The Cumberland Lodge Blog is a space for our Fellows and others to write about their experiences and key learnings from our events and beyond. The views expressed here are not the views of Cumberland Lodge, but of the individuals who write for the blog.
What ‘The Traitors’ can teach us about intuition, trust, and dialogue
13 November 2025
Photo credit: (Images: BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/Artwork – BBC Creative)[…]
Why reflection matters in a time of noise
23 October 2025
Every week, the YouGov News Tracker offers a small but telling snapshot of what captures Britain’s attention. This week, the nation’s top story was about peace and conflict. It is a reminder that even in our hyper-connected world, questions of division and belonging still sit close to the surface. It is easy to scroll past[…]
Conversations with Sir Philip Barton GCMG OBE: Lessons in service and integrity
10 October 2025
At Cumberland Lodge, we believe dialogue is at the heart of ethical leadership. Our most recent Cumberland Conversation welcomed Sir Philip Barton GCMG OBE, former Head of the UK Diplomatic Service, for a remarkable evening exploring what it means to lead with purpose, courage, and humility in public life. Returning to the Lodge nearly 40[…]
Gen Z and the City: Leadership, Values, and Intergenerational Dialogue
22 September 2025
For the past two years, I’ve been thinking seriously about leadership. One book still inspires me: Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. Leadership, however, always felt distant. I admired it from afar but never imagined stepping into that role myself. I often felt raw, inexperienced, and not “ready enough.” The Gen Z and the City[…]
Reflections from the Cumberland Lodge Fellowship Retreat
18 September 2025
Earlier this month, I joined the Cumberland Lodge Fellowship retreat in Windsor Great Park. It was a three-day residential programme with fellows, alumni, and the Lodge team. Together, we explored dialogue, reflection, and leadership development. Cumberland Lodge, founded in 1947, is an educational charity and social enterprise. Its mission is clear: develop future leaders who[…]
Hope lies in giving young people a practical stake in their future – Jonathon Porritt
13 September 2025
At Cumberland Lodge , we believe in empowering young people to lead the conversations that strengthen social cohesion and shape a more just and inclusive society. In a Cumberland Conversation with our Chief Executive, Fergus Drake OBE , this week, eminent writer and campaigner Jonathon Porritt reminded us why listening to the next generation matters[…]
Reflections on a consultation: The future of philanthropy
1 July 2025
Cumberland Lodge Fellow Mattia Emma reflects on a recent consultation he attended at St George’s House in Windsor Castle as part of our Fellowship programme.[…]
Simple steps to a sustainable future: reflections on a Cumberland Lodge student conference
27 February 2025
Read how our International Student Christmas Conference 2024 inspired three delegates to continue taking forward the ideas they discussed together.[…]
Visiting Hew Locke ‘what have we here?’ at the British Museum
21 January 2025
Our Programme Officer Munny Purba reflects on Locke’s personal and emotive exploration of the museum’s collection, which considers contemporary debates around cultural heritage.[…]
Building community capacity for the future: A reflection on a St George’s House consultation
17 December 2024
Cumberland Lodge Fellow Cee Swakamisa reflects on a recent opportunity to join a consultation at St George’s House, as part of his Fellowship.[…]
US Election 2024: Why do people vote for Donald Trump?
7 November 2024
Cumberland Lodge Programme Director Professor Melissa Butcher reflects on the result of the 2024 US Election and Donald Trump’s re-election.[…]
Building intercultural reflexive research collaborations: our work in Kurdistan
21 October 2024
Cumberland Lodge Fellow, Sali Hafez, and her research collaborator Diyan Muhsin, reflect on how they have worked together to overcome some of the obstacles to intercultural aspects of international research.[…]
Gen Z in the workplace: an intergenerational conversation
14 October 2024
Programme Officer Christina Ogwang reflects on the launch of our Gen Z and the City report, in partnership with St Paul’s Cathedral.[…]
A week of wisdom at Cumberland Lodge’s Life Beyond the PhD conference
21 August 2024
After completing my PhD viva in January this year and starting on the final revisions to my thesis, I asked myself that inevitable question – what comes next? I could not envision working in industry or with policy-makers. Instead, I imagined that, eventually, I would find a teaching position at a UK university where I[…]
Youth and Democracy hits the road
8 April 2024
Programme Officer Munny Purba recently attended the North-South Peace Event in Belfast, as part of our Youth and Democracy project. Here are her reflections on her trip.[…]