Unlocking volunteers' potential

Confidence, growth and empowerment are among the best takeaways from a new mentorship scheme underway in Taupō, say its first wave of participants.

Experienced professional mentors are matched with governance volunteers in what organisers are hoping will become an ongoing programme.

The first set of 12 mentor and mentee pairings are halfway through their six-month programme, which is organised by Taupō Council of Social Services with help from Mentoring Foundation of New Zealand.

Co-ordinator Joan Mcbeath said the scheme was aimed at helping out those who had put a hand up to help in the community, but might need to develop the skills needed for the role.

“A lot of people find themselves in a governance role because they are passionate about a charity or organisation. This setup is there to advance their knowledge.”

The mentors come from a range of backgrounds and an important part of the success of the scheme is matching both skills and personalities, said Mcbeath.

“It’s very individually needs-based, and the one-to-one setup is the ideal learning experience.”

The method has worked well for mentee Alivia Roberts, who is working with Gallagher group booking manager for commercial, Rebecca Cook.

Roberts was already the coordinator for Taupō Neighbourhood Support when she was approached for a governance role at Taupō Council of Social Services.

“When I first joined, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really 100 per cent sure what I’d be getting into.

“I remember going to the first meeting and we were launching straight into a strategic review.”

However, working with Cook had given her a massive confidence boost, said Roberts.

“When I first met Rebecca, we sat down and talked about my goals, what I wanted out of it and where I wanted to grow as a committee member. Lots of the things [she] taught me, I’ve gone ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’, but sometimes you just need the opportunity to talk about it.”

Cook said the experience has been valuable for her as a mentor, too.

“It’s made me reflect and look back on things that I may have done in my earlier years and what I’ve learned.

“I really like being able to pass that down.

Organisers plan to run another sixmonth programme next year. For details contact co-ordinator Joan Mcbeath at 021 322732 or joan. mcbeath@gmail.com