Yorkshire businesses invited to invest in the Leaders Shaping Our Future Communities
Businesses and organisations across West Yorkshire are being invited to support a new initiative helping school leaders access the inaugural Human Side of Leadership Conference taking place at Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds on Thursday 22 October 2026.
Created by former Deputy Director for Education for Leeds and Founder of Balance:ed, Shaheen Myers, the conference has been designed to bring together leaders from across Leeds, Bradford, Yorkshire and beyond for honest conversations around leadership wellbeing, culture and sustaining ourselves and others within education.
Alongside keynote speakers including Dame Alison Peacock and serving school and trust leaders, the conference will explore some of the biggest challenges facing education leadership today, including complaints culture, sustaining staff wellbeing and rebuilding positive organisational culture.
As part of the conference, a new Supported Leadership Places initiative is now being launched, inviting Yorkshire businesses and civic organisations to help fund places for school leaders who may otherwise struggle to attend due to increasing financial pressures within schools.
With many school budgets stretched significantly, leaders are increasingly having to prioritise operational demands over their own professional development, wellbeing and opportunities for reflection and connection. This initiative aims to ensure leaders are not excluded from important spaces of support simply because of financial pressures.
Shaheen Myers said:
“School leaders carry enormous responsibility for the wellbeing, safety and futures of children and communities every single day. This initiative is about recognising that leadership sustainability is not just an education issue – it is a community issue too.
Leaders who are looked after are better able to look after our future generations.”
Businesses can support the initiative by funding places in blocks of:
• 5 places
• 10 places
• 20 places
Supporting organisations will receive recognition across conference communications, social media announcements, conference materials and on the day itself as organisations investing directly into leadership wellbeing and the sustainability of education across Yorkshire.
Organisations interested in supporting the initiative or learning more about partnership opportunities are invited to contact:
Shaheen Myers
Founder, Balance:ed
info@balance-ed.co.uk
