University of Westminster launches Self-Leadership Programme for Student Entrepreneurs

The event was held at Westminster’s New Cavendish Street site and was attended by internal staff stakeholders and external parties, including mental health charities Mind and YoungMinds. The programme focuses on showing students the importance of self-awareness and providing them with resources for developing resilience and avoiding burn-out while achieving their aspirations and vision. It recognises the unique challenges entrepreneurs face in the world of work, particularly young entrepreneurs, as they must make crucial decisions and tackle demanding workloads with little support or opportunities for delegation.

The programme includes pro-grade physiological measurement and personalised guidance to support healthier physical and mental well-being, one-to-one coaching with a certified member of the Centre for Workplace Resilience, and access to psychometric tools that will help students recognise and measure their own beliefs, behaviours, and environmental factors that can help protect them against stress and burnout.

There were three speeches throughout the event: one from Justin Haroun, Director of the Centre for Resilience at the University of Westminster; one from Jordan Scammell, Head of Fundraising and Development at the University of Westminster; and one from Graham Shapiro, who’s foundation is providing essential financial support to the programme. The event concluded with an official signing of the agreement with Shapiro confirming financial support for the Self-Leadership Programme for the next three years.

Speaking about the event, Jordan Scammell, Head of Fundraising and Development, said: “Today we’re able to celebrate the launch of the Self-Leadership Programme which will contribute greatly to the mental wellbeing and resilience of our young entrepreneurs over the next three years. We are particularly pleased that the Trustees of the Graham Shapiro Foundation could be here to witness and be recognised for their generous, pivotal support, and highlight to all others here the importance of philanthropy in caring for the ever-changing needs of our student body.”

Describing the importance of the programme, Justin Haroun, Co-Founder and Director of the Self-Leadership Programme at the University’s Centre for Resilience, commented: “Westminster’s WeNetwork and the Centre for Resilience are proud to support our entrepreneurial students as they innovate and create. They do this through a reimagining of the world around them; they are creators of new stories for a better world. However all too often the toll on the entrepreneurial storyteller can be a tough, exhausting and lonely journey. We are excited to launch the Self Leadership programme to help our storytellers as they embark on their journeys with the support from the Graham Shapiro Foundation. Bringing together knowledge, experience and wisdom to help these new stories, and the entrepreneurs who had the vision to dream them up, flourish.”

Speaking about the role of the Graham Shapiro Foundation, Graham Shapiro, Chair of Trustees at the Graham Shapiro Foundation and Visiting Professor of the University of Westminster, stated: “The Graham Shapiro Foundation are proud to partner and be involved with the Self-Leadership Programme. It will give entrepreneurs the ability to take charge of their own lives, actions, make positive decisions and support their mental health and wellbeing - enhancing minds, transforming lives.”

Find out more about the Self-Leadership Programme for Student Entrepreneurs at the University of Westminster.