LEAD Loddon Murray is calling on aspiring leaders to apply for a leadership program that aims to inspire, challenge and support them in developing leadership skills.
The Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program intends to help participants build confidence, skills, and a deeper understanding of leadership.
LMCLP has been hosted for aspiring leaders since 1998 and past graduates have ascended to jobs in local governance and as board members or volunteers in key community and government groups in their communities.
The program runs between February and November each year, encompassing 22 program days held in different parts of the region, showcasing rural communities, towns and major regional centres.
Gisborne participant Nicky Haslinghouse is part of the program this year and said it was life changing.
“Even through these challenging times, I have been able to gain so much from participating in the program,” she said.
“I am a lot more self-aware. A lot of the presenters have spoken about leaders needing to know themselves; now that I am starting to understand myself, I can work on leading my community through change.”
Thanks to support from the Macedon Ranges Shire and the Gisborne and District Community Bank, scholarships are available at a reduced cost for leaders who want to participate.
Scholarships available include work in the dairy industry, the natural resource management sector, Indigenous people, arts and environment, and studying residents of many shires in the region.
Jude Hannah, a past participant of the program and now the program director, said she was proud to be able to support the leadership journey of new participants.
“The LMCLP is a truly unique experience in that it challenges participants to implement their learning immediately, through reflective practice and by implementing a community project,” she said.
“The quality of education, the ideas we explore, speakers we learn from and places we visit in the LMCLP leaves a lasting impact with our graduates.
“This program is for people who want to increase the impact of their leadership practice in pursuit of a purpose that benefits the region. To be of service to community.
“One of its greatest strengths is the sense of belonging participants feel within the peer group. Joining the LMCLP is akin to ‘finding your people’ for leaders who yearn to make a difference.”
LEAD Loddon Murray executive officer Keith MacQueen said now more than ever was a time for leadership.
“With recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic being paramount for communities across our region, now more than ever access to high quality community leadership development is vital for smaller rural communities and growing regional towns in our region,” he said.
Applications close soon, more details are available on www.leadlm.org.au or via the program manager Jude Hannah on 0499 171 663 or jude@leadlm.org.au
