GDST Young Leaders
Our Head Girl Team recently attended the GDST Young Leaders’ Conference at the Royal High School in Bath.
Alongside Sixth Formers from sister Girls’ Day School Trust schools, our Head Girl team spent a mentoring weekend in Bath. British Army officers led a series of team-building exercises before students were split into groups and tasked with developing their own digital fundraising campaigns to support the specific needs of four charities: United World Schools, FRANK Water, Rainbow Trust, and SOS Children’s Villages UK.
The girls heard from a number of impressive female leaders, including Chartered Management Institute (CMI) CEO, Ann Franck, who said: “It’s vital we give young women the leadership skills they need early on to fulfil their own potential and unlock the potential in others. The reality of today’s workplace is that young women are faced with a ‘glass pyramid’ where men dominate the majority of senior roles. Equipping young women with confidence, resilience, and the skills to lead will help give the next generation of female leaders the chance to thrive and benefit from a more gender inclusive environment.”
The girls also heard from Ann Daniels, cited as one of the top 20 Great British Adventures of all time, and one of the first women in history to reach the North and South Poles as part of an all-women team. Daniels drew on her experiences of participating in a tough Dartmoor selection weekend, with no previous experience, as a mother of 18 month old triplets; she spoke about the importance of living life to the full, taking opportunities as they appear, and not letting a fear of failure stop you in your tracks.
Reporting back on the weekend, Tamara from the Head Girl Team commented: “The trip was full of excitement… making new friends, co-operating with a new team and seeing the positive impact that the GDST has in empowering young women. One of the highlights was hearing from polar explorer Ann Daniels about her experience of leadership.”
Cheryl Giovannoni, CEO of the GDST, said: “One of the problems we seek to address at the Young Leaders’ Conference is the distinct lack of great leadership in the world today. We want to help create the global leaders of tomorrow; leaders who look outward, not inward, who listen and learn and go on to create a better future for all. The best way to tackle the prejudice of today is to help develop the leaders of tomorrow, and this programme is designed to do exactly that.”
Participation in a range of high-profile events is just one of the many ways our Head Girl Team take on leadership responsibilities in the Sixth Form.