School Leadership Award

CAP: Molly and Sophia

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We are part way through the period of Community Action Placements, hosted by organisations known to, and funded by The Rank Foundation.

Our School Leadership Award Holders are required to do two Community Action Placements (CAP), learning how charities work, volunteering their time to get stuck in and hands-on with their programmes. Every year, The Rank Foundation organise between 30 and 40 placements with charities and organisations who are members of RankNet. Some placements are residential and some are commutable, and for two weeks the Leadership Award Holders gain experience in the Third Sector.

We will be sharing the reports written by our School Leadership Award holders and their CAP hosts throughout the summer period.

Brook is the UK’s leading provider of sexual health and wellbeing for young people under 25.

They are the only charity working across the UK and Channel Islands that specialises in working with young people to promote their sexual health in the wider context of health and wellbeing.

Brook in Liverpool has been hosting Community Action Placements for many years and is one of the most sought-after placements. Whilst on placement, School Leadership Award Holders are fully immersed into the education and support of young people in the Liverpool area around sexual health and wellbeing.

Sophia

“I wanted to mainly get out of my comfort zone, learn to work in a team with adults instead of students and experience a sense of leadership in a totally different environment. My placement at Brook has allowed me to expand my skill set. I’ve been able to participate in so many incredible things but some of my favourites have been a wellbeing and self-esteem session with vulnerable women seeking asylum in the UK; a group which supports LGBTQ individuals who are questioning their gender identities; attending Pride Liverpool and helping a group of teenage mothers understand healthy and unhealthy relationships.

The staff at Brook are genuinely incredible. I couldn’t have asked for a better placement or better hosts to stay with! I have loved seeing all of the amazing work that Brook do to help their community. I hope to come back to Brook in a future CAP, and see (and help!) the charity develop further.

“It has been wonderful having Sophia stay at Brook. She has achieved so much and participated in lots of sessions during her time.
Sophia is bright and upbeat and has a contagious positive energy that is lovely to be around. She is passionate about her beliefs and will take what she has learnt during her stay here, with her. Sophia has shown lots of interest in the work that Brook does and also provided input from a young person’s perspective.”

– Viccie Hamlet, Brook

Molly

“At Brook, I took part in lots of different activities, including: sexual health workshops, STI testing events, youth groups, Liverpool Pride, and re-designing educational activities. The work was very varied, with a good mixture of office work and practical tasks. It was absolutely amazing, and everyone who we worked with at Brook made the experience one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. I enjoyed all of the outreach work that we did, especially visiting the ‘Work it Out’ group, and Elizabeth Anderson House. Talking to people who are experiencing different challenges in their lives has made me more open minded and has shown me how necessary organisations like Brook are.”

“It was a real pleasure to visit Molly whilst she was on placement at Brook. She had already shown incredible resilience and flexibility after an administrative delay, and she was ready to get completely stuck in with the team. She seemed excited and has a great energy which I think held her in good stead for the remainder of her placement.

The team at Brook gave us some amazing feedback on Molly, that she was an excellent communicator and had a wonderful confidence that meant she settled in really well.”

– Natalie Kay, The Rank Foundation


CAP: Joel and Emily

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We are now mid-way through our annual period of Community Action Placements, hosted by organisations known to, and funded by The Rank Foundation.

Our School Leadership Award Holders are required to do two Community Action Placements (CAP), learning how charities work, volunteering their time to get stuck in and hands-on with their programmes. Every year, The Rank Foundation organise between 30 and 40 placements with charities and organisations who are members of RankNet. Some placements are residential and some are commutable, and for two weeks the Leadership Award Holders gain experience in the Third Sector.

We will be sharing the reports written by our School Leadership Award holders and their CAP hosts throughout the summer period.

Joel
YKids

YKids have a passion to see lives changed – for young people given the best life chances and opportunities. They believe that regeneration and better futures can come about by encouraging young people to become resilent, confident and happy; providing opportunities, training and employment; raising aspirations and dreams for the future; offering exciting and creative projects, and creating a sense of local pride and community.

“By working alongside and observing Claire Morgans, CEO of YKids, and the whole team, I have gained an insight into the qualities of  good leaders. I’ve learned that being organised, ensuring everyone on the team knows their role and feels they are contributing, and creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and collaboration in the team in which people feel appreciated are all important aspects of being a leader. This is something I will take on board and attempt to incorporate into my leadership style in future. Moreover, witnessing Claire’s empathy towards others and her passion for what she does has made a lasting impression on me; I now believe that passion and empathy are qualities that any good leader should have.

The placement with YKids has reinforced my belief that anyone can use their life to make a difference to the world in some way (and that we all have a moral obligation to do so) and strengthened my desire to do this, perhaps by getting involved in the voluntary sector or politics.”

“Joel threw himself into the crazy business of the end of term at Ykids. He helped young people on work placement, completed a huge variety of tasks enthusiastically and willingly and showed a grace about all he did. Joel learnt a few new skills such as badge making, laminating, bee keeping and Barista skills (he can now make a professional latte, cappuccino and flat white!). We particularly enjoyed conversations which showed insight and understanding of a wide range of political and economic issues and an understanding of the world around him that is missed by many young people his age”

Emily
Blackpool Carers Centre

Blackpool Carers Centre provide an extensive range of age specific services and support for carers from the age of 5 to 105 and their families, in order to fulfill their purpose which is to make ‘A Better Life for Carers’.

“The placement improved my leadership qualities as I worked as a team with individuals older than myself who work slightly differently than what I do myself, so I had to adapt.

My overall experience was really enjoyable, everyone was extremely welcoming and I learnt a lot. I found going on home visits really valuable as I could apply my prior knowledge of psychology which helps me with work experience, as it’s difficult to gain work experience for psychology due to confidentiality issues. I picked up how to use the database quickly which meant that I could help with admin which was good as I could gain an insight into what has to be completed for each case.”

“Emily showed confidence and passion throughout her placement here. She participated in dementia awareness training and wellbeing training, and during the second week of placement Emily assisted in supporting individuals with dementia showing passion and respect throughout. During Emily’s time here on placement, she attended a variety of home visits covering; physical health, mental health and dementia”

40 Years: The Rank Foundation Leadership Award

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On Friday 23rd November, The Rank Foundation celebrated 40 Years of the School Leadership Award, as well as the 15th Anniversary of The Rank Fellowship.

A celebratory dinner was organised by our Director of Education, Tim Young, and the Chair of the Fellowship, Lindsey Clay, to be held at Inner Temple Hall in London, and all beneficiaries of the School Leadership Award (dating back to 1978) were invited to attend.

Over 190 guests attended, including current beneficiaries of the School Leadership Award, Fellows, Headteachers, Trustees and both current and past staff who administered the award.

Tim Young had created a ‘rotating’ place setting arrangement, to ensure that current Leadership Award Holders were able to network with members of the fellowship, which meant that much career advice was given, stories of Community Action Placements were exchanged and old acquaintances and friendships were rekindled.  The room was filled with sixth formers, University Students, service men and women, doctors, actors and actresses, economists, scientists, lawyers and photographers, just to name a few.

The Rank Foundation would like to thank everyone who attended, and hopes that old connections have been revitalised and that new friendships and associations will be successful!

Community Action Placements 2018

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We are now mid-way through our annual period of Community Action Placements, hosted by organisations known to, and funded by, The Rank Foundation.

Our School Leadership Award Holders are required to do two Community Action Placements (CAP), learning how charities work, volunteering their time to get stuck in and hands-on with their programmes. Every year, The Rank Foundation organise between 30 and 40 placements with charities and organisations who are members of RankNet. Some placements are residential and some are commutable, and for two weeks the Leadership Award Holders gain experience in the Third Sector.

Max

Ykids

“I have had non-stop fun throughout the entire time I’ve been in Bootle and the whole experience has been truly unforgettable. I’m honoured to have been able to act as part of such an amazing team of youth workers who have allowed me to develop my leadership qualities and contribute towards making a difference to the lives of a group of amazing young people. The variety of opportunities I was able to help out with was incredible. I experienced bee-keeping for the first time, helped decorate the community garden ready for a competition and even ended up putting my carpentry skills to the test by building props for a jungle themed holiday club for which I was part of the team that ran the programme. I truly couldn’t have wisher for a better time on my community action placement.”

Tasia

Khulisa

“I went into this placement with an open mind and no specific expectations, as I had not heard of Khulisa before and was excited to see what they entailed. Regardless of my limited knowledge on the charity I wanted to utilise this placement opportunity to nurture my leadership skills.


My time at Khulisa was amazing, there was always something to do; a way for me to contribute, meaning I never found myself bored. Every member of the charity’s team was welcoming and it was clear that they believed in the work they were doing in order to help overlooked groups in society. I found myself participating in taster sessions, writing articles for their newsletter and watching spontaneous live TV interviews of the charity’s CEO. I am appreciative of this experience and will certainly keep in contact with Khulisa as it is an exceptional charity, with equally integral people behind it.”

Bharath


PEEK (Possibilities for Each and Every Kid)

“My two week placement at PEEK has been an extremely enjoyable one. The children at each school for my placement are very kind, enthusiastic and brilliant and I am very grateful to PEEK for the opportunity they have given me to work with so many incredible people from a wide spectrum and to learn about different cultures and backgrounds. The staff have been amazing; they are welcoming, friendly and very passionate about their work. Each day has been wonderful, there is always something new and the children are so eager to get involved. A highlight for me would be the day that I went on a trip with a primary school to Glasgow Green as every single individual was just having a blast, every parent and child were having the time of their life. Even people that were not with PEEK were getting involved with all the activities. It was the most energetic and vibrant day for me.”

Jesse

Maundy Relief

“Observing people and giving advice to clients about benefits has helped to open my eyes as to how difficult it is for those who need to claim benefits to be able to figure out which ones are best for them and then how to apply for those benefits. I also attended training on Universal Credit which showed me how complex the system actually is. The second piece of training that I undertook was some first aid training which was very useful as it is transferable to any workplace. In addition to shadowing people and giving advice I also did some volunteering in the drop in which included preparing food parcels for those in need, preparing and serving a hot meal to people who wouldn’t be able to access it, as well as working behind the desk which included taking phone calls and assessing clients for food parcels and taking details for future appointments.”

Leadership Day 2016

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Every year in September, The Rank Foundation gather the two cohorts that make up our Leadership Award Holders in Westminster. This is an opportunity to get to know each other, participate in group activities, and hear about what the Leadership Award has in store for them.

This year, Tim Young (Director of Education) and Lindsey Clay (Chair of the Rank Fellowship) welcomed the group, and Vivid Echo (a video production company) ran a video workshop with the young people.

Will Counsell, one of our 2015 cohort, gave his account of the day:

“It was another fantastic day for the Class of 2015 at Westminster Cathedral despite it being the hottest November day in fifty-five years.

The day started with us having a briefing on the task ahead,  then breaking into groups to make a video on leadership and its qualities.

Once we’d mastered the equipment we went out and about into the local area to gather footage for the main section of the video. Everyone worked so well together, each adding their own ideas and working as a unified team. After the main portion of the film
was finished we headed inside, out of the sun for a welcome break with drinks and pastries.

The films we’d worked on in our groups were then taken away to be edited by a Vivid Echo. We had the chance whilst this was happening to watch a film on J. Arthur Rank, the founder of The Rank Foundation.

We were then back in our groups to discuss the introduction and conclusion to our videos. Then back out into the searing heat to finish our last bits of filming.

After a delicious lunch we had the  opportunity to mix with our own age groups, Class of 2015 and the Class of 2016, where we chatted about our placements over the summer and generally got to know one another better. Then, the highlight of the day was watching each other’s videos, having been professionally edited. It was such a Fantastic experience.

Once again another truly inspirational day with my time with Rank.”

If you were at Leadership Day 2016 and would like to send us an account of your experience, please get in touch with Natalie.

A Summer of CAP 3

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Before our Leadership Award Holders begin their first and second years of sixth form, this is our final Summer of CAP article!

We are featuring Helen, who returned to Greenbank Community Church for her second placement, Will, who headed to the Hollowford Centre with Lindley Educational Trust, and Olivia who had her first ever placement at Ykids.

Helen Ajayi, who did her final placement this summer, returned to Greenbank Community Church in Cornwall. Helen ends her time as a current Leadership Award Holder this summer, and will become a Rank Fellow.

“During the first week of my placement I had the privilege of following the youth of the church to Creation Fest as a youth leader. I was extremely excited to go for two reasons: 1) Last year I spent some time with the youth and made lots of new friends and 2) As a Christian, I felt it was a perfect opportunity to spend time with God, especially as I was nervous with Results Day coming up. I arrived at Creation Fest on 8th August and my A Level results were due to be released on 18th August. As every other A Level student, I was super nervous and I felt it was essential that I get out of London! Being at Creation Fest in the week leading up to this dreadful day, I used this chance to forget about University and all my worries and focus on God. It was so great to be able to spend time with people who had such a passion for the Gospel. In addition to this, my favourite Gospel group Hillsong performed on the last day which was the absolute pinnacle.

I couldn’t have asked for a more loving and beautiful family to have spent both my placements with. From the very first day I arrived, I have been welcomed in. I am very grateful that I was able to complete my Community Action Placements here at Greenbank Community Church. It has been a blessing and I have no doubt that I will miss them all!”

Will is in the middle of his Leadership Award, going into his second year of Sixth Form in September. Will traveled to the Hollowford Centre in the Peak District. 

“My experience here at Hollowford has been fantastic. I felt extremely optimistic but apprehensive prior to the placement as it is an area of the country I have never been to, however as I have found out over the time I have been here the people are just as lovely as the scenery. I say this because they have been extremely accepting and welcoming towards me, including the cleaners and cooks all the way up. 

The children I have worked with have been great fun and definitely made my time a lot easier and worthwhile. This is because the schools I have predominately worked with on my placement have not been from very affluent areas and some of the youngsters did not have a lot. This touched me, and in particular in my second week there was a pupil called Thomas who didn’t have a lot. Before we went canoeing his teacher came up to me and asked for a pair of shoes, so I gave him a pair and then he came back and said they were no good despite the correct size so I asked him why they didn’t fit and he said there was a knot in the lace meaning he couldn’t tighten it as he didn’t know how to tie his shoe lace. So on the way to canoeing I spent 15 minutes with him teaching him how to tie his shoe lace and as a gift on my last day the school gave me a box of chocolates to say thank you! 

Another way in which the children made it extremely worthwhile was because of the bond that I created with them which I never knew could be so strong after just 3 or 4 days with them. However, you do create a special bond which did was demonstrated every time I walked through the dining hall or the back corridor – it involved the kids shouting to me with my various nicknames that they has come up with for me making not only me feel special but I hope I did the same for them. 

Overall, I have had a fantastic experience and I have had an extremely enjoyable time here at Hollowford. I must say I am sad to be leaving so thank you for the opportunity to both the staff here and Rank for organizing a fantastic and worthwhile placement.”

One of our newer Leadership Award Holders, Olivia, did her first ever placement with Ykids, who have been hosting CAP placement for many years.

My experience at Ykids has definitely been exactly that – an experience. Coming myself from an area classed as deprived with very little opportunities for young people, it was an almost familiar situation for me being in Bootle and interacting with people who have had the same restrictions and expectations upon them in life as I have. It was comforting to be in an organisation that was not satisfied with just allowing these stereotypes and ceilings to stop young people from achieving and making something positive of themselves, and incredibly eye-opening and inspiring to work everyday with them, witnessing their relentless fight against these labels and seeing them form opportunities and encourage young people to believe that they do have the potential to be something great – that they can be the success stories and are not just restricted to a life measured by poverty statistics and deprivation.

I am quite proud to be from a similar area, but breaking those limits through hard work and determination and it was amazing to see the support those that work at Ykids give to young people in Bootle to do the same – the merits of knowing that someone believes in them and is on their side willing them on has been illustrated thoroughly throughout my placement. I have never really understood what a charity does, what makes a charity work and allows them to make a difference and it has been greatly rewarding to witness and understand that it isn’t what, but who and see firsthand the huge scale of the difference that an organisation like Ykids makes upon a community like Bootle and the great amount of work that is put into making that happen. 

I greatly underestimated the work and the impact that a charity like Ykids has, and even more so, underestimated the impact that witnessing their magic over two weeks would have on me.”

We are always looking to the charities we work with to help provide placements for CAP. With the demand for placements getting higher each year, we are looking to expand the group of charities that we work with on CAP, so if you think your organisation might be able to help, and you have an existing relationship with The Rank Foundation, please get in touch so we can give you more information.