A HOSPITAL trust is celebrating its future leaders after a group of black, Asian and minority ethnic students graduated from its leadership programme.

Last week, 12 trainees graduated after spending one year working towards a qualification in inclusive leadership - as the trust bids to have more representation from diverse communities.

The programme is a leadership development programme for aspiring Black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues who work at Royal Bolton Hospital - and is aspiring to progress into a management or leadership role within the trust.

A Bolton NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "Being an inclusive place to work is important to us and last week our students graduated after 12 months of working towards their qualification in inclusive leadership.

"Here at Bolton, we’re on a journey to increase our diversity in leadership positions and we are committed to develop our inclusivity at all levels throughout the organisation. We had 12 members of staff who completed this year’s programme."

Graduate Nazir Ibrahim, specialist adolescent health and wellbeing practitioner, said: "It’s not always about the role, its more about the goal."

Graduate charge nurse Minimol Santhosh added: “I want to say a huge thank you to my reciprocal mentor Lucy Bradshaw. Thanks to her support and encouragement, she was the person who made me think about the ward manager post."

The programme involved the cohort mentoring an executive director or senior leader to deliver reciprocal leadership.

Head of people development Kirstie Stott said: "What an amazing group of people and what an amazing day we had celebrating the beautiful richness of our diversity.

“Bolton as a community is richly diverse, and it’s really important as an organisation that our leadership is reflective of the community we serve."

"Our staff are our greatest asset, and over the next five years, we will do more to support everyone to be the best that they can be."