Our Programmes Director, Shamaine Armstrong, recently celebrated her graduation from the Impetus Leadership Academy!

The initiative started in 2021 as part of their Connect Fund, with the aim to advance racial equity and decrease the race gap in youth employment. Below, Shamaine has written about her experience over the past year and the impact it’s had on her career, as well as her work here at LTSB.

Why did you apply to the ILA?

It was Pete Ward, Deputy CEO of LTSB who made me aware of the Impetus Leadership Academy and recommended I apply. Once I looked into it further I thought it would be a great opportunity to expand my knowledge into the youth sector and meet like minded people. Impetus is a fantastic organisation and I love learning new things and was really particularly interested in learning more about the financial and fundraising elements of the charity sector.What did you learn on the course?

We were involved in some amazing masterclasses which were led by Impetus on Impact, Leadership, Finance, Fundraising, and Influencing and Advocacy.  They included some inspirational guest speakers such as Randy Moore Foundation, President at Clayton Dubilier & Rice and Chris Murray, CEO of Young Brent Foundation.

There was also a panel event included in the course to attend ‘Not enough: from non-racism to anti-racism’ which had an incredible panel of experts Yvonne Field OBE, Founder and CEO of The Ubele Initiative, Ashley McCaul, CEO of ThinkForward UK, and Chris Murray, discussing what it truly means to be anti-racist, as well as how leaders can effectively embed anti-racism in their work. We were also assigned an Impetus coach and a mentor from the Bank of America alongside our classes which was a great addition.

How have you seen the course impact your work at LTSB?

During the ILA I applied for a new position at LTSB and on the 1st of March 2024 I started my current role as Director of Programmes. The workshops and the cohort really helped me navigate my new position at work, and because of them, as well as my coach and mentor, I feel more confident in my knowledge in areas such as the financial element of running a charity, and better equipped to help lead LTSB with the 5 year strategy. I am definitely more confident in myself since attending the ILA and have a clearer vision and focus on my career trajectory.

Why do you think this type of opportunity is important for leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds?

Having a community and feeling a sense of belonging is important for everyone, but I don’t think it’s necessarily something that is a given for people from ethnic minority backgrounds in the workplace. ILA gave me a community I didn’t even realise I needed. It’s a safe space for you to express some of the struggles you face or have faced, and be your authentic self around people like you without judgement. My cohort were incredible and we are all supportive of one another which was uplifting and the passion in the room was infectious.

What do you hope the long-term impact will be for LTSB as a result of what you learned?

LTSB giving me the opportunity to take part in the ILA academy alongside my role was truly appreciated. I would have never applied if it wasn’t for Pete suggesting I do, so I want to thank him publicly for recommending me. As I mentioned earlier, LTSB has an ambitious and exciting 5-year strategy to uphold, and I believe in my new role as Director of Programmes – now 6 months in and a graduate of the Impetus Leadership Academy – I can not only use my newfound knowledge, but also lean on my newfound community to share best practice, work together and continue to support each other to make a difference in the youth sector.