The Facilitative Leadership Programme is a 3-day training programme which aims to bring participants practical skills and tools for bringing the best out of others and “tapping the power of participation”. In attendance at the March 2010 Facilitative Leadership Programme held in Down County Museum were 9 participants from East Down Rural Community Network. All those attending had been involved in community development or youth work during their careers.

The FL programme invites participants to reflect on their own practice as leaders, and perhaps most excitingly, allows those attending to try out some of the practical skills and tools in a safe setting, with their peers. This means, of course, that the tutor often finds herself asking for volunteers from the group to try out new leadership techniques.

Imagine how pleased tutor Helen McLaughlin was to find that the very first member of the group to volunteer was not only the youngest member of the group, but WEA estimates that she may well be the youngest participant to have undertaken the FL course with WEA! Her name is Donna McConvey, who was 16 years old on commencing the course, only celebrating her 17th birthday on the last day of the course.

Donna is currently doing her AS Levels at St Mary’s High School in Downpatrick. She is already training to be a youth leader at National Level 1 with the support of tutor Paul Fitzsimons.

Donna’s school had released her to study the Facilitative Leadership course, as it helps her to build her portfolio – much needed to support applications to university. It is particularly relevant as Donna hopes to become a teacher and youth leader and is applying for entrance to St Mary’s College following her A-levels next year. Donna enjoyed the course and felt confident that it would be useful to her in her future career.