Leaders in Partnership – a high impact programme partnering corporate and community leaders

This month sees the launch of ELBA’s new Leaders in Partnership Annual Programme, a community coaching programme designed to strengthen the leadership of charity and not for profit organisations in east London. By creating partnerships between senior employees and their peers in the third sector, Leaders In Partnership enables the development of both community leaders and the organisations they work for. Through their role as coach, business volunteers enable participants to explore their professional challenges, supporting them to identify solutions and embrace opportunities.

With charities and community organisations operating in an increasingly business-like environment, managers and directors face a variety of challenges. Senior management often have to take on multiple responsibilities, overseeing staff management, service delivery, board development, fundraising, HR, marketing and more. At the same time, charities face the double challenge of cuts to funding and increased demands on their services. With a lack of resources available, charities are often unable to provide the learning opportunities that managers need to build their capacity and perform their work more effectively.

With these pressures in mind, community leaders need a space to reflect about their work, generate and discuss ideas, and develop new skills and strategies. Leaders In Partnership is a coaching programme designed to meet this need. By creating 1:1 partnerships between the managers of people, projects or organisations and their peers in the corporate world, the programme aims to help community leaders build their capacity and enhance their performance. Coaching is also an effective tool for building confidence and strategic thinking, providing a valuable learning and development opportunity.

For volunteers, taking on the role of coach provides the opportunity to develop key coaching, communication and strategic planning skills. The programme provides insight into the unique challenges of the third sector, and increases volunteers’ awareness of current issues and innovations. A previous volunteer said:

Recruitment for the 2019 Annual Programme is now underway and we are calling for volunteer applications! If you are interested in becoming a coach or learning more about the programme, please get in touch with Antonia Williams.