I think there's a real need for this mentoring scheme. In refugee communities, many organisations start up and disappear. It’s not just about fundraising; there can be a lack of experienced leadership in small organisations. I think Leaders Together could be a real support for organisations who want to develop. By continuously learning and growing, organisations can secure their future.

Grace Adok
Founder and Chair of
Latitude Care Network

Be a mentee

What is mentoring?

Mentors guide, motivate, encourage and inspire.

"Mentoring is a one-to-one, non-judgemental relationship in which an individual mentor voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another." The Home Office

Who are the mentors?

Mentors will be working at a senior level within a mainstream voluntary sector organisation. They will be chief executives and senior management staff working in areas such as fundraising, finance, human resources, senior management, development, communications or policy.

Mentors will undergo training which will cover mentoring skills as well as awareness of the needs and specific challenges faced by Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs).

Who can be a mentee?

Leaders and senior staff of RCOs are encouraged to take part. For example, you could be a coordinator, a director, a senior manager or a trustee.

There are limited places available on the project and we will normally only take on one person per organisation.

Although mentoring relationships are individual, the objective of the project is to build the capacity of RCOs. Mentees will therefore have to show commitment to the organisation they work with and the relationship will be focused around the development of this organisation.

The selection process will include a short interview.

What training and support will I receive?

You will be invited to attend an induction meeting prior to being matched with a mentor. At this meeting you will meet the project manager and learn more about how the mentoring relationship will benefit you and how it will work in practice.

Once you have been matched you will continue to receive support from the project manager and will have opportunities to meet other RCO leaders and mentors taking part in Leaders Together.

How will mentors and mentees be matched?

You will be asked to provide information about your skills, your needs and your expectations of the project. We will use this information to match you with a mentor with relevant skills and knowledge. You will also have a chance to discuss potential matches with the project manager. We take into account the needs of the RCO leader but also things such as proximity to each other, age, gender, background and interests.

We do understand that some matches just don't work so we have a procedure in place to deal with the situation if you're not happy with your match. The most important thing in ensuring a successful mentoring match is to make sure that both parties are absolutely happy from the outset.

What else is involved?

At the start of the relationship, each pair will define objectives and develop an action plan.

During the time you are involved in the mentoring process, the project manager will keep in touch with you to offer resources, support and find out about the progress you are making.

There will be Leaders Together networking events, offering you the opportunity to meet other mentors and mentees and learn from their experience and expertise. You will also be updated regularly on other events and opportunities that might be of interest.

At the end of the mentoring relationship, there will be an evaluation process to help mentors and mentees reflect on the mentoring experience and what they have learnt from it.

Where is Leaders Together running?

At the moment the scheme is only running in London, so if you wish to take part from outside of London, you must be able to meet with your mentor in London on a regular basis.

Please register your details here if you would like to be a mentee.

Register to be a mentee