Huge congratulations to our New Scots Leaders who graduated from the 2025 Leadership Programme at a special ceremony at the weekend.
Over six months, the group met twice a month to build on their existing leadership skills, make new connections, and gain confidence in their ability to lead change for themselves and others.
On Saturday 17 June, they were joined by friends, family and former graduates at a sunny ceremony at Civic House in Glasgow to celebrate their achievements.
More than 100 people applied for the chance to take part in this year’s programme, which is run in partnership with our Refugee Support Service and Social Enterprise Academy.
We caught up with some of our graduates to find out what they thought of the course and how they plan to use what they’ve learned in communities across Scotland.
Catherine
Catherine was one of the hosts at the graduation ceremony, alongside fellow leader, Sadia. She is also one of Scottish Refugee Council’s Peer Volunteers, a group of people who use their personal experience of seeking refugee protection to empower others in the UK refugee and asylum system. And she is involved in Shine Your Light community and GAMSCA.
She said: “It’s wonderful. I was so happy that I had the opportunity to do this. It’s really a very good programme. I’ve learned a lot and met new people from different cultures. We share ideas and that gives me a greater understanding.
“What I’ve learned here will help me improve the way I support my community and with the wider volunteering work I do.
“So many people are leaders but they don’t know it. If you don’t understand well what you are doing, you are always in a dilemma. Now I have the tools and information to develop, improve my decision making and do more of what needs doing.”
Berthin
Berthin works with Best Way Community Development to support refugees and the wider African community in North Lanarkshire. He said: “I saw this training as a way to equip, not only me, but my community with some leadership skills and knowledge. It’s really great, I can say – very educational.
“It’s a close group. We’ve broadened each other’s networks. I’m employed by the African Collaboration to run a community centre and activities for the African community in Motherwell. It’s one of those communities that is regarded as hard to reach. Before I was really feeling alone, but now I have 15 people who are with me. Whenever I need them, I can call and they will help me.
“I’ve already started using the knowledge I’ve gained to develop and build up my community and make it more sustainable.
“We have many skills which are hidden and that we don’t really discover until someone gives you the tools to unlock them. This training has helped us do that. Now I want to help unlock those skills for other people.”
Anna
Anna has settled in Argyll and Bute, where she works as a translator for the local Resettlement Team and volunteers as the secretary of the committee for the local Ukrainian community. She said: “This programme has really opened up my confidence and widened my view of the world. It’s very, very inspiring. I feel braver to speak to people from different countries and cultures and more able to reach out and ask questions.
“Learning about other cultures and communities, I find that we have a lot of common ground. We are all here because of unfortunate circumstances. We are mums, we are refugees, we are leaders in our communities. The atmosphere is very friendly. I hope we are going to stay in touch and keep sharing with each other.
“We have a group for Ukrainians in Argyle and Bute. We made a report about what we have done and what we want to do. I made a small speech. When I was a child, I was happy to get up and speak in front of people. I’d lost that confidence but now I’ve found it again.
“For anyone thinking of applying for the programme I would say it’s a great opportunity to take up. You will find out a lot about yourself, your community, other communities, the Scottish third sector. You will find your reason.
“Sometimes, you’re tired, or you feel overwhelmed and you have to remind yourself why you do what you do. For me, my reason to keep going is because I want the Ukrainian community to be accepted and I want to help people because that feels good.
“This course has helped me get back to myself. I’ve realised my learning style and that makes everything easier. I’ve stopped hesitating and lost that pressure. Now I know what path to go. I know what my strengths are and what I can do. It’s just opened so many opportunities.”
Hawa
Hawa is passionate about nursing, social care and building a better future for everyone. She volunteers with lots of organisations across Glasgow including Ubuntu Women’s Shelter, Women Support Project, Home Start, Debra, Bike for Good and Scottish Refugee Council. She said: “The course was very interesting and instructive. I’ve already started recommending it to other people. We learned about different managerial skills, the decision-making process and SMART analysis.
“When I came to the programme, I didn’t have public speaking skills and I didn’t have good listening skills. Doing this programme, I’ve gained the confidence to speak in front of other people. I’ve learned how to really listen to other people when they are speaking.
“We have built good relationships as a group. I got to meet new people and made lots of connections. I now go to organisations I’ve learned about through the programme, which helps me to better integrate myself.
The support from the group and the teachers has been really good. We exchange ideas. There is a sense of collaboration, teamwork and confidence building which will help us to implement what we have learned in our work and our volunteering organisations.
“Leadership is not just about being in charge. It’s about inspiring people to work together to reach a common goal. I feel very proud of myself for successfully completing the programme and I am excited about what comes next.”
Fakhirya
Fakhirya is a community worker in Glasgow where she promotes inclusivity and the fair treatment of refugees and people seeking asylum. She said: “It’s been eye opening. I’m sad it’s ended. I knew two people on the programme when I started. Now I’ve made so many friendships and connections. It’s an opportunity to meet like-minded people and learn from each other.
“I work in a community with people from all over the world who have experienced many things. This programme gives you that awareness. It’s been about looking inwards and thinking about how you’d like to be. I’ve learned about why I do things the way I do them. I know what kind of leader I want to be. It’s given me the courage to speak up and the confidence to speak out about things I feel are important.
“A lot of responsibility comes with a position of leadership. You need to use it in a way that’s beneficial for everyone. Now, when I’m managing volunteers, I’m thinking about how to delegate and give people responsibilities and opportunities to contribute. I’m trying to push myself and other people out of their comfort zone and thinking of ways we can build each other’s confidence
“I would definitely encourage people to apply to do the course next year, especially someone who’s working with communities. It’s a full day, but it’s a fun full day. I love the combination of all the learning styles. You come knowing you’re going to see everyone in the group and you’re going to have a great day.”
Nawal
Nawal is passionate about social justice and youth development. Being part of the Leadership Programme has boosted her confidence and helped her make connections . She said: “When I started the programme I was very quiet, but day by day, month by month, I started to open up and be more confident. I think of myself as a leader now.
“I thought it would be a traditional way of learning. It was more cooperative with lots of listening to and learning from each other. We’re not here to be just receiving information. We’re here to explore ourselves and learn about our strengths and our leadership style.
“I felt like I’m part of this programme and I’ve built so much confidence inside. It makes me feel like my opinions are important and my voice is valuable. People are listening to my ideas and respecting what I say.
“I’ve built good relationships with other people on the Leadership Programme. If someone asks me, I can say we are friends. We’ve visited each other’s houses, experienced each other’s culture and discussed our issues in life, because we are in similar situations. We can support each other and go to each other for advice.
“There are so many skills we’ve learned. How to listen. How to give feedback. Interacting in groups and addressing issues. We can apply these skills in our day to day lives. I want to be a good leader and make people feel like they’re part of a team.”
Many graduates will now go on to complete a ‘Certificate in Leadership’ qualification from the Social Enterprise Academy and Glasgow Caledonian University. We wish them all the very best and can’t wait to see what they do next.
