Supporter Archives - Patchwork Foundation

A Masterclass with Darren Mott OBE, CEO of the Conservative Party

Posted on May 21, 2022June 30, 2023 by Patchwork Foundation

In Conversation with Darren Mott OBE

On March 30th, we had our first Masterclass with Darren Mott OBE, CEO of the Conservative Party, which touched upon party representation, civic leadership and campaign strategy. During the session Mr Mott, talked about his career journey and answered a range of questions brought to him by the panel. It was a truly rewarding experience to hear his thoughts on the future of politics, skills that aided his career success and his perseverance through a range of challenges in his early career development. As someone with a passion for social mobility, education and community development, Mr Mott’s words have struck a chord with me. His Masterclass has highlighted the importance of having a robust plan, a strong and unchangeable message as well as getting the right people doing the right jobs. Leadership is about supporting others and delivering sometimes difficult decisions. This Masterclass has helped me to recognise the power in pushing through hardships and being open to new areas of personal development.

The Masterclass also touched upon how challenging political participation can be for young people during the age of social media, the changing landscape of political ideology and the future position of the UK political system. These all aligned nicely with the unrecognised skills that were mentioned as being a part of the mechanism for a successful political party. These skills included: emotional intelligence, working effectively under pressure and always thinking of the bigger picture. As I reflect on my own career aspirations within the context of this Masterclass, I recognise that discipline and perseverance are virtues that support the maintenance of a successful career in politics.

Our cohort were generally impressed by the many gems Mr Mott shared, one of which was to make a fundamental difference by doing something. This could be anything, but Mr Mott stressed the importance of physically getting involved and trying to find an answer to difficult questions. Many of us work with a variety of different organisations where we often focus on impacting as many people as possible but a key message from the masterclass session was to focus on trying to transform at least one life. This then paves the way for aiding the lives of many. By not seeing politics through the confines of parliament we were probed to continue striving for our goals and having the confidence to just go for it. I have learnt a lot from this Masterclass and look forward to future ones.

Written by Rochelle Wong, 2022 Masterclass Programme Graduate

A Masterclass with Charles Lewington OBE, Chief Executive of Hanover

Posted on May 14, 2022May 9, 2022 by Patchwork Foundation

My cohort and I were treated to our very first Masterclass in March with Mr. Charles Lewington of Hanover Communications. The offices of Hanover situated on the Thames’ Southbank offered the cohort a wonderful backdrop to an informative and candid Masterclass from Mr Lewington. Throughout his time with us we covered a range of topics such as career progression, handling a crisis and good qualities in a leader. I found these topics and others during the masterclass to be particularly pertinent to the questions that I am asking myself as my personal progression transitions from the end of university into the job market.

I am about to approach a crossroads as my undergraduate degree comes to an end this summer, I’m still not sure what direction I wish to take my career into. For perhaps the first time in my life what I’ll be doing next year is unknown to me. I find this stage in my professional development simultaneously exciting and daunting. Mr Lewington’s story and advice helped me to view this next step in a better light. He spoke of also not knowing what he wished to do with his own career after his University degree ended. The high level of success that Mr Lewington was able to attain despite a lack of direction initially in his career was encouraging to hear. Mr Lewington continued with advice to those at the start of their careers, urging us to go explore the working world and gain experience to help us find that which we truly enjoy before committing to one career long term.

Applying to various companies and trying new roles that push you outside of your comfort zone involves a trial-and-error approach. Mr Lewington was firm in his assertion that the best thing we could do in the hunt for our professional pathways was to always take on the biggest opportunities offered to us, no matter how big the challenge may be. It is through pushing ourselves and heading into uncharted territory that we learn and grow the most, which is something that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Another notable topic Mr Lewington covered that I found insightful was crisis management. Inevitably in life and careers there will be periods of crisis when something sudden shakes all your best laid plans. Resilience to crises is critical in the world of Mr Lewington’s business and politics (and I’m sure many other industries). I listened carefully as Mr Lewington was asked how he deals with crises arising in his business. I think his advice is easily transferable to many different environments as well. He stressed how critically important it is to have a great depth of understanding before any action is taken in handling a crisis. The subsequent important steps are to have a detailed plan to deal with the crisis and ensure that all stakeholders are on board and in unison. Mr Lewington had high praise for those with personalities that crave knowledge, his reasoning for this is exemplified by how valuable he suggested it was to ask the right information gathering questions during a crisis. He stated that he liked “inquisitive people” as they would naturally learn about issues, create potential contacts, and build good connections in the world of business. As I was listening, I asked myself if I met this requirement of curiosity; I concluded that I have always been inquisitive and probing. Funnily enough, I even had the nickname of “Info Dan” in school because my friends saw that I always had some new random snippet of knowledge to impart on them at the most unexpected times. It was good to see how this quirky trait in me can hopefully be utilised in my career, and better help me to manage crises when they come knocking on the door.

Overall Mr Lewington’s Masterclass was a great experience which has set my expectations very high for the rest of the Masterclasses this year. There are far too many takeaways from this event for this blog post to cover them all, but for me these were some of the most interesting takeaways from the session.

Written by Daniel Rowson, 2022 Patchwork Masterclass Participant

A Masterclass in Entrepreneurship: Donal Mulryan and Rockwell Property

Posted on August 19, 2021August 19, 2021 by Patchwork Foundation

Donal Mulryan, founder of Rockwell Property, is not someone that you can know inside out from a simple Google search. Although his 25 years of career achievements, architecture awards and financial successes speak for themselves, we were more intrigued by Mr. Mulryan’s personal development: how he made his way to the top of his field, and why he gives so much back in the process.

From our research, Mr. Mulryan had an extremely impressive resumé. Before founding Rockwell in 2015, he held directorate positions at Ballymore and West Properties, the latter of which he established in the early millennium, following the desire to run his own business. Reflecting on this decision, Mr. Mulryan acknowledged the risks he faced, leaving a comfortable and well-paid position to start from the ground up. He cited the effort it took to achieve his goal, but recognised he had no regrets about his journey. Talking about his early years as an entrepreneur, he emphasised the necessity to fail, telling us “You have to learn as you go”, which felt reassuring as many of us have just started on our career journeys, and will no doubt encounter challenges and setbacks along the way. Understanding and conquering those failures, especially in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, has definitely proved a fruitful tactic, with Mr. Mulryan’s companies winning several design awards and securing more developments across cities.

During our briefing, it was clear that the group was curious about Mr. Mulryan’s charitable efforts. Indeed, a property developer and entrepreneur from West Ireland does not have any immediate connection to Patchwork, or us young people and our political aspirations. When I asked about the reasons for his charitable nature, Mr. Mulryan simply explained that he loves giving back, whilst drawing on his own proud and normal background in order to emphasise the privilege of his position now, and how he uses it to bring capital to more disadvantaged areas. This is especially evident in his architectural projects, wherein he uses his developments as a way to invest in the local communities, through employment, training and housing. Mr. Mulryan’s selflessness is inspiring, but also grounds him in a way that may be unexpected for such a successful business owner, and is certainly something that we as Patchworkers aspire to be.

In essence, the Masterclass was different to our previous experiences as it showcased the benefits of an entrepreneurial, self-employed career: a thoroughly developed passion for your field and the freedom of direction, which can certainly be of assistance when challenges roll around. I am truly grateful to Mr. Mulryan for sponsoring our cohort and giving us his time, as well as his assistant Ms. Vince, and our own brilliant Yolanda Dixon for her excellent chairing skills.

Written by Zara Overton, 2021 Masterclass Programme Participant

Flint Global to champion development of young people in collaboration with the Patchwork Foundation

Posted on July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 by Patchwork Foundation

Flint Global Ltd has today formally announced its support for the Patchwork Foundation’s 10-month 2020 Masterclass programme.

The programme equips 30 young people from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds each year with the skills and confidence to actively participate in democracy and civil society and inspire careers in government and the public sector.

The cohort of young people [shall] take part in a range of sessions, tutored by Members of Parliament, senior civil servants, government ministers, business leaders and distinguished journalists. The programme covers a series of themes including leadership, media and journalism, campaigning and policymaking.

Founded in 2011, The Patchwork Foundation is a UK-based charity committed to strengthening democracy by engaging with young people from traditionally underrepresented communities. In previous years, many graduates of the programme have gone on to work in politics, charities and the private sector or pursued further education with the support of the Foundation.

Flint Global is a business advisory firm that helps its clients succeed in an increasingly complex world, managing risk and creating opportunity. Flint provides advice at the point where government and business meet, offering an authoritative perspective on both. Flint are experts in policy, political analysis, regulation and competition.

Flint Global Managing Partners Simon Fraser and Ed Richards, said

“The Patchwork Foundation is a remarkable charity that helps young people reach their full potential and participate actively in public life. Individuals at Flint have been associated with Patchwork over several years and have seen at first-hand the positive impact of its programmes on the expectations and achievements of participants. We support Patchwork’s aspiration to make politics, business and public life in the UK inclusive and accessible. Our partnership with Patchwork will allow the Flint team to engage with a group of 30 talented young people in 2020 to support their growth and development.”

Imran Sanaullah, Chief Executive, Patchwork Foundation, said:

“We are delighted that Flint Global will be supporting our 2020 Masterclass Programme, enabling a cohort of young people across the country to access politics and further their personal and professional development. Sir Simon Fraser and the Flint team have been supporting the Foundation from the start, and we look forward to working even closer together. Their support and expertise will no doubt enable us to further champion our young people and create meaningful opportunities for them.”