Reform-Led Leicestershire County Council Allocates £124,300 for “Progressive Masculinity” School Workshops

Leicestershire County Council, currently under a Reform UK minority administration, has commissioned Progressive Masculinity Ltd to deliver workshops and training aimed at secondary school pupils and staff across the county. The contract is valued at £124,300 and runs from September 2025 to the end of December 2026.

The programme involves creating what the company describes as “safe, non-judgmental spaces” for boys and young men to explore masculinity. According to Progressive Masculinity’s website and the council’s contract notice, the sessions address stereotypes, emotional literacy, attitudes towards women, empathy, and the promotion of “gender allyship.” They also focus on challenging “harmful gender norms” and supporting cultural transformation within school communities. Workshops are being rolled out to every secondary school in Leicestershire, alongside staff training.

The contract was awarded directly (without competitive tendering) on the grounds that no reasonable alternatives existed in the market, citing the provider’s technical and specialist uniqueness, proven impact, and alignment with strategic priorities. Public records list the net contract value at £124,300 (gross £149,160).

Progressive Masculinity Ltd was founded by Mike Nicholson, a former English teacher with more than 17 years of experience in education. The company, incorporated in 2022, positions its work as positive and aspirational. Nicholson has stated that the approach does not lecture boys or dictate what they should think. Instead, it aims to give them agency to construct their own models of masculinity consistent with their values. He noted that the Leicestershire partnership included a significant discount due to the scale of the contract and that the firm is conscious the funding comes from taxpayers.

A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson described the work as sessions “to build confidence, resilience and develop positive attitudes,” funded through money specifically allocated to support schools in meeting the needs of children and young people as part of routine day-to-day work. The partnership was said to have grown out of earlier pilot workshops and teacher training sessions in the local area that were viewed as having a positive impact.

The spending has drawn attention because of the council’s political leadership and its financial situation. Reform UK became the largest party on the council after the May 2025 local elections and forms a minority administration led by Councillor Dan Harrison. In May 2026 the authority acknowledged soaring costs and projected a substantial budget gap (reported in some coverage as around £85 million by 2030), prompting an efficiency review.

Criticism has come from opposition councillors and some within Reform ranks. Conservative councillor Deborah Taylor questioned whether the expenditure fitted Reform’s rhetoric on public spending and priorities, calling for greater transparency on evidence of outcomes, value for money, the lack of competitive procurement, and independent evaluation. Reform UK councillor Joseph Boam has publicly disagreed with the ideological framing of the programme, arguing that challenging traditional male traits and promoting cultural transformation represents an agenda that should not be funded by the council, and that such decisions warrant stronger political scrutiny rather than officer-delegated powers.

Social media posts circulating around the story have also highlighted programme materials that reportedly include content titled “Understanding the Vulnerabilities to Right-Wing Ideologies and How to Address Them Using Relational Practice.” Official council and company statements released so far have not directly addressed that specific element.

The episode illustrates the tensions that can arise when local authorities pursue specialised educational programmes on gender and masculinity. Supporters, including the provider, frame the work as practical support for boys’ emotional development and wellbeing in an environment where many young men report feeling overlooked. Critics see it as an example of contested ideological content being delivered with public money at a time of fiscal pressure, particularly under a party that has campaigned against what it characterises as progressive excesses in public institutions.

As the workshops continue to be delivered through 2026, questions about measurable impact, parental awareness, and consistency with the council’s overall priorities are likely to remain part of the local political conversation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Reform Councillor Joseph Boam said “Masculinity isn't progressive or regressive, it's just masculinity.

I fundamentally disagree with what Progressive Masculinity is teaching in our schools. Challenging “traditional male traits”, pushing “gender allyship”, and framing masculinity as something that needs “cultural transformation” is ideological.

Boys do not need to be taught to constantly check themselves against progressive talking points. They need to be allowed to grow into strong, responsible men.

Fathers and families should be guiding their sons, not a council funded consultancy pushing this agenda, there's an unbelievably clear ideological agenda behind the language of "challenging harmful norms" and "cultural transformation."

It's anti masculinity dressed up in corporate speak with a hidden political message taught in our schools.

It's also ridiculous that this is treated as a priority while unvetted fighting age males arrive on our shores every day, bringing values completely at odds with ours and posing a REAL threat to women and children.

I have serious concerns about the process this has came about, a contract of this nature appearing to have been signed off under officer delegated powers raises important questions, decisions that involve significant sums of taxpayers money and clear ideological content should not be buried in the system without proper political scrutiny.

There needs to be a serious debate on officer delegated powers at Leicestershire County Council, I intend to make sure of it.

My position is clear this is a complete waste of taxpayers money and should be reversed or defunded immediately.”

I'll be raising this with my group as a matter of urgency and hope I can get this resolved.