Post by Sara Dawson

Some of the most important leadership roles don’t come with a salary. Today I was interviewed by Adele Forrest from BBC Look North ahead of the launch of the first #RoundhayFestival in Roundhay Park in Leeds. It struck me that I wasn’t there because of my day job. I was there because of ten years spent volunteering in the park and because I run the largest social media community for north Leeds. Over the last decade, I’ve had the privilege of helping grow the membership of the Friends of Roundhay Park to more than 500 paying members, and I now serve as Vice Chair. Today was a reminder that leadership isn’t just about big organisations or impressive job titles. It’s about bringing people together around something they care about. Since last September, I’ve been supporting AEG Presents, LS Events and Leeds City Council to help engage with local residents as plans for the festival have developed. It’s been a great experience, teaching me a lot about effective community engagement and how to navigate differing views. This weekend, more than 60,000 people a day will visit Roundhay Park to see artists including Pitbull, Lewis Capaldi and Tinie Tempah. I hope they leave having enjoyed not just the music, but one of the finest public parks in the country – all 700 acres of it. During the interview, I also spoke about the managed decline of our parks. We ask so much of these spaces to improve health, support nature, strengthen communities and now host major events. Too often, we don’t invest enough in protecting them. Volunteering has taught me as much about leadership as any paid role I’ve held. If you’re thinking about giving your time to a cause you care about, I’d encourage you to do it. You never know where it might lead… even if BBC cameras aren’t your thing. And if you’re seeing Pitbull this weekend, I’ll probably be somewhere in the crowd with thousands of other bald blokes singing every word.