Being for Beginners (B4B) is a practical and transformative series of workshops that provides valuable insights and tools for personal growth and self-reflection. The series is designed to equip and enable participants, whether they are struggling with specific issues, seeking deeper wellbeing, or looking to explore new ideas and practices for personal development. Through the B4B series, individuals can gain a better understanding of themselves, develop new skills, and find innovative ways to enhance their overall quality of life. This programme not only fosters personal growth, but creates a supportive environment where participants can privately self-reflect on their experiences and aspirations.

Roddy has an engaging style and gentle humour. His approach is unique. He draws upon his background in Anthropology, his broad academic interests and life-experience. He makes workshops experiential and personal, yet in a way that protects privacy. He avoids prescriptive approaches in favour of process and exploration. Woven into ideas and simple frameworks he develops skills of meditation that support reflection. His manner is encouraging and no previous experience is required. He ensures there are regular opportunities to privately reflect, enabling space for each indiviual to engage, explore and apply ideas to their own life. This unusual facilitative approach provides participants with a framework for personal growth that lays deep foundations for lifelong development.

To understand and experience insights and practices in a safe but effective way, Roddy combines ideas from various traditions and disciplines with careful, private, facilitated space enabling individuals to work confidently with tools and frameworks that develop deeper self-awareness and enable change.

This respectful, open and non-prescriptive approach empowers participants, encouraging them to own and apply the material, which greatly improves understanding and practical relevance.

The workshops, away-days, talks and articles offered by Roddy originated from a collaborative initiative with research staff at the University of Oxford. Tasked with developing innovative ideas and practices for enhancing wellbeing, Roddy crafted a series of programmes designed to address the challenges faced by academic professionals. The B4B series, which has been widely commissioned within the University of Oxford and beyond, emphasises practical strategies grounded in research and cultural insights. By focusing on personal development, the course aims to support both professional and personal life, making the series highly relevant and beneficial for individuals regardless of position or life-stage.

The core approach of the series is interdisciplinary, drawing from anthropology, psychology, and other disciplines to offer fresh perspectives that improve awareness, understanding, and enable change. Unlike traditional programs that might adhere strictly to a single philosophy, this series leverages a broad range of academic and cultural sources to provide a well-rounded educational experience. This method benefits participants by equipping them with diverse analytical tools and insights, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of complex issues, and encouraging transformative personal and professional growth. By integrating these perspectives, the series aims to cultivate deeper awareness and practical skills that are applicable over time and across contexts.

B4B provides valuable tools for personal growth and development, supporting participants in both their work-life and general wellbeing.

Based on feedback from over 450 participants, the series has made significant impact. It has received consistent 5-star reviews on Trustpilot and participants have described it as insightful, useful, practical, calming and transformative. As set out above, the series shows ratings exceeding 90% across important areas including:

• self-worth

• mental and emotional health

• ability to manage reactions and patterns of thought

• work / life balance

• understanding of others

• sense of wellbeing

• work and career development

I would be delighted to share specific impact data on request.