Common Purpose UK
Encyclopedia
- "Common Purpose" (with capitalized "P") redirects here. For concept in criminal law, see "Common purposeCommon purposeThe doctrine of common purpose, common design or joint enterprise is a legal doctrine in some common law jurisdictions which imputes criminal liability on the participants to a criminal enterprise for all that results from that enterprise...
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Common Purpose UK is a British charity that runs leadership development programmes across the UK.
Founded in 1989 by its current Chief Executive, Julia Middleton
Julia Middleton
Julia Middleton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Common Purpose UK, a British charity that runs leadership development programmes across the UK.She is a campaigner for the progression of diverse leaders in civil society....
, its aim is to improve the way organisations and society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
work together by developing all kinds of leaders through a programme of diverse challenges and approaches.
As of 2009, Common Purpose employs 125 staff and operates in 50 locations across the UK.
Courses
Common Purpose runs a range of leadership development courses that offer participants the inspiration, knowledge and connections to help them become more active and engaged in society.Its courses run in 11 countries worldwide and aim at improving the way organisations work by increasing the number of informed individuals who are actively involved in shaping the future of the area in which they work.
Participants
Common Purpose works with a wide range of organisations and individuals across business, public, voluntary and political sectors. By January 2010, 12,000 participants were involved in Common Purpose programmes.Chatham House Rule
Its courses are conducted under the Chatham House RuleChatham House Rule
The Chatham House Rule is a core principle that governs the confidentiality of the source of information received at a meeting. Since its refinement in 2002, the rule states:...
to encourage free discussion amongst participants. This has caused some people to raise suspicion about the organisation.
Bursary placements
Common Purpose offers bursaryBursary
A bursary is strictly an office for a bursar and his or her staff in a school or college.In modern English usage, the term has become synonymous with "bursary award", a monetary award made by an institution to an individual or a group to assist the development of their education.According to The...
placements to help bosses of small and medium-sized business get through the economic downturn by enabling firms to make new contacts and secure more work.
Education and young people
Your Turn is a leadership programme for Year 9 students that is conducted in five regions throughout the UK and challenges young people to think in new ways about their area and their world.CHANGEit is a collaboration between Common Purpose and Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
. It has been designed to recognise the achievements and ambitions of young people between the ages of 11 and 18 who want to speak out and create positive change.
Senior executives
What Next? is a course run by leadership development organisation Common Purpose and the Said Business SchoolSaïd Business School
Saïd Business School is the business school of the University of Oxford in England, located on the north side of Frideswide Square on the former site of Oxford Rewley Road railway station. It is the University's centre of learning for graduate and undergraduate students in business, management...
that can help executives identify opportunities to continue to use the experience they have accumulated during their careers.
Thought leadership and campaigns
In January 2010, Common Purpose Chief Executive, Julia MiddletonJulia Middleton
Julia Middleton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Common Purpose UK, a British charity that runs leadership development programmes across the UK.She is a campaigner for the progression of diverse leaders in civil society....
, interviewed 12 well-known leaders from the private, public and voluntary sector, including Sir David Bell
David Bell (publisher)
Sir David Charles Maurice Bell was Director for People at Pearson Group and was Chairman of the Financial Times until the end of 2009. He is married with three children.-Education:Sir David was educated at Worth School...
and Dame Suzi Leather about the qualities needed for good leadership in challenging times. The interviews were broadcast on video-sharing website YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
In July 2009, Common Purpose was commissioned by the Government Equalities Office
Government Equalities Office
The Government Equalities Office is a United Kingdom government department. It was created in October 2007 when the Women and Equality Unit, based within the Department for Communities and Local Government was converted into an independent department.It has lead responsibility for gender equality...
to conduct an online survey of individuals in leadership positions and produce a report titled “Diversity of Representation in Public Appointments”. Subsequently Common Purpose and the Government Equalities Office
Government Equalities Office
The Government Equalities Office is a United Kingdom government department. It was created in October 2007 when the Women and Equality Unit, based within the Department for Communities and Local Government was converted into an independent department.It has lead responsibility for gender equality...
set up The About Time Public Leaders Courses, designed to support the government’s aim to increase the diversity of public body board members and the pool of talented individuals ready to take up public appointments. The schemes were formally launched in January 2010.
Projects
In July 2008, Common Purpose introduced a project in BangaloreBangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, which took 50 people from different sectors, e.g. IT and banking, and encouraged them to share local and international knowledge in order to solve problems associated with trading in a recession.
It has also run similar projects in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to highlight the importance of having good facilities for the disabled.
Related issues
In May 2008, the Yorkshire PostYorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
revealed that Common Purpose had been granted free office space at the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
in Sheffield in 1997. A DCSF spokeswoman said the free office accommodation had been given in line with the policy of the then Education Secretary David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
, a Sheffield MP, who had wanted to build better links with the local community. But Philip Davies
Philip Davies
Philip Andrew Davies is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Shipley in West Yorkshire.-Early life:...
, Conservative MP for Shipley, criticised the relationship between Government and Common Purpose as well as the fact it did not put the content of its training in the public domain.
In August 2008, conspiracy theories about Common Purpose were mentioned in a House of Commons Library
House of Commons Library
The House of Commons Library is the library and information resource of the lower house of the British Parliament. It has adopted the phrase "Contributing to a well-informed democracy" as a summary of its mission statement.- History :...
document entitled 'Eurosceptic Campaigns Alleging the Abolition of Westminster'.
In January 2009, Third Sector reported that Common Purpose was to face no further action from the Information Commissioner's Office. The announcement came following ICO’s ruling in October 2008 that the charity was unlikely to have complied with the provisions in the Data Protection Act on processing personal data when it compiled a list containing the personal details of people who had made requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level...
relating to its dealings with public authorities.
Further reading
- Move outside your comfort zone - Guardian.co.uk
- "I'm very good with a hatchet" - Guardian.co.uk
- The Wealth of Experience The Guardian, 16 April 2008 (Article by Julia Middleton)
- Be yourself – but know who you are meant to be The Financial Times, 17 March 2008 (Comments by Julia Middleton)
- Networking | Generation Y recognise the benefits Personnel Today 'Work Clinic' (Research by Common Purpose and comments by Julia Middleton)