Case study
Emerging Leaders Program
The Emerging Leaders Program 2022/3 was designed by Eden to give future leaders, working in charities in the global food supply chain, access to mentoring and funding for professional and personal development.
Opportunity
The aim of the Emerging Leaders program is to help those individuals who lead, shape and drive charities and not-for-profit businesses within the global food supply chain realise their full potential so they can continue to make an impact on and a genuine difference to the industry we all feel so passionate about.
Given the immense pressure many charities have been put under by the COVID-19 pandemic, Eden felt the opportunity to launch the program, focusing on these vital businesses within the industry. Research conducted by The Charity Commission* revealed that nearly all charities were impacted by the pandemic with more than 90% saying that there had been a negative impact on service delivery, finances, staff and morale – caused by months of frustration and uncertainty.
*https://charitycommission.blog.gov.uk/2021/10/28/what-new-research-tells-us-about-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-charities
Eden shortlisted three female professionals from charities including CHAP, Trussell Trust and i4Agri to work alongside leading figures in retail, the not-for-profit sector and government departments including DEFRA. See below on why this program is so important to each individual:
Dr Ruth Bastow: “Agriculture is currently facing some of its biggest challenges as an industry. To meet these challenges science and innovation will be critical, but more important will be stakeholder collaboration and interaction across the entire supply chain. This will require strong, effective leadership, to help guide positive change, to listen and to inspire. I am delighted to have been selected for Eden’s Emerging Leaders programme, and look forward to learning from others, as I maximise the opportunities that lie ahead for CHAP, and the sector as whole.” A short video outlining Ruth’s experiences can be watched here.
Miranda Beebe: “The pandemic has caused a step change in our volunteering ambitions, in which I play the lead role in developing and delivering the Transforming Volunteering strategy. Investing time in my personal development will enable me to lead the team in driving the foundation for ever greater collaboration across the team, strengthening local partnerships and ensuring that food banks are in the best possible position to both meet increases in demand and initiate programmes tackling the drivers of poverty.”
Dr Lisa Morgans: “I believe strong role models and their inspirational stories are critical for personal development. The opportunity to receive mentoring from key individuals with extensive experience in sustainability will equip me with the skills and confidence needed to tackle the major challenges facing agriculture.”
Our approach
The Emerging Leaders program for 2023/3 was designed to give future leaders, working in charities in the global food supply chain, access to mentoring and funding. Successful applicants could use the funding from Eden Search & Select to pay for an academic qualification, a vocational course, or a research project that will make a genuine difference to the industry they work in. In parallel, the mentoring available enabled participants to gain insights from industry experts who have worked at the top of their field.
The results
Using her funding, Dr Ruth Bastow, Innovation Director for CHAP, completed an MIT Leadership & Innovation course. Ruth works for CHAP, which aims to increase crop productivity for future generations through the uptake of new technologies in agriculture. Conscious that the industry faces major challenges in the shape of net zero and biodiversity loss, Ruth wanted to understand more about the commercial realities that companies of all sizes face when bringing innovation to market – and what the associated leadership challenges might be.
Commenting on how her experience of the programme: “Being part of the inaugural Emerging Leaders initiative was fantastic. It enabled me to complete a MIT course on Leadership & Innovation. It also gave me access to an inspiring, supportive mentor. Working in a small business can be intense. There’s not much time to stop and think about training and development. Emerging Leaders helped me discover more about myself. With a clearer understanding of my motivations and strengths, I can make better use of my skills to drive the company forward. I’d urge anyone looking to further their career to apply to this programme.” See full video here
Miranda Beebe works at Trussell Trust, which supports a nationwide network of food banks that provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty. Leading development of the charity’s Transforming Volunteering strategy, Miranda wanted to enhance her leadership skills so she can become an agent for change across the Trust’s franchised network of food banks, which employ more than 30,000 volunteers nationwide.
Dr Lisa Morgans, Head of Livestock for i4Agri – which connects farmers with farming research to develop the knowledge and technologies that will make modern agriculture more sustainable, resilient, and productive. Lisa enrolled on a facilitation training course run by the International Association of Facilitators. Lisa is passionate about empowering farming groups to adapt to the changes facing agriculture – and wants farmers to have greater access to integrated and impartial support that will help them innovation and implement new ideas.