Transformative Leadership Programme: Participants’ Stories

More about the programme

NICVA was awarded the contract to deliver the programme in July 2019, co-ordinates the programme and works with partners across the city to deliver it: Falls Community Council, West Belfast Partnership Board, East Belfast Community Development Agency and Forward South Partnership.

The programme is a 10-module leadership training course which draws on leadership practices and approaches drawn from a range of internationally recognised models, including Collaboration Skills, Leadership Styles, Leading and Motivating Communities, and Social Innovation.

The course aims to attract participants from the voluntary and community sector, the public sector and the political sector to learn skills which will enable them to collaborate more effectively together in order to make life better in interface areas in Belfast. To this end the course particularly focuses on leadership development and relationship building, through the lens of local issues. Once participants complete their TLP course with NICVA and partners, the aim is for TLP participants to progress to develop a collaborative project in their areas with the support of Belfast City Council, and to attend area-based and Belfast-wide events as well as site visits in order to continue learning and build networks and connections.

This report contains Participant Stories from the programme which began in October 2019 and has included the delivery of 19 TLP courses across 11 interface areas of Belfast – with many more to follow. For ease of reference, the report is set out in areas: North, West, South and East Belfast.

Many thanks to all our fantastic participants for sharing their stories!

North Belfast Participant Stories

• Duncairn Gardens

Shannon Downey, Groundwork NI (Autumn 2019 participant)

• Limestone Road

Lesley Doherty, Tourguide (Spring 2020 participant)

Karen Pateman, DFE (Spring 2020 participant)

• Crumlin/Ardoyne/Glenbryn

Zoe Ferguson, Cliftonville Integrated Primary School PTA (Spring 2020 participant)

• Ligoniel

Ciaran McNeill, Ligoniel Improvement Association (Spring-Summer 2020 participant)

• Lower Oldpark/Manor Street

North Talks Too and IFI Peace Walls Group (Autumn 2019)

• North Belfast TLP Course 1

Jahswill Emmanuel, MSCNI (Autumn 2020 participant)

• North Belfast TLP Course 2

Gemma Cowles, Housing Executive (Autumn 2020 participant)

• North Belfast TLP Course 3

Ronnie Black, Concerned Residents of Upper Ardoyne (Spring 2021 participant)

Mal O'Hara, Green Party (Spring 2021 participant)

• North Belfast TLP Course 4

Amanda Laird, Progressive Unionist Party (Spring 2021 participant)

West Belfast Participant Stories

• Falls/Shankill

Group Case Study, Autumn 2019

Terry McCallum, Belfast City Council (Spring 2020 participant)

Laura Marley, Springboard (Autumn 2020 participant)

• Suffolk/Lenadoon

Group Case Study, Autumn 2019

Michael O'Hara, local resident and volunteer (Spring to Autumn 2020 participant)

Paul Doherty, SDLP (Autumn 2020 participant)

Meabh Harvey, Local resident (Autumn 2020 participant)

• Village/Westlink

David Murphy, Southcity Resource and Development Centre (Spring 2020 participant)

• Colin - Dunmurry - Seymour Hill - Milltown

Margaret McDonald, Lagmore Youth Project (Spring 2021 participant)

• Springfield Road

Irene Boada Montagut, The Museum of The Troubles Initiative (Spring 2021 participant)

South Belfast Participant Stories

• Lower Ormeau and Markets

Group Case Study, Autumn 2019

Group Case Study, Spring 2020

Group Case Study, Autumn 2020

• Belvoir- Taughmonagh - Finaghy - Annadale - Ballynafeigh

East Belfast Participant Stories

• Short Strand/Inner East

John Williamson, Community Worker (Autumn 2019 Participant)

Anne Fleming, Northern Ireland Assembly (Autumn 2020 Participant)