Press room
If you are interested to know what Common Purpose has been doing recently and what is lined up for the future, this section outlines our recent news and important upcoming events.
You can also find out the key facts about Common Purpose, check details of our spokespeople and view our media coverage. The results of research commissioned by Common Purpose are also available, as well as industry news.
It has recently come to our attention that a few blogs have been making grossly inaccurate and offensive statements about Common Purpose. This is the response of our trustees.
For queries and press requests, contact Una Farrell on +44(0)20 7608 8122 or una.farrell@commonpurpose.org.uk.
Recent media releases (view media release archive)
Avoiding the perils of national leadership - 7 August 2008
The pitfalls of becoming a national leader have been revealed in a report launched today. Navigating the new waters of national leadership is a study by international leadership development organisation Common Purpose into the challenges of making the leap to a national leadership role. One of the most striking findings of the report, which included observations and advice from Tim Melville Ross, Chairman, DTZ, Zenna Atkins, Chair, Ofsted, Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester and Jon Williams, World News Editor, BBC, was that many senior leaders fear that they aren’t up to the task at some point.
Is CHANGEit winner Tara Ifill ‘Britain’s Kindest Kid’? - 1 August 2008
Deutsche Bank CHANGEit award winner, Tara Ifill, 14, is a finalist in the Channel Five News ‘Britain’s Kindest Kid’ competition. Read about Tara's achievements so far and decide - will you vote for her? Tara Ifill is one of the CHANGEit 2008 ‘innovation’ category winners. Her winning idea is Smile with Style, a campaign which aims to encourage young people to help each other. Tara is getting young people from across South East London to design t-shirts to sell for a charity called Smile Train.
Generation Y learns to lead - 21 July 2008
One step ahead of the debate on how to manage Generation Y in the workplace, young adults from across the UK are learning how to lead. Thirty-seven pre-career leaders gathered at University College London last week to learn how to increase their ability to make a difference in their communities, universities and the organisations they will work for.
Squeezing the training and development budget: The cost of not developing your staff in tough economic times - 30 June 2008
That issue is explored in a new study which warns of the consequences of cutting training and development budgets during an economic downturn. The report, Taming the Wolf at the Door, by leadership development organisation Common Purpose, found that almost half of training and development professionals surveyed are expecting a budget cut of 20% or more. Team building and soft skills development will be hit hardest, while technical skills training and surprisingly, leadership development, will be the least likely to be cut.
People will take more risks in tough economic times - 18 June 2008
People’s appetite for risk-taking in the workplace is likely to increase if the economy enters a recession according to research released today by international leadership development organisation Common Purpose. Over half of all working adults surveyed already consider themselves to be risk-takers and 43% think it will be important to take more risks to help their organisation survive through a recession.
The UK’s young trailblazers hit their communities - 15 May 2008
In the face of mounting news coverage of youth crime, young people from around the UK have been trailblazing positive change in their local communities through unique projects and campaigns. Now they have been honoured for these pioneering projects through the Deutsche Bank CHANGEit Awards. Campaigns to help young people to manage their money and to provide networking sites for young people with hidden disabilities are among the winners of the CHANGEit awards.
The future is networks - 30 April 2008
Research released today reveals a change in attitude towards networks and networking – as 68% of people expect to be part of more networks in five years time. With this figure rising to 75% in the 25-44 age group, the survey by international leadership development organisation Common Purpose, suggests greater recognition of the value of networks by generations Y and X.
The young generator generation - How the UK’s young people want the world to change and what they are doing about it - 22 April 2008
Proving that you don’t have to be an adult to change the world, young people from all over the UK are being hailed for their pioneering projects and ground-breaking ideas that are changing the country. Campaigns run by young people to build a free-running training park, to help teenagers manage their money and be environmentally conscious, and to provide work experience for those at school have all been named as finalists in the Deutsche Bank CHANGEit awards.
Investing in tomorrow’s leaders today - 11 March 2008
In theory, meeting inspirational leaders from all walks of life can be a life-changing experience - but getting access to such people is really a matter of chance for many people who are deciding on or starting out on their career paths. There is a unique opportunity for people, in their first job or still in full time education, to get behind-the-scenes insights and increase their ability to make a difference in their communities, universities and where they work. ‘Frontrunner’ is a leadership development programme, designed to expand the leadership potential and horizons of people as they start their careers. There are over 60 free places on the programme and the application process is now open.
Strengthening community links in West Yorkshire - 29 January 2008
Increased involvement in networks helps people to value the diversity within their communities and see the world through others’ eyes, according to a report released by Common Purpose and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Local Links, a new approach to community development was piloted in four locations across West Yorkshire.
Who will feel the Thames Gateway Regeneration ripple effect? - 8 January 2008
There is a unique opportunity for leaders from towns and cities surrounding the Thames Gateway to ensure that they are not left behind as Europe's largest regeneration project invests £9 billion into the region. It is a chance for leaders from Brighton, Essex, Kent, Suffolk and Surrey to come together and consider how their areas can also benefit from the recently announced Thames Gateway Delivery Plan and to look at the other big issues facing these areas and examine how they interconnect.
Helping leaders break out of the bureaucratic box - 26 November 2007
Working for almost twenty years to enrich society with informed and engaged leaders, Julia Middleton, founder and Chief Executive of international leadership development organisation Common Purpose, has been awarded an Honorary Degree from London South Bank University in recognition of her achievements.
Young managers say it’s time for a change - 22 November 2007
Over half of young managers are dissatisfied with their jobs and are considering change. This is leading to a mass haemorrhaging of young talent who are either actively searching for or thinking about a new job. Worryingly, employers are failing to respond to this unhappiness and frustration.
Entrepreneur takes helm at leadership organisation - 12 November 2007
Chris Mathias has been confirmed as the new Chair of the Board of UK Trustees for the leadership development organisation Common Purpose. A successful entrepreneur, he will be bringing to Common Purpose the expertise he uses to combine active roles in private equity and social investment.
What Next? wins a National Training Award - 10 October 2007
Common Purpose is celebrating the success of What Next? in the 2007 National Training Awards. What Next? is a programme for those in leadership positions who are within a few years of leaving, or have recently left, their senior roles and who are keen to use their experience and insight to enhance the quality of governance and performance of organisations, whether on boards, as trustees, or in launching new initiatives.
Society: Can young people change it for the better? - 3 September 2007
Proving that young people can make positive changes to society, a new prize is being launched to celebrate their achievements. Known as CHANGEit, the prize is sponsored by Deutsche Bank, and young campaigners are being urged to come forward and take part in them. The public is also being asked to nominate young people they know who are making an outstanding contribution to their community.
Campaign success leads to more BME leaders - 17 July 2007
A campaign to increase the number of people from black and ethnic minority communities on UK public boards has been hailed a success. Known as ‘About Time’, it actively seeks to support and encourage diverse leaders to take on board-level opportunities and put their skills and experience to work in community and public life. Its achievements include the placement of non-executive directors on hospital and housing trusts and a governor on a school board.
Empowering Aberdeen City & Shire’s Youth - 4 July 2007
A new survey has found that young people from Aberdeen City & Shire need more support if they are to realise their potential as citizens of the city. The survey, conducted by participants of the ‘Matrix’ programme, run by leadership development organisation Common Purpose and in conjunction with the Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University, also found that young people in Aberdeen City & Shire have the energy and ideas to make an important impact in the region.
Can Aberdeen City & Shire get any better? - 21 June 2007
Leaders from a wide range of Aberdeen City & Shire’s public, private and voluntary organisations are coming together to examine the contribution they make to the area. On Tuesday 26 June, they will be taking a fresh look at the way the region is run, as they take part in rock climbing at the Transition Extreme Sports Centre on Aberdeen’s beach.
Teens are hailed for their campaigning work - 16 May 2007
The Spotlight Awards are an annual prize run by Common Purpose in order to recognize young people that have made an outstanding contribution to their local community. This year’s winners include a group of young people who have introduced a ‘Black History Month’ to their school in order to rid it of racism, and a young girl who runs affordable dance classes so that nobody is excluded from enjoying the benefits of dancing.
Nearly half of UK managers have leadership roles outside of work - 4 April 2007
Nearly half (49%) of UK managers also have a leadership position outside of their paid jobs, according to a survey conducted by international leadership organisation Common Purpose. Furthermore, another 17 percent of those surveyed said they planned to take-up a leadership role outside of work over the coming year. Becoming a school governor, sitting on a public board, becoming a special constable, being volunteer councillor or getting involved in a community campaign are just some of the ways UK leaders are giving something back.
Refugee leaders lift lid on Camden - 6 March 2007
Up to 15 leaders from refugee communities in the Borough of Camden will take part in the first day of a two-part leadership programme to understand how power operates in the borough and how they can make change happen.
The programme is run by international leadership organisation Common Purpose and funded by Abbey Charitable Trust. The leaders involved will represent the Somali, Ethiopian, Zimbabwean, Bosnian, Albanian and Kosovar refugee communities living in Camden. During the day, participants will meet leaders from a range of businesses and institutions from across Camden so they can create a bigger picture, learn what makes the borough tick and, most importantly, think about the role they can play in its development.
London leaders keen to connect across city - 2 March 2007
Despite the image of Londoners as cold and unconnected, a poll of 100 of the capital’s senior leaders reveals otherwise. At the launch of its new London programme TheKNOW, international leadership organisation Common Purpose asked leaders from London’s private, public and not-for-profit sectors a series of questions to discover how connected they were with other leaders in the city where they live and work.
Launch of ‘Beyond Authority – Leadership in a Changing World’, the new book by Julia Middleton, Founder and Chief Executive of Common Purpose - 14 February 2007
Most leaders establish their reputation inside their organizations, where they are given the authority to lead. But when they look to extend their leadership across the organization – or outside it – the skills that have brought them success are suddenly not enough. The rules change – and the strategies need to change too. In this inspiring new book, Julia Middleton argues for a new approach to leadership: one that can cope in unfamiliar territory, where authority has to be earned; that will take leaders beyond the closed world of their own organizations and make them effective in the outside world too. Beyond Authority is full of challenging ideas and compelling examples of leadership of all kinds, across all sectors, and in many different countries. Together, they build into a powerful tool kit for any leader, at any level, in any organisation.
