Northern Stars: Ruth Ibegbuna

Social entrepreneur Ruth Ibegbuna is the founder and CEO of the Roots Programme, which runs cultural exchange initiatives that bring people together to bridge divides and form meaningful connections. 

Working with schools, adults, communities and organisations, they host several programmes that connect individuals from diverse backgrounds and help to foster curiosity, understanding and compassion by sharing lived experiences and celebrating both common ground and differences.  

On a mission to build a more inclusive and connected society, Ruth has also launched several other purpose-led organisations – including RECLAIM, the Rekindle School, and Northern Soul – all of which are driving positive social change across the North and wider UK.

We spoke with Ruth to learn more about her work at Roots and beyond. 

Creating a more connected society 

There are many quiet divisions across society. These often aren’t really spoken about, but they still have a hugely negative impact down the line. 

We launched the Roots Programme in 2018, at a time when the country felt more divided than ever following the Brexit referendum. We aimed to bridge these divisions, foster meaningful connections between people, and encourage solidarity, empathy and understanding.

As a collaborative learning platform, Roots creates spaces for people from different backgrounds – people who might not have otherwise met – to come together (both online and in person) to listen to one another, embrace difference and imagine a better future as allies. 

For example, our ‘Roots Futures’ programme aims to close the gap between children and teachers in state and independent schools – bringing them into the same space to promote belonging, share ideas, build confidence, and tackle prejudice. Across my career in both public and private education, I’ve observed a stark difference in the provision and expectations for young people in state and independent schools. These children often have misguided impressions of one another despite sharing so much and often living within very close proximity. 

The Roots Futures programme seeks to overcome this; connecting young people from different backgrounds and encouraging them to share personal stories, perspectives, and ambitions on how they want to change society. After a series of collaborative conversations, workshops and activities, the programme ends with a ‘vision day’, where the children work together to imagine what society might look like in 20 years time if it was fairer and more equitable. 

Beyond the Roots Programme

I am a passionate champion of the next generation and beyond the Roots Programme, I opened the Rekindle School in 2019 – a supplementary school launched to help young people build confidence and independence by developing ‘real’ life skills and values, such as critical thinking.

As a proud Northerner, I am a strong advocate of the region’s diverse talent, potential, and opportunities – but starting a big social justice movement in the North isn’t always easy. I founded Northern Soul as a consultancy that works with purpose-led people and organisations to amplify the region’s voices and shine a light on the meaningful work that’s going on here – just as True North seeks to do. We do this through partnering with those who share our values and offering programmes that support development in areas including diversity, leadership, confidence and youth development.

With each of these hats, I am constantly looking to form strong partnerships with those who share my vision. My connections have been invaluable in opening doors to conversations that I might not otherwise have been part of. I want to ensure I provide these opportunities for others and get these networks behind the ambitions of the people we support.

Impact comes in different forms

Rather than short-term solutions that do ‘to’ or ‘for’ people and communities – at Roots we deliver long-lasting impact by working alongside them. We ask questions, listen to what they need, and drive social change from the grassroots up. 

Given the long-term nature of our work at Roots (and beyond) – its impact often can’t be seen until decades later. 

By the same token, impact doesn’t always present itself in ways we would expect; sometimes it's in the seemingly insignificant moments that society might overlook. Our youth workers at the Rekindle School see this incremental impact every single day – in small but important things. For example, a nervous child smiling for the first time in one of our sessions isn’t necessarily something that society would deem as a huge impact statement, but to us this means everything.

And impact doesn’t always take tangible forms – sometimes it’s about rewriting the narrative. 

Some of the young people we supported through one of my other projects, RECLAIM, told us the term we were using to describe them – ‘disadvantaged’ – felt unrepresentative. They said they felt more comfortable being described as ‘working class.’ We listened. We changed our language. And we worked together to fight the stigma that too often surrounds this language.

That’s real impact to me, because it's saying to young people from all across the UK: Don't be ashamed of being working class. Let’s open conversations and fight to try and change the narrative and stigma.

My advice for other purpose-led leaders:

• Shared values: Make sure that your values are epitomised by everyone in your organisation – no matter their level. Prioritise values before skills – hiring someone with misaligned values can disrupt everything. 
• Stay mission-focused: Purpose-driven organisations often get invited to things for other people’s benefit. So, make sure you don’t waste time in spaces that don't bring positive impact to the people you support. Stay true to your mission and don’t allow yourself to decorate other people's existences. 
• Look after yourself: I've been doing this since my late 20s and I’ve seen so many fall by the wayside; exhausted, broken, and burnt out. Fighting for a cause can be hard – you have to pace yourself, establish boundaries and prioritise your mental and physical health. If you don’t look after yourself, how can you lead with purpose? 

If, like Ruth, you’re committed to supporting the future of the North – we invite you to join our growing collaborative network of purpose-driven leaders.

You can also get in touch with Ruth and find out more about The Roots Programme here.