Over five thousand volunteer business mentors join the Help to Grow: Management Course

Since August 2021, the Government’s flagship Help to Grow: Management Course has offered selected leaders and senior managers the opportunity to participate in a leadership training programme delivered by world-class business schools, and receive access to one-to-one mentoring from an experienced volunteer business mentor.

Volunteer business mentors can be anyone with a minimum of five years’ experience working in a business at a senior level or equivalent working closely with a small business. The time commitment for an individual mentor is ten hours over a period of twelve weeks.

The Help to Grow: Management Course offers mentors the opportunity to develop new skills and experience by being exposed to different business cultures and challenges. They can also benefit from access to free training from the Association of Business Mentors, which is recognised by the Institute of Leadership & Management.

In addition, volunteer business mentors can access a wide range of events that support them on their business journey and equip them with the knowledge to support their mentoring relationship further. In March 2023, the inaugural National Mentoring Matters Conference and Awards took place, bringing together mentors from across the UK to exchange ideas, celebrate the power of business mentoring and acknowledge individuals that have excelled during the course to date.

Two award-winning mentors for the Help to Grow: Management Course share their insights on the importance of mentoring.

Toni Sheppard, the ‘Best Mentor Award’ recipient, shared her thoughts: “As a volunteer programme with exceptional people at its heart, the Help to Grow: Management Course exceeded expectations. I was looking for a way to support small business owners first-hand and continue my learning. My mentees, Andrew and Laura, gave me the privilege of inviting me into their respective businesses, allowing me to gain personal insight and understanding of them as founders, leaders and individuals.

“Supporting my mentees against their personal and business goals and motivating them as they evolve their leadership skills has been particularly rewarding. They’ve both been brilliant by being accountable and applying the mindset to take action. It’s been a joy.”

Martin Robertson, the recipient of the ‘Outstanding Contribution Award’, describes his journey with the Help to Grow: Management Course: “Brilliant, insightful, interesting, beneficial and delighted to have been involved. My mentees have been fully immersed, open, honest and inspiring in our sessions. Being a mentor improves my experience and knowledge and gives me more confidence. Mentoring highlighted to me the importance of the person, their mindset and understanding their motivation and willingness to action plans. During this process, I have grown as a mentor.”

Join the thousands already signed up as volunteer business mentors by applying to be a volunteer mentor today – https://go.newable.co.uk/HelptoGrowMentorSign-up 

The national mentoring element of the Help to Grow: Management Course is being delivered by a partnership of Newable, Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors on behalf of the Department for Business & Trade.