Creative Manchester

Northern Soho’s MentorMatch Scheme goes from strength to strength

Northern Soho’s innovative MentorMatch scheme, which gives its members the unique opportunity to work with experienced mentors working in the creative industries, has recently celebrated its one year anniversary and has to-date helped over 100 creative professionals.

Introduced in February 2012, the region wide scheme run by Northern Soho, matches creative and marketing professionals to independent and experienced high-level business mentors, helping them make career and personal development decisions.

Following a successful first year, the scheme has continued to receive major support and now boasts a panel of 12 business mentors who have helped their mentees with a range of issues including:

• Starting a new business;
• Providing advice and guidance following redundancy;
• Personal profiling and assessment;
• Member collaborations;
• Self-confidence building;
• New business planning.

One of the scheme’s mentees, freelance graphic designer Kate Wilde, set up Kinder Creative after using the services of a mentor.

Kate said: “Working with a mentor helped me develop my confidence and was instrumental in helping me decide to take the leap and go freelance, so I really understand the importance of this service.

One year on and following an extensive review process with both the mentors and mentees, the scheme is bigger and better than ever, with new features including:

• A developed website - www.northernsohomentormatch.com;
• Partnership and networking opportunities with Northern Soho partners including the Business Growth Hub, Business Best Practice Network (BBPN) and National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS);
• Widening participation beyond Northern Soho to include the North of England creative industries;
• On-going professional and personal development for the mentors.

John Ardern, Founder of the Really Useful Research & Development Consultancy who coordinates MentorMatch, said: “The scheme has developed beyond our expectations and we are delighted with the response from members. We have developed a core of really experienced, trained mentors for the scheme, but surrounded by a fuller circle of other mentors, coaches and experts with a wide range of specialist skills and services, from retail to digital marketing, from money to health and nutrition, all ready, willing and able to help creative professionals achieve their goals in life and in business.

Mentees on the scheme work in a range of creative industry sectors, from fashion to digital, design to training and marketing to illustration. John continues:

“MentorMatch remains committed to specialising on the needs of the creative and marketing services industry, especially younger people, those entering the industry for the first time, starting out as freelancers/setting up own businesses or those at a “cross-roads”, e.g. after redundancies.. Our help and support ranges from full mentoring programmes, coaching for specific goals, to just “a listening ear” or “a shoulder to cry on”.”

Sarah Bradley, Founder of Northern Soho, said: "I am so pleased to see the results of everyone’s hard work over the last 12 months. Mentoring and Coaching was voted the number one activity that members wanted to see to help them develop their careers and further showcase the great talent that comes out of the region, and we are well on the way to achieving this.”

To find out more about MentorMatch click here.

About Northern Soho

Northern Soho is approaching 700 members. It exists to support and promote the talents and strengths of the North West regions creative community that includes design, digital, marketing and communications professionals.

There is an opportunity to meet on the last Thursday of every month to share ideas on how to expand businesses, discuss successes and explore opportunities for collaborative working.

To become a member individuals must pledge to donate just 12 hours of their time over a 12 month period to participate in activities that support the objectives of Northern Soho.

Members have already worked together to support high profile initiatives such as the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation (www.dmsf.co.uk), In The City (www.inthecity.co.uk) and Salford University project, “Issue 25” (www.issue25.com).

To find out more about Northern Soho click here.

Twitter: @northernsoho