Having the opportunity to work through issues with an expert and supportive mentor who sits outside the organisation and can offer different perspectives and insights is very valuable.  The role of a CEO can be a bit lonely and having someone to support you and to listen is a great opportunity.

Thalia Jervis, CEO

My mentor was a great match for me both professionally and from a personal perspective. It’s been invaluable to have the opportunity to talk to someone who is experienced and has been through many of the same challenges that I face as a CEO, and someone who can probe and ask questions to help me find solutions.

Chris Higgins, Executive Director

I knew that I would benefit from mentoring to provide space for greater reflection on how to lead International Tree Foundation.  Working with a Charity Mentors mentor has provided an opportunity to have a sounding board and wise head when thinking about important areas of our charity’s future and how to navigate them.

James Whitehead, CEO

My mentor's support has been outstanding. I have felt well supported while also pushed to extend and develop my thinking and also to consider other approaches to solving problems.  My first year as a charity leader has been a bit of a rollercoaster and I have very much appreciated having the support of an experienced mentor throughout. Mentoring has allowed me to talk openly about my experiences and reflect on myself as a leader - both on my strengths and areas for improvement - in a supportive, positive space.  Thank you, Charity Mentors Oxfordshire!

Louise Sansom, Senior Manager

Giving leaders the opportunity to take the space and time to reflect in a safe and confidential environment is an invaluable investment of time. It enabled me to look at the ‘big picture’ of our work as well as the detail. Perhaps, more important to me, was the opportunity to think deeply about personal attributes that were holding me back both in terms of professional relationships but also in making effective decisions. There are several conversations professionally that I would not have had without the mentoring, and these conversations have taken me further in my understanding of both what I and the organisation needs.

Bea Stevenson, Head of Education

I think it was important that my mentor had an understanding of working for a small charity from a CEO perspective, but it was equally important that she had knowledge and experience of how charities and boards should function, as it was in this area that we lacked understanding. She perfectly combined both perspectives.  The mentoring absolutely helped me to improve my self-confidence, feel supported, address priorities and make changes. I am so grateful for everything Charity Mentors and my mentor, have done for us.

Caroline Colclough Moss, CEO

Having a mentor allows you time to think, develop and lead with confidence. I wanted to regain focus in my role and to plan the future strategically at a time when the voluntary sector is under considerable strain. Working with a Charity Mentor has supported me in achieving these things and I feel more in control (although time management is a work in progress!).

Katrina Horne, Chief Executive Officer

I have benefitted hugely from your mentoring support. It has emboldened me to focus on aspects of strategy and governance that I felt needed addressing but lacked the conviction and confidence to do. All in all it feels like a successful outcome and one which I would very much like to thank you for. Your time, consideration and wealth of experience have been both welcomed and valued. I have no doubt that many other professionals like myself will benefit from your support in the future.

Fiona Steel, CEO

Charity Mentors are able to provide a sounding board, provide feedback, give you the confidence to ensure that your organisation can be sustainable and financially viable.

They are friendly with the ability to share their skills with you in such a way that becomes second nature.

Dawn Golder, Executive Director

The opportunity to discuss the work of our charity with someone outside the organisation but with relevant experience and understanding was a great help with prioritising and preparing an achievable development strategy. Our mentor helped us develop a clear plan and focus on the areas that were important in a coherent way. We now know what we need to achieve and how we may do this. Before we had ideas but nobody to bring them all together and highlight the priorities for our vision. The service was so personalised to our needs – I think this was what helped us the most. Some courses, advice are more generalist. I found it so helpful to have that tailored 1:1 support.

Amy Spicer, Team Leader & John Hulett, Chair

Charity Mentors has enabled me to reflect on the very purpose One-Eighty was set up, and think about the motivations and aims we wanted to achieve in addition to acknowledging how far we have come in a short period of time. That has supported me, as the CEO, to be re-fuelled with enthusiasm and motivation to inspire my growing team in order to achieve our goals and ultimately change the lives of more young people and families we work with through our services. Having a Charity Mentor is a great way to help you to re-focus on the priorities of your organisation, and help you to plan and organise your ambitions for your organisation in an inspirational and structured way from a perspective of someone who has experience and the understanding of a growing organisation.

Susie Besant, Co-founder and CEO

Working with Charity Mentors has enabled a step change in how we approach our charity. With fresh perspective and broad experience the mentor has supported us in recognising our value in the local community and how we can best articulate it to our partners, parents and individuals we support.

The mentor’s approach was careful, supportive and forward thinking and enabled me to take a step back and see a bigger picture. It has given me more clarity about our Charity direction. In addition I feel more empowered and confident in driving the Charity forward.

Mark Heelis, Strategy Manager

Most CEOs recognise the need/value of developing and reviewing such things as their organisation's strategic plan but often struggle to find the time.  Charity Mentors provides the catalyst, expertise and the opportunity to put specific time aside for this important activity.  I found the whole process to be time well spent.

Bryan Michell, Charity Coordinator

We all need challenging sometimes. Charity CEOs don’t have shareholders to answer to or shareholder value to create. Trustees can perform this role but, as a trusted outsider, a Charity Mentor can help by enabling you to rise to these challenges in your own way and enable you to focus on what is important. Three to six months with a Charity Mentor is the perfect antidote for a stressed-out over-burdened Charity CEO.

Richard Snow, CEO

It was really helpful to step back and get independent support to reflect and plan. My mentor used his mentoring skills to help bring clarity to my thinking and his previous experience of being a CEO as well as chair of trustees was very helpful. He helped me see the necessity of prioritising to reduce/avoid being overwhelmed and I am now being much more boundaried in my approach to the work.

Lucie Mayer, Chairperson

I would whole-heartedly recommend Charity Mentors. It has been a great support, offering tailored mentoring to enable reflection and helping me to have a clearer focus of my role within the organisation: how best to prioritise my time and effort to support the charity; being clear about the role of Chair of Trustees and how that differs from the CEO’s roles and responsibilities; considering the current governance arrangements and support for the CEO; and, considering risks and opportunities for the charity.

Peter Wallis, Chair of Trustees

You would have to be a little bit crazy, as the leader of a small charity, not to want to take advantage of the free input of someone with this level of experience and skill. Even if your charity is working brilliantly, a fresh pair of eyes might help you see what you have missed. All leaders need to be open to learning and growth; this will benefit both your charity and you as a leader. If you’re too busy to consider it, you need it even more!

Jayne Joyce, Project Lead

Before working with my mentor, I often felt that we lacked momentum and that the same issues kept coming up with no sustained strategy for dealing with them. The Project is constantly evolving, and while some of the major issues have not been entirely resolved, I feel that we now have a better sense of direction. I would particularly emphasise the opportunity mentoring gives to discuss your aims and objectives in a thoroughly exploratory way, and how much confidence it gives you to have someone reflect back to you what you have actually achieved.

Liz Horn, Chair