Support a VCSE leader and build your legacy
Building legacy...one leader at a time
Leading Communities Forward provides a structured, credible way to deliver social value with measurable outcomes and impact.
Supporting Stronger Leaders to Strengthen Communities
Across communiites in Lancashire, thousands of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations are doing vital work — tackling inequality, supporting vulnerable people, creating local jobs, and building places people can be proud of.
But behind every impactful organisation is a committed, often stretched leader — someone doing their best to hold the mission, the people, and the community together. Too often, those leaders don’t get the support they need to sustain their energy, build their skills, or step back and take a strategic view.
Leading Communities Forward is designed to change that. It brings together legacy building businesses, and social enterprise leaders in a shared commitment to develop the capacity, confidence, and clarity of those at the heart of community change. By investing in leadership, we’re not only strengthening organisations — we’re enabling them to do their best work, with greater reach and lasting outcomes.
Leading Communities Forward is a unique, diagnostic-led support programme created to address that gap — giving leaders the space, tools and insight to move from reactive to strategic, and from isolated to supported. It combines a professional diagnostics, leadership insight, and tailored action planning — all aligned with the Social Value TOMs framework.
It delivers measurable social impact while supporting real, lasting leadership change.
"Real change happens in communities, when you back the people brave enough to lead it"
Why Leading Communities Forward Matters?
Leading Communities Forward offers a structured way for leaders to understand where they are, where they want to go, and how to lead their organisation there – while giving businesses (we call Legacy Builders) a credible, impactful way to deliver and evidence real social value.
For VCSE Organisations
Dedicated 1:1 time to reflect on leadership and strategy — not just delivery
Clarity and confidence about where leaders are now and where to prioritise their efforts
An independent diagnostic linked to the real world challenges leaders are facing.
A personal action plan, tailored to leadership style and organisational goals
Connection into wider networks and opportunities for future collaboration
For VCSE leaders, it's space to reset, refocus, and lead forward with insight.
For Legacy Builders
Local and targeted delivery in your community, with real human impact
TOMs-aligned mapped directly to social value procurement outcomes (ideal for tendering)
Professionally delivered with no internal admin or coordination needed
Visible outcomes with case studies, and impact reporting
Reputation-enhancing, positioning your organisation as a community change-maker.
As a legacy builder, you’re investing in a credible, ready-made social impact programme.
Leading Communities Forward delivers social value fully aligned with the National TOMs framework.
Why focus on the Leader?
While many support programmes target the organisation’s needs — funding, compliance, governance — Leading Communities Forward recognises that real change starts with the person leading it.
When leaders are clear, confident and connected:
They make better decisions under pressure.
They create healthier team cultures.
They advocate more effectively for their communities.
They attract and retain funding with purpose and clarity.
They build organisations that endure, evolve and deliver real impact.
Leading Communities Forward is about unlocking the capacity of the people who carry and lead the vision
Sponsor a Lancashire VCSE Leader
A practical way to create measurable local social value
Lancashire’s voluntary, community and social enterprise leaders are tackling some of the most difficult challenges facing our communities. Many are leading small organisations with limited resources, increasing demand and little opportunity to step back from day-to-day delivery.
Through the Leading Communities Forward pilot, your business can sponsor one Lancashire VCSE leader to receive focused leadership and organisational development support.
Pilot investment: £475
A contribution of £475 enables one local VCSE leader to take part in the full programme. It is intended as a straightforward first step, giving your business the opportunity to see the support in action and the impact it creates.
Your sponsorship will provide one local VCSE leader with:
a structured leadership and organisational diagnostic;
dedicated one-to-one insight and coaching sessions;
space to review their current challenges and priorities;
practical support to move from reactive to more strategic leadership;
a tailored Leadership Action Plan; and
focused follow-up support to help turn insight into action.
The pilot provides approximately ten hours of professional support, preparation and impact reporting.
Your Social Value Return
Your £475 investment can make a huge imapct, and generate £1,485 of measurable social value:
£1,010 of measurable social value
Ten hours of expert business and leadership support to a VCSE organisation, aligned with Lancashire TOMs measure NT15.
£475 of local MSME expenditure
This programme is commissioned from a qualifying Lancashire-based MSME, aligned with measure NT19.
Total measurable social and local economic value: £1,485
Indicative Social Value ROI: 3.1×
This means that every £1 invested can generate approximately £3.13 of measurable social and local economic value.
Calculations are based on the Lancashire TOMs Framework 2024–28 and remain subject to the sponsor’s own eligibility, evidence and reporting requirements.
What Your Business Receives
As a sponsor and Legacy Builder, your organisation will receive:
confirmation that the sponsored support has been delivered.
a clear record of eligible activity and delivery hours.
an anonymised summary of the leader’s priorities, actions and progress.
TOMs-aligned information to support your social value reporting.
Book a friendly, no-obligation call with Julie to find out more
There is no programme administration for you to manage. We coordinate delivery with the participant, deliver the support, and provide the agreed reporting information.
Julie Housby
Leading Communities Forward: Business Advisor | Executive Coach
Born and raised in Blackpool, Lancashire, Julie is a qualified business advisor, facilitator, and coach. She brings years of cross-sector experience in strengthening the capacity of businesses, the people who lead them, and the teams that drive them.
She has been privileged to partner with blue-chip organisations, and international development programmes, to design and deliver award-winning approaches to people performance and organisational growth, working with leaders and teams across India, the USA and Europe.
Julie's proudest project was leading the Community Engagement Strategy serving on the Blackpool Better Start Operational Board, which helped secure a £45 million Big Lottery grant to improve outcomes for local children and families.
Julie partners with socially responsible businesses, councils and anchor institutions to deliver measurable social value across the region. She’s a passionate advocate for socially minded business, inclusive growth, and the power of community leadership to create lasting change.
As former CEO of a registered charity, she has lived experience of the pressures facing sector leaders.
A qualified marketer with a background in stakeholder engagement and partnership development.
Qualified ILM Level 5 Social Enterprise Support practitioner.
CMI Level 7 Executive Coach with a focus on values-led leadership.
Sat on Blackpool Better Start Operational board which secured a £45 million Big Lottery Grant. Led the community & partnership engagement strategy.
Design & delivery of SETSquared Impact Leadership masterclasses, supporting the growth of SMEs and startups focused on sustainability.
Delivering social enterprise advisory and leadership support through Cooperatives North West, growth hubs and innovation networks.
Business Coach / mentor and Peer Network facilitator with Lancashire Boost.
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Delivery partner to SELNET: Social Enterprise Lancashire Network.