01438 741177
But not just any MW student.
Anna Spooner (@annaspooner)who currently works for TWS is a stage two MW student .
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of attending an online TWS event or even an in person event, the likelihood is you’ve had the pleasure of meeting her either virtually or in person .
Anna is extremely knowledgeable and extremely talented but is leaving TWS in March to move to France 
relocating to the Southern Rhone where she intends to set up her own business.
The downside of leaving TWS for Anna is that she will now not only have to fund stage 2 of her MW studies herself but will also have to reimburse TWS the cost of her stage 1 studies . She needs to raise 10K to do this.
She has set up a go fund me page to offer (as she puts it) an en primeur service, where she will provide various services once her stage 2 exams are finished in the summer … ie: tastings, Rhone vineyard tours etc….
I firmly believe Anna will do amazing in her future career as an MW and feel given all she’s done right through lockdown and beyond for the members of TWS she deserves some help.
If you are in a position to help Anna by even the smallest donation, here is the link 
@Leah this is incredibly thoughtful! Thank you for sharing this.
I am gutted to leave TWS but the smells of grenache and garrique are calling me to the Rhone and I can ignore them no longer.
I am still hosting online events until the end of March and I will be attending a few in person events too so hopefully will see a few of you before I go.
That being said, I will still be a very active member of the TWS community (even if I can’t buy the wines whilst I am in France - eek! what will I do?!)
I have been so fortunate to meet so many wonderful people in this job over the past 5 years, it’s been a real honour to work alongside so many amazing wine people AND get to meet so many wonderful members along the way - you very much included @Leah
Thank you again for all your support over the years 
All the best on your adventure.
Thanks again @annaspooner and enjoy the Rhone .
Here is the link once again if anyone can spare even £5 to help Anna fund her MW .
I would far rather TWS sponsor Anna (even if she is to leave their employment) than throw money/wine etc at these so-called ‘Influencers’. Surely not demanding that the money for her stage 1 studies is repaid would be a start!!
I’m in total agreement!!
It’s okay It is part of my contract to pay them back, so I was expecting to do so. I think that’s standard across all businesses.
TWS have been wonderfully generous with helping me with wines and buyers have spent so much time helping to guide my studies.
So leaving much richer than I joined 
I will post a farewell to members from my ‘official’ capacity tomorrow on my last day, when I transition to becoming a regular member! Exciting!!
Anna leaves a great repository of online video tastings and presentations for future enjoyment. Always an excellent presenter for TWS and its aims, Anna’s career plans will be a loss for us, but will continue to add to the world of wine from France. All the very best for your future!
It is indeed. The last firm I worked for put warehouse staff through forklift training - if they left within 6 months the cost of the course was knocked off their final pay slip. Ditto advanced computer courses, HGV driving etc. For some reason the First Aider course was exempt.
It’s fairly standard although enforcement can be discretionary. My contract stipulated that I was not allowed to work for a competitor for 6 months! I’m fairly certain that was unenforceable.
Same experience in the Higher Education sector. Back in the days when there was money (and interest in education for education’s sake), working at a university meant you could do a degree and have the fee waived as a member of staff.
I did my counselling training this way, and the other half’s department paid for his MA TESOL. But it was on the understanding that should you leave the role within 6 months of graduating - you would have to pay the fees back. Which seems fair!