On Friday, March 8th, 60 pupils from the Monmouthshire County Council Leadership Academy Scheme attended the Leadership Academy Conference at County Hall in Usk.

The young ambassadors, who came from the four secondary schools in the county, received leadership training and inspirational talks to help them with their volunteering work in their schools and communities.

They participated in workshops to further develop their skills and had the opportunity to network with other ambassadors and learn from each other.

Various partners from the sector held workshops, including the Youth Sport Trust, which delivered a workshop on ‘The Role of a Young Leader’ -with Street Games delivering a session on ‘Youth Voice and Consultation’. These aimed to empower the young ambassadors to work closely with their peers and help shape physical activity programmes.

Amber Stamp Dunstan from MonLife, shared her experience of joining the leadership pathway and becoming a full staff member while also working with the Welsh Rugby Union. The young ambassadors also participated in a debate following a session on communications. Led by Monmouthshire County Council’s Youth Service, this provided the young people the opportunity to share their thoughts on the leadership programme and how we can continue to improve it going forward. 

The Leadership Academy conference coincided with International Women’s Day. To mark the occasion, Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Pam Kelly, spoke of her experiences throughout her illustrious career to mark the occasion.

Cllr Angela Sandles, Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Equality and Engagement, said: “Being able to bring our young ambassadors together at County Hall is fantastic. Hearing and seeing everyone engage with each other and learn from different experiences will allow the young people to develop their leadership skills further. Hearing from Amber and Chief Constable Pam Kelly on International Women’s Day was inspirational. Thank you for sharing your experiences with the young ambassadors.”

To learn more about the Leadership Academy or to find out how you or your children can get involved, please visit: https://www.monlife.co.uk/connect/sports-development/.