Huddersfield businesswoman becomes first ambassador for CIC breaking cycle of violence

Huddersfield businesswoman Katie Mallinson has been appointed as the inaugural ambassador for a new initiative launched by community interest company, Blossom Training and Development.

The Yorkshire-based CIC exists to empower, protect and inspire communities - especially young people - via self defence training and education around safety. Now the search is on to collaborate with more people who will advocate for this development programme, amplify Blossom’s message, and help break the cycle of abuse and violence.

The brainchild of managing director Madeleine France, Blossom was originally founded to provide women with a safe and inclusive alternative to martial arts classes. British Army veteran Rachael Allen joined in 2021, and the duo have since gone on to develop legally robust, medically certified and gender inclusive courses that also consider the psychological impact of being in ‘fight or flight’ mode.

To date they have supported more than 4,500 people, but are heavily reliant on funding to deliver their development sessions. Blossom’s ambassador initiative has therefore been launched to raise awareness of the CIC’s societal impact and keep these transformative programmes alive.

“Our mission is to help young people grow into their most confident selves and know what to do in situations of vulnerability,” explained Blossom’s co-founder Madeleine. “Sadly, statistics show that one in nine under 18 girls have experienced some form of sexual harassment. We also know that three women are murdered in the UK every week, and two of these lose their lives as a result of domestic violence. The stats are plentiful - and terrifying.

“Our work really matters, however the sustainability of our efforts is currently hampered by the availability of funding. That’s why we launched the Blossom ambassador initiative. We’re on the lookout for people who will champion our life-changing work, in the rooms we don’t find ourselves in - role models committed to making a difference, and standing up for people who might not otherwise have the voice or strength to stand up for themselves.”

A chance encounter with Katie back in 2021 at a Yorkshire Businesswoman networking event where all three ladies are members, led to the delivery of Blossom’s first one-day corporate package, for her all-female communications team.

“We’d heard Katie speak about her own experiences of being attacked as a teenager, and her passion for empowering others to have a voice. We knew we had to join forces. I literally ran after her as she tried to leave the venue and was delighted to lead a session for her then 18-strong team, a few weeks later!” Madeleine continued.

“When it came to launching the ambassador programme, she was therefore the first person we approached to spearhead this new campaign.”

While every single ambassador’s efforts will be hugely appreciated by the CIC, the dream is to appoint 30 in the next six months alone. And while businessmen and women are an obvious target, any community champion or member of the public can show support by pledging £150.

“A £150 pledge will allow each ambassador to ‘pay it forward’ for someone else to attend a full day course,” elaborated fellow managing director Rachael. “This can be someone they nominate or someone we know will benefit from the learning experience.

“In return, we will kit them out with an exclusive hoody, pin and social media assets, to help them start more conversations on our behalf, and symbolise their commitment to our cause. The more ambassadors who join our movement, the more impact we can have.

“Sadly, we still need to drive a huge amount of change in society. But anyone can fundraise for us, pay it forward for others or share details of our corporate courses, and we appreciate every gesture, large or small.”

Hot on the heels of multiple recent award wins for societal impact - as well as Scale Up Company of the Year at Climb25 - Blossom’s dream is to support an additional 1,000 people over the next 12 months alone.

“If you could sum up everything Blossom embodies in one word, it’s courage,” concluded Katie. “I wish everyone could benefit from a day - even an hour - with this team. I am proud to be an ambassador and a champion of their strength.”

Blossom Training and Development has a number of long-term partners including West Yorkshire Police, Haribo, Morgan Sindall and Nova.