{"id":5771,"date":"2026-06-12T23:29:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T23:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/?p=5771"},"modified":"2026-06-13T20:21:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T20:21:36","slug":"celebrating-leadership-growth-and-community-at-westminster-parliament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/celebrating-leadership-growth-and-community-at-westminster-parliament\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Leadership, Growth, and Community at Westminster Parliament"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We are proud to share the highlights of a truly inspiring evening at the Palace of Westminster, where we celebrated the Third Cohort of the Shpresa Leadership Programme.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This special occasion brought together community leaders, partners, supporters, speakers, volunteers, and friends of the Shpresa Programme, united by one shared purpose: to recognise leadership, empowerment, and the power of community-led change.<\/p>

We were honoured to welcome The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP<\/strong>, who delivered the opening remarks for the evening. His words set a powerful tone for the celebration, recognising the importance of community leadership and the role of programmes like Shpresa in supporting real, lasting change.<\/p>

His presence reflected the value of collaboration between communities and institutions working together to create opportunity and hope.<\/p>

The evening was dedicated to congratulating the Third Cohort of the Shpresa Leadership Programme, a group of inspiring individuals who have shown commitment, resilience, and a deep desire to make a difference.<\/p>

Leadership is not found in titles, but in hearts that refuse to give up.<\/em><\/p>

Each participant\u2019s journey reflects growth, courage, and transformation, not only for themselves, but for the communities they serve.<\/p>

Throughout the evening, we were privileged to hear powerful reflections from speakers and leaders connected to Shpresa.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Jonathan Ellis<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We were deeply moved by Jonathan Ellis, who shared his experience working with Shpresa and especially alongside the late Luljeta Nuzi.<\/p>

He described:<\/p>

\u201cIf only we could bottle Shpresa\u201d, to capture everything Shpresa does.<\/p>

Jonathan spoke passionately about Luljeta\u2019s leadership, describing her as always one step ahead, driven by purpose, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to people and community development.<\/p>

We were also honoured to welcome James Asser MP, who addressed the event and congratulated the Third Cohort for their achievements.<\/p>

He reflected on the importance of leadership development and praised the Shpresa Programme for its meaningful contribution to community empowerment and social impact.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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One of the most powerful parts of the evening was hearing directly from participants whose lives have been transformed through the programme.<\/p>

From participant to changemaker, Erisa shared her inspiring journey as a young mother who is now advocating strongly for children and families. Her story reflects leadership rooted in love, purpose, and hope.<\/p>

Klodjana spoke about her personal growth through mentorship and her experience within the programme, highlighting how Shpresa has strengthened her confidence and sense of direction.<\/p>

Enka shared her journey of overcoming challenges, building confidence, and taking bold steps towards new opportunities, showing the true impact of empowerment in action.<\/p>

Aulona reflected on how the programme helped her develop leadership skills, take initiative, and move closer to achieving her personal and community goals.<\/p>

Each story was a powerful reminder of what happens when people are given trust, support, and opportunity.<\/p>

Angus Ritchie, a great partner and supporter, shared thoughtful reflections on working with Shpresa and the legacy of Luljeta Nuzi. He reminded us that:<\/p>

Leadership is not about power, but about purpose the purpose to serve, to empower, and to inspire hope where it is needed most.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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An emotional moment came from Sarah Cutler, who reflected on working alongside Shpresa and the late Luljeta Nuzi.<\/p>

She spoke of Luljeta\u2019s extraordinary spirit, a leader who led with love, positivity, and hope. Her words reminded us that true leadership continues through the lives it touches.<\/p>

Luljeta\u2019s legacy remains at the heart of Shpresa, guiding us with compassion, strength, and vision.<\/p>

Emmanuel Gotora from Telco, Citizens UK, shared his appreciation for working with Shpresa and remembered Luljeta as a leader of action, passionate, committed, and deeply dedicated to community empowerment.<\/p>

The evening highlighted that leadership is not theoretical, it is lived, experienced, and shared through action, service, and care for others.<\/p>

The Third Cohort demonstrated this through their journeys, proving that when people are supported and empowered, they can create real and lasting change.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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In his closing address, Gani Nashi, Chair of the Board of Directors, reflected on the powerful spirit of unity and achievement celebrated at the event.<\/p>

He praised the dedication and resilience of the Third Cohort and recognised their contribution to community transformation.<\/p>

He also paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Luljeta Nuzi, describing her as:<\/p>

\u201cA light who led with love, built with hope, and inspired all of us to believe in what is possible when a community stands together.\u201d<\/p>

Gani concluded by thanking all partners, supporters, volunteers, staff, and friends of Shpresa for their continued belief and commitment to the organisation\u2019s mission.<\/p>

This evening at Westminster Parliament was more than a celebration, it was a reflection of what is possible when leadership is nurtured, communities are supported, and people are empowered to believe in themselves.<\/p>

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Third Cohort of the Shpresa Leadership Programme.<\/p>

Their journey is just beginning, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they will continue to create.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Leadership, when rooted in compassion and community, has the power to transform lives.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We are proud to share the highlights of a truly inspiring evening at the Palace of Westminster, where we celebrated the Third Cohort of the Shpresa Leadership Programme. This special […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5774,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5771"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5784,"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5771\/revisions\/5784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shpresaprogramme.org\/sq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}