Blogs

Mentoring a number of individuals representing many different route ways to the sector (including volunteers, undergraduates, private business owners and post graduates) recently left me with an interesting dilemma that I have been thinking about. Individuals with social ideas are being pushed into ‘social enterprise’ as a way of getting funding even though they do not understand the implications of joining the sector is about income generation not funding.  This particularly seems to b...

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I am a mentor to a number of students and its been a real learning opportunity for both the mentee and the mentor.  I think the relationship between the mentor and mentee is very important and is a very personal relationship as well as a professional one.  Just as much as the knowledge of the mentor, you must feel comfortable and happy about their approach and what you want from your mentoring.  I have a excellent mentor who is the vice chair of the local NHS Primary Care Trust.&n...

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 Delivering the last session of a course of 'Community Champions' in the Midlands made me realise how sometimes we miss the most obvious things in empowering and working with communities. This course was delivered to mainly tenants of Registered Social Landlords and was aimed to improve the community relations across different housing estates.  It was one of the first times I was asked to deliver this type of course to the mainstream British population (if there ever was such...

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 Last Monday I was asked to facilitate a workshop and speak at a new forum in Leeds aimed at empowering Muslim Women.  Being rather suspect of these types of forums I was quite apprehensive initially as it was coming from PVE money(which many swear has been blessed by the devil itself and curses anyone for life for touching any of its money...) .  Anyway ended up being roped into a very dynamic and interesting debate on what the issues are for Muslim women in "1st Century Bri...

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