On Wednesday 2nd October, a selected group of our Lower Sixth students attended the inaugural Ready2Lead conference at Bedford School.

The event brought together more than 100 students from nine schools and colleges across the borough, offering them the chance to learn from inspirational speakers, connect with like-minded peers, develop new skills and build their networks. The students were also tasked with planning and implementing a project to address a local need.

The conference is part of a series of three sessions designed to provide students with valuable leadership insights, tips, and challenges to help grow their leadership capacity. A key element of the programme is the project brief, which must be coordinated, planned and organised by the students.

During the conference, students listened to engaging talks from CEOs Luke Nero Brown of Spiral Freerun CIC and Sophie Stock of Fun 4 Young People, who spoke about the challenges they faced in building their organisations and their efforts to support young people in the borough. Harry Beard, a young entrepreneur from Bedford, also shared how changes in the world have made it easier for Gen Z to become innovative leaders.

Mia Vadgama (Lower Sixth) reflected: “The first Ready2Lead conference was everything I hoped it would be - inspiring and informative. We heard from keynote speakers about how they lead in their daily lives, including their business ventures and charitable work, and how they persevered through difficult times. We also had the opportunity to network with students from other schools during the sessions and the refreshment break. Overall, I really enjoyed the Ready2Lead conference and am looking forward to the next one on Wednesday 6th November.”

Isla Harris (Lower Sixth) added: “Ready2Lead was an eye-opening experience. It brought together students from different schools, giving us the chance to engage with new people. The most interesting part for me was hearing from previous Ready2Lead participants, who shared their experiences with the project and offered valuable advice. This inspired me to further develop my leadership skills, and I’m excited about our presentation in December.”