Mani gets inspired

Keeping it real

Having never been a mentor before, Mani admitted that he did not know what to expect from the programme but entered with an open mind and readiness to support the young people in any way that he could. Coming from a similar background to many of the young people he was supporting, Mani shared that his aim was to bring his authentic self to each session to show the young people that there is no one way to act in order to be successful.

Practicing patience

Mani’s company was partnered with KS5 students from Cardinal Pole, a school and sixth form based in the Homerton area of the London Borough of Hackney. The team were extremely quiet when he first met them and as the sessions progressed, he discovered that his biggest challenge as a mentor was to practice patience and allow them to grow at their own pace.

Through this, he was able to recognise their different skill sets and individual strengths which helped him adapt his mentoring to each young person. Mani and his colleagues encouraged each young person to do something they weren’t too confident with, such as delegating tasks or generating ideas, to boost their confidence in these areas. This shone through at the final event, where the team drew on one another’s strengths to confidently present in front of an audience of other schools. Mani said this was his biggest highlight, as they had taken on board all of his advice, leading them to deliver a fantastic presentation.

A fulfilling experience

Mani’s journey as a mentor was fantastic to witness. Not only did the team of young people at Cardinal Pole make huge progress in their confidence and key skills as a result of his support, but Mani also left the programme feeling inspired by their sheer perseverance and enthusiasm to grow.