The Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), established to help ex-Service personnel and their families make a successful transition back to civilian life, Cobseo, The Confederation of Service Charities and Clore Social Leadership are delighted to announce details of the 22 successful emerging leaders who will take part in ‘Clore6: Cobseo’, a new leadership development programme for the Service charities sector.

The participants come from a wide variety of charities and include:  Glen Art, Housing Options Scotland, the Naval Families Federation, Stoll and the Royal British Legion. All participants will have the opportunity to utilise their applied learnings in team challenges to immediately transfer the skills they gain from the programme back into their organisations.

‘Clore6: Cobseo’ is a six-month programme, designed by Clore Social Leadership, in partnership with Cobseo, and Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), who are providing the programme’s core funding. Sector organisations were invited to nominate their future leaders, working to promote the welfare and general interests of the Armed Forces Community.

Aimed at emerging leaders in the Service charities sector, ‘Clore6: Cobseo’ seeks to develop a cadre of leaders to provide robust and effective leadership for their organisations and sector. The programme is built around Clore Social Leadership’s Social Leaders’ Capabilities Framework, which illustrates the attributes, behaviours and skills for successful leadership.

Air Vice-Marshal Ray Lock CBE, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust and Executive Committee member of Cobseo said: “The 22 participants of this exciting new programme have a fantastic opportunity to develop their leadership potential. By funding the core costs of the project, Forces in Mind Trust has made the programme affordable for all sizes of Service charities, demonstrating our commitment to investing in innovative approaches that will enhance the effectiveness of the sector.

“The quality of the applications received was exceptionally high, and I look forward to seeing how the participants develop during the programme.”

Shaks Ghosh, CEO of Clore Social Leadership commented: “This investment in leadership means that Service charities will have fantastic future leaders who will ensure their organisations thrive in times of rapid change within the social sector, and beyond.”

This is the third Clore6 programme following a successful pilot programme for emerging leaders from the Youth Sector which completed in March 2017, and a Clore6 Open programme for leaders from the wider social sector which is currently running.  Upon successful completion of the Clore6 programmes, participants will join Clore Social Leadership’s network of Fellows.

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Notes to editors:

The 22 participants are:

Abby Dryden, Head Of Operations, Defence Medical Welfare Service

Alice Farrow, Head of Communications, Cobseo

Andrew Smith, Regional Operations Manager, Combat Stress

Andrew Stickels, Volunteer Manager, Royal British Legion Industries Ltd

Bridget Nicholson, Director of Evidence and Strategy, Naval Families Federation

Clare Scherer, Assistant Director, Royal Navy & Royal Marines Children’s Fund

Deborah Layde, Grants Director, Seafarers UK

Fiona MacDonald, Director, Glen Art

Fraser Gilmore, Engagement & Development Manager, Housing Options Scotland

Gordon Craig, Director of Fundraising & Marketing, The Royal Star & Garter Homes

Jane Williams, Director of Operations and Families Engagement NFF

Julian Coates, Veterans’ Nomination Scheme Project Manager, Stoll

Kirsty Scullion, Trust and Major Grant Fundraising Manager, Alabaré

Nigel Shattock, Director of Fundraising & Communications, Seafarers UK

Rebecca Warren, Head of Public Relations, The Royal British Legion

Richard Hanson, External Grants Manager, The Royal British Legion

Robert Thorburn, Grants Officer, FiMT

Samantha Cherrill, Housing Manager, SSAFA

Sharon Somerville, Head of Health Care Quality, SSAFA

Tim Willis-Crowley, Senior Veterans’ Outreach Officer, Stoll

Tony Wright, CEO Founder, Forward Assist

Umesh Parekh, Head of Information Services, Blind Veterans UK

For press enquiries please contact Léann Lavery on leann@cloresocialleadership.org.uk or call 020 7812 3771.

About Clore Social Leadership

Clore Social Leadership is committed to social change. We find and develop leaders with a social purpose so that they can transform their communities, organisations and the world around them. We offer a range of leadership development programmes, short courses and leadership innovations.

For more information, please visit www.cloresocialleadership.org.uk and join the conversation on Twitter @CloreSocial.

For press enquiries please contact Kate Turner at kturner@theproffice.com or on 07919 887 036 or 0207 284 6944.

About the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT):

FiMT came about from a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund (‘the Fund’), Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities) and other charities and organisations.  FiMT continues the Fund’s long-standing legacy of support for veterans across the UK with an endowment of £35 million awarded in 2012.  http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/.

The mission of FiMT is to enable ex-Service personnel and their families make a successful and sustainable transition to civilian life, and it delivers this mission by generating an evidence base that influences and underpins policy making and service delivery.

FiMT awards grants (for both responsive and commissioned work) to support its change model around 6 outcomes in the following areas: Housing; Employment; Health and wellbeing; Finance; Criminal Justice System; and Relationships. All work is published in open access and hosted on the Veterans’ Research Hub.  A high standard of reportage is demanded of all grant holders so as to provide a credible evidence base from which better informed decisions can be made.

Useful links

Website: www.fim-trust.org

Reports: www.fim-trust.org/reports/

Who we have helped: www.fim-trust.org/who-we-have-helped/

Twitter: @FIMTrust

About Cobseo:

For further information about Cobseo, contact Alice Farrow, Head of Communications (a.farrow@cobseo.org.uk or 07966 886180)

Cobseo exists to represent the needs of its membership comprising 279 Full and Associate Members, including Service and civilian charities and organisations, which support Serving and ex-Serving personnel and their families.  It uses its collective strength to inform, guide and influence those who engage with the Armed Forces community in order to provide the best possible level of support to beneficiaries, and does so through the facilitation and encouragement of cooperation and collaboration.

www.cobseo.org.uk or www.twitter.com/Cobseo