5-8 years

8-11 years

11-14 years

14-18 years

  • Latest Updates
  • Running Your Company
  • Age Group Essentials
  • Leader Training & Development
  • Managing Risk & Safeguarding
  • Policies & Regulations

Celebrating our 140th Anniversary

Leader Development Group

The Leader Development Group is responsible for leader development within The Boys’ Brigade.

The Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025 focuses on three main elements – Quality, Growth and Voice, with the main focus being on Quality. The aim is to improve the consistency of experience for children and young people within the organisation. Under the Leader Development strand of Quality the following actions are included, for delivery over the five year period:

  • Introduce and embed milestones for leaders, including e-learning
  • Establish and launch a new network of trainers
  • Introduce a culture of continuous personal development at all levels
  • Actively embrace succession planning at all levels
  • Review and refresh core training modules
  • Explore opportunities to recognise and reward development of leaders (including accreditation)

Leader Development Group

The Leader Development Group was formed in March 2020 to lead on all leader development areas within the Brigade. The group is made up of two representatives from each of England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland regions, working with the Brigade’s Leader Development Manager.

The current team are:

Mike Colbeck

Mike is the Company Captain of the 5th Scarborough Company and has been involved in the BB since joining in 1987 as a 5 year old at 2nd Scarborough. Mike went on to earn the Queen’s Badge and complete KGVI in 1999. Mike has served the Brigade at Battalion, District and National levels in various roles but his passions are company work with the Boys and of course leader development and training. Mike currently serves as the course leader of KGVI in England – 5th Scarborough’s Camp followed by KGVI in the first couple of weeks of the summer break are the highlight of every year! 5th Scarborough is very much a family in all ways with Mike and his wife Kirsty running the company. Mike is a Financial Adviser by day and BB officer pretty much the rest of the time but he is also Dad to Jacob and Evie and a passionate fan of Castleford Tigers and Liverpool FC.

Alan Hunter

Alan works for The Boys’ Brigade full time, as Leader Development Manager, based at Scottish Headquarters at Carronvale House. Alan has been a member of BB since Junior Section and worked his way through the 53rd Aberdeen Company, gaining his Queen’s Badge and then staying on to become an Officer. Alan has been employed by The Boys’ Brigade since July 1999, and his main responsibilities have been oversight of all levels of Training and Queen’s Badge in Scotland, alongside delivery of various annual events in the BB calendar. In a volunteering capacity Alan is Captain of 1st Tillicoultry Company, an officer working mainly with Juniors and is Session Clerk of Tillicoultry Parish Church.

Walter Lambe MBE

Walter has been in BB since 1963. He has served in a number of companies and is currently an officer in 1 Ballylinney Company in Northern Ireland. He achieved his Queen’s Badge in 1976! Walter has served on various Standing Committees of BB in Northern Ireland and is currently a BTO and Queen’s Badge Adviser. He also acts as a Disability Consultant for BB. He is a designated trainer for Child Protection and Safe Guarding within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Walter retired from teaching in December 2018, after 37 years’ service, having reached the position of Area Head for Behaviour Support Services and was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty in 2019.

Glen Miller

Glen joined 1st Banagher Company in 1988 as an Anchor Boy moving through the ranks, attaining his Queens Badge in 2001 having completed KGVI the same year. Initially working as an officer in Junior Section Glen moved to Company Section in 2005 for the past 6 years with both Anchor Boys and Seniors still at 1st Banagher.
During 2010 Glen became a BTO and President of Londonderry Battalion as well as marrying wife Stella. Over the years Glen has held several roles with Northern Ireland District (NID) & NI Regional Committee and is currently Chair of the NID Leader Development Committee.
Glen is married to Stella and has two children, Alex 8 and Isla 6, Glen would call himself an entrepreneur with he and his family having several businesses across a number of sectors in the UK & Ireland.

David Sneddon

David has spent his entire BB career at 1st Bothwell. He joined the Life Boy team in 1965, moved up to the BB Company in 1968 and gained his Queen’s Badge in 1974. Being Captain from 1984 to 2005 was a particular highlight. David has served in a variety of volunteer roles at Battalion and Lanarkshire levels and served for a number of years on Brigade Executive and Scotland Regional Committee (6 years as Chair). He is currently still serving with 1st Bothwell Company, Hamilton and District Battalion and the Lanarkshire District Fellowship as well as being an active BTO since 1989.
David has been married to wife Margaret (Meg) since the first Friday in September 1979 – one of only 3 occasions on which he missed the first night back at BB! Outside of BB, David enjoys walking, reading and cooking – not necessarily in that order!

Helen Ward

Helen has been involved with 2nd Polmont BB since 1989 when she started going along as a teenager to help the Junior Section with games and crafts. Her grandfather, dad and brothers were all members of the Boys’ Brigade so it was obviously in the genes! She has been Officer-In-Charge of Junior Section since 2010.
Helen has been Training Convenor for Falkirk & District Battalion since 2007 and completed BTO training in 2008.
Helen met her husband Alan when they were both staff on KGVI course at Carronvale and that was the venue for their wedding in 2011.
She still has the same love for crafts as she did when she started BBs, and her latest hobby is crocheting.

Get in touch

You can get in touch with the Leader Development Group by email at leaderdevelopment@boys-brigade.org.uk