Husband and wife, (Liam and Ruth,) have ran First Avenue Training for the past 18 years but the time has come for them to take a well-earned break so will be retiring from the day to day running of First Avenue Training from the 31st of December 2021. They will still be involved but as governors overseeing the strategic running of the company. Before we wave goodbye and hail in the new bosses let’s look back to how it all started. For a company not only to survive but to thrive for more than 18 years is something to be celebrated.
Ruth’s background has always been childcare, starting as a Nanny, Nursery Worker, Childminder, to teaching at college. She has been dedicated in improving the quality of care for children. Ruth wanted to offer opportunities to learners who had not had access to training in more remote areas and give them a chance. Her goal, to set up a company to deliver high quality, worked based training for the Early Years, accessible to all.
First Avenue Training was therefore set up 18 years ago. “Why the name?” I hear you ask. Well, it was simply the address of the first office. Despite the sad/funny acronym, FAT has stood the test of time and now is a well-known and respected training company specialising in educating the next generation of childcare professionals. There have been various staff members that have come and gone over the years, with Liam joining the company in October 2008. He brought with him expertise in sales, marketing, and finance and with his support the company became even more of a force to be reckoned with. With Ruth at the helm, it has always been a very friendly and caring company. Encouraging her staff to continue their own professional journey and having high expectations of the students has created great results over the years. I am sure Ruth has lost count of how many students she has taught, the fact that many have come back over the years to take the next level is a testimony to Ruth, personally and professionally.
When you speak to Ruth, she will say the biggest joy is seeing a student with perhaps no previous qualifications and lacking confidence, complete a course successfully. Her biggest challenge? keeping going through some difficult times, not least Covid, without losing the quality of delivery. Also, the ever-changing hoops to jump through just to keep up with regulations, funding and fighting the cause for the smaller companies.
Ruth and Liam will be missed and she says she is proud (and so she should be!) of spending years building a company that has such a good reputation, a small turnover of staff and an ethos that supports learners and staff to progress professionally and personally.
