NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS OF MODERN DAY HEALTHCARE

I have worked with Steve Descher and the Activity Group for a number of years and across a range of NHS organisations including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Health Education England, NHS Leadership Academy and NHS Improvement. Steve and the team have a fantastic track record of delivering engaging, thought provoking training and development for NHS staff for which we have always received overwhelmingly positive responses and feedback.

Activity Group are expertly placed in being able to support members of the NHS workforce at all levels and backgrounds and we have run numerous successful programmes and leadership interventions at an array of organisations requiring leadership support and development during testing time. The approach of Steve and the team, which is always mindful and tailored to its participant’s often specific and bespoke, needs have a track record of resulting in positive and tangible changes and outcomes at organisations for the benefit of staff and, ultimately, patients. The delivery of programmes such as Developing Leaders and Patient work have proven highly successful in equipping both NHS staff and patients alike with the leadership skills, behaviours and values that are integral to the future of the NHS.

Most recently Steve and the team delivered a series of days for my staff undergoing a change management process during a recent restructuring process, covering areas including Interview Skills, Managing Change in the NHS, Managing Stress and Emotional Resilience. This was an extremely difficult and anxious period for staff and the days they spent with Activity Group allayed their anxieties through a personable approach that made staff members feel emboldened and far more well equipped to deal with the change they were facing and I was delighted to receive the positive feedback and effect it had on the team at a difficult time.

Steve and the team have a skilled and nuanced understanding of the needs of the modern day healthcare system and are capable of helping organisations an individual facilitate and instil real and positive change.
 
Director, West Midlands NHS Leadership Academy

TOP-NOTCH TRAINING & A GREAT COMPANY TO PARTNER WITH

Collaborating with Steve and the Activity Group has been a delight. Over the past four years, our partnership with Activity Group has consistently impressed me with their professionalism, adaptability, and commitment. In delivering leadership and professional development training to the NHS, they've demonstrated remarkable expertise and dedication. Their exceptional communication with our team ensures seamless coordination, while their courses continue to attract high demand and earn rave reviews from learners. Throughout our collaboration, they've maintained a remarkable level of flexibility and support, making the entire process a breeze. Without hesitation, I recommend Activity Group to anyone in search of top-notch training and a great company to partner with.

Head of Education & Clinical Development

DELIVERING A HIGH STANDARD IN TRAINING

I am the Deputy Head of Learning and Development for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care Trust. I have been in this organisation for just over a year and had the absolute pleasure of working with the Activity Group to deliver high quality training to our staff.

I have experienced the detailed bespoke engaging training sessions that this group delivers as both a coordinator and as a student. They set themselves a high standard and the training they deliver is always of a high quality with passionate, creditable engaging facilitators. Whether the sessions are delivered virtually or face-to-face the content they deliver always captures the attention of the learning which results in positive and meaningful development of our staff at all levels.

From a coordination perspective the activity group courses are extremely popular with our staff quick to enrol in the training opportunities offered by this group and there is often a waiting list as a result.

Am I hugely grateful to the Activity Group as the training and expertise they offer and deliver to our Trust has a profound effect on our staff and the patients they care for.

As we move to the latter part of 2024 I look forward to working with the Activity Group more as they continue to evolve their training offering to support NHS staff within my organisation.

Deputy Head of Learning & Development

TRAINING SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO OUR ACTUAL REQUIREMENTS

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust has worked with Activity Group for some years now, where they have provided training for administrative and clinical staff in Customer Care, in addition to Minute Taking and Effective Business skills most recently.  Trainers from activity group have been proactive in developing courses with us to suit the needs of our staff and feedback from evaluations has been good.  Thank you.
 
Education Lead - Learning & Development Dept

IMPROVING TEAM PERFORMANCE

“A thought provoking and mentally stimulating day which gave us the opportunity to reflect not only on the performance of our own teams but also to think about how we functioned as a group as well.

Andrew led us skilfully through discussion and targeted activities interspersed with nuggets of information and anecdotes from his wide experience. He successfully balanced the varying needs of the team members and grasped the essence of the issues extremely quickly. I would recommend this course to any teams who are willing to be open to new ideas and ready to be challenged”
“Before the training course even started I felt that Activity Group not only understood what I wanted to achieve on the day but had experience in similar organisations to which I could relate. The personal contact beforehand, through telephone calls and a visit from Steve Descher, made it easy to I individualise the course content and the delivery on the day reflected this”

Children's Speech and Language Therapy Manager – Hertford county Hospital

A REFRESHING APPROACH TO DELIVERING QUALITY TRAINING

The Learning and Development team at Newham University Hospital has worked closely with Activity Group for a number of years and has built a strong working relationship with them.  The training that we have commissioned with them in the past has always been carried out with a high degree of professionalism with excellent facilitators and quality resources.  Their willingness to listen to want we want, coupled with their ability to provide a wide range of programmes that keeps pace with the changing needs of the NHS is refreshing in what can be a very competitive environment.

Newham University Hospital NHS Trust

EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Learning and Development department within the BSMHT have been working with Activity Co UK to roll out ‘Professional Receptionist’ courses across the Trust.  The feedback from the courses that have taken place has been very positive. “Having personally attended the course I would highly recommend Activity Co UK to any organisation, as I found the trainer to be extremely knowledgeable and professional. I was particularly impressed with the high quality of resource materials that were used during course.  Providing excellence customer service is one of the key factors for building a positive working relationship, to which Steve Descher and his team have managed to do successfully”.

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust

CROWE CLARK WHITEHILL LLP

Steve Descher from the Activity Group worked with a small group of us to develop our perception of and skills in business development.  The workshop generated real energy in the group whilst Steve’s follow up and the use of personal action plans is ensuring that this energy translates into on-going momentum which will help us to develop our business and to work together as a group more effectively. The workshop was very worthwhile kick-off event that should lead on to better things for all concerned.

Rob Gunn – Partner

KUDOS BLENDS LIMITED

Kudos Blends has welcomed the assistance of Steve Descher, MD of Activity Group to develop and lead our sales team.  Steve has successfully delivered training in areas such as improving presentation skills, sales techniques and account management.  With his energetic and positive approach Steve has helped Kudos Blends to achieve its new business goals and develop customer relationships. 

We consider Steve to be part of our team as his drive and cheerful disposition is infectious and keeps the momentum going, even in stressful situations or when we are under pressure. We highly recommend Activity Group and their training packages. Any company would benefit greatly from what they can offer.

Dinnie Jordan – CEO

Sales and Marketing is a big challenge for any business and you need to have confidence in who you work with, especially if it a field in which you have limited knowledge.

We have worked with Activity Group throughout this year, assisting me with formulating sales and marketing strategy and providing me with ideas of how to take our product to market. Activity have also helped me with the recruitment of two sales staff, as well as ensured I have a range of understanding in how sales and marketing should be planned and organised in our company.

Finding trust in a sales and marketing partner can be very difficult, but that is exactly what I have with Activity Group and more specifically Steve Descher.  I have been genuinely grateful for the service received which has always been of a high calibre, and which has gone ‘that extra mile’. Some of my current leads have been provided to me by The Activity Group.

Steve Descher is a very enthusiastic and motivational person whose company I would have no hesitation in recommending.

Claire Morton – Managing Director

Supra UK seconded the independent services of Steve Descher –MD of the Activity Group to develop a clear focus on business development, Supra UK recognised that the development of their customers was the most cost efficient source of future sales and that generation of new business was the lifeline of the
company and that the most cost effective solution to enable the development to happen would be to contract this specialist service in, and use it as and when required.

The services provided by the Activity Group act as the seamless integral sales and marketing arm of Supra UK, helping the company to achieve its new business goals.

Activity helps Supra UK to optimise their revenue potential with customer satisfaction, retention, up selling programs and new business development marketing campaigns.

The services provided to Supra UK include the day to day management of the sales team, the setting and monitoring of sales targets, forecasting, sales staff development in the areas of sales negotiation, presentation skills and territory management.  

The Activity Group are now focusing on new business development and the creation of new markets for the GE KeySafe product and have been working with Supra UK for over 3 years, it’s an excellent on-going working relationship.

David Ogden – Managing Director