Testimonials and awards

Jacqueline delivered an excellent session, engaging and enlightening. I thought it was going to be boring…it wasn’t. The bespoke session covered a lot of information tailored to fit my situation. The structure was clear, logical and effective. I came away more aware and mindful.

Jacqueline Winstanley has delivered a very interesting and well-attended virtual webinar to human resource managers of the European Parliament on disability issues in day-to-day human resource management, speaking about a range of issues including strategies to attract and retain staff with disabilities, support staff with disabilities through proactively meeting their needs, establishing trust and dialogue, the issue of glass ceilings people with disabilities often face as their careers progress etc.

Jacqueline has carried the webinar very effectively, creating a safe space and atmosphere of trust for the managers to openly express their views, and she skillfully facilitated the debate, making sure we heard each other and reached productive outcomes. The webinar not only gave us a chance to discuss the issue, but fed us some useful ideas regarding possible ways forward. I would highly recommend Jacqueline as a truly competent, professional and impassionate trainer/facilitator.

I have been working with Jacqueline since 2015 and we have built up a strong working relationship over this time. In this time, she has helped me develop the brand of Disability Today - now Ability Today - and kept me focused on my core objectives, driving the social enterprise forward and helping with our social impact objectives.

Jacqueline has been instrumental in coaching me and helping me deliver a clear strategy of our aims and goals to help the disabled community. She is a key influencer in this area and has become a well-respected figure within the third sector. Universal Inclusion is helping us all deliver a more inclusive world.

Jacqueline worked with myself and my employer to put in place an effective industry appropriate pathway. This pathway enabled me to access the support I needed when I started my new role, engaging everybody in the process, whilst maintaining my dignity, respect and professional status.

Jacqueline’s mentoring over the past year has been an invaluable support to me, as I have been setting out on my entrepreneurial journey. A great listener, Jacqueline is full of great ideas and has shown real enthusiasm for my business. She is very encouraging and has gently pushed me to take action, and step out of my comfort zone when I have needed to. She is always happy to impart her knowledge, share her experience or make an introduction to her own connections. Jacqueline’s passion shines through in everything that she does and she is a real inspiration!

I was introduced to Jacqueline Winstanley through my hairdresser Kevin Winstanley in 2021. I was having such a traumatic time, firstly, being made redundant in the pandemic after 25 years and then trying to get back into mainstream employment which was horrific. I can honestly say that after meeting Jacqueline, I haven’t looked back; I was in such a low point in my life, wondering if I would ever work again. Jacqueline’s support has been truly incredible, and she has guided me and given me the confidence to set up my own business.

Her knowledge and advice throughout the Access to Work Award is phenomenal. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to do this alone and without Jacqueline’s support.

I have since embarked on the Inclusive Entrepreneur programme as a disabled entrepreneur and Jacqueline is continuing to support and coach me with my new business which I’m so excited to see grow.

I met Jacqueline for the first time at Christmas 2015. Our mutual friend and colleague, Una, was reaching the end of her battle with cancer and wanted to leave a lasting legacy. To that end, we both worked to support her bring off the Courage & Sparkle concert in the Spring of 2016. Sharing event planning, logistics and marketing between us was a great learning experience – particularly as this all took place in our spare time.

Jacqueline is a committed, passionate, empathetic leader who makes a difference in everything she touches; particularly in the disability, inclusion and non-profit arenas. I would happily recommend her.

I first met Jacqueline through a mutual friend. At that time, I reached out to her as I thought she would be an ideal ambassador for my business. In turn Jaqueline, who is quite passionate about Glamsticks, introduced me to her organisation Universal Inclusion, and the Inclusive Entrepreneurs Community, of which I am now a member.

Jacqueline’s knowledge and assistance have been tremendous - from her advice regarding available support to her handholding throughout the Access to Work Award application. If it hadn't been for Jacqueline's expertise and capabilities, I would have fallen at the first hurdle. Throughout the process, she has kept me calm when my anxieties have been very high. She knows exactly how these awards work and has an amazing way of not letting bureaucracy or conflicting criteria thwart the stated intent of the award to enable disabled people to become successful entrepreneurs in their own right and to be fully supported while doing so.

I have since embarked on the Inclusive Entrepreneur programme as a disabled entrepreneur and Jacqueline is helping me take my business from a small "Cottage Industry" set-up to one that is larger and more visible, much more than it has ever been before.

Jacqueline was amazing and her assistance with the Access to Work Scheme was tremendous. She has encouraged me to continue growing my business and to explore opportunities that I wouldn't have otherwise considered. Her insights and understanding of the challenges I face as a disabled entrepreneur and her overall approach are inspiring. She understands where I am coming from and what drives me to keep on going.

When I first met Jacqueline, she introduced me to her work with Inclusive Entrepreneurs and her events. Her values clearly aligned with ours, so we spent quite a lot of time together, as colleagues, friends and in a way, enjoying a mentor-mentee relationship that had mutual benefit for both of our organisations.

As Cécile Biôt, we have now joined the Inclusive Entrepreneur Community and I love the support that exists between us entrepreneurs. Jacqueline has opened us to opportunities that we would have not considered or thought of before. I look forward to exploring such opportunities and growing within this network.

Jacqueline’s help on my journey towards becoming an entrepreneur has been tremendous. With her coaching and the Inclusive Entrepreneur programme, she was instrumental in helping me remove personal blockages and obstacles that I myself had placed in my way. After a year of struggling with the entrepreneur’s world, I was filled with a new level of self-belief that anything is possible with the right support. She has the knowledge and passion to support members of the disabled community, and can in turn help them to follow their own passions.

I have found Filia to have the best conference in terms of disability access. It's personalised and not one size fits all.