Leading the way: Learning from the Community Leadership Academy

The Community Leadership Academy was formed in 2019 to help recognise and develop leadership skills in Big Local areas. To properly understand the impact of the Academy, we teamed up with Just Ideas and the Institute for Voluntary Action Research to evaluate its successes and identify how best to support the programme in the future. Here is what they found.

Since its inception the Big Local programme has nurtured hundreds of grassroots initiatives around the country. From community gardens that feed local residents, to rebranding ventures allowing neighbourhoods to make a new name for themselves. This, in turn, has given rise to natural leaders stepping forward to give their time to assist with project planning, running of events, engaging with the local community, speaking out about what the community needs and generally keeping the Big Local dream alive.

In 2019, Local Trust teamed up with Koreo, the Young Foundation and Northern Soul to form the Community Leadership Academy (CLA) to recognise and develop leadership skills and support leaders in Big Local areas. The idea was to help those already leading – or starting to – to develop and gain confidence as individuals so they could further contribute to their areas and become part of a strong national network of confident community leaders.

Being nominated really built me up. Lots of people think I’m very confident – but I come across as being more confident than I really am”

In October 2019, Just Ideas and the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) were appointed by Local Trust as the project’s evaluation and learning partner to help us better understand leadership in communities and how we can best support it; here’s what they found so far.

Getting started – nomination and adaptation

The CLA has successfully identified and recruited existing and emerging leaders in Big Local areas, supporting them via individual coaching, group sessions and sharing skills and knowledge.

There has been a diverse range of participants in terms of educational and professional backgrounds, existing roles (within and outside Big Local partnerships) and local contexts.

I understand more about myself as a community leader, my way of being, who I am and why I am that way.”

Most participants do not see themselves as leaders and would not have considered taking part without being nominated. The nomination process helped to boost confidence.

“Being nominated really built me up. Lots of people think I’m very confident – but I come across as being more confident than I really am. Something knocked the stuffing out of me a few years ago, I locked myself away, and it took years to rebuild myself.” (CLA participant)

Despite the challenges of having to move online due to COVID-19– turning a residential-based programme into a remote curriculum – participants still felt supported by the CLA and, for most, being part of the programme has been an empowering and positive experience.

What’s worked?

Individual coaching

Effective matching of coaches and participants has been at the heart of the success and the 1:1 coaching has been central to the leadership journey and particularly valued by participants. These open and trusting coaching sessions have enabled participants to focus on personal development, problem solving, and have supported their learning about different leadership styles and practice. This should enable participants to make a difference to influencing and advocacy work in their communities.

I think more about how I navigate my own wellbeing whilst learning how to lead effectively.”

“To have someone that is connected to you, not your colleague, or your friends, or family – but someone that is a professional and has no agenda […] apart from helping you to face the right way, mentally being able to understand certain things.” (CLA Participant).

We have seen participants increase in confidence. For example, feeling empowered to take on more responsibility (or delegate more!) and be more assertive in their Big Local partnership setting.

Peer support and wellbeing

Many participants have noted the importance of emotional wellbeing and support in a peer setting – this being particularly appreciated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although in-person meetings (and the usual informal interactions that would take place there) have not been possible, tools such as a WhatsApp group have enabled participants to share issues and news outside online sessions.

Now I’m trying to do stuff around mental health [with the partnership] – two to three years ago I wouldn’t have mentioned that.”

“I’m opening up – asking more questions. I’m using some of the approaches from the sessions. I’ve got depression and until a couple of years ago I would never have shared that. Now I’m trying to do stuff around mental health [with the partnership] – two to three years ago I wouldn’t have mentioned that. I realised that in hearing from other people [the experience of varying mental health is common].” (CLA Participant).

Online delivery sessions have helped participants feel relaxed, able to ask questions, build on each other’s ideas and work openly in small groups. We have seen existing relationships develop and new ones form, with individuals finding connections across Big Local areas and giving support to one another. Working online has enabled participation from those who might find it difficult to attend a physical meeting, whilst recordings of online sessions have meant that those who could not attend a session still felt involved.

Having the opportunity to talk to people from other areas, is brilliant. Other Big Locals are at different stages.”

“Having the opportunity to talk to people from other areas, is brilliant. Other Big Locals are at different stages. We’re just doing our plan for the next five years. It’s interesting to know what they’ve done and how they’ve done [it]. We have [experience of] creating a community food hub – so we can share on that.” (CLA Participant).

What else is there to learn?

We’re seeing some early evidence that taking part in the CLA contributes to changes in the way Big Local partnerships operate – moving towards a more distributed and empowering form of leadership.

The next step for the CLA includes an exciting expansion at a community level, to include more participants and a wider range of community leaders.

There is a recognition and celebration of the shared leadership that already exists in Big Local areas and an exciting opportunity to continue exploring the role of the CLA as a gentle but determined challenge to more individual or ‘top down’ styles of leadership – championing collective action that releases wider community power.

What’s next for learning about community leadership?

The next step for the CLA includes an exciting expansion at a community level, to include more participants and a wider range of community leaders. Understanding how participating in the CLA affects Big Local participants is crucial as we move forward and broaden the work over a wider range of contexts (for example, geographic) and a longer period of time. We will follow the journeys of groups of participants to increase our knowledge of how these contexts influence change.

Over time, this learning will help contribute insights into what it takes to build community leadership that positively influences community groups and their wider community.