Next Step Initiative is delighted to announce our Second Annual Celebration of the Community Heritage Leadership Traineeship Programme and the launch of our Heritage Best Practice Guide, taking place on Wednesday, 14 October 2026 at 12:00 noon at Calabash Restaurant, 57 Union Street, Glasgow.
Under the theme “From Access to Leadership,” this year’s celebration will bring together trainees, heritage organisations, programme partners, community representatives and invited guests to recognise the achievements of the programme and the people who have contributed to its continued development.
From Participation to Leadership
The Community Heritage Leadership Traineeship Programme was created to address barriers to participation and progression within Scotland’s heritage sector.
Through structured placements, professional development, mentoring and practical experience, trainees have been given opportunities not simply to experience the heritage sector, but to develop the skills, confidence, knowledge and professional networks required to progress within it.
Across the programme, trainees have worked within heritage organisations, contributed to exhibitions and community engagement activities, developed research and interpretation skills, supported events and projects, and gained first-hand experience of how heritage organisations operate.
Our Second Annual Celebration provides an important opportunity to recognise that journey and to celebrate the progress of our trainees and the organisations that have supported them.
Launching Our Heritage Best Practice Guide
A major part of this year’s celebration will be the official launch of the Heritage Best Practice Guide.
The guide brings together learning, experience and reflections generated through the Community Heritage Leadership Traineeship Programme. It is intended to support heritage organisations and other stakeholders interested in developing more inclusive approaches to recruitment, traineeships, community engagement, professional development and progression.
Rather than viewing diversity simply as access to opportunities, the programme has sought to explore a longer-term question: how do we create pathways that enable people from underrepresented communities to progress from participation into meaningful roles, responsibility and leadership within the heritage sector?
The Best Practice Guide captures practical learning from that journey and provides an opportunity for this experience to contribute to wider conversations about inclusion and workforce development across the sector.
Partnership at the Heart of the Programme
The progress achieved through the programme would not have been possible without collaboration.
Next Step Initiative has worked alongside heritage partners including Museums & Galleries Edinburgh, David Livingstone Birthplace Museum, Scottish Maritime Museum and Archaeology Scotland, alongside wider sector partners and supporters.
These partnerships have created real workplace environments in which trainees can learn, contribute, develop professionally and build relationships across Scotland’s heritage sector.
The programme is supported through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, whose investment has helped make this long-term approach to widening participation and developing future heritage leadership possible.
Celebrating People, Progress and Possibility
The Second Annual Celebration is therefore about more than marking another year of activity.
It is an opportunity to recognise our trainees and their achievements; acknowledge the commitment of our host organisations and programme partners; share learning from the programme; and consider how the heritage sector can continue creating sustainable pathways for people from communities that have historically been underrepresented.
For Next Step Initiative, “From Access to Leadership” represents the direction of travel we want to see: moving beyond opening doors towards creating genuine opportunities for people to develop, contribute, progress and lead.
We look forward to welcoming our partners, trainees, stakeholders and guests as we celebrate another important milestone in the Community Heritage Leadership Traineeship Programme and officially launch the Heritage Best Practice Guide.
Event Details
Community Heritage Leadership Traineeship Programme – Second Annual Celebration & Heritage Best Practice Guide Launch
Date: Wednesday, 14 October 2026
Time: 12:00 noon
Venue: Calabash Restaurant, 57 Union Street, Glasgow
For further information, please contact:
Next Step Initiative
Email: Ibrahim@nextstepinitiative.org.uk
Telephone: +44 7426 475 255
Website: www.nextstepinitiative.org.uk
