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Community Action Placement: Unlocking Leadership Opportunities

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In this blog post, Xavier Lake (School Leadership Award Holder, Class of 2020) reflects on the impact of the award – especially his Community Action Placement – on his leadership opportunities at Glasgow University where he is a member of the University Union Board of Management (GUU).

I embarked upon my journey with the GUU by applying as a Fresher’s Helper and following a successful interview, I was employed in the role. My time with the Rank Foundation, especially my Community Action Placement (CAP) in Hexham, heightened my awareness of making a positive impact on the society around me.

In turn, as a Fresher’s Helper I widened my own sense of being part of the university’s community as I began my work not knowing anybody but by the end, I had made friends across all year groups and faculties and worked with salaried university staff members.

I strongly believe that the CAP gave me the confidence and drive to do this and showed me I truly enjoy helping others as it gives me a great sense of reward and motivates me to find other opportunities make a difference.

The election competition began almost immediately so I had to formulate my manifesto, campaign, and persuade my friends to help me. My leadership skills were most definitely called into action. The Rank Foundation’s belief in my skills as a leader enthused me to approach other students to discuss my manifesto and have fun with it!  I was over the moon when I was successfully elected to the board.
 
Holding office within the GUU has alerted me to the need to understand and process the multi-faceted issues that arise, such as: accessible study places, financial problems, course resources, allegations of misconduct, event planning, even helping when students have a bit too much to drink! I am then duty bound to meet with senior members of the university to eloquently explain matters to them with the aim of making impact to bring about positive change and feedback their responses to the union membership.

I feel my drive to make a difference for others was deepened and became a core value for me after the CAP at the Hexham Youth Initiative, seeing the joy and happiness that young people gained form the staff’s dedication has left a lasting impression upon me to help others where I can.

I am extremely grateful for the knowledge and progress that the Rank Foundation’s School Leadership Award has furnished me with, as I know I would not be following the path I am on without the confidence and self-belief the programme gave me.

On reflection, the essential ingredient that unlocked my confidence was completing the CAP because it took me far from home, placed me among strangers and into a job I had not done before. I loved my time in Hexham and was warmly welcomed. I am proud of my CAP and dearly hope you will be too!

Community Action Placement: Discover your Ability

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We were really excited to welcome a new host to our Community Action Placement programme last summer. Able2B, based in Norwich, is a community interest company set up to develop services that help improve function for children and adults with a disability. Their headline, ‘Discover your ability’, perfectly summarises their positive and inclusive approach.

With seven of the School Leadership Award class of 2023 considering applications to study medicine, Able2B seemed an ideal location for their summer placement. Four award holders were made very welcome by the team in Norwich. In this blog post, Mirabel, one of the award holders, reflects on her placement.

I had rarely been in a position of care for people with disabilities.
Therefore, initially I aimed to learn about the way that I would respond to being in a completely foreign situation – faced with a variety of different verbal, physical and emotional barriers.

My only experience of disability was a family member who was diagnosed with dementia and is in a persistent vegetative state. I subconsciously associated the term disability with suffering and exhaustion – I aimed to have personal interactions with the clients at Able2B and explore how my preconceptions would change.

They did! I had not expected to see brain injury survivors who had been told that they would never stand, let alone walk again strolling alongside me due to the work of Able2B. Whilst I did find myself tearing up occasionally, it was not due to feelings of sadness but sheer admiration and joy for both clients and the work of those at Able2B.

My time in Norwich helped me to focus on qualities needed for leadership which I now see as:

Enthusiasm: Regardless of whether it was 9am or the last 5 minutes of the day, the leaders put the same level of energy into every client and were always present – regardless of the client’s response.

Communication: Some clients were hard of hearing or sight and some could not communicate entirely – teaching me that communication is personal. As a leader, it’s my job to adapt my message to ensure that everyone hears it.

Knowledge: The leaders could scan a person for 5 seconds and identify exactly what they required – more importantly, had the courage to employ innovative ways to aid them in achieving it.

Empowerment and Patience: When taking 1-1 sessions, encouragement always produced the most results. Sometimes I’d find myself repeating words of encouragement or reassurance 4 times and instead of getting frustrated, repeating it a 5th empowered the clients to keep going.

Self-belief: I was bewildered by the relentless perseverance of the clients. Throughout the sessions, I saw some whispering “you can do it” to themselves and they did not allow their impairment to limit their potential which I hope to use when approaching obstacles as a leader.

Bearing: With clients, if I appeared exhausted and disinterested, they would too. The clients taught me that through life, everyone will encounter different obstacles; however, it is the way you carry yourself through these that will determine your success.

Ripples Story: “The language of heritage”

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In this article, Mariama Techie-Afful, a Rank Fellow (Class of 2009) and a first-generation Briton born in the UK to Sierra Leonean parents, shares how she developed a deck of cards to help Africans learn their native language and stay connected to their cultural roots.

I’m Mariama, from the Fellowship, Class of 2009, a first-generation Briton born in the UK to Sierra Leonean parents, married to a Ghanaian, mother of two and the founder of Nafolan (pronounced Na-foh-lan). My parents did a fantastic job instilling a sense of cultural pride in my siblings and me. Although our ability to have conversations in Krio is questionable at best, it’s a skill we possess, nonetheless.

Many Africans living on the continent are multi-lingual. Meanwhile, those born outside of Africa to African parents tend to only be receptive to bilingualism; that is, they cannot engage in active conversation despite being able to understand the language.

Nafolan (which means ‘You should learn’) was birthed out of the desire to see more learning resources for my son in Krio and Twi so that he will be connected to his cultural roots, especially as English is the default language in my home. There are limited resources on the market for parents of African heritage who wish to teach their children their native language, something I discovered in 2021, shortly after my son was born.

With this in mind, I created a deck of 25-27 cards containing words and phrases commonly used in everyday speech and a pronunciation guide. I launched the business in 2022, and with just over two years of experience, it is still in its infancy. The reception so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and whilst I am no marketing guru or know every supporter personally, it has been important from the onset to ensure I share the brand’s vision with simplicity and clarity.

I have been able to leverage the power of community, a lesson I first learnt during my Community Action Placement at the Arun Community Church; it is to this that I accredit my success. Currently, we have four languages spoken by communities across Africa’s Western and Eastern coasts (Krio, Twi, Yoruba, and Swahili). We are working on a series of audio guides to supplement the cards. There are more than 2000 languages spoken in Africa, so the long-term goal is to be able to provide comprehensive language resources for as many of these languages as possible.

Mariama Techie-Afful

Rank Fellow (Class of 2009)

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”

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.”