Case Study

Jacqueline’s colouring book dream takes shape

9 Apr 2024

Jacqueline, age 60, is rewriting the rule book as she embarks on launching her new business, Kind at Heart CIC. Dismissing any thought of easy-going retirement, she is the picture of happiness as her interactive children’s colouring book – Exploring the Power of Words: My Character – is finally published; the culmination of a 25-year-long ambition.  

It’s a dream that has come to fruition with support from the Restart Scheme in London, which supports unemployed residents to find work, including self-employment. Wembley Jobcentre Plus, Ingeus, and its partners Momentic have jointly helped Jacqueline in her kind-hearted quest to help children become more confident through use of her new book. It encourages readers to understand and illustrate affirming pictures, words, and phrases to help understand themselves and others. It is fully accessible and harnesses children’s imagination and choices to develop self-worth and understanding of people’s differences.  

Jacqueline, from Brent in North West London, had a successful early career in publishing before family commitments, and latterly her own health issues, ended her then-working life. Having volunteered at a Saturday school in South London in the late 90s and seen the warm reception an early version of her book received; it was a long-lived dream to turn her passion into reality.  

“The idea of the book kept me going when I was unwell, and then unemployed,” explains Jacqueline. “Even though it has been years in the making, I knew it was possible.” 

That possibility became ever closer when Jacqueline was referred to Restart Advisor Agim at Ingeus’ office in Brent. Supporting Jacqueline with career coaching, digital skills workshops, funding, and business planning, he also referred her to self-employment specialist Kate at Momentic. She says:  

“Jacqueline came to us with an incredible amount of vision, creativity, and passion. We supported her to write a business plan and cashflow forecast and she also attended workshops on marketing, social media, and bookkeeping. We explored writing grant bids and networking. Jacqueline is a joy to support; she is so eager to learn.” 

With the help of an Ingeus-funded grant to support the pilot publication of The Power of Words, Jacqueline was in business! 

“I have been blown away by the professionalism and quality advice from Ingeus and Momentic,” continues Jacqueline. “I was employed for so many years and then had a prolonged break, so I was nervous about self-employment. I always wanted to do it but never knew how to go about it properly. The team helped me believe it was possible, they supported me in every way.” 

Jacqueline is now busy developing her website and arranging introductions to local schools. With her publisher’s sights firmly set on rolling the book out throughout the UK, Jacqueline will continue to receive business support and encouragement from the Restart Scheme partners.  

“It’s been a great team effort,” concludes Jacqueline. “To start again at my age, a new beginning for something I’ve always longed to do – it’s a dream come true.”   

https://ingeus.com/uk/what-we-do/employability/restart-scheme