Thrive Whanganui invites applications for mentoring programme for community and social enterprise leaders

Participants in the 2018 pilot programme (from left) Jay Rerekura, Christina Emery, Jason Shailer, Nicola Patrick, Melany Davy, Melita Farley, Jacqueline Brand-Holt, Judy Kumeroa and Lee Williams.

Community and social enterprise leaders are being offered the chance to develop through a mentoring programme.

Thrive Whanganui, a charitable trust established in 2018 to enable profit-for-purpose enterprises to flourish from Whanganui, is partnering with The Mentoring Foundation to provide the programme. Thrive Whanganui ran a successful mentoring pilot programme in 2018.

The programme is funded by the Tindall Foundation and fills a gap not met in the community, Thrive Whanganui's program director and mentoring co-ordinator Nicola Patrick said.

"The Mentoring Foundation founders have worked with local partners such as Thrive to establish a programme designed by the community sector, for the community sector," Patrick said.

"Our 2018 pilot has shown that with the right selection of mentors and orientation, our community leaders can benefit from the confidential support and positive challenge a mentoring relationship offers."

Thrive is recruiting new potential mentors and mentees to participate in the six-month programme which starts at the end of April. The programme costs $150 for mentees and the mentor role is voluntary.

"As well as our orientation that helps make the most of a mentoring relationship, we offer networking events to build connections between participants and have some fun," Patrick said.

Feedback from the 2018 Whanganui was positive, with both mentees and mentors getting great value from the connections, she said.

The programme begins with orientation at 5.30pm on Monday, April 29, and runs until September. Interested people can apply online at www.mentoringfoundation.org.nz/our-programmes/. The co-ordinator will contact applicants to confirm their suitability for the programme and arrange mentoring matches.

Email any questions to Nicola Patrick at info@thrivenow.org.nz or phone 06 348 9902 or 027 871 6459.