Last month, we hosted the grand final of The Future Leaders of the Year Competition. It was an incredible day supported by top performance coaches and industry leaders from the likes of NatWest, UCAS, Sky, Cooper-Parry and Coca Cola.
We were blown away by this group of unbelievable young people and over the next few months, we’ll be spotlighting the stories of our Top 10 Future Leaders of the Year.
First up is one of our UK winners, Charlotte Corrigan. Charlotte is a 17-year-old student who is unbelievably passionate about sport and inspiring other young people in the face of adversity. Here, she tells more about her experience of The Future Leaders Project and her new initiative ‘Girlvanize’.
Why did you enter The Future Leaders Project?
It was a superb opportunity to gain ‘real life’ skills and develop a broader awareness of how to manage my own time, opportunities and, most importantly, liaise with other students and people from industry to gain a better understanding of leadership. Working with young people from across the world was so beneficial; hearing about other people’s ambitions and experiences really deepened my understanding of what was going on in the world. Education centres around academia and there are few opportunities to leave the classroom and work on something meaningful and different.
What did you get from it?
I developed in confidence and was able to reflect on my own journey and ambitions. Communication was a central part of the day and being able to convey my own ideas to the other people formed the basis of my pitch. Equally, problem-solving and time management were skills that I was able to develop.
Why is this learning important?
It would appear that many young people leaving university today fail to demonstrate that they have the skillset or resilience to survive in business or industry. In lessons, I am able to work hard constructing arguments and essays, but I felt this competition has enabled me to see areas that I need to develop to ensure I have employable skills.
What’s next for you?
I am incredibly keen to launch my initiative ‘Girlvanise’. I am so keen to set this idea up as a charity. Over 94,000 fewer children and young people were active in 2020 – 2021 compared to before the pandemic. This problem is particularly prevalent in girls. Many girls drop out of sport in their teens and fail to utilise sports clubs and opportunities to stay fit physically and mentally. I want to give young girls the skills, drive and knowledge to ensure they enjoy longevity in the sport of their school. I am committed to helping girls find a sport and helping them to build a fit and healthy life through this.
Tell us more about the impact this will have on your community?
I hope this will help the mental health of girls, who often suffer low esteem through their reliance on social media. Furthermore, sport is a great outlet for building life-long friendships. I want to ensure this supports our local sports clubs and, additionally, healthy lives will in turn support the NHS. Sport is central to happy and healthy communities.
If you want to know more about the Future Leaders Project, or if you know anyone who can help Charlotte with her amazing initiative for young women, please get in touch with rachael@ivyhouse.co.uk.
