer life coach Fabiola Props

Fabiola Props, who graduated BSY’s Life Coaching course with Distinction, is now putting her skills to exceptional use to help refugees in Belgium.

She says: “As a volunteer life coach I’m helping refugees from Syria to get to terms with their new life circumstances: teaching Dutch to a mother and her disabled daughter who cannot go to the official integration programmes due to their physical problems.

“Using all the techniques of the Life Coaching course, and of my professional and personal expertise in different areas, I try to get them back into their own personal strength and to help them create a new life, in a new country, with different languages and habits, in a rather hostile environment towards refugees from Arab regions.

“I learn a lot from them, and hope to help them on their way to feeling well in this new country and to being confident, in becoming more independent. One of the daughters is now studying to get her driving licence, the mother and younger sister are slowly finding their way in the language (spoken and written), needing to explain themselves when they go to hospital to get dialysis.”

Since 1987 Fabiola has worked in the financial sector, tourism, ethical banking and health food, mostly in sales jobs. In many of these jobs she trained people and tried to enhance the quality and unity of the team by enhancing the self esteem and different talents of each of the members, and through a cooperative style of leadership.

Fabiola continues: “In my personal life often people came to me when in need, and I tried to help them by listening to their story, sometimes giving them advice from my own experiences in life.

“One of my spiritual teachers told me about BSY, and advised me to check out the correspondence courses. As a result of this I started the Life Coaching Course in 2015.

“The Life Coaching Course offers an opportunity to fine-tune techniques of building a bridge towards other people, by listening and by gently getting them in motion when they ask for help, out of lethargy or a negative spiral, and thus enhancing them to get a grip on their lives, whatever the circumstances.

“For me the letting go of what I want/foresee as a solution for another person was an eye opener and still one of the most difficult things to do. Each person has a different life and background, and thus a different set of values/preferences/abilities to realise a goal or get to terms with his/her life.

“What I think is the best does not have to be the best for someone else. The most important thing is getting some movement into a stuck situation, from that moment on there’s a possibility of positive change.”

Fabiola’s last job as a coach was in an insurance office, where she tried to transfer a different way of co-working and get more ethical practices in business. This resulted in a very positive working drive, combining both true connection with the clients and good sales results.

Due to health issues Fabiola had to stop working, but continues her coaching practice as a voluntary coach/teacher with the Belgian NGO Auxilia vzw. This organisation helps children in difficult situations with their homework and also helps newly arrived refugees with the language and culture.