Welcome
Thank you for your interest in Leadership 2025. As colleagues and allies, we would like to share with you some updates around our activities and plans, which would not be possible without our supporters. These all serve our ultimate aims and vision of an ethnically diverse and representative housing leadership. In improving the ethnic diversity of executive teams and of boards, we believe, supported by evidence, that the sector will be better equipped to deal with the many challenges it faces today and to achieve its social purpose. It will also be more trusted and best positioned to understand and support its tenants. Whether it is through support, collaboration or shared aims and values, thank you again for being part of our work and for helping to inspire a sector which is kinder and more inclusive for all.
Leadership 2025 Programme
This year, we have gathered feedback from alumni, mentors and educators to update and relaunch the Leadership 2025 programme. Many of our alumni felt that the programme had been pivotal in their career and that they had benefited from the network, mentoring, career planning, content and support it provided. We will continue to promote the visibility and success of our alumni, who continually prove that the talent exists. We will also work with sponsoring organisations to secure feedback and buy-in and to succession planning to ensure lasting impact.
Later this year, we will share more information about the programme and when we would like to invite applications.
A New Director
In November 2023, Leadership 2025 appointed its first director, Jessica Parsons. Having a director in post not only enables oversight of our key aims and activities but also creates resource in driving them forward. You can read more about the appointment here: https://leadership2025.co.uk/leadership-2025-appoints-a-new-director/
Savills Influencer’s Dinner
On the 23rd January, Savills hosted Leadership 2025, programme alumni and key stakeholders from the sector to discuss what can be done to address the lack of ethnic diversity in leadership across the sector. Details of the conversation can be found here: https://leadership2025.co.uk/savills-and-leadership-2025/
If you would like to attend or host a similar event, please get in touch.
Trustees Strategy Day
In March, the Leadership 2025 trustees, director and partners from Altair, came together to revisit our charitable purposes and to develop our new strategic vision and action plan. We look forward to sharing our plans with you over the coming months.
National Housing Federation- EDI Conference
In March, we were invited to attend and speak at the National Housing Federation’s conference regarding EDI in the sector. One of our alumnus, Jehan, spoke about the programme, advocating its benefits and sharing his experiences and insights. The day was filled with energy and hope about meaningful progress in this space.
Housing Diversity Network: Board Diversity Conference
In April, we attended the HDN’s board diversity conference. As well as inspiring speakers, the event enabled practical and thought-provoking conversations about how we can improve the diversity of our boards. A session on EDI Initiatives provided practical strategies for ensuring success.
Expansion beyond London
One of our most important strategic aims is to expand our reach outside of London. Not only will the next Leadership 2025 programme be open to leaders across the country but we want to expand our partners and the areas we work in to reflect our reach and focus. We know that the country is becoming more diverse and a lack of ethnically diverse leadership and equity is damaging in all areas. We aim to scale up and replicate successes in tackling structural inequality across the regions.
Cultural Impact
Since becoming a charity and a movement, Leadership 2025 has been working to affect the sector-wide cultural shift that needs to occur for genuine, lasting progress. We will be speaking with boards and change-makers, writing and speaking in different forums and revisiting some of our historic resources such as the five-point plan and recruitment pledge to develop a methodology for change. Finally, we will continue to collaborate with allies in and across the sector to find lasting solutions.
Research
We aim to commission qualitative research to capture some of the lived experiences of leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds to play back to the sector. This will aim to explore the people and stories behind the data and provide recommendations and strategies for improving the inclusivity of organisational approaches and culture.
Housing 24
On Thursday 27th June, we are partnering with Housing 2024. Members of our alumni group will be speaking exploring their experiences and insights as part of a keynote speech and another entitled ‘Professionalism in housing: how to raise ambition without restricting entry.’ If you would like to join this event, please get in touch.
2025
Next year is significant for us. Leadership 2025 was set up with its titular year as the target for achieving its aims and for no longer being needed. We will be taking this opportunity to reflect on why those targets have not been met and what needs to be done to fully realise them. We believe that we were ambitious for the sector and that it is time for the sector to join us in that ambition. We hoped to have seen the cultural transformation needed for real change by next year. How long do you think it will take?
Thank you
This work is made possible by our supporters and we are now in the best position ever to affect real change. We now need continued and further support to fully realise these ambitions. To join us and be part of the Leadership 2025 movement, please get in touch.
Contact:
We always welcome conversation and collaboration and are looking to extend our supporter base.
If there is anything you would like to ask or discuss or to become a supporter, please get in touch. Thank you.