Since 2017, the partnership with Columba 1400 in Clackmannanshire has become what many now describe as the “golden thread” running through the work of the Family Wellbeing Partnership (FWP) – connecting local authority services, schools, and communities.

At the heart of Columba 1400’s vision is a belief that young people and the key adults in their lives can create meaningful, lasting change when they share a common understanding of values-based leadership. The partnership in Clackmannanshire is built on this principle: that by investing in people – their values, their leadership, and their potential to shape the systems around them – we can transform not just services, but lives.

Columba 1400’s Values-Based Leadership (VBL) experiences across the community have provided the time, space and environment needed for deep reflection and cultural change. They have helped people – from young people, parents and carers to school staff, CLD practitioners, council officers and community leaders – to collaborate more meaningfully and feel permission to do things differently. This mindset shift has been vital in achieving key goals of the Family Wellbeing Partnership (FWP):

  • Developing the conditions to enhance wellbeing and capabilities,
  • Building a community where everyone has the opportunity to flourish,
  • Moving towards a preventative, relational model of public service,
  • Ensuring local voices are central to decision-making.

To date, over 200 key adults – including local authority staff from across directorates, head teachers, school staff, and Third Sector partners – have taken part in Columba 1400 values-based leadership experiences. Some have chosen to go further, becoming trained as Legacy Facilitators and helping embed the approach within their own services, teams, and communities. Reconnect sessions continue to offer spaces for reflection and collaboration, reinforcing the sense of shared purpose.

As Strategic Director of People, Lorraine Sanda, reflects:

“Nobody joins the public sector without wanting to make a difference. What we did with Columba 1400 was bring that to the fore. We gave people the chance to say, ‘there is another way.’ Your leadership and values can be the way.”

This values-based approach has enabled leaders from all backgrounds – parents and carers, teachers, council staff – to take action in ways that feel authentic and aligned with their communities. One powerful example is Clax 1400, a community café in Alloa that emerged from the reflections of a group of parent and community members during their Columba 1400 experience. Five years on, the café continues to thrive as a welcoming space, offering both practical support and a lasting sense of community pride.

“From the beginning of the Columba 1400 experience and the postcards to our future selves, we had the vision to change and grow, to try new paths… This resulted in our community café, which we’ve now run successfully for five years.” Founder, Clax 1400 Café

For parents and carers, the impact of Columba 1400 is often felt most deeply through the journeys of their children. Many have spoken of improved school attendance, stronger focus, greater ambition, and a clearer sense of purpose in their young people following Columba 1400 values-based leadership experiences. These young people also describe the pride and fulfilment they feel in “giving back” – through volunteering, mentoring, and leading change in their own schools and communities.

School staff and council officers have also felt the ripple effects. Some have returned from Columba 1400 values-based experiences and stepped into classrooms to build bridges between services and young people – sharing their work and offering real opportunities. Last year, two young people were supported into Modern Apprenticeships as a direct result of these new connections.

This shift is visible across a growing range of initiatives, from the Justice Hub and STRIVE, to the Early Help Team, Child Wellbeing Partnership and community collaboratives. What ties them together is the ethos of empowerment: enabling people to lead with purpose, confidence, and connection.

To ensure sustainability, two Columba 1400 Train the Trainer programmes have been pioneered in Clackmannanshire – one for young people and one for council staff. This growing group of trained facilitators is now using values-based leadership to guide conversations in meetings, development days, and community spaces – spreading the golden thread even further through the fabric of local life.

Across every level of the system – from frontline workers and head teachers to parents, carers, and young people – capabilities are being developed, wellbeing is being enhanced, and new possibilities are emerging.

The partnership between Columba 1400 and the Family Wellbeing Partnership (FWP) continues to evolve, but its purpose remains constant: to unlock the leadership that already exists in every person and to build a Clackmannanshire where everyone has the chance to lead, belong, and thrive.