Reflections from our Fellowship Event at CodeNode London

Last Thursday, we welcomed over 200 of our Forward Institute community for an evening of connection and storytelling.

As Londoners hurried past the enormous glass windows of tech hub CodeNode London, the Forward Institute community gathered below – creating a space alive with conversation, shared experiences, and new connections. The exposed concrete pillars were plastered with posters telling our stories of change, some finished, some just beginning, many more evolving.

This year, as part of the commitment to our cross-sector community of 900+, we wanted to challenge ourselves to not only tell these stories, but to centre cross-sector collaboration, our key note conversation did just that, showing how building from different perspectives has led to a new, and more exciting, set of outcomes. Amy Bone, Chief of Staff at Lloyds Banking Group (Cohort 9 Fellow), and Matt Downie MBE , CEO at Crisis (Cohort 4 Fellow) were joined on stage by Scott Morrison FRSA , (Founder of The Boom!), to share their experiences of working together to tackle the Social Housing crisis.

Matt declared that we will only have truly ended homelessness when everyone has a safe, warm and reliable place to live without judgement or fear. Amy expressed Lloyd’s commitment to build 1 million new social homes. It was clear that each have ambitions that reflect the organisation they work for, but the cross-sector partnership they have created has resulted in greater ambition, challenge, understanding and ultimately, better outcomes.

Amy and Matt are involved in a project Lloyds is running to transform old data centres into social homes, on its own this project won’t solve the wider ambitions of the organisations or solve the desperate need in our society, but by starting something, they have opened up conversations with other partner organisations who have been inspired by their work. A common thread which ran throughout the discussion: leaders can collaborate to curate the future they want to see.

Amy and Matt also shared more individual stories from their experience on the Fellowship programme, including one outcome from our brilliant community dinners.

For those who may be unaware, as part of our programmes we will always include place-based learning – ideally sharing a meal with local changemakers who can bring their energy, challenge and different experiences to the table. As a result of these incidental meetings, our leaders have often returned to their organisations and addressed structural or systemic issues. There was an incredible example of this in the discussion.

What we hope people left with was the feeling that it's about the choice to do something, not because it falls into your remit, but because it exists and you can change it. Inserting yourself into a narrative and attempting to influence a story. In this case a conversation led to a change which made the world a little fairer. If we lean on others, learn from them, listen to them, if we have the tough conversations and imagine futures that have different outcomes, then we may be able to redefine what real, authentic, responsible leadership means.

In short. Start the conversation... see where it leads.

Looking for inspiration? (Recommended by our speakers):

• "Grow the Pie" by Alex Edmans. This book has been impactful in demonstrating how profit and purpose can be combined to create value. It has inspired me to think creatively about how business can be a force for good.
• "Cant Hurt me" by David Goggins. This book on mental resilience has been a powerful reminder that excuses often come from within, and that pushing through discomfort is essential when tackling difficult challenges.
• Roy Jenkins’ biography of Winston Churchill. Reading about Churchill's unwavering determination and ability to persevere in the face of adversity has been deeply inspiring. It reinforces the importance of resilience and not being deterred by setbacks.

Feel like you missed out?

If you have a story of cross sector collaboration you want to share, are looking to collaborate with someone from the Forward Institute community or just want to come along to one of our events, then get in touch!