Young Leaders | empowering young people to lead
June 2024
Big Leaf Foundation's Young Leaders programme is a 10-week course for displaced young people to come together and learn about leadership, legal rights, how to create change and support others.
Now in its third year, Young Leaders supports young people to build confidence and knowledge to help them feel more empowered within themselves, their local community and within Big Leaf itself.
Many of the young people we support exhibit natural leadership qualities, and this programme provides an opportunity to hone these skills. We want young people to recognise their strengths and to feel confident to speak out on the issues that matter to them.
Many of the young people we support exhibit natural leadership qualities, and this programme provides an opportunity to hone these skills. We want young people to recognise their strengths and to feel confident to speak out on the issues that matter to them.
"Young Leaders has taught us how to love each other and help each other and lift each other up. It taught me it's important not to treat people differently; everyone should have an equal chance"
M
M
We're committed to supporting displaced young people to participate in the development and leadership of Big Leaf and become active leaders within their community, making lasting changes to issues that affect their lives.
Graduate Young Leaders have gone on to speak at colleges, to local community groups and at Big Leaf events. They have helped to train our partners, been interviewed by local and national media and co-created Big Leaf projects and events, including our Refugee Week celebrations. Their ideas shape what we do and how we do it... informing future iterations of the Young Leaders project, our organisational strategy and various projects.
But we don't do this alone. We know that partnerships make us stronger and over the last two years we've worked with Surrey University School of Law, Jamie's Farm, The Hummingbird Project and Guildford Shakespeare Company to design and deliver our Young Leaders programme.
Graduate Young Leaders have gone on to speak at colleges, to local community groups and at Big Leaf events. They have helped to train our partners, been interviewed by local and national media and co-created Big Leaf projects and events, including our Refugee Week celebrations. Their ideas shape what we do and how we do it... informing future iterations of the Young Leaders project, our organisational strategy and various projects.
But we don't do this alone. We know that partnerships make us stronger and over the last two years we've worked with Surrey University School of Law, Jamie's Farm, The Hummingbird Project and Guildford Shakespeare Company to design and deliver our Young Leaders programme.
"What initially started as workshops for Young Leaders turned out to be a place where we learnt a lot more from there. It's been a very open learning environment where our students get to discuss the complexities of the law at length and explore the difficulties and the practical side of what we learn every day at University."
Jessica, Law Student, University of Surrey.
Jessica, Law Student, University of Surrey.
The programme begins with a residential at Jamie's Farm, bringing the group together and exploring their sense of self while also team building and creating a sense of trust with us and each other. We then progress to workshops on leadership, human rights and democracy, storytelling, employment skills, campaigning and public speaking.
Each participant is then matched with a volunteer mentor who supports them to achieve their personal goals.
At the end of the programme we come together alongside partners, supporters, funders and friends to celebrate the achievements of the young people in a graduation ceremony, hosted at the University of Surrey.
Each participant is then matched with a volunteer mentor who supports them to achieve their personal goals.
At the end of the programme we come together alongside partners, supporters, funders and friends to celebrate the achievements of the young people in a graduation ceremony, hosted at the University of Surrey.
"From Big Leaf, I have learnt that to be a good leader, it is important to communicate and share your ideas, and it's important to listen too. It's important to be humble, not arrogant. I will use these skills as a compass to guide me towards my future goals. It has meant a lot to me to go through this Young Leaders programme."
N
N
Each participant is then matched with a volunteer mentor who supports them to achieve their personal goals.
At the end of the programme we come together alongside partners, supporters, funders and friends to celebrate the achievements of the young people in a graduation ceremony, hosted at the University of Surrey.
At the end of the programme we come together alongside partners, supporters, funders and friends to celebrate the achievements of the young people in a graduation ceremony, hosted at the University of Surrey.
"Thank you so much for inviting me to attend such an inspirational event. All of the young people, and particularly the Young Leaders, are a real credit to you. They gave me a renewed hope for the future."
Rebecca Bowden, Community Foundation for Surrey.
Rebecca Bowden, Community Foundation for Surrey.
With huge thanks to the Listening Fund as part of The National Lottery Community Fund for supporting our Young Leaders programme.
project archive
Pilot programmeRead about our first ever Young Leaders programme, launched in Jan 2022.
|
with thanks to our partners and funders
|
|
|