Lewisham Council and Operation Black Vote (OBV) recently launched another dynamic civic leadership programme to encourage and nurture more black and minority ethnic (BME) individuals into civic leadership roles.
Over the next three months, the 30 participants – who are all Lewisham residents – will take part in a mixture of observation and training sessions across five areas of public life: health, education, politics, the criminal justice system and the voluntary and community sectors. They will learn in depth about the roles of school governor, health board member, magistrate, trustee, councillor. The practical training of the programme will include visits to Bromley Magistrate’s Court, the Samaritans, Lewisham Hospital and key council meetings. Every participant will be personally mentored by a Lewisham councillor throughout the duration of the programme.
This is the third time the Council has partnered with Operation Black Vote to run the innovative leadership programme which is designed to increase the representation of BME individuals in all areas and at all levels of civic engagement, and in doing so, equip the successful participants with the knowledge and confidence to apply for leadership roles.
Speaking at the launch held on Friday 9 October at the Civic Suite in Catford, participant Hon Yip, 45, from Ermine Road, Brockley, said: ‘I already do voluntary work locally but for me getting on to this programme was about learning more about how best I could serve my local community. As someone from a working-class Chinese background, I don’t see many people that look like me in political or even local leadership roles, so I hope to be able to make a difference.’
Another participant Renee Lord-Lindsay, 22, from Cumberland Place, Hither Green, said: ‘I’m really happy that a programme like this exists to bridge the gap for so many black and minority ethnic people who have the talent to take up leadership roles but just don’t know how to get there. This is a step in the right direction’.
Simon Woolley, Director of Operation Black Vote said: ‘Lewisham has one of the most diverse communities in London and the UK. It is a borough that is both full of dynamism and challenges. With the support of the Mayor this project seeks to tap into that rich talent pool, confront some of the challenges and nurture a generation of leaders that will benefit everyone in Lewisham, black or white.’
Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, said: ‘Knowing how to become a school governor, or how to meaningfully engage with the police service or even stepping forward to become a magistrate is not a secret. However, it’s also not easy to find out about those roles as they are usually held by a small, selective group of people. We need new people to reinvigorate our institutions if we are going to continue to inspire individuals to become civic champions and be the force for change that is the lifeblood of Lewisham.’
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