Leadership Programme open for applications!

1 Mar 2022

Building Leaders, Building Peace: A Grassroots Leadership Programme

We are seeking individuals from a range of communities across Northern Ireland to take part in our Building Leaders, Building Peace: A Grassroots Leadership Programme. An exciting programme that encourages individuals to challenge themselves, as they work with people from across political and religious divides, building their resilience and confidence to help transform local communities.

The programme will last 12 months and aims to support the development of emerging community leaders whose work is focussed on the regeneration of interfaces and/or communities where more concentrated peacebuilding efforts are needed. It will help develop their confidence and capacity to address division, segregation, prejudice and hate; issues that impact on community cohesion and hold communities back.

Participants will commit to a range of support and development opportunities including:

• Completion of an accredited training programme such as an ILM Level 5 in Leadership & Management, sourced by CFNI and delivered by highly experienced facilitators and trainers (training is likely to take circa six months to complete and will incorporate online/face to face learning, completion of assignments/workbooks, tutorials etc)
• Monthly one-to-one mentoring provided by highly qualified and experienced mentors/coaches and community leaders.  Mentoring will take place throughout the programme and will support participants to explore and develop their individual leadership confidence, style, and skills (mentoring will require a minimum commitment of 1hr per month, potentially 2 hrs in some months)
• Opportunities for bespoke learning and development based on participant’s needs (where CFNI budget can facilitate this)
  Regular thematic workshops facilitated by experienced practitioners across a range of areas such as self-care & resilience in community activism, transformative leadership, conflict management, public speaking & presenting (participant commitment will require participation on at least three workshops during the programme lasting from 1.5 hrs to full days per workshop, depending upon the theme)
• Networking with fellow participants and those from their respective community-based organisations (social distancing guidelines permitting)
• Opportunities to participate in thematic workshops, webinars, conferences and learning through CFNI partner organisations including the Social Change Initiative
• Development and leading on a Leadership in Action project, funded by the programme, linked to needs within their local community and connected to projects being developed by their peers on the programme cohort
• Regular review and evaluation of personal progression, setting of individual leadership goals and milestones, sharing learning and development with CFNI

Interested participants must complete a programme Expression of Interest and return to lorraine@communityfoundationni.org on or before the end of March 2022.  For further information please contact Lorraine Morrissey McCann.

Read what past participants have to say, here. 

Overview of the programme and participant criteria, Download here.

Expression of interest form, Download here.