Two well-known community figures in North Glasgow recently ‘graduated’ from a unique project to encourage and develop Tomorrow’s Leaders. Sadie Gordon and Maryanne McElroy worked along with fourteen other people from a diverse range of groups including Strathclyde Police, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Housing Association to develop their leadership, communication and management skills.

Sadie and Maryanne along with the other participants were presented with a certificate at a special awards ceremony by Councillor James Coleman, Deputy Council Leader and Chair of Glasgow Community Planning Partnership (GCPP) in recognition of their achievement. Councillor Coleman declared the ceremony a resounding success commenting:

“The Tomorrow’s Leaders project shows that GCPP is determined to invest in the future by encouraging people who will be able to further develop our communities.

“This nine-month course was intense but it certainly gave the participants an opportunity to expand their skills to help enable change within the city. They have learned how to work together, become more adaptable and flexible and have a clear vision of how together, we can help our local communities.”

The Course Leader Norrie Gilliland, from the organisation Peoplematters said before the ‘graduation’ ceremony in Glasgow City Chambers:

“From my point of view it has been a great success. Everyone has tackled the project with great gusto and enthusiasm. As we progressed you could see their confidence and communication skills develop.

“The one thing I am sure of is that all of the group will return to their individual organisations better equipped to contribute, communicate and manage and with a clearer understanding on how to face challenges.”

Sadie, who is a member of the Maryhill, Kelvin & Canal Community Reference Group and North Glasgow Community Health and Care Partnership’s Public Partnership Forum said:

“The course has underlined to me that people like myself must have the courage and confidence to speak out on behalf of our communities. Sometimes people in the community seem scared of managers, but the reality is they are just the same as ourselves.”

While Maryanne, Operations Manager at Summerston Childcare Ltd and also a member of the Maryhill, Kelvin & Canal Community Reference Group, at the end of the course said:

“The one thing this course has underlined to me is that the Commonwealth Games should be used as a catalyst to propel our city into becoming one of the best cities in the world. We have the talent and the people to turn this in to one of the world’s greatest cities and we should use community planning as a way to make it happen.”

The course, which was sponsored by The Scottish Government and GCPP, has proved such a success that other local community planning groups throughout Scotland are studying the course to see if it can be a blueprint for them to develop their staff.