Celebrating Success with P3’s First Aspiring Leaders Cohort

We’re celebrating a major milestone at P3 Charity as our first Aspiring Leaders course comes to an end, marking the successful completion of our first dedicated workplace development programme designed to support and inspire the next generation of leaders across our organisation.

Held at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham, the Celebration Day began with a reflection led by Lucy Horitz, Senior Learning and Development Manager at Homeless Link, who recognised the cohort’s achievements. This was followed by a speech from P3’s CEO, Mark Simms OBE, who presented certificates, before the event closed with remarks from Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Link.

As ever, the event was a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues from across P3 and the wider homelessness sector. It was also a moment to reflect, catch up and celebrate the achievement of completing P3’s first workplace development programme in partnership with Homeless Link.

Amy Winter, Director for Adult Support and Community Services for P3 Charity, said: “Our [Celebration] Event was all about celebrating everybody’s achievements over the last seven months. Aspiring Leaders was a sector first. We are the first organisation to collaborate with Homeless Link on a leadership development programme, and we are super proud about that.

“Leadership isn’t always about a title. It isn’t always about a role or position in an organisational hierarchy, you know, leadership can be across all roles, and we recognise that. And we wanted to recognise people’s potential early, give them that opportunity to be able to learn about their own leadership, whether that be self-leadership, leadership with their peers, or within our services and the people we’re supporting.

“That is why we created this course for people who are working on our frontline who don’t currently hold management roles, so they could explore that within themselves. But also, as an organisation, we can have a strong pipeline of future managers, so we know we’re a sustainable organisation to take us into the future.”

Over the past few months, 13 colleagues from across P3 have come together to take part in this new development opportunity, designed to help people navigate management roles. Throughout the course, our cohort have grown in confidence, strengthened their skills and taken the next step in their leadership journey.

The programme brought together a diverse group of people, each with their own experiences, strengths and ambitions. Through a mix of workshops, peer learning and reflection, participants explored what leadership means in practice at P3 and the sector as a whole; focusing on communication, decision-making and values-led leadership.

A key part of the course has been creating space for people to learn from each other. Through an applied learning model, participants worked with senior leaders at P3 and across the sector, building skills rooted in frontline realities and focused on person-centred impact. Colleagues report clearer leadership identity, greater readiness to take on responsibility and a stronger sense of belonging within the organisation.

The mentoring element has been particularly powerful. Each participant was paired with a senior leader, creating space for reflection and personalised support.

Rebecca Harrington-Leigh, P3’s Chief Operating Officer, reflected on her mentee:

Mentors also gained valuable insight, shaping how P3 better supports new managers across the organisation.

At an organisational level, the programme has strengthened collaboration, reduced regional silos and embedded consistent, values-led leadership across teams. Participants are already influencing practice within their services, improving morale, communication and reflective practice.

Throughout the programme, there has been a strong focus on personal growth. Many of the cohort spoke about increased confidence in their roles, feeling more prepared to take on new responsibilities and having a clearer understanding of their own leadership style.

One participant, Jill Brown, Support Worker for P3, shared: “The Homeless Link sessions feel like they are the foundations of leadership development, the P3 sessions feel like they are the building blocks of our journey with P3. Overall, this course has changed my life, not just how I work.”

The Aspiring Leaders course is part of P3’s ongoing commitment to invest in people and create opportunities for development at every stage of their career. By supporting colleagues to grow and lead, we strengthen the support we provide to the people and communities we work alongside.

As this first cohort completes the programme, we’re excited to see how they continue to develop and make a positive impact across P3 and the third sector. Their commitment, openness and willingness to learn have made this a meaningful and inspiring first step for the programme.

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