Just returned from an inspiring trip to Germany and France. A4e has just opened up new centres in these countries - the new centres are dedicated to helping unemployed people find work.

I flew into Dusseldorf on Monday with Roy Newey (the guy who has been leading the international develpoment)- and was met by Achim ( A4e Deutschland boss man) - I liked him straight away - cool, switched on and mildly eccentric. He drove us to the A4e centre in Gelsenkirchen. I walked in. Wow - it was A4e. It was all there - the feeling, the smell, the smiles. I met all the staff and the participants - everyone so smart, all the people who were unemployed looked ready for work - confident, well dressed and great attitudes.

I soon learnt that the centre had had great success for the people they were helping - more than 75 people had found new work in a couple of months. The atmosphere was great. Noticeboards full of success stories, bottles of fizzy stuff ready to be handed out to people who get a job, a cow bell! on Achim's desk that he rings when a success is confirmed. The whole team working together - participants and staff - all in it together - sharing resources, computers, rest areas.

There was A4e magic everywhere - Achim always doing the welcome to new participants, staff warming the hands of someone who was cold, organising professional photos for people's CV's, breakfast clubs where the people who have just got jobs chat with the jobseekers - cow bells! - Achim with his desk in the middle of the centre.   

A joint, imaginative, from the heart effort that was resulting in incredible and very human outcomes.

And because of their resounding success - some visitors arrived - everyone from the German Minister of State responsible for Employment to a group of guys from another area of Germany who want to learn about A4e and invite us to help the people in more regions of Germany. Plenty of translating - but the message was clear - there is something we can all do to make a difference across Germany - offering A4e's thinking and heart - combining this with the great and thoughful people we have met to improve people's lives in Germany. A great privilege to be asked to help.

I learnt loads - and will continue to do so.

A good sleep later and I flew to Paris - met by a driver who sucked his teeth and would occaisonally insist that I should know the way to our new centres in the suburbs of Paris. Fat chance! I arrived in Creteil and met Syvain ( the centre manager) and his team. Smiling, professional and dedicated to their work. The centre is great - as in Germany - there is no distinction between clients and staff. Everyone is working together. Very respecful. I was impressed.

I also met some people from the authorities and our joint venture partners- they love the work we are doing - and the heart with which we do it.

I loved chatting to the candidates ( people looking for work) - smart, determined and confident in the relationship that they had with A4e's Job Agents. Very good.

These were long days - and that evening  - a large group of us had Dinner at the Pigs Foot   restaurant - I had the foot - delicious! Got back around midninght to my hotel - woke up early to catch my lift with Mr Teeth Sucker to our other centre in Paris at Choisy le Roi. Christelle is the centre manager - and she has a great team. While i was there I had the utter pleasure of giving a small gift to a guy that had come in with his wife and baby daughter. He was starting his new job - and he was expressing the impact of this on his family - makes it all worthwhile.

One member of the team at Choisy le Roi is Paul Tipper - ex of our Hull Office - now get ready for some inspiration - Paul started as an A4e Client on New Deal - he was so good he got a job with A4e helping others - and then using his life long passion for French applied to work in France. He has moved his life to France and is absolutely loving it. I was very moved by his story. It sums up the journey that we wish for all the people that we get the chance to support at A4e. Well done Paul - good for you.

A final journey with my teeth sucking friend ( who was lovely actually) - who deposited me at Charles De Gaul airport for the short flight home to Manchester.

Home in time to wish my daughter a happy 7th birthday. She was delighted with her new possession - an Eiffel Tower in a snow dome.

Home now - smiling as I think of all the wonderful characters I have met - making plans for my return - soon very soon.