Aaron Phipps MBE becomes Honorary Southampton City Ambassador – on behalf of Kiwi Education

Honoured for his amazing story and achievements, Kiwi welcomes Aaron Phipps with an honorary membership to the City Ambassador Programme – Southampton! On behalf of Kiwi Education, Michael Steel managing director of the local training provider delivered Aaron’s certificate in person. In recognition of his achievements and contribution to the city of Southampton.

Today some of our Kiwi Trainees were in for a guest speaker tutorial for their workplace preparation training. Focusing the workshop on conquering adversity & building resilience, guest speaker Aaron used his story to inspire our learners. Whilst also offering guidance on how our learners can prepare their mindset to overcome challenges.

More about Aaron:

The Team GB wheelchair rugby player, contracted meningitis aged 15 when he was in Year 11 at school. He first heard about the sport in 2008 at a wheelchair racing event and quickly developed a love for it. Invited to GB training, he was selected for the 2009 European Championships where the team finished fourth. Aaron continued to work hard as an integral part of the team and made his Paralympic debut in London in 2012.

After the London Games, Aaron took some time away from the international stage to focus on work and his family. Returning to high-level training in 2017 to achieve selection back onto the GB team for 2020. He was successful, representing GB at the 2018 Quad Nations and remaining on the team ever since. Not even Covid could stop him, throughout pandemic lockdowns he continued his training often spotted at Southampton Sports Centre.

In 2021, at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Aaron and his teammates won the first-ever Gold Medal for Paralympics GB in a team sport event. Off the court. Aaron has competed in two London Marathons and in 2016 he climbed Kilimanjaro, raising £250k for the Meningitis Research Foundation (MSF) and becoming the first person in the world to climb in a wheelchair – spending the final four days on his hands and knees to reach the summit.

“Aaron has been a supporter & friend of the organisation for a while now. It was amazing to have him visit our learners here in our new training centre at Portland Terrace. The learners loved listening to Aaron’s story and it was great to see so many of them inspired by his attitude and outlook on life. It’s a privilege to deliver this honorary city ambassador membership to an athlete who has achieved so much in this city”

– Michael Steel – Managing Director.

About the City Ambassador Programme:

The City Ambassador Programme has been built to upskill and develop customer-facing team members, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to deliver an exceptional Southampton customer welcome.

Training begins with a formal introduction and welcome session from City Ambassador Partners (Satvir Kaur and Sarah Bogle). Throughout the learning schedule, the Apprentice Ambassadors will embark on various guided tours and activities to discover more about the Heritage, Culture & Diversity of the City.

Employers are entitled to funding from the Government to pay for Apprenticeship training & the City Ambassador Programmes activities.

Kiwi Education are looking for local passionate employers to join our City Ambassador Community, enrolling apprentices now for 2023! Find out more about this exciting new programme here. 

To find out more about how Kiwi Education can help launch your career contact 02380 170380 or Hello@kiwieducation.co.uk