#LeadingWithPurpose Spotlight: Judith Ineson, Head of Communications & Customer Care at PGL Beyond
Our #LeadingWithPurpose Spotlight interview series sees organisational leaders explain what leading with purpose means to them and how they strive to make their organisation a force for good in society.
In this episode, read how Judith Ineson, Head of Communications & Customer Care at PGL Beyond, does so.
Judith, what inspires you personally to lead with purpose?
I feel blessed that in terms of leadership examples that I had a great role model in my mum. She didn’t leave school with many qualifications and later in life finding herself divorced and with four young children, undertook a teaching degree and became a special needs teacher.
She rose to be a Deputy Headteacher but what most inspired me was that she always looked to try and help people become the best that they could be. She talked about working with children with special education needs as a privilege and being able to unlock their world.
She gave me the belief that everyday you should look to see what purpose you could bring to others, but also was respected for her calm, yet authoritative approach.
And how did you find purpose in your work?
I feel that I was born to be a story teller and so it is probably ideal that my role as Head of Communications allows me to do that!
But what is greater for me is being able to tell such a great story – to open up to a wider community the role that PGL Beyond is playing in order to break down barriers to opportunity.
We are an organisation with a rich heritage, from PGL’s founder Peter Gordon Lawrence (where we get the name PGL – not Parents Get Lost) who was inspired by a trip down the Danube to offer similar trips to others. To today and ensuring we provide ways to unlock outdoor adventures for all young people, breaking down financial barriers to helping getting young people into purposeful work.
No two days are the same apart from the experience of seeing the confidence and belief achieved by a young person when either tackling the Jacob’s Ladder or taking in new cultural experiences on a tour. Knowing you help bring such breakthrough moments to life helps bring the purpose to life every day.
Why is PGL Beyond committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity?
We firmly believe that outdoor education is a right not a privilege and feel that there is so much to be learnt in life through seeing things firsthand.
The premise ‘if you see it, you can be it’ is so true but we know that for many young people they don’t all have equal opportunities – so how can you reach for something you have no sense of? How can you see what is possible without someone showing you?
We are lucky to be in the position where we see how breakthroughs are achieved for young people through outdoor education – but we are committed that this isn’t just for those that come on residential trips or on tours, it should also equate to those who work for us.
So we are committed to working with organisations helping young people into the work place to ensure that, wherever we can, we are breaking down barriers to opportunity.
