When I met Donna, I was burnt out from continuous ministering. There was a lack of concentration and motivation. I had lost my sense of purpose; The zest was taken away, and I felt like it was bled dry by the situation. My sense of well-being was low, and I didn’t feel myself.

Donna Introduced me to her creativity sessions with The DPA. A safe space that provides social interaction with others and encourages inward reflection and exploration of new possibilities. I leapt over my limitations and boundaries and sensed new energy from new perspectives.

Since the support, I resumed my ministerial work with a different approach – so I don’t fall into the same trap of burnout. Also, because I am much better, I have gained a new opportunity and am enjoying this new space of well-being and self-awareness.

I highly recommend The DPA because everyone needs support at one point; whether good or bad, you still need others to empathise, hold your hand, and tell you it’s OK!

"I have been very lucky to have worked with Donna in various ways, from her business training, mentoring, design, and marketing expertise. I learned so much from her, and she is truly a gem!

As a creative, I struggled with some of the more conventional approaches, and she worked with me in a way that brought out the true spirit in me, giving me the perspectives and direction I needed at that time. This approach resulted in a total mindset shift where I began to feel empowered with a business/entrepreneurial mindset. I feel like I'm moving forward, tapping into my skillsets and strengths. She really got me thinking outside the box and was supportive and encouraging at every step; this also helped me with my courage to pitch for a small business fund!

Other than that, she has a natural intuition and is so adept at unpicking the root of problems. I gained so much confidence and self-awareness through the sessions, and I cannot thank Donna enough for our work together, as she is much more than a mentor or coach, but one that truly gets YOU as a person with her compassion and heart."

"The course introduced me to some of the aspiring young entrepreneurs out there who I continue to cooperate with today. This business training should definitely be on your checklist if you have an idea you are passionate about but not sure how to implement.

Donna has not only given us an amazing insight into all sides of business development - from legal issues to financial ones, she was great at giving creative recommendations tailored to my idea and my business.

Last but surely not least - the course made me realise how essential my own mental health and stability are to my business and provided some practical exercises to ensure that we stay on track."

“I would say that the support from DPA has been the support that I have been waiting to have for ages. I now feel that I am much more in tune with who I want to be and who I currently am, I am able to make better decisions and ask others for support when I struggle with decisions, and I am able to put my foot down and ask questions which might have been difficult for me in the past.

I would encourage all my friends, family and those around me to receive support from the DPA and see how their personal and work lives improve massively.

I would like to say that I am extremely grateful to the DPA and Donna. Not just for the chance to meet her, work with her and see all the impact of the DPA but because it’s been extremely inspiring and life-changing to know that so many people have gained a better understanding of themselves, including me. I think that what is delivered from the DPA should be incorporated into day-to-day life.”

CEO of Maokwo, www.wearemakwo.com

“Donna has been supporting me for a while now. her business training is one of the most memorable and impactful learning experiences I’ve attended.

Donna’s business training is delivered with heart. Her workshop delivery is not just about head knowledge, woven in there is the desire and passion to see participants succeed. As a participant l can safely say l will not forget the experience, the vibe was always on point. I felt it and l loved it. Donna's passion and dedication in these sessions were contagious.

My vision was heard and understood and it has since become a reality. Having Donna's training at the start was the welcome boost of self-belief and pragmatism that my social enterprise needed. I would recommend Donna Preece Academy’s training, events and services, in my sleep”

“I had the great pleasure of working with Donna Preece during the construction and delivery of my TEDx talk. I found the way she and her team were able to target the workshops around building confidence and quality very rewarding.

She went that extra mile to make sure everyone involved with the event had enough time to practise and make themselves ready to perform; this is a unique talent that comes from a wealth of experience and dedication that I would highly recommend. The TEDx experience was a great opportunity, and for me, Donna and her team make it that little bit more special.”

You rarely come across standout talent like Donna.‘understated elegance' and ‘quietly disarming’ are the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Donna's work. Many say they want to make a difference, but few rarely do.

Having been through her training courses and working with her on other projects, Donna strives to create spaces that embrace a mindset of doing it differently. The objective? is to create a lasting impact on the projects she is involved in.

I am always in awe of her ability to handle even the most challenging personalities effortlessly, harnessing their differences and inspiring them to remember their 'why'. And even those who were initially on completely different pages quickly rally and get on board with implementing ideas that make a difference. A skill that often takes years to develop, but it comes perfectly naturally to her.

She is an asset to any individual looking for support, an organisation or a team. When the opportunity comes to work with her or take part in her 1-2-1 support or training, it is not something one turns down.

“When I registered for the Evolve programme, I expected to attend physical classes with a complete learning experience, including interacting with my classmate and tutor. This is because I always make sure to benefit as much as possible from every class I ever take.

However, when I found out that the lessons were going to be online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I was very disappointed and lost half the motivation for the course. I was no longer enthusiastic about the training because I had never been a fan of online studying; I used to find it nothing like the real thing. I hated the idea of not being able to express myself enough, not getting to network with my colleagues, and I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to focus during the sessions.

Trust me when I tell you that I couldn’t be more wrong. Donna’s classes are DIFFERENT. From the first session, she made me feel part of a new adventure of which I was an integral part. Donna knew it was a new experience for some of us (at least it was for me), so she took the time to reassure us that everything was going to be alright. This reassurance allowed me to feel a lot more comfortable and at ease in the new environment (one I had several negative preconceptions about) and even got me looking forward to the challenge.

The training was so well designed that I didn’t feel like I was studying but more like I was working together with Donna and my colleagues on a common project. Every session was filled with useful information that I always knew was relevant but never had the courage to research and try to understand. Fortunately for me, Donna had this way of talking about these seemingly complex topics with such simple words and explanations that the whole picture of what a business is about came through to me like she was shining a new light on it all.

Thanks to Donna’s challenges and motivation, I have been able to tap into new energy, which is now driving me to seek more for my career and personal development. Donna’s methods have given me a new perspective on what being an Entrepreneur and Professional means.”

“Despite already speaking to groups of people and being involved with personal development (as you know I am also a Cognitive Behavioural Coach), I found myself quite anxious leading up to the event with a max 18-minute session to get my point across. I actually thought it might just not be for me!

However, this changed during the lead-up to the event once I started to come to the speaker workshops and events that you ran so well, along with the individual support you gave me.

I thought that your ‘handling' of some 20 people in a small space, with all the various personalities and ego’s, was exceptional. It is no small feat to not only keep to the timetable but also improve confidence in the speakers that the event will run well, that everything is planned and thought through and that any challenges that any of us might have will be dealt with - either by yourself (mostly!) or the team that you have pulled together.

Again, I have to say that the creativity that you allowed us to develop whilst keeping us all working within the strict TEDx guidelines is a testament to your personal skills. Even on the day when there were potential technical issues in the background, you dealt with them by engaging with the various range of services that are needed in such an event! I do realise that the planning that is required behind the scenes for such an event is substantial, so thank you again for your commitment and time.

It was a very successful event - sold out before the first day and despite my (and others) nerves, the result was very professional. I really feel that this was down to your ability to do the job and encourage and support the team involved to do theirs.
So, well done and thank you again.”

“The GROW process has been more than just a training, it has been a wake-up call to me, a call that I was afraid to take but now I feel like I am ready to answer.

A deeply therapeutic and empowering process filled with loads of specific strategies and tools that challenged me to step up my communication techniques, gain money confidence and build healthy internal and external boundaries.

It gave me everything I needed and more to not only live the authentic life that I am striving for but also to obtain the financial freedom that I desire. It literally helped me to seal and reaffirm all the work I have been doing lately to get my life together and push my personal and business development further.

And on top of that, I received some valuable insights and tools from the other attendees, who also reminded me to be more mindful of my expectations from anything that I embark on.

I have had the privilege of attending another course led by the Managing Director, Donna Preece, and I thought I had already seen her at her highest level but she proved me that it only gets better and took me on this incredibly life-changing journey that I will always be grateful for.

All of that in such a short period of time!!! Thank you, Donna, your outstanding leadership and beautiful soul are definitely unforgettable.”

“Donna is extremely organised having 20+ years of events experience and 15+ years of teaching. She is also extremely funny and friendly and often shares her own story of personal struggles and triumphs. Her creativity extends to many forms of visual art from painting to photography and website builds as well as interior design and event design.

Donna loves to get people talking about their passions and is a very effective facilitator at events and networking. She is always looking for opportunities to get people to collaborate.

I believe that Donna's USP is her ability to draw our people's talents and skills, even if they do not believe that they have them. She can gently challenge doubts whilst encouraging people to allow themselves to try something first. And so often, they leave with new found self-confidence and pride in themselves.

Donna has created a unique and personal service that hits the mark in our current climate.

Levels of stress, anxiety and depression are ever-increasing due to modern pressures, and added to this are higher levels of social anxiety following the pandemic.

Donna has selflessly cut through the barrage of online events and self-help gurus to give people a safe space away from all of this. She provides an arena for people to find themselves again, to have self-care in the simple form of conversation and or art over a drink.

And the simplicity is what makes her unique, as she has used her recovery to consider and then create every aspect of her service. There are no expensive venues / posh equipment but just friendly, down-to-earth places, tools and people.”