VCCP’s Nicky Palamarczuk Launches Back to Work After Series
Life changing events happen every day, to everyone. Cancer strikes, babies are born, marriages break down and anxiety overwhelms. But despite these things happening all the time, no one talks about them openly. No one shares their experiences, is reassured by them or learns from them. Everyone is expected to go back to work after the death of a loved one or the birth of a baby and just get on with it.
Nicky Palamarczuk, head of social and influence at VCCP’s content and social division VCCP Kin, has been back to work twice in the last three years. First after taking a year out for the birth of her baby in 2016, then again just five months after returning from maternity leave with a surprise breast cancer diagnosis.
Both those experiences were polarising and this got her thinking, how do other people cope, adapt and successfully go back to work? So she decided to create Back to Work, a series of inspiring, sometimes heart-wrenching talks from senior people within the advertising industry whose life-changing events have shaped the way they work, the companies they run and the teams they manage.
The first of the ‘Back To Work After’ events will be held on 7th May at the Charlotte St Hotel with speakers Helen Calcraft (Lucky Generals), Gav Thompson (O2 & Boden) and Nicola Way (Harper Collins Publishing) talking about how they went Back To Work After life threatening illnesses.
Helen Calcraft, Lucky General’s founder and guest speaker, is proud to be part of the event: “Cancer survivors struggle both mentally and physically long after their treatment ends and they are supposed to be ‘better’. The more we can bring topics like this into the open, the better it will be for those who return, and for those who work with them.”
“Part of reason I was able to come back to work after breast cancer so quickly, (just six months after my diagnosis), was due to the senior management team at VCCP,” explains Nicky. “They rallied around me, scheduling management meetings around my radiotherapy appointments, so I never felt out of touch and I never lost confidence in myself or their belief in me. I’m convinced lots of people have positive stories like this to tell and I think we all can benefit from them.”
Michael Sugden, CEO of VCCP Partnership, who are partnering with Nicky on the event added: "Society expects people to move on from life changing events far too quickly. But the reality isn’t as simple as that, which is why Nicky’s ‘Back to Work After’ initiative is such a brilliant and much needed scheme."
Further planned events in the series include ‘Back To Work After Addiction’ and ‘Back to Work After Disgrace’.
Tickets are £10 with all proceeds from the first event going to Macmillan Cancer Support
