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Rank Ripples – Spring 2025 Edition

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A celebration of our diverse Network.

This edition of Rank Ripples magazine highlights the ways different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences contribute to social cohesion, innovation, and resilience. 

David Sanderson writes his final foreword as he prepares to step down as CEO of The Rank Foundation. He reflects on the values that have shaped its journey and highlights the power of strong leaders and the connections at the heart of lasting change.

Alongside your regular Fellowship update, it features stories from leaders in our Network who embody the principles of inclusive leadership, prioritise equity, and continuously learn about inclusivity. Inside are articles from Zulekha Dhala; Aawaz, Ciara Devlin; Breaking Barriers, Paul Smyth; Politics in Action, Cynthia Nchang; Integrate UK, Tim Leese; Welcome Churches, and conflict resolution specialist, Harriet Vickers.

We hope you enjoy reading it!

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Ripples Story: “Investing in Experience”

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In this article, Ciara Devlin, CEO of Breaking Barriers, describes how the charity works with experts with lived experience to develop effective policies, programmes, and services that are responsive to the refugee community’s needs and the challenges they face.

I first met members of Breaking Barriers’ Lived Experience Panel (LEP) in 2023 while going through the CEO role recruitment process. I was so impressed. Here was an organisation that was putting the people it serves at the forefront of its work and decision-making, truly embodying its organisational value of being ‘mission led’. Meeting the panel so early on was a really enriching experience, including those who had personally been supported by Breaking Barriers’ services.

Members of the LEP are professionals with a wealth of experience across various fields, including research, engineering, management, and law. In addition to their professional expertise, they have personal experience of the UK asylum and refugee system. They are change-makers who are hired as consultants to improve the way the organisation works and strengthen our workplace community.

We use the term lived experience to mean people from a refugee background who have first-hand experience seeking sanctuary or forced migration to the UK. The LEP ensures that Breaking Barriers can develop effective policies, programmes, and services that are responsive to the refugee community’s needs and the challenges they face.

Mission led

Refugees have so much to offer businesses—they bring new knowledge, skills, and fresh perspectives that help drive innovation. However, they are four times more likely to be unemployed than people born in the UK. So, Breaking Barriers’ mission is to support refugees into meaningful employment.

We work directly with clients from a refugee background, providing them with advice, education and training to help them navigate the unfamiliar UK job market. We also work with businesses to open job opportunities and build inclusive and equitable recruitment processes and workplaces to break down some of the barriers to employment that refugees face.

The people we work with are an incredibly diverse group with differing experiences. In 2023-24, we supported 1248 people from 79 countries who spoke more than 100 languages and were aged 18 to 50+. With such a diverse group, each with unique skills, experiences, and support needs, the LEP’s input is essential to ensure our services are effective and to strengthen Breaking Barriers’ own community.

Our Lived Experience Strategy

To practise what we preach, we strive to lower the barriers to employment for refugees within Breaking Barriers. This commitment reinforces our purpose and demonstrates our belief in the value and potential of those we serve.

We provide training and development opportunities for staff with lived experience and mental health support to ensure that they can progress into managerial roles within the organisation. Our goal is to create pathways into employment and invest in staff with lived experience, supporting their long-term growth and leadership within our team.

To be more effective as a charity, we consult people with lived experience to produce our solutions and strategies. They are uniquely positioned to advise us on how to overcome the challenges they face. This collaborative approach leads to programmes that more accurately reflect and meet the needs of the communities we support.

Engaging people with lived experience also fosters a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Their contributions help us adapt to evolving challenges and remain responsive to our clients’ needs.

The LEP’s Contribution

The LEP has significantly enriched our staff’s knowledge of our clients’ unique struggles and perspectives. It has also bolstered our team’s confidence when communicating with our partners and stakeholders about the barriers that refugees face. The LEP was established in July 2023 and is active in four of Breaking Barriers’ current locations. Crucially, this is a two-way relationship. Breaking Barriers provides the LEP with on-boarding, training, and well-being support so that members can contribute their best. Our LEP Involvement Officer closely supports them and reviews their progress in development sessions and appraisals.

Meanwhile, in the last year alone, the LEP has provided 450 hours of consultancy support, with projects including:

  • Strategic corporate partnerships that will increase professional opportunities for refugees.
  • Advising on a sector-leading programme integration with a partner charity.
  • Creating awareness pieces on topics such as workplace advocacy and supporting colleagues during Ramadan.
  • Improving policies and documents and making them accessible and jargon-free.
  • Co-chairing and participating in significant organisational events, including a Refugee Week webinar for 180 people.
  • Inputting into the organisation’s updated Theory of Change.

We know from direct experience that people of refugee backgrounds strengthen and enrich our communities. We are excited that our funders and partners also believe in the power of lived experience to benefit businesses and want to help refugees build new lives across the UK.

Read the full latest issue of Rank Ripples magazine

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Celebrating Inspiring and Inclusive Leadership at The Rank Foundation Conference 2024

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The Rank Foundation’s 2024 Conference in Manchester provided Network members a space to reflect on the social sector’s progress and challenges while highlighting the enduring significance of leadership in driving change.  

David Sanderson, Chief Executive of The Rank Foundation, opened by reflecting on the past two decades, tracing the Foundation’s evolution from work in Burnley in 2003 to present-day initiatives across the UK. Back then, challenges such as overcrowded prisons, a strained criminal justice system, and community tensions demanded immediate attention. 

Two decades later, many of these issues persist, compounded by over a decade of austerity. Yet the Rank Foundation and its Network have adapted and grown into a UK-wide force for positive change. 

David said: 

“Here we can talk of a ‘hard edged hope’ – not the soft, idealistic perceptions that some might have about the sector – but of a hope sharpened and honed by the realities of operating in a challenging and sometimes unforgiving environment, where giving up is not an option. 

The social sector is an engine room of strong, inspiring and inclusive leadership, and it is entirely fitting that this is the focus of this year’s conference.” 

Leadership as the cornerstone of change 

The conference’s theme, ‘Great Leaders Grow Together’ was inspired by the selfless and determined leaders within The Rank Foundation’s Network. From flagship programmes like Time to Shine and Rank Aspire to place-based projects in cities like Plymouth and Sunderland great leaders emerge, develop, connect communities, drive collaboration, and build resilience. 

This year’s conference also explored the critical need for inclusive leadership to connect teams and empower individuals. Seminars and discussions underscored the importance of encouraging diverse perspectives for effective decision-making. 

Learning from established and emerging leaders 

Rank’s team are very grateful to the many people who contributed to the conference this year. It couldn’t happen without their generosity, expertise and creativity.  

Guests agreed, with 95% saying speakers were either “extremely” or “very” engaging. 

The opening panel, hosted by Jordan Ignatius, Managing Director of Reaching Higher, included Abdul Hai OBE, Director of Community Relations & Public Affairs at LabTech London Limited; Tina Taylor, Founder of Aim Sky High; Gemma Juma, CEO of Jack Petchey Foundation; Simon Antrobus, CEO of Children in Need; and Zara Todd, an activist and Co-founder of the European Network on Independent Living.

Day two’s panel, hosted by Helen Kerr, Head of Business Development at WOMEN’STEC, featured Alfie Dance-Laing, a participant in the Rank Aspire programme; Maddie Hall from the Pushing Boundaries programme; Ethan Jones from the Time To Shine programme; Ilayda Bakare, a former School Leadership Award holder and current member of the Fellowship Leadership Team; and Odiri Ighamre, CEO of KORI, a recipient of our Major Grant. 

Seminars included: 

  • Shazia Ur-Rehman and Alison Green, CTVC, on telling a charity’s story in multiple ways 
  • Tony Silcock, Youth Initiatives, on faith in leadership 
  • Emma Pears, SELFA, on growing leadership 
  • Sam Anderson and Doctor Amanda Wootton, Social Action Enquiry Scotland, on learnings in leadership 
  • Precious Babatunde, Speakers Trust, on leading with your voice 
  • David Walsh, The Advantage Foundation, a conversation about learning from Rank’s Start Here enterprise programme in Northern Ireland  
  • Zam Zam Yusuf and Harvinder Poonian, on unlocking the secrets to effective community support in youth development. 

As usual guests were entertained and inspired by the graduates of the Time to Shine and the Rank Aspire programmes who showcased their journeys in creative ways. Participants of Pushing Boundaries for emerging leaders also shared their experience of this new programme. 

The evening keynote speaker was Julie Hesmondhalgh who inspired everyone with her speech. David introduced the esteemed actor, writer, and activist, highlighting her role as an ambassador for fairness and equality. 

Julie’s speech addressed the alarming decline in funding for arts education, stressing the sector’s significant contribution to the UK economy and its vital role in empowering young people and fostering community resilience. She discussed the transformative power of the arts in various social contexts and advocated for a leadership style rooted in vulnerability, humility, and empathy. 

Julie concluded with advice on embracing failures and valuing diverse perspectives, underscoring the balance between essential needs and the enrichment that culture brings to social justice efforts: 

“I truly believe in the words of the old song we need bread but we need roses too. This is especially important to remember when working in the fields of social justice, poverty and need in building a better world – and surely that has to be the number one aim here – we need not just to think about helping people to survive, but also to thrive. We all have a right to food and shelter, and education and health, but we have a right to beauty and joy too. The bread and the roses.” 

A shared vision of the future  

The conference celebrated the power of connection, the strength in diversity, and the enduring need for collaboration.  

Reflecting on the conference a participant explained what they valued was: 

“Being able to meet with others, share practice, catch up with people I know and make new connections. Having the space away from work to get creative and start thinking beyond my work environment, which often stifles these opportunities, as constantly fire-fighting. Feeling valued and that we’re not invisible.” 

Another said: “It would be helpful to bottle the conference, so I can keep topped up during the year. Have a shot of Rank Network inspiration and ‘crack on’ again.” 

To keep the energy and inspiration alive, you can: 

  • Listen to The Ripple Effect – a podcast about Rank’s thriving Network of leaders 
  • Read the latest edition of Rank Ripples which is all about inclusive leadership 

View the full album from the Conference:

Rank Ripples – Autumn 2024 Edition

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A celebration of inclusive and inspiring leadership

This edition of Rank Ripples magazine explores a theme that is fundamental to resilient and thriving communities: inclusive leadership.

Alongside your regular Fellowship update, it features stories from leaders in our Network who embody the principles of inclusive leadership, challenge assumptions, prioritise equity, and continuously learn through inclusive action.

Abdul Hai OBE reflects on his lifelong commitment to social justice and economic equality across diverse communities. Emma Pears shares her insights on creating opportunities through leadership that fosters safety and growth. Jen McKevitt explores the strategies behind inclusive leadership’s role in empowering the VCSE sector, while Aimee Thorpe Mundt emphasises the importance of equality and inclusion in creating thriving workplaces.

Don’t miss a special section to reflect on your own inclusivity practices and make a commitment to lead with empathy and openness.

We hope you enjoy reading it!

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Ripples Story: “Giving a Voice to Everyone”

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In this article, Aimee Thorpe Mundt, Community Development and Engagement Assistant at the Why Not? Trust, explores what it means to lead inclusively and how it can create a workplace where everyone, regardless of background or experience, has equal opportunities to thrive. 

Inclusive leadership helps a workplace to run smoothly and fairly, and in this article, I explore what it means to me. Inclusive leadership allows people with different life experiences to have a voice and share their valuable opinions. It ensures that no matter who you are, what you look like, what your beliefs are, or where you are from, you have equal opportunities within your workplace.

I work with the Why Not? Trust for care-experienced people. This group often experiences stigma and discrimination for various reasons, including, but not limited to, the idea that they did something wrong and that’s why they were in care, that they are troubled or troubled, and that they are broken or unfixable, so not worth the effort.

It is important to note that most people who enter the care system do so through no fault of their own. Inclusive leadership within my workplace brings us all together to work towards the same goal: ensuring that care-experienced parents and students have the support they need to thrive.

Inclusive leadership is flexible

One way we’ve made the workplace more inclusive is through hybrid working. Most of us work from home and attend in-person events when required. This ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to a good home and work-life balance, which means everyone can bring their best selves to support the people we work with. Personally, I am experiencing some health issues and undergoing health testing. Workplace flexibility ensures that I can attend appointments. I am not scrambling to make up work hours at random and unsocial hours.

In turn, this means that I’m as healthy and rested as possible when I’m working instead of feeling more unwell from feeling overworked and tired! This is offered to all staff, and I see its benefits.

Inclusive leadership allows all voices to be heard

As a care-experienced person myself, and the only person on my team to be a part of The Village – a digital community for new parents and parents-to-be with experience of care – as a Villager (person who is a care-experienced parent) and as a staff member, I need my voice to be heard. Although I am the minority in the room, my direct experience of the care system is valued highly, as my experiences can directly inform the work that we are doing.

Within staff meetings, our leadership gives each member of staff time to share what they’ve been doing and ask for support with anything that’s needed. Within my assigned project, Wee Campus, which supports care experienced students in further and higher education, we allow opportunities for equal participation; I have developed a private Facebook group to allow students to connect, share and support each other. We have a weekly drop-in session online to allow students to come and talk to us, ask questions, get support, or let off some steam.

Fostering this idea of inclusive leadership allows me to participate in my workplace and project this inclusion onto those I work with. Making as many opportunities as possible to allow voices to be heard is what makes The Why Not? Trust operates so smoothly.

Ripples Story: “Inclusive Leadership is Essential to Social Sector”

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In this article, Jen McKevitt, Rank’s very own Associate Director for Sunderland and the North East, describes how inclusive leadership is fundamental to the work of social leaders in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, and offers some strategies to achieve it.

Inclusive leadership is fundamental to our work as social leaders in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. Many of us might believe that inclusivity is part of our ideological make-up, social sector DNA, and raison d’etre. It is a cornerstone for addressing social inequity and structural inadequacies, building social capital, increasing community resilience and regenerating left-behind communities.

Many of us work hard year in and year out to build inclusive communities, but is it becoming more challenging? Are the issues and needs changing? Might it be argued that what’s been happening in some of our communities in terms of racially motivated hate crime and mob violence requires us to pause, reflect and rethink?

Truly inclusive leadership, particularly in communities of place, is arguably even more essential than ever in building cohesive, resilient and sustainable communities. Recognising and combating hate crime, fear, xenophobia and racially motivated hate crimes, such as those seen in many of our communities recently, must be part of that developmental process. Creating welcoming and inclusive environments, as many community anchor organisations have done for decades, provides a solid platform to help us serve our communities, make informed decisions, and achieve lasting impact.

But as social leaders, should we be doing more? Do we fully understand our communities, and are we taking account of demographic changes? What is shifting? Have tensions been building? What can we do to acknowledge a possible increase in fear and distrust? What can we do to remove barriers and build cohesion?

How can we build inclusive leadership in communities affected by hate crime?

Above: Jen, left, with Rank’s trustees and Sunderland-based Network members

Some of us may remember the days when there was the odd seasonal ‘quiet spell’, when we had a chance to pause, reflect, consider environmental, social and economic changes, consult, plan and garner resources to meet new needs. That luxury seems to be a thing of the past, but, as we did during COVID-19, a strength of the VCSE is our ability to recognise shifting needs and do what’s required because we simply should. Inclusive leadership is crucial in areas that have experienced hate crimes and riots. It fosters unity, trust, and understanding, which is essential for healing and preventing future incidents. Here are some strategies to consider:

Create space and empower staff, volunteers and trustees to reflect and question assumptions

  • Foster open dialogue and encourage respectful exchange of thoughts, ideas and understanding.
  • Use inclusive language that avoids stereotypes and biases.
  • Explore unconscious bias and reaffirm socially equitable value systems.

Engage those who are marginalised, demonstrate empathy and understanding through

  • Active listening to demonstrate a genuine interest in understanding the experiences and perspectives of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
  • Recognise and validate the emotions of those affected by hate crimes/riots.
  • Show respect for different cultures, beliefs, and values.
  • Promote equity and fairness in policies and practices. For example, build a pipeline of inclusive talent development by empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds to develop their skills and take on leadership roles.

Education and awareness

  • Educate the community about hate crimes and their impact. Promote education and peacebuilding initiatives to address underlying causes of conflict.
  • Promote tolerance and respect for diversity.
  • Provide training, mentoring and guidance in a supportive, non-judgemental environment.
  • Train individuals to intervene safely when they witness hate crimes or discriminatory behaviour.
  • Actively seek input from marginalised people to shape services and inform decision-making.

Organise inclusive services and events

  • Bring people together from diverse backgrounds and seek their input in planning and delivery
  • Reach out to and support all marginalised people.
  • Collaborate and build partnerships with community organisations that work with refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants, faith leaders, and other stakeholders to build bridges and foster unity.

Rank’s network of leaders can create or rebuild vibrant, resilient, and equitable communities by fostering trust, empowerment, and social infrastructure.