An employee of Manchester-based debt solution provider, One Advice Group, has been chosen as the North West ‘Mentor of the Year’ at a special ceremony held in the city.
Jodi Hamilton, Head of Marketing, was given the award in recognition of her commitment to mentoring with Mosaic, HRH The Prince of Wales’ mentoring charity, which is part of The Prince’s Trust.
Jodi has mentored for several years at Newall Green High School in Wythenshawe, helping to deliver both Mosaic’s Secondary School programme and Enterprise Challenge competition. She has also recruited a number of colleagues to join her as mentors.
Mosaic’s Secondary School programme pairs mentors from professional backgrounds with young people in some of the most deprived areas of the UK. Mentors aim to improve students’ confidence, self-efficacy and employability and close the gap between those aspirations and their attainment.
The Enterprise Challenge, generously supported by the Apax Foundation and Qatar Charity UK, is Mosaic’s flagship programme. An annual competition for secondary schools, the initiative matches entrepreneurs with students in order to guide them in their development of a feasible, ethical and commercial business idea. The best teams get to showcase their idea by pitching it to a panel of expert judges in a Dragons’ Den style format.
Karl Grimes, Link Teacher at Newall Green High School, said: “The mentors at One Advice Group have made an outstanding contribution to the work of our Sixth Form. They have provided our students with invaluable advice and support and insight into the world of work. Their patience and dedication led to them developing an excellent rapport with our students.”
Jodi said: “The whole mentoring experience has been very rewarding and I want to say a particular thank you to the other mentors at One Advice Group who have also been involved. We make a great team and I continue to learn a lot about my colleagues thanks to Mosaic.
“Three of the students we mentored at Newall Green High School have already gone on to do apprenticeships or secure jobs, and that makes it all worthwhile. The school has been incredibly open and receptive, making the whole relationship work. I’ll be back with more colleagues from One Advice Group to mentor next year!”
After winning the North West title, Jodi will now represent the region at the national Princess Badiya Mentor of the Year Awards taking place in London in September. Named in honour of Mosaic’s founding Chairman, HRH Princess Badiya bint El Hassan, a member of the Jordanian royal family, these awards recognise the highest standards in mentoring across Mosaic’s programmes.
Mosaic has recently become part of The Prince’s Trust in a move that will allow the charity to broaden its reach still further.
