Glasgow Mentoring Network - Interested in becoming a mentor?


INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MENTOR?

Becoming a mentor is a rewarding and challenging experience, helping others to develop confidence, skills and knowledge. Many people who have become mentors report significant improvement in their own skills, identified new opportunities and developed new perspectives. Why not see what other people have experienced.


CHARACTERISTICS OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS

Mentors should act as sounding boards for mentees, sharing experience where appropriate. They should be open-minded and supportive of the mentee.

Mentoring relationships vary in the length of time and level of involvement. However, commitment from both parties to the relationship is essential.

Mentors must be able to respond to the differing needs of the mentee as the relationship develops.

Mentoring relationships can be formal or informal and take place in a variety of sectors and settings.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


	Q. What does being mentor involve?
	A. Mentors provide additional support to people working towards specific goals. It might be helping someone into the job market for the first time or supporting a young person in the move to their first home. Other examples include mentoring employees, either new to a company or in a new role within the organisation. Mentors are also used in business development, either helping someone to establish a new business or supporting young entrepreneurs who want to grow their existing businesses. The list is endless. Essentially, as a mentor, you will provide one-to-one support. You'll meet on a regular basis at times arranged to suit both you and the mentee. You'll provide an opportunity for the mentee to reflect on progress and help them devise strategies to address either problems that arise or make best use of their strengths and opportunities. As someone with relevant experience of the goal the mentee is working towards you can share experiences and act as a sounding board. For more information click on case studies

	Q. Do you need any training to become a mentor?
	A. It depends on the programme and your life experience. A the very least you will receive awareness training, giving you information on the individual programme, its aims and the client group. Some groups and individuals have more support needs than others and the background to their participation might be quite complex. In this instance training will be far more rigorous.

	Q. How much time will the mentoring relationship take up?
	A. Again the amount of time spent meeting with the person you are supporting is dependent on the specific scheme in which you participate. It can vary from one meeting a week to one meeting a month. Meetings usually last for about an hour though they can be more.

	Q. What benefits will I receive through becoming a mentor?
	A. There are many benefits to becoming a mentor. These include an opportunity to develop your own skills; listening, questioning, motivating others. Don't forget you will learn from your mentee. A fresh perspective on ideas and plans is often quoted as being one of the gains to Mentors. Mentoring will improve your own confidence, knowing that your experience is valuable to others. Of course there is satisfaction from helping others to help themselves and realise their full potential.

	Q. Do I get paid, and reimbursed for my travelling expenses?
	A. Most organisations do not pay mentors for their services. Expenses, including travelling costs, are usually negotiated with the specific mentoring organisation.

	Q. How can I find out about taking part in a mentoring programme?
	A. Contact GMN for opportunities in Glasgow and keep an eye on this page under Mentoring Opportunities. Here you will find details of programmes actively recruiting Mentors.


MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES

If you think you would like to become a mentor, the following organisations are running mentoring programmes at the moment:

Glasgow Mentoring Network - co-ordinates New Deal Mentoring in Glasgow.

This is a programme supporting young people (usually 18-24 yrs) into work. If you have experience of gaining and sustaining employment, have excellent listening skills and can encourage positivity in others we need your help. Find out more here or contact Jacqueline Thomas on 0141 204 0721

Matches - supporting young people leaving care and young homeless people.

We know that when a young person leaves care they often have no friends or family to rely on and can end up feeling isolated and lonely. The aim of this project, run by the Big Step (Glasgow Careleavers Partnership), is to make it easier for young people leaving care to become independent and have some fun. To find out more about volunteering as a Mentor for this group contact Elizabeth Hall at The Big Step on 0141 572 0595

......More programmes and details to follow

ABOUT US | MENTORING | FORUM | CONTACTS US