With less money around nowadays lots of organisations are trying to doing things differently. At one neighbourhood office of Manchester City Council they posed the question:

“Can we bring together a range of different people to work with council officers and others in a way that transcends the traditional way of working?

“Can we train them up so they think more collaboratively, listen more deeply, have 
self-reflection and understand different perspectives? So when they go out and lead or facilitate others they can do it in the most inclusive way possible. We’re not even sure this is possible.”

A bespoke training course was created by consultants Amity and I spent six months following the progress of 11 local people on the first ever Community Leaders programme in Manchester. The booklet tells all.