His role as an electoral officer for Wendouree MP Juliana Addison takes him into all parts of the community, meeting different people and hearing many different issues.

Then he realised what he saw was just scratching the surface to this city.

Mr Burns is a participant with Leadership Ballarat and Western Region's Leaders Forum. The experiential program takes emerging leaders to the frontlines of key issues facing Ballarat, culturally and socially and economically.

And the program is now doing so under the grips of the pandemic.

"Some of the things we've had an appetite to do - the Canberra trip, visiting Langi Kal Kal (prison) we haven't been able to do because of the restrictions. They're a big reason a lot of us sign up to do the program. But what positives to take are new opportunities." Mr Burns said.

"It's been a real privilege to be part of this group...It's opening my eyes. I like to think I'm across things and you realise you're not."

The forum met face-to-face last week with the option for participants to still join remotely via an online conferencing platform.

Mr Burns said it was a relief to be meeting in person again, but this certainly had not taken away from the depth in discussions.

Family violence was in focus with the group hearing from frontline workers' experience and experts on underpinning issues.

Mr Burns said everyone has their own bias and creates their own stories in some way - this program day forced him to check and challenge his own perceptions.

The pandemic has added an extra layer to big health, economic and social issues confronting Ballarat and on national and international scales.

Mr Burns said this was an interesting time to study community leadership and adaptability in a way others who had undertaken the program might not have done.

The multi-modal program day delivery is the start of what LBWR new program leader Ellen Jackson hoped could open new opportunities and access for the forum, like drawing on experts in other states or countries to develop discussion.

While major program outings might be suspended, LBWR has adopted a flexible model to adjust with the dynamic nature of the pandemic and the new issues it has cropping up.

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