Our latest tenant catch-up is with the team from Lighthouse Training & Development, a training business which has been based at Riduna since 2019.
Here, business development manager Angela Heaney talks about the company’s recent growth and its experiences during Covid.
Tell us a little about the business and what services it provides?
We’re a training company, which was formed in 2011, started trading in 2012 – which means we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year – and has grown to a staff of 30, delivering leadership and management courses to all kinds of companies and organisations.
How are those courses delivered – in person, online, or a mix of both?
Certainly one of the benefits to us of the covid period, is recognition of flexible our programmes can be, as we’re now delivering a lot of our training online.
Prior to the pandemic, less people would have considered it appropriate to do group training online, but now we’re all so used to it, and it’s something we pivoted to very quickly when we needed to in March 2020.
So do most people prefer online training now?
We provide what we refer to as a ‘blended option’, which means we’re able to deliver a mix of both online and face to face – just whichever suits the client.
And talking of client, what kind of businesses do you deliver training for?
We deal with companies and organisations of all sizes and all sectors.
You’re obviously reaching clients outside of the East Anglian region now then?
Yes, we now serve businesses in the Midlands and in various other locations across the UK – some of which would not have accessed us prior to the pandemic. This is all down to our flexibility.
With business having gone so well, you’re continuing to expand. Who are you hiring?
We have just appointed a digital marketeer and we now have vacancies out for an admin role and two assessors.
Why did you want to be located at Riduna Park?
It’s a great location for us – accessible for all major roads and the train station, plus there’s plenty of parking, and Katie and the team have been really flexible during a period in which we’ve grown from needing one unit, to two, and then three.
We now have two downstairs units and one upstairs.
It’s been an ideal option for us, which worked really well during Covid when we were trying to keep staff more distanced because of government regulations.
And finally, you’ve recently won an award. What was that for?
Yes. We took the prize for Platinum Best Employers Eastern Region 2021. It’s a great honour and we’re delighted. It’s setting us up well for pushing ahead with all the ambitions we have for 2022 and beyond.
Find out more about Lighthouse at https://www.lighthouse-group.co.uk/