DEFINING a community project to make an impact is complex, Ellen Jackson says, but a new forum of emerging leaders are ready for the challenge.
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Committee for Ballarat Future Shapers, formerly known as Leadership Ballarat and Western Region leaders' forum, launched on Wednesday evening with its biggest intake since re-shaping the program three years ago.
Twenty participants from diverse sectors across Ballarat through to Ararat are set to delve further into a more project-based approach.
Ms Jackson, Committee for Ballarat's leadership lead, said strong community projects were outward examples of putting into action what the program was all about.
This concept stepped up a notch last year with participants working in groups on plans for an urban food garden, bringing a sleepbus for the homeless to Ballarat, working with exercise advocacy body Sports Central on an active children program and creating supports for improved corporate social responsibility.
"People come in with ideas for what they might want to do and it's the experience of trying to work with a group of people who you don't know well with a common interest," Ms Jackson said.
"The common interest, for example, might be in jobs and training but they have to collaborate, negotiate, make decisions, cull down and refine. Defining a project is hard and it's about getting others on board."
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Future Shapers was established as LBWR in 2006, with The Courier among founding sponsors, to develop emerging leaders in a wide cross-section of the community with experiential program days.
The program still retains its hallmark features of a trip to Canberra and a visit to a correctional facility, both of which are pencilled in for this year.
Ms Jackson said the program differs slightly each year, depending on the cohort's emerging interests.
This includes participant-led program days, which are supported by the Future Shapers facilitators and guided by Central Highlands regional priorities and Regional Australia Institute's Rebalancing the Nation pillars.
"It is exciting learning along together and requires a bit of flexibility on our part," Ms Jackson said.
"What I have discovered is all our participants bring along ideas we haven't thought of ...they introduce lots of cool elements, ideas and initiatives."
Ms Jackson said most participants had either moved to Ballarat within the past decade or grew up in the city and had returned after a period of living away. All were keen to connect and give back to the community.
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