Hope in Haringey’s Mentoring programme took a step up going into the summer. Fourteen new trainees graduated at its Stratford Hotel mentor training event & existing mentors strengthened their knowledge and networks in the second ‘Mentor Meet Up’ at Bluecoats Pub.

 By Omar Alleyne-Lawler, Communications Manager

Hope in Haringey’s Mentor programme has been working hard to continue its month-on-month improvement, with June 2023 being marked as the 11th month under the charity’s new ‘Hope in Haringey’ name with two dedicated mentoring events.

Mentor training

Seasoned Trainer, John Brooker with his June 2023 trainee cohort

The first was its highly anticipated mentor training session. Hosted by long-time HiH trainer, John Brooker, the training session once again took place at the Stratford Hotel. Becoming a training base for the charity’s mentor programme over the past two years, the location’s familiarity helped the session draw fourteen attendees.

 

John Brooker coaches the June 2023 mentor cohort at the Stratford Hotel

It’s the highest number of trainees since the sessions moved from Zoom into face-to-face teaching following the end of lockdowns in 2021. This new milestone marks yet another effort by the charity to continue engaging Haringey’s denizens to share their platform and enrich the lives of young people.

Graduates of the training session leave The Stratford fully equipped with the skills of solutions-focused mentoring. The method, which has been around since the 1980’s is a technique that assists mentees to identify solutions for the challenges facing them.

Mentors meet up

Now with over 100 mentors registered and either in a mentorship pairing or soon-to-be-paired, an opportunity developed to see another promise fulfilled, allowing the mentors to network. Dubbed the ‘Mentor meet up’, it was the second of its kind since these events were launched last November.

Mentors take a brief break to hear from a keynote address.

This time taking place in the east of the borough at Tottenham’s Bluecoats Pub on June 14th, Hope in Haringey welcomed mentors in a networking and social night.

Open to newly graduated mentees, long-time mentors & mentors in between, the evening encouraged HiH’s mentors to come together, share tips and learn how to be better mentors by their peers.

 

Mentors in attendance said it was a “fun” evening, with groups of conversations breaking out to cover everything from mentor technique to personal interests, whether that included international news, the future of AI, or running a 5k.

The group of 14 mentors gathered at the Bluecoats for a social and networking evening.

Hope in Haringey’s Mentoring Manager, Hannah Whitehead thanked Mentors for their “voluntary contributions to the programme” and “to Haringey’s young people”. Reminding them that the charity is interested in their development, gave an update about additional training mentors can sign up for – including an upcoming safeguarding session over the summer.