Common Purpose UK

Common Purpose works with a wide range of organisations and individuals across the business, public and NGO sectors.{{Cite news|author=Andrea Wren|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/mar/30/smes.technology5|title=Move outside your comfort zone|date=30 March 2007|access-date=27 April 2010|work=The Guardian|location=London}} As of 2019, 85,000 leaders have taken part in Common Purpose programmes.

In May 2024, Times Higher Education (THE), NAFSA and Common Purpose collaboratedhttps://www.nafsa.org/about/about-nafsa/international-educations-first-certificate-program-now-available to launch a new International Education Professional Certificate (IPEC)https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/28/certificate-course-international-educators-launched IEPC is offered online, and designed to provide “knowledge, skills and competencies for success in global education”.https://www.nafsa.org/about/about-nafsa/times-higher-education-nafsa-and-common-purpose-collaborate-groundbreaking-new The 12 week certificate course is backed by three trusted brands who serve the global higher education sector. There's NAFSA's comprehensive collection of competencies for success in international education, the many years of experience offered by Common Purpose, and the broad industry reach offered by Times Higher Education (THE).https://www.timeshighereducation.com/press-releases/times-higher-education-nafsa-and-common-purpose-collaborate-groundbreaking-new

Common Purpose works with universities to run programmes for students to develop global leadership skills. As of 2019, 8,000 students completed Common Purpose programmes each year.{{Cite web|last=Crace|first=Anton|title=Andy Coxall, CEO, Common Purpose Student Experiences, UK|url=https://thepienews.com/pie-chat/andy-coxall-ceo-common-purpose/|access-date=2021-07-29|website=thepienews.com|language=en}} They also run free leadership programmes for 18-25 year olds in the US, Singapore, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Germany and the UK as part of their Legacy campaign.{{Cite web|title=Sheffield150 is challenging young people to create a lasting legacy in South Yorkshire|url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/sheffield150-is-challenging-young-people-to-create-a-lasting-legacy-in-south-yorkshire-3269485|access-date=2021-07-29|website=www.thestar.co.uk|language=en}}

In 2021, Common Purpose partnered with Times Higher Education to launch an online course designed for students to increase their employability skills.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-13|title=THE Partners with Common Purpose to Help Employment Prospects of International Students|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/press-releases/partners-common-purpose-help-employment-prospects-international-students|access-date=2021-07-29|website=Times Higher Education (THE)|language=en}}

What Next? was a 2010 course run by leadership development organisation Common Purpose and the Said Business School to help redundant executives identify opportunities to continue to use the experience they have accumulated during their careers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.info4security.com/story.asp?sectioncode=10&storycode=4123305&c=2 |title=Common Purpose offers help to redundant executives |publisher=Info4security.com |date=18 March 2010 |access-date=27 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713031437/http://www.info4security.com/story.asp?sectioncode=10&storycode=4123305&c=2 |archive-date=13 July 2011 }}

Between 2013 and 2019, Common Purpose partnered with the Commonwealth Study Conference to run CSCLeaders, an annual global leadership programme for 100 exceptional senior leaders selected from governments, businesses and NGOs across the 54 countries of the Commonwealth.{{Cite web|title=UofG welcomes international leaders of tomorrow|url=https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/news/archives/2016/april/headline_456213_en.html|access-date=2021-07-29|website=www.gla.ac.uk|language=en}}

In July 2009 Common Purpose was commissioned by the Government Equalities Office to conduct an online survey of individuals in leadership positions, and produce a report entitled "Diversity of Representation in Public Appointments".{{Cite web|url=http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/296596_GEO_Diversity_CommonPurpose_acc.pdf |title=Diversity of representation in public appointments|access-date=27 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007031058/http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/296596_GEO_Diversity_CommonPurpose_acc.pdf |archive-date=7 October 2009 }} Subsequently, Common Purpose and the Government Equalities Office set up The About Time Public Leaders Courses, designed to support the government's aim to increase the diversity of public-body board members and the pool of talented individuals ready to take up public appointments. The schemes were formally launched in January 2010.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} In January 2010, Common Purpose Chief Executive, Julia Middleton, published interviews with 12 leaders from the private, public and voluntary sectors, including Sir David Bell and Dame Suzi Leather about the qualities needed for good leadership in challenging times.{{Cite web|url=http://www.guardianpublic.co.uk/leaders-public-voluntary-sector |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302124346/http://www.guardianpublic.co.uk/leaders-public-voluntary-sector |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 March 2012 |title=Good leadership in challenging times: what's the secret? | Public | Public |publisher=Guardianpublic.co.uk |date=9 March 2010 |access-date=27 April 2010 }}

In July 2008 Common Purpose introduced a project in Bangalore, India, which took 50 people from different sectors, e.g. IT and banking, and encouraged them to share local and international knowledge in order to solve problems associated with trading in a recession. It has also run projects in Germany, to highlight the importance of having good facilities for the disabled.

In May 2008 the Yorkshire Post revealed that Common Purpose had been granted free office space at the Department for Children, Schools and Families in Sheffield in 1997.{{cite news|last=Waugh |first=Rob |url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Elite-trainer-gets-11year-state.4053633.jp |title=Elite trainer gets 11-year state freebie |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |access-date=27 April 2010}} A DCSF spokeswoman said the free office accommodation had been given in line with the policy of the then Education Secretary David Blunkett, a Sheffield MP, who had wanted to build better links with the local community. But Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, criticised the relationship between Government and Common Purpose as well as the fact it did not put the content of its training in the public domain.

In January 2009 Third Sector magazine reported that Common Purpose was to face no further action from the Information Commissioner's Office. The announcement came following the ICO's ruling in October 2008 that the charity was unlikely to have complied with the provisions in the Data Protection Act on processing personal data when it compiled a list containing the personal details of people who had made what it (CP) contended were "vexatious" requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to its dealings with public authorities.{{Cite web|url = http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/common-purpose-face-no-further-action-information-commissioner/communications/article/972807|title = Common Purpose to face no further action from Information Commissioner|publisher = Third Sector|date = 8 December 2009|access-date = 27 April 2010}}

A number of UK national newspapers ran stories implying that Common Purpose had exerted improper influence over the Leveson Inquiry, in the days preceding publication of its report. These stories centred on the role of Inquiry member Sir David Bell, who was both a trustee of Common Purpose, and had set up the Media Standards Trust (a lobbying group which presented evidence to the Inquiry) together with Julia Middleton. Moreover, the Media Standards Trust set up and provided funding for the lobbying group Hacked Off, which also presented evidence to the Inquiry. Bell resigned from the Media Standards Trust when he was appointed a member of the Inquiry. On 25 November, The Daily Telegraph too published a comment piece on CPUK, noting that the Rotherham Director of Children's Services, Joyce Thacker, heavily criticised in the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal, was a member of CPUK, and noting that Common Purpose had been described as "[a] secretive Fabian organisation [... that] has been described as a Left-wing version of the Freemasons."{{cite web | url = http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100191270/rotherham-hislop-common-purpose/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121126095609/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100191270/rotherham-hislop-common-purpose/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = 26 November 2012 | newspaper = The Daily Telegraph | title = Rotherham, Hislop, Common Purpose | date = 25 November 2012 | access-date = 26 November 2012

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Writing in The Guardian, Roy Greenslade described the Mail coverage of Common Purpose in general, and the central focus on Sir David Bell in particular, as "a classic example of conspiracist innuendo" and went on that "through a series of leaps of logic and phoney 'revelations' of Bell's publicly acknowledged positions, the articles persistently insinuate that he has been up to no good."{{cite news |first=Roy |last=Greenslade |author-link=Roy Greenslade |work=The Guardian |date=16 November 2012 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2012/nov/16/dailymail-leveson-inquiry |title=Laughable Daily Mail 'investigation' smears Leveson inquiry assessor}} This opinion was shared in an article in the New Statesman by Peter Wilby.{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Wilby |author-link=Peter Wilby |work=New Statesman |date=22 November 2012 |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2012/11/kite-marks-paying-tax-end-energy-industry-and-paul-dacre%E2%80%99s-ten-foot-lizards |title=Kite marks for paying tax, the end of the energy industry and Paul Dacre's ten-foot lizards}} Also in The Guardian, Michael White acknowledged that, "anti-establishment bodies should be as much fair game for accountability as those of the old establishment", but said: "I couldn't help thinking as I read it that the analysis itself is a bit of a conspiracy. Delete 'Common Purpose' throughout and insert 'Jew', 'Etonian' or 'Freemason' and you'd rightly feel uneasy."{{cite news |author-link=Michael White (journalist) |first=Michael |last=White |work=The Guardian |date=16 November 2012 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/nov/16/daily-mail-dossier |title=Daily Mail 'dossier' isn't all dross}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://business.guardian.co.uk/smes/story/0,,2045427,00.html Move outside your comfort zone - Guardian.co.uk]
• [https://www.theguardian.com/uk_news/story/0,,1732576,00.html "I'm very good with a hatchet" - Guardian.co.uk]
• [https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/apr/16/11?gusrc=rss&feed=society The Wealth of Experience] The Guardian, 16 April 2008 (Article by Julia Middleton)
• [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/232dcab8-f44a-11dc-aaad-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 Be yourself – but know who you are meant to be] The Financial Times, 17 March 2008 (Comments by Julia Middleton)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080503183815/http://www.personneltoday.com/blogs/workplace-advice/2008/05/networking-generation-y-recogn.html Networking | Generation Y recognise the benefits] Personnel Today 'Work Clinic' (Research by Common Purpose and comments by Julia Middleton)

• {{Official website|http://www.commonpurpose.org.uk/about}}
• {{EW charity|1023384|The Common Purpose Charitable Trust}}
• {{EW charity|1056573|Common Purpose International}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Common Purpose Uk}}

Category:Charities based in London

Category:Personal development

Category:Organizations established in 1989

Category:1989 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Private companies limited by guarantee of England