Charity Mentors support group for good causes is branching into West Sussex

Mentors and mentees discussing the issues that matter at Aldingbourne recently

Charity Mentors Sussex provides pro bono, short-term mentoring on a 1-2-1 basis to charities and non-profit enterprises across Sussex.

Back during those dark ‘lockdown’ months in 2020, and with the advent of online meeting technology, conversations began about extending the offering of mentoring services to charity leaders pan Sussex.

Originally, the idea of the then Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Sir Peter Field, the organisation of Charity Mentors had humble beginnings mainly in the Eastbourne area supported at the time both financially and with meeting room space by 3VA. But from operating with a handful of volunteer mentors back in the early days of 2017, the organisation has grown now to 25 volunteers all of whom have a superb track record of success in a vast array of business life.

Along the way in 2019, Charity Mentors ditched the ‘stabilisers’ and applied, successfully for charitable status themselves and have operated as a CIO ever since. Of course, the pandemic threw up the now well-versed challenges, but it is also possible to mentor 121 with the help of online technology. To date, over 100 mentoring placements have been completed.

Last month, Charity Mentors hosted an event for charity leaders at the Aldingbourne Country Centre where previous mentees were able to share their experiences of working alongside a mentor with others who were interested in doing so. Recently appointed, High Sheriff of West Sussex, Andy Bliss attended the event and said, “The evening enabled me to learn more about Charity Mentors and to meet charity representatives too. I also made lots of contacts at the meeting which was invaluable to me as the new High Sheriff.”

One recent mentee from a charity supporting better health and wellbeing, when asked what would have happened if they hadn’t worked with their mentor for the previous six months simply said, “I would have given up!”

Running a charity is a challenging job. Often daily ‘firefighting’ leaves little time for strategic thinking. There is usually no shortage of ideas but, in a world of scarce resources, the key issues facing an organisation are where the focus should be. Managers can feel isolated and unsure how to deal with factors affecting growth and progress, whether they have supportive trustees or not.

Speaking with someone else to get a fresh perspective can often help. Working with a mentor helps release your time to look beyond the service delivery and focus on how best to adapt to challenges that lie ahead. A mentor can help you process your thoughts to ensure you take the necessary steps to move forward.

If you’d like more information or are interested in working with a mentor, please email [email protected]