We talk a lot in BB about the importance of ‘succession planning’, but in reality, what does that really mean for our organisation? How do we ensure that The Boys’ Brigade has a future that enables us to continue to help young people live “life to the full”?

It’s not an easy question to answer. In my view, if we really want to succession plan we need to be focussing on our young leaders. These people are ultimately the future of our organisation who will be there to help drive us forward, keep us relevant and continue the work that is happening now. 

I was fortunate enough when I was in my late teens to have people that saw potential in me and wanted to nurture that. I was asked to join the Unite volunteer team during the first year as a Village Leader and from there I went on to join the England Regional Committee, then the Brigade Executive (our Trustee Board). 

I’ve always been passionate about ensuring we equip our youth with the right skills whilst also empowering them to think big. Since my time as a trustee I have been encouraged to challenge the status quo, and I’ve been fortunate to be in a room where my voice was heard and I could advocate for those like me that saw what the future of the BB could look like and make positive changes to get there – as I was once told, “aim for the moon, then even if you miss you may hit a star”. 

Listening to and developing our young leaders

It is vital that we build the leaders of the future to ensure that The Boys’ Brigade can meet the needs of future generations. We need to focus on listening to them, giving space for opportunities and development, and encourage them to help us shape and lead our youth organisation. 

We all know that young people are at the heart of who we are and what we do, and our Strategic Plan has three core areas which are Quality, Growth and Voice. If we want to ensure we offer a high-quality experience to our young people, which will hopefully lead to a growth in membership then we have to ensure that we give the youth a voice and listen to what they have to say. 

As we see our young people progress through the organisation, it is our role as leaders to provide an environment that is inspiring, caring, trusting with a firm foundation in the Christian faith. 

Through the Youth Culture and Trends research report that we produced in partnership with Youthscape, we saw that these are key opportunity areas for us. A solid foundation for us should be that we are providing an environment that “empowers young people to believe in themselves and their God-given potential”. 

Investing in our young leaders is not just investing in our future; but also the present. Engaging and developing our young leaders not only equips them with the experience and skills needed to drive the BB forward for years to come, but also provides an opportunity to learn from the wisdom and experiences of our current leaders.” 
Jaime Ellis, Trustee and Chair of England & Wales Regional Committee

We’ve seen that empowered young people stay engaged with The Boys’ Brigade, so ensuring our programmes are youth-led and using every opportunity we have to really listen to members is important. A great example of this is Jess Best, who as a young person felt that her opinion mattered, and now she is part of the Company Management Team within 1st Rainford as well as being involved in the North West District and other events at a national level such as Unite and the 140 Monopoly Challenge. 

Young Leaders Network

Back in 2020, through the work that HQ was doing to set the five-year Strategic Plan, we spent some time talking to young leaders asking them to think big about how the organisation could help and support them. Through those discussions it was evident that there was more to be done to develop a BB that supports, engages, equips, and excites young leaders, allowing them to learn, grow and lead. As a result, the Young Leaders Network was launched which is a network for young leaders, created by young leaders – a platform for those aged 18-26 to be informed, share experiences, build skills and grow as leaders. 

The Young Leaders Network has helped me build connections with other young leaders right across the country. It’s given me somewhere to go to get help, ask for advice and support in my role, and bounce ideas off others.”
Michael MacAulay, leader at 3rd Inverness and 12th Inverness

The Young Leaders Network has three main aims: 

1. To inform and support young leaders
2. To provide opportunities for young leaders
3. To amplify the voice of young leaders 

We’ve engaged with a good number of young leaders from across the organisation, and through events, training and weekends away, we are seeing the positive impact that they are having in their local areas such as Eden Fisher who, as a young leader, has recently become Captain of 54th Sheffield.

Being a part of the Young Leaders Network has allowed me to be more confident and empowered when leading sessions within my own group. It has also given me an opportunity to help my young people start to take the right steps in becoming a young leader.”
Eden Fisher, Captain of 54th Sheffield

Our focus needs to be on creating a sustainable network that grows organically, empowering the young leaders of the future to get involved, take risks and keep the doors of the BB open for another 140 years. 

Our challenge to you 

As well as encouraging any young leaders to engage with the Young Leaders Network, what else can we do within our Companies, Battalions or Districts/Areas to support and empower our Seniors and young leaders?

• Begin the conversations early: Be intentional with your young people and spend time in Seniors talking to them about what opportunities are available once they get to 18. 

• Think outside the box on how you can support young leaders: Huge lifestyle changes happen for those aged 18-26 – some go straight into work, some head off to university, some are still trying to figure out where life will take them. Therefore, we need to think differently about how we can support those transitioning into a leadership role. Do young leaders need to commit to volunteering every week, or could what they offer your Company look different to the traditional norm? 
  
  You could look at creating Young Leader Hubs, which has been done in Sheffield & District Battalion, to bring local young leaders from around the Battalion together for regular meet ups where they can socialise together, support each other and develop their skills. 

• Take time to help them learn: Motivate your young leaders to develop their skills and don’t just assume they know how to be the best leader they can be. You can do this by encouraging them to sign up for the new development course, Elevate, which is designed to boost the skills, knowledge and confidence of young leaders. 
  
• Continue to provide an inspiring, caring and trusting environment for them: To help with the transition it’s important that young leaders still feel that BB is a safe space for them. As seasoned leaders, our young leaders still look up to us and appreciate the help and support as they navigate this next stage in their BB journey and life. 
  
• Challenge your young leaders to reach their potential: It’s essential that we provide young leaders with the opportunity for them to take on leading activities on a meeting night, giving them the safe space where mistakes are OK and used as learning opportunities. 

Through the Young Leaders Network, I have made lots of like-minded friends and have been able to strengthen my skills as a leader. In the Network everyone is always there to help each other, provide ideas for one another and help each other confidence grow.” 
Madi Neville, leader at 3rd Harrogate and 54th Sheffield

For young leaders reading this article, I’d point you to my favourite Bible verse, 1 Timothy 4:12, which says: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your youth.”

This has helped me speak up, challenge and shape the organisation into one that I am proud to be part of. To end I challenge all leaders to identify, support and nurture the young leaders you know, who are the future of our organisation.