Azesta Turns 26 – A Year of Growth, Impact and Inspiration
It’s hard to believe, but Azesta is celebrating 26 incredible years in business! Over the past twelve months, we’ve not only grown in size and reach—we’ve deepened our impact, refined our processes, and continued to live our values through every project, partnership, and programme.
Reflecting on the past year, our founder Shirley Gaston shared:
“I can hardly believe that it is our 26th anniversary already! In the last year we have grown the team a lot, improved our processes and business systems and been involved in lots of exciting projects! We are doing more work bringing coaching skills and motivational interviewing to those working with the most vulnerable in our society as well as supporting leaders at all levels to develop their skills. We have particularly enjoyed running a nationwide management development programme for leaders in the Health in Justice sector, working with inspirational councils working hard to reduce inequalities and working with housing associations to help them develop strategy and develop high performing senior teams and boards. Our apprenticeship provision has also grown over the last year and we have had a successful Ofsted inspection (more news to follow!). There are so many exciting projects in the pipeline for our 27th year too! A massive thank you to all of our customers and our fabulous team for their hard work and dedication.”
A Year of Growth and Achievement
From June 2024 to June 2025, we proudly welcomed 54 new apprenticeship enrolments – including 12 apprentices who joined our brand-new Learning and Skills Mentor Level 4 Standard in January 2025.
We’re thrilled to report that every single apprentice who sat their End Point Assessment (EPA) during this time successfully completed their qualification – a record we are incredibly proud to uphold.
38% achieved a Distinction
62% earned a Pass
And several who achieved a Pass were awarded a Distinction in one or more elements of their EPA
These results reflect the dedication of our learners, the support of our team, and the quality of our delivery.
Training That Makes a Difference
Between 19th June 2024 and now, we’ve delivered 116 days of bespoke training and facilitation to corporate clients across a wide range of sectors. From strategic development with housing associations to leadership programmes for councils tackling inequality, we’ve been privileged to support transformational work nationwide.
Welcoming New Talent
At the end of 2024, we were delighted to welcome two fantastic new team members:
Lauren Fort, who joined us as Apprenticeship Administrator, working closely with Rachel Fort to keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.
Harvey Robinson, our part-time Accounts Administrator. While studying Accounting and Finance at Leeds Beckett University, Harvey is already making an impact with his up-to-date Sage knowledge and sharp financial skills.
Learning Never Stops
Our very own Operations Director, Rachel Fort, embodied the Azesta spirit of lifelong learning by beginning her Level 6 Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship at the University of Leeds. As Rachel shared:
“Getting a degree has always been on my ‘must-do’ list. I didn’t follow the traditional university route at 18 because I had an incredible career opportunity. But when the University of Leeds invited me to apply, I knew it was the right time. This is my chance to enhance my experience with a formal qualification, inspire my daughters, and honour my late father, who was a lifelong learner himself.”
Looking Ahead
We’ve achieved so much this year—and we’re just getting started. As we step into our 27th year, we’re excited about the projects on the horizon, the partnerships in the pipeline, and the continued opportunity to make a real difference through coaching, training and leadership development.
To everyone who’s been part of the Azesta journey—thank you. Here’s to another year of growth, purpose, and possibility.
Happy Birthday, Azesta! 🎂
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