We were delighted to partner with Grow to design and deliver a tailored coaching and mentoring development programme for staff and volunteers supporting young people aged 16–24 who face barriers to employment. Following the successful completion of the programme, we are proud to reflect on the learning journey, the impact achieved, and the valuable feedback received from participants.
Recent research has shown that mentoring is an effective tool to combat reoffending and support those leaving prison (Hean & Sæbjørnsen, 2023), (Lowther-Payne et al., 2024). In London, organisations such as Spark Inside, Switchback, and Standout are all using mentoring or coaching to help prison leavers turn around their lives. Continue reading
Pandemics, more wars than ever before, heat waves, melting glaciers and political upheaval: we are living in an era of increasing complexity, chaos and uncertainty: From VUCA to BANI, the ‘unpredictability of the world’ is greater today than ever before. Many people find it difficult to get used to the fact that ‘the old rules of “it won’t happen” and “basically everything will stay the same” are increasingly no longer valid,’ as psychologists Eva Lermer and Matthias Hudecek write in their book ‘Uncertainty’ [1].
Our winter season of short free mentor CPD is here. Our guest speakers will take you deeper into the use of an ikigai mindset, considering how mentoring can impact an organisation, exploring strength-based mentoring, using stories as a mentor and providing ongoing support for mentors. Please come and share some interesting ideas. It’s going to be an inspiring series of lunchtimes!
This autumn, a short series of free mentor CPD. Our guest speakers will take you from a framework for deepening mentoring conversation, via mentoring with Ikigai, to a discussion of mentoring and burn out. So come, meet some interesting people, eat your lunch maybe and definitely share some interesting ideas. It’s going to be an inspiring series of Monday lunchtimes!
Drawing attention to issues and hoping that they will be fixed or solved is normal. It’s what we do every day: There’s a problem, like a dripping tap or a flat tyre or the mobile phone has no power, and we ‘analyse the problem’ and fix it easily. But when it comes to people, like interpersonal and social problems, things get complicated. That’s why I think we need to change our approach and focus on finding solutions. And that starts with the being.
The multiple crises and chronic work overload have made “well-being” a top issue generally and especially in non-profit organisations. It is natural for NGOs to want to provide workplaces that promote rather than hinder well-being, but it is not always easy to do so.
I am still glowing with pride that I ran the London Marathon last week. Yes, I was very slow — 5 hours and 8 minutes to be precise! However, it is 19 years since I last ran a marathon, I am over 60 and have had three major operations since 2019, so I am actually thrilled with my result.
According to the CIPD, women over 50 are the fastest growing group in the workplace. With the average age of menopause being 51, more and more employees and employers are having to deal with this transition in the workplace. According to a recent survey of 2,000 women aged 45 to 67, conducted by Koru Kids; nearly 1 million women in the UK are considering leaving the workforce due to lack of support around the menopause.
One of our recent well-being webinars (How to be an Eco-Warrior) introduced us to a new climate change friend. Pendar Vatanian, a certified Environmental Management Systems Auditor, created a #ClimateDice game after working with schools for a decade. He hopes to boost children’s imaginations and help them to re-imagine an alternative positive future. Like us, Pendar is a firm believer in the positive power of the imagination, in business as well as education.
