Dear Partners,

We are overjoyed to share the exciting news that we have been presented with the “Inspiring People Award” at the BECBC Awards evening last week! It was an uplifting and joyful event and an honour to be surrounded by other inspirational businesses and cluster members doing great work in the local communities, and who help strive to make Cumbria a great place to live and work for everyone.  

As a not-for-profit organisation, being recognised as an organisation that inspires people means the world to us. We are a small passionate team driven by our mission to create better leadership and better lives for the people of Cumbria.

At the heart of our success is the collaborative spirit that over the years has helped us to build an inclusive life-long leadership community spanning primary age to retirement. A heartfelt THANK YOU goes to all our wonderful partners and stakeholders for inspiring and supporting us to achieve more, to keep going when times are tough, and for your collaborative spirit and commitment to learning and inspiring each other to make this achievement possible.

We would like to share some inspiring stories that we have gathered over the years. Marc Goodwin at Mott MacDonald, drawing inspiration from participants in the projects he volunteers for. ‘Blooming Boltons’ at Bolton C of E Primary School, who enthusiastically share their newfound perspectives on leadership shaped by their involvement in the Bright Stars programme. Laila Brown from Jacobs, who has enhanced her confidence and presentation skills by helping schools develop mini social enterprises in our #BrightStars programme.

We are proud to see individuals like Teddy from our Dream Placement Ambassador Network returning to share their experiences and encourage new students to apply and to be a champion for Cumbria and all it has to offer.  Our commitment to inspiring people to grow is demonstrated through the development of leadership skills and how this results in positive role models providing inspiration for others.  For example we now have former Dream Placement students mentoring primary students on the Bright Stars programme. 

As we celebrate this Inspiring People Award, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone once again who has been a part of our journey – our partners, volunteers, and the entire leadership community that makes our work possible.

Together, we will continue to inspire, learn, and develop Cumbria’s leaders for today and tomorrow!

The Centre for Leadership Performance Team