We are delighted to be sponsoring the Young  Leaders course organised by the British Trust for Ornithology.

Date: 10th -14th August 2022

Apply now if you are aged between 16 - 24 (inclusive) and you want to make a difference to the natural world.  This course focuses on skills that will help you advance as a leader and will include practical skills and theoretical skills as well as communication skills and working with other people.  

The Young Leaders course is aimed at 16-25 year olds and is held over 4 days at the Spurn Bird Observatory in East Yorkshire. The participants undertake a wide range of activities aimed at improving their skills as leaders. They learn everything from making the most of social media to turning their passion for nature into a career.

Some of the activities took me a little by surprise but having done them I felt that I had definitely gained confidence. Having the opportunity to go birding in the area at the start and end of each day was also fantastic

The course will take place at the Spurn Bird Observatory. The course will start on Wednesday 10 August at 12:00. We advise that you arrive a bit before then and staff will be available from 11:00 onwards to welcome you on site. The programme will run until 14:00 on Saturday 13 August. The Observatory is booked for a private event from 16:00 onwards so we ask that you make sure to leave the Observatory before then.

Sessions

The programme may change depending on weather, but will include sessions on:

Negotiating and influencing; how to use a leadership position to affect positive change.
Guiding events; from bird walks to debates, how do you run and organise a safe and inclusive event?
Networking; put into practice some of the theory around networking in an interactive activity.
Building a community; how do you bring together a variety of stakeholders for the greater good?
Working in partnership; understanding the importance of working together in the sector.
Practical skills; such as running successful meetings, making presentations, and writing CVs.

For an insight into this great opportunity, read a report by a previous year's winner Jonathan Farooqi 

Banner image above White-rumped Sandpiper by Jonathan Farooqi