About this event
Help shape a new Thames Valley L&D community to connect, share ideas and learn with others who understand your world.
Be part of shaping a new L&D community for the Thames Valley.
If learning and development is part of your role, whatever stage of your career, we'd love you to join us for the founding meeting of L&D Connect.
Working in learning and development often means you're focused on helping others learn and grow, with fewer opportunities to connect with people who understand your own professional world. That's why we're creating a welcoming local community where L&D professionals can share ideas, learn from one another and make meaningful professional connections.
Whether you're new to L&D, an experienced practitioner, leading an L&D function, working in organisational development, have responsibility for learning as part of an HR role, or work independently as an L&D consultant or trainer, you'll be very welcome.
This event is open to CIPD members and non-members.
Rather than a presentation or formal speaker session, this first event is all about bringing people together to connect, share ideas and help shape a community that supports L&D professionals across the Thames Valley.
During the session you'll have the opportunity to:
- Meet and connect with other people working in learning and development.
- Share ideas and experiences with others who understand the opportunities and challenges of the profession.
- Help shape what this new community becomes.
- Influence future events, formats and discussion topics.
Together we'll explore:
- ·What people would value from a local L&D community.
- What would make it useful, welcoming and worth coming back to.
- How future meetings could work.
- The topics and challenges people would most like to discuss together.
Our aim is to create an inclusive, supportive community where people at every stage of their L&D career can learn from one another, make professional connections and feel part of a local network of peers.
As this is our founding meeting, your ideas and experiences will play an important part in shaping the future of L&D Connect.
Know someone who'd enjoy being part of the community?
We'd love you to invite colleagues or connections from across the Thames Valley who work in learning and development, training, organisational development, or have responsibility for developing people as part of their role.
We hope you'll join us in creating a welcoming, supportive community for everyone involved in learning and development across the Thames Valley.
Hosted by Louise Puddifoot, Founder of Willow & Puddifoot and a Committee Member for CIPD Branch in Thames Valley.
Louise has spent more than 20 years working in learning and development, building her career through a range of in-house L&D roles before leading learning teams and establishing her own award-winning leadership and management development consultancy.
Having worked both inside organisations and alongside them as a consultant, Louise understands the opportunities and challenges facing today's L&D professionals. She is passionate about creating opportunities for people to connect, share ideas and learn from one another.
As facilitator of L&D Connect, Louise will guide the conversations throughout the evening and help shape a welcoming, supportive community where L&D professionals at every stage of their career can contribute and benefit.
Please note:
- Participants will receive a reminder email the day before, with a further reminder on the morning of the event.
- Photography and video production may take place at the event, and these images may be used in the CIPD newsletters.
- By attending the event, participants are giving their consent for their image to be used in CIPD promotional materials.
- If you can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket so someone else can take your place.
- If there is an external speaker, their views will be their own and may not necessarily reflect those of the CIPD.
- If any reasonable adjustments are required, participants are encouraged to make this known and assistance will be provided.
