Community Leadership: empowering communities to make change
Community Leadership is a five-week course that provides the essential skills to empower local communities to make positive change for themselves.
Community Leadership endeavours to bring accessible, university-style learning to minoritised groups within community settings. The programme upskills and empowers individuals via partnerships with charities, supporting those who have lived experience of systemic barriers to education or are volunteers aiming to take the next step into paid positions but would benefit from additional support along the way. Delivered in community venues with no cost to the participants, the course overcomes significant barriers that may otherwise prevent participation and impact.
Responding to local needs
Taking a local approach, Birkbeck works with Local Authority partners to understand the local landscape and tailor the course content to represent these issues. This adaptable approach has enabled several adapted iterations of the programme to suit resident needs. Birkbeck has supported Newham residents since 2007, and implemented the Community Leadership programme in 2020, assisting with support for community projects and volunteering efforts. In 2024, we developed another iteration for the Trussell Trust, delivering online support to a network of individuals aimed to increase the impact of foodbanks run in local communities.
positive feedback
Feedback for Community Leadership continues to be positive and encouraging. We have half a decade of repeated delivery requests, emphasising the impact felt by partners and communities.
Darragh Gray, Marketing and Communications Project Manager for the Bonny Downs Community Association was one of the first participants on the Community Leadership programme and credits the course for helping him to better understand the local landscape and build connections and networks. Since partaking on the programme, he has gone on to present his own session on fundraising, further supporting the community.
From our most recent iteration of the programme in Camden, feedback was positive:
- 100% of participants would recommend the course to their family or friends.
- 100% of participants felt empowered to either continue further study or make change in their community.
- 77% of participants reported an improvement in digital skills in relation to education.
Support our work
With funding we have the capacity to build tailored programmes of Community Leadership to empower and inspire marginalised communities to make positive change. Contact Birkbeck's Innovation Unit to explore this further.