Andy McCann addresses the Job Centre Plus - Fraud Investigation Service Conference (March 2009) 
Another successful motivational speaking engagement was recently completed by Amcan , as Andy McCann addressed over 60 staff of the Fraud Investigation Department at Job Centre Plus. With attendees coming from across the UK, Andy McCann facilitated and addressed the annual conference providing his unique perspective on motivation and positive thinking.
"The event was by far the most professional event we have staged and that is very much attributable to Andy's skills as a facilitator and his very inspirational motivational contributions throughout the day. He had a real impact on the day, showing delegates how positive thinking can triumph over adversity, and leaving all 60 of us with the clear message that we are capable of far more than we dare to imagine. Andy was able to use his personal experiences to deliver some key messages on performance and continuous improvement, and to illustrate how highly performing teams can stay at the top whilst striving to increase the quality of the outputs they deliver. I am now much more confident that our regional team can rise and meet the challenges that lay ahead.” Brian Evans FIS Area Fraud Manager, Wales (FIS Ymchwilydd Twyll Ardal, Cymru)
Team effort to help small business beat stress (November 5th 2008)
To mark this year’s National Stress Awareness Day on November 5th, three local leading lights of Health and Wellbeing combined to deliver a free lunchtime seminar for businesses on the benefits of health promotion and stress awareness to employers.
“Too often, smaller employers don’t have access to such services as Occupational Health, or even a Human Resources Department to advise and guide them on workplace practices and what they can be doing to better manage stress”, says Dave Costello, Occupational Therapist with AMCAN Training.
“Managing stress on an individual and organisational level has been shown to reap huge cost savings, not just on reduced sickness absence, due to illness or injury, but also on such things as increased productivity, staff morale, and customer satisfaction. It’s not rocket science that a healthy, happy team is likely to be more motivated to go that extra mile when necessary.”
To view the full story , visit the Western Mail and Echo website which reported on the event. Click Here
Stroke Survivor by Andy McCann - Daily Mail Book of the Week (October 21st 2008)
Amcan Managing Director, Andy McCann has received critical acclaim for his book Stroke Survivor. The book w
as written by Andy to tell of his own experiences following a serious stroke that changed his career, his life and his outlook on life. Stroke Survivor is an honest account of how Andy faced up to the many challenges presented to him as a young and active thirty "something", with an active sporting life including a career as a PE teacher and an international martial arts practitioner. The book also recalls the health regimes that Andy researched and implemented to aid his road to recovery.
The book has been hailed as an inspiration to those who have experienced a stroke or simiiar life changing event. Stroke Survivor was named "Daily Mail Book of the Week", reviewed by bestselling novelist Wendy Holden. To discover the impact of the book on other readers click here
Teachers risk Voice problems - as reported in the Western Mail and Echo - Education supplement (9th October 2008)
For teachers, is there a more versatile and powerful communication tool than the voice? Used cleverly and wisely, it can have an enormous impact on the way teachers are perceived by students, parents and 
colleagues.
However, research suggests that teachers place unique demands on their voices, and that they are about twice as likely as non teachers to suffer from a voice problem at some point in their careers (nearly 58 percent vs. less than 29 percent - 2004 study in the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research).
The interactive nature of many lessons and changes in pupil behaviour in recent years creates an ‘acoustic pollution’ in classrooms, which places strain on teachers’ voices, regardless of gender and experience. A vicious circle follows, with teachers suffering stress as they worry that they will become inaudible, and stress itself can lead to voice loss. The evidence is that teachers tend to struggle with voice problems, not seeking help until too late.
As part of its unique partnership with the charity, Teacher Support Cymru, one of Wales’s leading corporate and business training companies, AMCAN Consultancy and Training, has provided some 200 teachers and student teachers with a unique “Voice Care & Using Your Voice” workshop, aimed at alleviating the strain placed on teachers in this respect.
This unique workshop is available to schools throughout Wales and can be delivered as part of INSET programmes and activities relating to the Healthy Schools Initiative. Andy McCann, Managing Director of Amcan commented “We can keep our voices healthy through care and exercise. This workshop is particularly valuable to those who want to explore the impact their voice has on others and who wish to be proactive with regard to voice care”.
The workshop is delivered by Gill Edwards a Senior Lecturer in Music and Sound Technology at the University of Glamorgan where she combines her vocal skills and her music industry experience to teach at undergraduate and Masters level. As a trained Clinical Hypnotherapist, Gill also specialises in helping people in all walks of life suffering with Performance Anxiety.
Andy McCann addresses the
Chartered Phsyiotherapists -
Working With Older People Conference (4th October 2008)
Andy McCann made an unique impact as the Key Note speaker at the Chartered Phsyiotherapists -Working With Older People Conference in Reading on October 4th 2008.
His session on Creative Thinking was very well received, Chair of group, Vicki Goodwin said “ Andy, your talk, reflecting on your life’s experiences and thinking out of the box showed myself and my colleagues a way of how to take our organisation forward. Personally you have helped me rethink how I will write my PhD Thesis!”
The invitation to speak at the conference was a great honour and reflected Andy's experience of developing both teams and individuals skills on creative thinking.
Amcan Consultancy and Training launch "fresh look" (August 2008)
One of the leading training and consultancy companies in Wales has launched its new company branding with ambitious plans for the future growth of the company.
Based at Cefn Coed Parc just outside Cardiff, the company has an excellent track record as one of the most innovative training and consultancy providers to both the public and private sectors. Since its inception in 2005, the company led by Andy McCann has built up an enviable client list which includes:
Charitable Organisations:
- The Stroke Association
-
The Encephalitis Society
- The BST Foundation
- South Somerset Mind
Public Sector Bodies:
- RCT Education & Childrens’ Services
- Teacher Support Cymru
- Dyfed Powys Police
- Swansea County Council
Private Companies:
- Legal & General
The branding project was undertaken by Cardiff integrated marketing agency - Stepping Stones Marketing Solutions - and included the creation of a new logo, commercial support material and website. The branding project was commenced following a strategic review of the company's activities which has seen it refocus it's business into three service lines - Consultancy, Training and Coaching and Business Services.
Andy McCann , Managing Director commenting on the changesaid " We have reviewed our business strategy and have now focussed our business in three key areas. Having built a reputation over many years in providing organisations with excellent training and coaching support services together with our innovative business consultancy services, we are now well prepared to grow our business further by offering support to companies across Wales and beyond with an ever growing range of support services."
