Joel Virgo, 26th April 2013

Joel Virgo was born and raised in Brighton and Hove and has been living back in the city since 2006, following moving away for study at Newcastle University and subsequently a number of years working as a history teacher in the North East and East Anglia. Since 2001 Joel has been working in church leadership and now leads CCK, one of the largest and most diverse community organisations in the City of Brighton and Hove, with people from all parts of society and many different ethnic backgrounds represented. Joel has taken time to transition and remodel the organisation, seeking to help it communicate with relevance to new groups of people that traditionally faith groups wouldn't engage with. In recent years they've seen many students and young people get involved and have also opened new venues in two, soon to be three, locations across the city. Also CCK is increasingly exploring and developing ways to serve and contribute, in partnership with other key groups and individuals, to the welfare and prosperity of the city and surrounding areas. Joel is regularly invited to speak in Leadership contexts around the UK and further afield. In particular Joel is sought after to talk on how to communicate with relevance in a contemporary world, how to manage large-scale organisational change and how to create a culture of multiplication. Here Joel will shares his story, littered with failures as well as successes, as he addresses issues of leadership transition, team selection and development and creating a culture of multiplication.