The Gallery

 

View pictures from various KISS events held over the past year and read some of the testimonials. Click below for more

 

 

Our Successes

 

Provided an informal networking environment where business people can meet and support each other, sharing knowledge and expertise to help each other’s businesses and referred work to each other

 

 

Organised four successful careers exhibitions now known as ‘The Big KISS’ in Congleton, which has now become part of the Borough’s event calendar, the last event had 500+ attendees.

 

 

Provided free training for local businesses in food safety, marketing on a budget and conflict management.

 

 

Developed and delivered a programme to help people prepare for work or learning opportunities, 100+ participants in the last year. 80% of people went on to achieve their goals.

 

 

Worked closely with schools and colleges in the area, working on many projects to help bridge the gap between education and employment.

 

 

Support other ideas and events to help connect, skills, employment and learning i.e. 11 million take over day – placements found for people who would not normally have the opportunity.

 

 

The "Conflict Handling Workshop" is an example of an excellent benefit to us all for attending.

 

 

The Congleton KISS group won a 2009 Congleton Borough Business Award ‘Special Achievement’.

 

 

Management Team

Darren Hesketh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT Is your name, position, and the organisation you work for?

Darren Hesketh, Managing Director of Diamond Electronics Ltd.

 

WHEN Did you join KISS? / How long have you been involved with the group?

I have been with KISS since their first meeting about 3-4 years ago

 

ABOUT Tell us about your organisation, what it sells/does and how long it has been running.

Diamond Electronics was founded in 1979 and began as an importer and distributor of electronic components. We now have 4 divisions, including: component distribution kitting services - helping our customers by sourcing a number of components from various different suppliers to supply all the required components for a given job human machine interface – design and manufacture of bespoke keypads, LCD displays and other electronic components with which people interact LED lighting – our newest division providing energy efficient LED lighting solutions for domestic, commercial and industrial lighting applications.

 

DONATIONS Tell us what you have donated to the KISS group over the period of you membership. This can included giving up your own time or work you have done for the KISS group at events such as the BIG KISS etc.

Exhibited at the BIG KISS and held mock job interviews (Nov 2010) – I donated my time to help students from local schools to better their employment prospects by enabling them to practise their interview skills.

 

We have supported Enterprise Days in Sandbach Schools

 

We support work experience for students from Alsager, Sandbach and Holmes Chapel schools.

 

WHY/BENEFITS Tell us why you joined the KISS group, why you are still involved in its activities and what benefits being a member of the group has brought you.

We have always had a policy of training and developing our own staff, this was recognised by being awarded Investors in people (IIP) in 1996. I joined KISS because I wanted to re-invigorate our training and find ways of working with the many agencies that provided information, support and access to training funding.

 

The benefits of my membership are an increased access to help and a deeper understanding and belief in the value of training and lifelong learning.