In the press: The Donkey Sanctuary receives royal recognition for employee training

by Sep 14, 2018Alumni news

The Donkey Sanctuary has been commended by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal for its inspirational commitment to the learning and development of its staff. This is the second time the charity has received royal recognition for its work. It was among 48 UK organisations and businesses commended at the 2018 Princess Royal Training Awards. The Sidmouth-based charity will receive the award from Princess Anne at a ceremony at St James’s Palace on Wednesday, October 31.

The Donkey Sanctuary has initiated a strengths-based development strategy and uses a talent map and skills analysis to pinpoint individual learning needs to develop its staff. This resulted in a significant increase in internal promotions in 2017. Steven James, learning and development manager at The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “We are delighted to receive the award for a second time. It demonstrates our commitment to providing development for our staff and reinforces our credentials as an employer of choice.”

Read the full article on the Sidmouth Herald website: http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/the-donkey-sanctuary-at-sidmouth-receives-royal-recognition-for-employee-training-1-5685607

Other news stories

Case study: how Dale Power Solutions responded to the challenge of diversity through Apprenticeships

Ten years ago, Dale Power Solutions realised the need to respond to an ageing workforce and protect the future of the business. With challenges such as the engineering skills shortage and a general decline of manufacturing in the UK, Dale Power decided to focus their...

In the press: Princess Royal Training Award for Umbrella

Umbrella training, the leading nationwide training and apprenticeship provider for the hospitality and corporate services sector has today been announced as the only apprenticeship provider to have achieved the Princess Royal Training award by City and Guilds group in...

Case study: what winning the Award means for Eyres Monsell primary school

In this video Kerry Hill, headteacher at Eyres Monsell primary school, talks about what receiving a Princess Royal Training Award meant to them and how they are working at tackling mental health in the education sector. Eyres Monsell received a Princess Royal Training Award in 2018 and again in 2021.

Case study: home-growing future managers through exceptional training opportunities at Red Carnation Hotels

This collection of family-run hotels achieved an Award in 2017 and went on to gain a revalidation in 2020. Since then it has further developed its Graduate Management programme with 53 participants commencing the training in the 3 years following, leading to the...

Case study: transforming leadership at Ricoh UK

Ricoh is one of the recipients from the inaugural year in 2016. This global technology company needed to refocus employees on a strategic approach to business. They used staff to develop elements of the new leadership programme and encouraged self-discovery and ownership of learning. Outcomes include winning a new £5 million contract and a reduction of staff attrition by 10%.

Case study: Gateway 97.8 using training to upskill hard-to-reach groups and secure the station’s future

Community radio station Gateway 97.8 depends on volunteers to provide programme presenters, production, editing and reception support. As a local not-for-profit radio station, it has only 6 paid staff and therefore relies heavily on its 75 volunteers in order...

Case study: providing media training opportunities to disadvantaged young people at Reprezent Radio

This video shows a look behind the scenes at Reprezent Radio, a South London radio station and social enterprise. Reprezent created the Sounds of Young London scheme to provide media training opportunities to disadvantaged young people. The practical training programme has seen an impressive number of young people into employment and gained commercial interest from some of the world’s biggest brands. Reprezent received a Princess Royal Training Award in 2018.

Princess Royal Training Awards 2018 now open!

We are delighted to announce that the Princess Royal Training Awards 2018 are now open for entry until 29 March 2018. The Awards are a unique opportunity for UK organisations to showcase their approach to learning and development and its impact on business...

In the press: Suffolk brewer gets the royal treatment

Greene King has been commended for upskilling its workforce at the 2018 Princess Royal Training Awards.Share article from on facebook Tweet article from Share article from on Google Pluspost article from on reddit email article from Share The awards honour UK...

In the press: Stainless Metalcraft scoops Princess Royal Training Award for ‘investment in the next generation of engineering talent’

Fenland fabricators Stainless Metalcraft have been named as the latest recipient of the Princess Royal Training Award for its investment in new young talent. It is the second Royal accolade for the Chatteris-based business, which received the Queen’s Awards for...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How Liberty Kitchen is using skills to unlock potential and productivity

When Liberty Kitchen received a Princess Royal Training Awards in 2025, the recognition went beyond a training initiative. It provided a powerful example of how opening access to skills can support rehabilitation and create wider benefits for individuals, communities...

Celebrating community radio champions who are investing in skills, inclusion and opportunity

Across the UK, community radio stations play an extraordinary role — not just in broadcasting, but in transforming lives. On World Radio Day we wanted to spotlight four of the outstanding radio stations that have been recognised through our Princess Royal Training...

A decade of excellence: Royal recognition for UK and Irish organisations honoured at the Princess Royal Training Awards

The Princess Royal Training Awards are the UK and Ireland’s premier awards programme for recognising training excellence. On Tuesday 2 December, in an awards ceremony at Fishmongers Hall, the City & Guilds Foundation had the honour of recognising 56 outstanding...

HRH The Princess Royal celebrates best-in-class workplace training in 10th anniversary year for Awards

HRH The Princess Royal, President of the City and Guilds of London Institute, awards employers for outstanding training and skills development programmes which have positively impacted organisations, people and wider society. 15 August 2025: City & Guilds has...

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the importance of creating aspirations for young people

n this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the diverse range of Princess Royal Training Award organisations

In this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the value of City & Guilds to society

In this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the changing world of skills

In this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

A decade of excellence and a room full of inspiration – Princess Royal Training Awards Skills Share 2025

On 30 April 2025, City & Guilds hosted its second-ever Skills Share event – this time at the stunning Goldsmiths’ Hall in London – marking a major milestone: 10 years of the Princess Royal Training Awards. With over 130 Award recipients in attendance, the event was not just a celebration but a forum for shared learning, inspiration and reflection on what a decade of investment in skills development really means.

Ten Years of the Princess Royal Training Awards

In the tenth year of the Princess Royal Training Awards we take a look back at some of the recipients including Balfour Beatty, Fifty Shades Greener and Pret A Manger to find out what achieving the standard means to them and their organisations.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This