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Paris Bartholomew

Paris Bartholomew

An extraordinary individual with a compelling, inspiring life story of care lived-experience, personal growth & resilience

Paris is an award nominated CPD trainer, lecturer and motivational speaker who became a looked after child at the age of 6. By the time she left local authority care she had multiple placements in a range of geographical locations, overcoming discrimination, stigma & childhood trauma. Despite all the odds stacked against her, she became a successful educator who is passionate about her work with charities and helping vulnerable people reach their potential.

Paris entered the care system as a result of her birth mother’s prison conviction for abuse which, due to its severity, was featured in the local press. She remained a looked after child in London, Essex and the surrounding areas till formally leaving at aged 18.

In her early ages, she developed a personal interest in psychology, in order to gain some understanding of her own history. Multiple placements took its toll, but Paris, named as one of the most resilient people her social worker had ever met, began to provide support to disadvantaged children within the care system. At aged 19, Paris become an Independent Advisor, attending conferences and giving talks in the wake of the 1989 Children Act. Some of the young people Paris supported were those who had developed mental illness & disorders, in part, due to their disturbed pasts.She won the Whitebread Volunteer Award for her service to a range of charities as a volunteer and currently colunteers for the Royal Society for Blind Children as part of their well-being programme.

After qualifying as a teacher & working as a lecturer in Health, Social Care & Psychology, Paris did a MA in Philosophy / Psychology combined at Middlesex University and began working freelance delivering a combination of education and motivation to young people, social workers, probation staff, foster carers and youth offenders.

She uses a combination of mindfulness and meditation to enhance her own well-being and has a passionate, fun but inspiring approach to her talks. She challenges her audiences to ‘survive, grow and inspire’ others by sharing a range of techniques she uses for achieving this within her own life; her basic message is one of hope & inspiration, her mission, to let her audiences know that recovery from trauma is possible.

The importance of equality, diversity & inclusion is finally getting the recognition it deserves, organisations should be looking to build strong, diverse teams. Paris offers true insight, through her own experience, in order to help you reflect on inclusivity, making a resounding impact - there has never been a better time to book her in order to speak at your event. Paris is a finalist in the CPD Trainer of the Year awards 2023 and has recently been nominated for a National Diversity Award.

Paris lives with an autoimmune disease & COPD, and has been an associate trainer for the Business Disability Forum, advocating for reasonable adjustments in the workplace, especially for those living with invisible disability like herself. Having had a misdiagnosis, then a two year wait for a suitable consultant, she has endured physical & emotional pain, which impacted her mental health in such a way that she had to seek alternative healing & growth. She's a care-expert with vast knowledge, the ability to captivate her audience through natural-ability storytelling and lived-experience - It's a unique opportunity to meet a speaker who has such a wealth of experience to share.

Paris has recently been approved as a formal, registered provider of speaking and training services, having undergone the CPDSO assessment process. Audience members at her talks and workshops, INSET, keynote speak & motivational address, can claim certification and will be awarded CPD points.


Testimonials from Teachers

"Paris was great. We were really pleased with her talk."

– Michael Margerison, The Elmgreen School

"Paris' session was informative, imaginative and intriguing! The learners were encouraged greatly by her motivational nature and the interactive feature of her session. Feedback was that they felt their opinions and thoughts were valued as much as the person sitting beside them. As a result I can happily say many of the learners have reached their aims and goals in employment. We cannot thank Paris enough!"

– Christophe Ah-Hang, Catch22 Employability & Training Manager for Under 25s.

''Our students thoroughly enjoyed the presentation Paris delivered, it was inspiring and they learnt a lot from it. Our students are nervous & apprehensive before starting the course, some have been going through depression, stress & anxiety which is extremely demotivating.

Paris has a style which boosts their confidence and self-esteem, encourages them to not giving up, using her words of wisdom and stories of hope. She's a great teacher, motivator and all round speaker. Awesome!''

– Jamie Easton, Head of School, Newham College of Further Education

''Paris was well organised, keen and positive with very good subject knowledge, who related clearly and professionally to the students who are motivated by her. Her skills as a speaker are unique and inspiring. Some of our most disadvantaged students were moved by what she had to say.''

– Gus Nwanokwu Programme Manager, Westminster College​

"Paris delivered a fantastic session for us. She was very well prepared, professional, had excellent communication skills. Prior to the event Paris took the time to speak to me to learn about the nature of the day and the needs of the organisation. Due to the sensitivities of the day itself Paris adapted her delivery to accommodate us with her delivery style. Paris also came at the start of the day from her own free will do be a part of our introductions and team building activity which was very much appreciated and demonstrated her kindness, understanding and sensitivity to our needs and build relationships. The session was interactive and resourceful, and Paris left resources and support networks which was very much appreciated. Thank you, Paris, we could not be more grateful to you for the session you delivered for us. It was very relevant and relatable. You are an inspiration!"

– Caryl Dyer, Action for Children

""Both Ruth and I were impressed with your disability knowledge and found your delivery style very engaging. We also both felt that you had the skills and experience to handle anything that delegates might throw at you (not literally ????) which is a really valuable skill."


– Adrian Ward & Ruth Hardcastle, Business Disability Forum - Head of Disability Partnerships

Speaker File

Location

London

Topics

  • PHSCE
  • Lifestyle
  • Women
  • Assemblies and Celebrations Events
  • Well-being
  • Teacher CPD
  • Conference

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