For Learning at Work Week, I’m celebrating the opportunities, support and connections that have helped me grow and reminded me what is possible when people are encouraged to learn.

Learning at Work Week is a powerful reminder that learning can do so much more than help us build skills — it can transform how we see ourselves and what we believe we are capable of. When I look back on my time at Riverside, that is exactly what stands out to me. Taking part in the Stepping Up Programme, a six-month development programme delivered by Caroline Dakin Associates, gave me the space to pause, reflect and think more intentionally about the kind of leader I wanted to be. It helped me recognise my strengths, trust myself more and feel ready to put myself forward for opportunities I might once have hesitated over. Some of the most valuable learning has also come from the people around me, especially the colleagues I work most closely with, who have taught me so much through the way we work and grow together every day.

The people and networks around me have played just as important a part in that growth. When I joined Riverside 11 years ago as a new mum working part time, I was looking for support, but I found so much more than that. I found encouragement, connection and a genuine sense of belonging. Enable, our colleague network for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions, gave me a supportive space to connect with others, while WREN, the Women at Riverside Employee Network, opened up opportunities to learn from inspiring women across the organisation. Becoming Co-Chair of WREN three years ago has been a huge milestone for me. It has helped me build confidence, broaden my network and see my own potential much more clearly, but just as importantly it has given me the chance to support other women across Riverside, create space for their voices and help encourage others to step forward too.

If I could share one message for Learning at Work Week, it would be this: back yourself and make the most of the opportunities around you. Say yes to experiences that stretch you, stay curious and do not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, because that is often where the biggest growth happens. Just as importantly, take the time to build relationships beyond your immediate team and get involved in colleague networks, because development does not only happen through formal programmes — it also happens through community, shared experience and visibility. Riverside has shown me what can happen when people are given the chance to grow, support one another and keep learning together, and for me that has made all the difference.

Stella Hughes, Head of Strategy and Change