As of June 2025, cohorts 1, 2 and 3 have completed the Fellowship Programme. Cohort 4 are still currently on their placements.
Given the large organisational change that is happening currently, with significant cost reductions in the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), we don’t know what the future of the System and Leadership Development Team will be as the team that has co-ordinated the design and delivery of the programme to date.
However, the fellows will always be alumni of the programme.
A design group from cohort 3 is looking at a way to host an alumni group on LinkedIn, independent of the System and Leadership Development Team, so they can continue their leadership journey and mutual support. The idea came from Abigail Olaleye, the fellow on placement with the System and Leadership Development Team. In this video, Abigail explains how the Fellowship Programme cultivates a community of motivated, reflective and courageous leaders who are committed to equity, innovation and integrity.
The West Yorkshire anti-racist leadership network is a group of white leaders that want to take meaningful action in their anti-racist leadership journey.
Both groups want to learn and act together through a community of practice which is not yet formed. The two groups will create the group, what it will focus on and how they can share their experiences to create impact. They will be accountable to each other. This will allow leadership and meaningful action to continue.
We don’t know yet what will happen to the Fellowship Programme and the establishment of the full tandem anti-racist leadership programme. Leaders across West Yorkshire recognise the value of this work, and we hope that the two interdependent programmes will continue in some form in the new way of working.
Watch this space…
