First UK-wide mentoring scheme for the charity sector goes live

THE Charity Mentoring Network, which has already gained 40 members since its launch in October 2023, now welcomes more mentors and mentees to connect.

The Charity Mentoring Network, the first UK-wide mentoring network for the charity sector, is now live. Since the project launched three months ago, 40 charities have signed up and have been recruiting mentors for the platform. Today marks the next milestone for the network as the matching process starts for mentors and mentees (those looking to be mentored) to start the matching process.

The brainchild of Martin Baker, founder and CEO of The Charity Learning Consortium, the network will be accessible to all 200,000 UK charities. Baker commented:

“We have been blown away by the interest of so many charities, large and small. Today is a big day for the network as the matching process starts. There is a huge appetite for mentoring in the sector and it is great to see technology supporting this exciting approach to employee and organisational development.”

The Charity Mentoring Network has partnered with PushFar, a professional mentoring platform. Charities can sign up mentors and mentees via the platform, which will then match mentors and mentees, drive the mentor/mentee relationship through nudges and regular communications (mentoring relationships often falter after the first conversation) as well as collect valuable data, such as participant numbers and hours, goals achieved and so on.

Charities signed up to the network include Alzheimer’s Society, St John Ambulance, Shelter, Action Aid, Sue Ryder, Plan UK International, Parkinson’s, Thames Reach, St Mungo’s, Teach First and the Nuffield Foundation.

Martin Botting, a human resources business partner at the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, the Royal Air Force’s leading welfare charity, says the network will help provide development opportunities for colleagues.

He said:

“I’m excited by the opportunity that the Charity Mentoring Network gives my workforce to access willing and appropriate external mentors in a sector that struggles to articulate its quirks to the wider working world. I hope that those mentoring or being mentored at the RAF Benevolent Fund enjoy their development experiences, and make positive changes to the way they work for the benefit of our beneficiaries.”

Siddikha Mirza, learning and organisational development lead at global children’s charity Plan International, is excited to see the impact of technology on the mentoring process:

“Bringing the age-old concept of mentoring into the new digital age of algorithms and matchmaking is really exciting. I hope this contributes to our ambition of cultivating an organic learning culture.”

In the next phase of the development of the network, corporates will be invited to participate in this skills and knowledge transfer, with private sector employees being able to use their charity and volunteering days to act as mentors.

The cost of small charities joining will be covered by corporate sponsorship of the network. Small charities (under 50 employees) can use the service free of charge, while medium-sized charities pay £500 a year, big charities £1000 a year and huge charities £2000 a year.

To find out more about the Charity Mentoring Network, please visit: www.charitymentoring.net. The network also runs monthly virtual coffee mornings for charities wanting to find out more.