About us

Charity Mentors began in late 2016 as Charity Mentors East Sussex.

In November 2019 we became a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) covering the whole of Sussex, renaming ourselves Charity Mentors Sussex and adding significantly to our expert team of volunteer mentors.

The idea and initial operating model for Charity Mentors in Sussex came from a similar organisation based in Oxford, Charity Mentors Oxfordshire.

A voluntary and free scheme, mentoring for leaders in the Third Sector is provided by volunteer senior managers and specialists. It costs nothing other than commitment and energy from the mentee.

 

Alison Lake is the project co-ordinator and has the role of recruiting new mentors and mentees, and importantly finding the ‘best fit’ mentor to the proposed mentee.

Mentors are provided with back up and support on a regular basis.

So, who would benefit as a mentee from the scheme?

Well, pretty much anyone who has a leadership role within a charity, community group or not-for-profit business, no matter how small, and who has either a specific issue or general strategic directional issue that they’d welcome support with.

A mentor will encourage and help a mentee to think through issues and assist them to come to their own solutions and conclusions. The scheme has an extensive team of experienced mentors, most of whom have held senior roles within their chosen field.

Charity mentors offers short-term strategic support usually between a three and four-month term.

Here are some areas where mentors have helped previously

  • producing fundraising plans

  • identifying resource requirement

  • assisting with job descriptions

  • working through trustee issues

  • guiding the production of strategic plans and board presentations

  • focusing managers on short-term priorities

  • working through financial structures and reporting issues

  • helping to set priorities in legal disputes

…and generally supporting and encouraging managers in clarifying options and articulating decisions.

Put simply, there’s not a lot they haven’t done!

So, if you think this could be for you, please get in touch with Alison in the first instance; you can email on info@charitymentors-sussex.org.uk or call on  07521464975