Spotlight on CCG Members - Rona Barbour - November 2021

Spotlight on CCG Members - Rona Barbour - November 2021

Nov, 6 2021


Billy Connolly is no doubt one of the UK’s National Treasures. In his youth he was able to create convincing stories as a comedic performer on stage that would leave his audience in hysterics. Although he is not quite the man he used to be his birthplace is also the start of this month’s ‘Spotlight on CCG Members’.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Rona Barbour is one of 8 siblings to registered blind parents, Tommy, and Lizzie, she has an  incredible warmth and a very sharp sense of humour, mixed with the sense of the ridiculous that is indigenous to the people of that city.

She comes from a long line of celebrated storytellers she has been writing and telling stories since childhood.

Once she built up a substantial portfolio of work she successfully achieved many awards and critical acclaim. These include:-

  • Nominated for Cheshire Woman of the Year in recognition of her work in Storytelling in the education sector with teens excluded from mainstream schools because of behavioural issues.
  • As President of the South Manchester Public Speakers Club, which is part of the ASC (Association of Public Speaker’s Clubs) she won the 1st Susan Hayhurst Award for Raconteur of the Year.
  • CELCIS; (Centre of excellence for looked after children in Scotland). KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
  • KEYNOTE SPEAKER at Annual Conferences in Glasgow in June 2014 and again in 2016.
  • THE AMERICAN ARTS THERAPY ASSOCIATION; Commissioned to present at the 49th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas. July 2014
  • PERM STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY IN RUSSIA. Tutoring Student Teachers 2014 and 2017
  • ASTRA ZENECA PHARMACEUTICALS; Team Building through Story. With the A Z Legal Team.
  • MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB: for 15years before hanging up her boots she worked as Match-day Ambassador and MC in VIP Hospitality Suite at MANCHESTER UNITED’S stadium.
  • THE BRITISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN PERM, RUSSIA. Tutoring Storytelling Skills 2014 and 2017
  • SAMSUNG; (electronic giants). Sent a film crew from KOREA to film Rona delivering a workshop on the use of Back Story in Business for use in their training centres.
  • THE BRITISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN PERM, RUSSIA. Tutoring Storytelling Skills 2014 and 2017
  • The BBC: JUDGE for the BBC’s Young Storyteller – Online competition.
  • LIONSGATE FILMS; Was the “Prize for the Day” for their major competition.
  • M.O.D. The Ministry of Defence; Improving communication using storytelling skills at MOD Offices.
  • The Ministry of Defence; Working with teachers in M.O.D Schools Overseas.

It is apparent that her work is clearly recognized, appreciated and highly respected across many levels  in the learning and teaching sector. She is in even greater demand as people everywhere are now waking up to the fact that effective storytelling is a necessary life skill and is the key to all other life changing skill sets. As a Consultant in Education and in her Business Workshops Rona’s delivery has been of the highest standard and her works have always resulted in excellent feedback.

But Rona is far from being a one trick pony. As well as an illustrious career as a Storyteller Tutor in education and in business, Rona is also a talented writer, (and ghost writer) she has written many articles for magazines and she kindly contributed to the academic work;

Creative Education, Teaching and Learning

A joint collaborative project by Dr. Gail Brewer and chair of the CCG Russell Hogarth, published by Palgrave MacMillan. This academic publication is housed in Universities both nationally and internationally and is now also available to buy from Amazon. 

In recent years she was so thrilled to be featured in Gulnaz Brennan’s book as one of the 100 Most Inspirational Women in the “100 Stories” book at the “She Inspires” Awards at their annual convention.

Last year alone (2020) Rona was shortlisted for a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for her Services to Storytelling which she is extremely excited about as it gives her another opportunity to get her message across and achieve her long term ambition, which is to open a Storytelling Centre for Children and Adults in the North  like the incredible Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she is a frequent visitor.

Rona Barbour -