Investing In Future Leaders

Cered, the Ceredigion Language Initiative, and Theatr Felinfach are establishing a Community Leadership Academy in Ceredigion to provide an intensive course for young adults aged 18-25 with the aim of creating young leaders in the County’s communities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Following a successful application to Cynnal y Cardi for support through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government, the course will be launched in November 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Leadership Academy offers an intensive leadership course for Welsh speaking young adults by providing the opportunity to develop leadership skills in the community and their locality and motivate them to apply themselves to benefit the community, locality and to tackle future community challenges. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Academy will work on two aspects, by providing an intensive course to students annually and to also provide learning opportunities that will be open and available to anyone interested. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cered Manager, Lynsey Thomas, said: “By following this course the students will develop their understanding of the fundamentals of community development and leadership skills and understand equality and dynamic force in society within the context of bilingual communities in Ceredigion. Moreover, the students will have the opportunity to put their knowledge, skills and new attitudes to work by developing a local project, reporting on the progress as part of the course. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The project aims to invest in individuals to be confident, to understand their own potential and that of their community and to shoulder social responsibility.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dwynwen Lloyd Llewelyn, Head of Theatr Felinfach Campus, added: “Our job, through this Academy, is to encourage and display leadership in communities. It is essential for the future of our communities to ensure that young people take ownership and are able to meet the challenges, but to achieve this it is necessary for us to build capacity and train our young people to plan and deliver community initiatives.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Although more than 20 years has passed since the original Community Leadership course, the dividends of the course are ongoing, as all of the original students are currently community leaders sharing their skills with young people. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As someone who benefited from the similar scheme in the early 1990s, Elin Jones, Assembly Member for Ceredigion, said, “There are great organisations already doing an excellent job to train various skills to young people in Ceredigion, and I think for the Young Farmers and the Urdd in particular. But at times, it is useful to provide special opportunities for the leaders of those organisations and others not related to any particular organisation, to undertake specific and intensive training to develop their leadership skills. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“For viable rural Welsh communities it is essential that young people are offered a fresh new perspective to the leadership of those communities – in various fields and interests – whether political, artistic, economic.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

We are urging young adults between 18-25 years of age who live in Ceredigion to apply to the Community Leadership course. The course offers training sessions between November 2016 and June 2017. The course will start with a residential weekend on 26-27 November 2016 at the Urdd Residential Centre, Llangrannog, followed by 4-6 session throughout the 8 months at locations across the County. All students will also be allocated a personal mentor and get an opportunity to establish an enterprise or project as part of the course. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This project is funded through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

There are limited places available. We will accept applications until 9th November 2016. Applications should be made via CV, letter or video to: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Academi Arweinyddiaeth Gymunedol
CERED
Campws Theatr Felin-fach
Dyffryn Aeron
Ceredigion
SA48 8AF
lynsey.thomas@ceredigion.gov.uk / 01545 572356 ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​