Leadership at the Xcel Project
At the Xcel Project, we see leadership as more than just holding a position of authority—it’s about taking initiative, making positive choices, and influencing others through example. In today’s world, leadership is about empathy, collaboration, and the confidence to act responsibly in challenging situations.
Many of our volunteers are under 25, and our programmes are designed to give young people the chance to develop real-world skills, build resilience, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Leadership at Xcel isn’t limited to formal roles—it’s embedded in everyday actions, from supporting peers to taking part in projects that improve local life.
In 2021 we will be launching the Community Leadership Award in partnership with a number of local organisations. The award is aimed at young people aged 14-24. The young people will be required to volunteer for a minimum of two and a half hours with each organisation and commit to at least 10 hours of volunteering.
The young people will then complete a final session focusing on volunteering and leadership before receiving their award. Their volunteering hours can also be used for their Saltire Award.
The idea is that the young people will become more involved with the different organisations as well as helping them to develop their interests and identify their skills.
Recognising Contributions
We celebrate the achievements of our young people through programmes like the Saltire Awards, which formally recognise volunteer hours and commitment. This approach encourages young people to take pride in their contributions and understand the value of consistent effort and responsibility.
At Xcel, leadership is about more than titles—it’s about developing capable, thoughtful, and socially responsible young people who can face challenges, inspire others, and shape the world around them.
Supporting Development
Using our strong relationships with young people, we are able to encourage those who are already confident to further enhance their leadership skills, while also supporting those who are more inclined to follow to take their first steps into leadership roles.
Our experienced staff team are skilled at recognising individual strengths and areas for growth, and they provide guidance and opportunities that allow each young person to develop their abilities to their full potential.
How we help
It is also important that young people are recognised for their achievements. The Xcel Project has a lot of young volunteers and we will continue to involve them in the Saltire Awards. This means they will be recognised by way of a certificate for the volunteer hours that they put in. It is worked out in terms of 10, 25, 50 hours etc.
We have been involved in the MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention) programme in partnership with Langholm Academy. This was a new programme as far as Eskdale is concerned and is described as:
‘The MVP Programme isn’t a programme that teaches boys and girls not to bully or abuse, it is a leadership programme and provides an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills amongst young people. The programme seeks to inspire individual leadership from people faced with challenging situations. After discussing a particular issue the bystander is offered with a range of safe and realistic options they could use to prevent an escalation in behaviours. Many bystanders choose to intervene at the point of physical abuse. The MVP Programme seeks to have bystanders get involved earlier. It’s safe and prevents further harm to a victim or to the bystander.’