To help me with this apostrophe- or not!

[Amythesianwaterfall]

I am looking for guidance here oh grammar goddesses of mumsnet!

Should there be an apostrophe in the phrase:

Future Leaders Programme ?

I think it should be: Future Leaders' Programme.
However the written information I have received does not contain one. Thank you!

I believe the word you're all looking for is attributive noun . 'Future Leaders' is being used as an attributive noun to describe the word Programme. A bit like ladies room, sports car etc. This Guardian article sort of explains it too www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2012/jul/05/mind-your-language-nouns

Erm... I think

If the future leaders are hosting the programme an apostrophe is needed if they are going to be the subject then no apostrophe needed

The single quotation marks are doing my head in on this thread

Of course it's Brownies' Summer Camp - it's the summer camp of the Brownies. I'm beginning to think there's a British English / US English divide from some of the examples. If it's Future Leaders' programme, then that is correct. If it's a course called Future Leaders then no apostrophe.

Thank you! still a little confused but that's the English language for you...

It's a course designed to prepare people to be leaders. A training course to send people on. That's why I was erring on adding an apostrophe as the programme belongs to the leaders. However, am going to read the Guardian article posted kindly above and see, hopefully, what I'm doing wrong!

Thank you for all of the replies:)

Haha! We have two sorts of people on this thread. Those with a pedestrian grasp of English grammar (Future Leaders' Programme) and those with an expert grasp of grammar and style (Future Leaders Programme).

No wonder those with a shaky grasp get confused.

Oh please don't quote AP, It is American and it makes my head spin that people still don't get American and British English have completely different usage.

And of course it's the Brownies' summer camp. Why on earth wouldn't it be?

DH has been on one of these things recently except it was a Core Leaders Programme (no apostrophe, attributive not possessive).

He said even an apostrophe couldn't have saved it. Three days of his life he'll never get back.

Amythesianwaterfall I have a simple solution for you, if you're actually the copywriter for this course.

Just call it the Leadership Programme. When in doubt with apostrophes, sidestep 'em.

I quite agree, Tilly! I pity the poor teachers who have to teach this to our children- I am onlu a mere attendee and was just curious when I saw it written down- it's making more sense now I've reread the above comments!

No chance Tilly. It's for the leaders of the future, they aren't the leaders yet! Without this sort of precision, where will a company's future-proofed leadership excellence talent programme end up? Will no-one think of the inter-skills, cross-functional, best of the best talent of tomorrow programme? No one? But what will we do going forward?

Hmm maybe Brownies Summer Camp wasn't the best example as it could actually work both ways- first thing I came up with off the top of my head...

However if you look on their website they do talk about the Brownies Programme (no apostrophe)

www.girlguiding.org.uk/about_us/what_do_girls_in_guiding_do/brownies/programme.aspx

Amy You're attending this bollocks career opportunity? Make sure to take a tablet or laptop with plenty of e-books on it, and look as if you're taking notes!

Wilson In this dynamic age, we need to keep pace with the 21st century. Let's suck it and see.

Sorry, can't do management speak!

That "going forward" there was a master-touch. Kudos!

Wilson my freelance job is to 'translate' US into UK English. So I do know the difference. I couldn't find a quick British-English guide to explain the difference.

In my 12.54 post I mistyped 'iterative' instead of 'attributive'.

Abrald but nearly every single one of those AP examples are wrong in UK English so it was a really bad source to quote.

Hmm, it appears the guy who wrote the article in the Guardian is single, and has a dating blog about it. Just putting that out there.

He has a dating blog about grammar???

Reading it now. Sadly, there is no grammar within. I am deeply disappointed myself. Sorry for raising your hopes, too!

But when he's not talking about the science of dating, and he's in a relationship, he must surely be able to have a conversation about grammar?

PedantMarina's eyes glaze over at the thought of future cats.

KITTEHs!!!

(spectacularly missing the point)

Would you like a former Guardian sub-editor with your kitten?

Glad to see that according to this thread five years at university studying linguistics, as well as various foreign languages, seemingly leaves me with a mere 'pedestrian grasp of English grammar'...

Megrim - I wouldn't want to! The large blue chip I used to work for was well known for horrendous grammatical errors.

the caps are confusing the issue, I think. If it is a programme to prepare those who are planning to be future leaders, then it should be Future leaders' programme. It if is a programme entitled Future Leaders, then it should be (the) Future Leaders programme.

It always helps to substitute the word with a plural that doesn't end in S, such as "children" and see what you would say.