Christine Bell recorded on 14/12/22

Christine Bell is the co-Director of The Centre for Facilitation. She is based in Leeds and has a business partner based near Hastings, together they run a virtual organisation.

Christine came to Bradford when she was 20 to study at the University and then moved to Leeds when she met her husband. She’s never wanted to move back to London but after over 30 years living in Leeds she still gets asked “you are not from here are you?” (Don’t worry Christine, that’s what everyone used to say to me when I went to school here. Leeds is so exclusive, dontcha know!)

The Centre for Facilitation works with other experienced facilitators on a freelance basis so that they can cover requirements for different work both in the UK and globally.

The Centre for Facilitaion’s style of facilitation is focused on getting people to talk to each other to come up with new ideas, to develop new connections or to solve problems together. The work they do is very varied and each project is unique and designed with the client. It’s a very creative process (although it also requires a lot of attention to detail so that on the day it seems effortless)

During the pandemic Christine had to quickly move the business from face to face events to virtual events and, as the “techy” one in the business, Christine was the primary driver of this change. Challenging but worthwhile their work is now a mix of virtual and face to face. This makes it much easier to provide services globally from the back room of a house in a suburb of Leeds!

It has also reduced the amount of travel, and in particular the amount of international travel they need to do. [And, as we mention in the discussion, not only reducing their costs but, also saving time and reducing risks and stress.]

To find out more about the centre for facilitation go to: https://www.centreforfacilitation.co.uk/