Target audience: For organisations wishing to learn how to include and empower people at the grassroots level and/or more marginalised groups.  It is designed for those with a desire to move beyond ‘the usual suspects’, when seeking to promote authentic and sustainable community engagement.

Overview: This is one course, split into two parts.  It is delivered as 2 x 2-hour sessions.  These sessions will:

1. outline why it is important to include people with the least influence and the furthest away from the decision-making processes. This includes cross sector as well as sector-specific perspectives.
2. explore why they’re currently excluded, including some of the barriers they face. This section considers social exclusion, the intersection of relative disadvantage and process, alongside other factors that cause exclusion.
3. be an introduction to the concept of community leadership – there will be a focus on what is community leadership and why it is different from more conventional notions of ‘leadership’.
4. give an overview of community leadership in action: some guiding principles, key concepts such as community organising, useful strategies, tips and case studies.
5. investigate how the participants’ organisation(s) can facilitate growing and empowering community leaders, becoming allies in the process.

Session 1 includes points 1-3 and Session 2 covers points 4 and 5.

At the end of this course, participants will have a clear understanding of authentic community leadership and the values underpinning it.  They will also have some practical takeaways in the shape of potential actions that their organisation can take to become community leadership allies.

Please note that the sessions can be delivered online or in-person.  Course places are limited to a maximum of 20 participants.  Participants are required to attend both parts of this course.