Welcome to Citizens UK Community Leadership Training

A key tenet of Community Organising is that ‘Action is to an Organisation as Oxygen is to the Body’ – so we don’t do any training that does not lead to action. 

A key tenet of Community Organising is that ‘Action is to an Organisation as Oxygen is to the Body’ – so we don’t do any training that does not lead to action. Each year hundreds of people use our training to campaign for change in their communities (this video from Citizens Cymru Wales showcases a number of them: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq6plgMUNgg) and we hope to equip you to do the same. 

This three-day, online training is built around an introduction to our three strategic aims: social justice, leadership development and institutional development. 

Working with Newman University, who accredit our training, we have designed a course which follows the ‘Research – Action – Evaluation’ structure that is a key part of our Community Organising curriculum. Every training participant has committed to completing the three aspects of the Training over a 6-24 month timeframe (you can choose the pace that suits you):  

• RESEARCH: 50 hours of Classroom-based Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (you will fulfil 25 of these on the 3-day course; you will be able to fulfil the remaining 25 either through regular participation in your local CUK Chapter, by choosing to attend additional accredited workshops delivered in your local CUK Chapter or centrally offered training, such as Learning Thursdays, or by joining online and offline discussion groups on selected films, books and podcasts);

• ACTION: 50 hours of Practical Application in your community with support from a Citizens UK Organiser (if you already have a community leadership role these are not additional to the hours you would already spend – but you will need to think about how you will apply your learning in your local leadership context);

• EVALUATION: Complete a short reflective portfolio to capture your knowledge and skills acquisition and make a short verbal presentation of your learning either online (a video presentation to your Organiser over zoom, for example) or at a CUK Regional Learning Network meeting after you have concluded your 50 hours of Practical Application. Once you have completed all three aspects of the course including the portfolio and final presentation, we will be able to submit your marks to Newman University for accreditation and receipt of your Graduate Certificate in Community Leadership.

We encourage you to attend the training with some idea of how you plan to utilise Community Organising in your own context during the Practical Application phase. You may well change this plan over the course of the 3 days, but it is good to have some idea of what this is in advance. If you are unclear, then please do contact the Citizens UK Community Organiser who nominated you. Their job is to help prepare you for this training, and then to support you to put it into practice afterwards.

Participants in Citizens UK training share three overlapping motivations: Social Justice; Leadership Development; and Institutional Development. The focus of Citizens UK Community Leadership Training is towards Social Justice, and equipping you to use Community Organising methods to lead campaigns in your local Citizens UK chapter, but we also encourage you to think about how your 50 hours of Practical Application could help you become a more effective leader and strengthen your own organisation.

On behalf of the Community Organisers leading this training thank you for committing the time and energy to organising for social justice and the common good - it has never been needed more!

Good luck in turning your anger into action!

Jonathan Cox, Deputy Director of Citizens UK