Being a member of the delivery team for the Rising Leaders programme this year was a real full circle moment for me. Just two years ago, in 2023 I was sitting in the same space, as a participant learning growing and taking the steps into my future. Returning now in 2026, as a staff member supporting the delivery of this year’s programme is something I’m really proud to have been provided the opportunity to do.

Rising Leaders is truly more than just a programme, it works to empower young women from ethnically diverse backgrounds and support them in building confidence, leadership and understanding the importance of their representation within sport. Being able to reflect on my experience and relate this to support these young individuals is something that really resonates with me.

One of the most valuable things I learnt being on the delivery team was how to facilitate conversations. Being able to create a space where participants feel comfortable sharing their experiences and views is not always easy, but it is very important to support the participants experiences. I learnt how to listen actively, ask questions that provoked thoughts and guide discussions that supported all the participants feeling heard. Seeing the cohort really grow and progress in their contributions as the days went on was really refreshing for me when exploring this new way of conversing.

Another insightful thing for me was the realisation of the work and effort that is contributed by the inspiring staff team behind the scenes. As a participant you experience the workshops, discussions and networking, but being on the delivery team showed me the planning, communication and dedication that goes into making programmes like this flow so well.

I found the ambitions and motivation of the cohort to be really inspiring. A group that bonded so well and shared some brilliant ideas around their future careers and leadership spaces and the impact they aspire to make around not just football, but in their communities was so motivational. The passion and enthusiasm really reminded me of my time and the feelings I felt being a participant on the programme.

Being back within the Rising Leaders leadership space really made me reflect on how important programmes like these are to young women with aspirations in football and how much it really impacted me within my journey. The confidence, ambition and networking skills I got as a participant on this programme has really helped me get to where I am today, even when coming back as a staff member, and this really shows the influence Rising Leaders can have on an individual.