Author: Lynsey Bastian

Scottish Mentoring Network
National Event & Recognition Awards 2019
Event Round Up & Award Winners

Scottish Mentoring Network held its National Event and Recognition Awards on Wednesday 13th November 2019 at St. Paul’s & St. George’s Church in Edinburgh. The conference was attended by over 80 delegates from 45 organisations, and was opened by Scottish Mentoring Network’s Chief Executive, Maureen Watson, along with SMN’s Chair, Allison Calder.
It was a very chilly morning in Edinburgh when the delegates at the event were introduced to the theme of the day—Influencing—by Mark Ballard, the Co-author of the Public Affairs Guide to Scotland: Influencing Policy and Legislation. Mark shared with the delegates his key ingredients to engaging with politicians and decision makers. His Keynote speech was the perfect introduction for the delegates to the theme which was threaded through the rest of the day’s programme.
Following this Keynote address, we got the delegates on their feet to participate in a facilitated networking activity—Find Your Match. In all the delegates name badges, we had placed one half of a jigsaw piece. The task for the delegates was to find the other person with the same number of jigsaw piece and when they had found them, find out the One Thing they had in common. We wanted to give delegates the opportunity to network with their fellow mentoring co-ordinators, but we also wanted to reflect the journey which mentors and mentees go on when they are first matched.
Once the delegates had the chance to find their match, it was time to move to the first round of SMN Recognition Awards for 2019. They were presented to the winning projects in each of the award categories:
Outstanding Practices in Safeguarding: Ypeople Calm Mentoring
Outstanding Practices in Mentor Development and Support: Growbiz Scotland Growbiz Mentoring Programme
Outstanding Practices in Staff Training and Development: Kirkcaldy YMCA Intandem Mentoring
Award for Most Promising New Project: University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Cares Staff Mentoring
Award for Championing Mentoring and Best Practice Sharing: Edinburgh Napier University Career Mentoring Programme
This year, Scottish Mentoring Network invited the winners of the category awards to participate in a Q&A session. Delegates were able to pose the question to the panel of winners via Sli.do, and discussed the successes and challenges that the co-ordinators had experienced whilst running their mentoring programmes.
After the panel discussion, the day progressed to the Network & Learning Discussions which were introduced by SMN Board Director, Fiona Ellis. The delegates were given the task of creating a short message designed to influence a decision maker. The messages were then collected on the SMN feedback wall, to help SMN to understand the messages that the members want to get across to key decision makers.
Following the roundtable discussions the AGM began with a round up of the last financial year’s activities. As there were vacancies on the SMN Board of Directors, there was a short election to recruit the new directors. Allison Calder from Rock Trust, was re-elected as a General Member Director, along with Alastair MacGregor from SSERC and Melanie Armstrong from Glasgow Caledonian University.
After the networking lunch there was a choice of five breakout sessions on offer. Sessions included: Exploring Online Learning, The Voice of Mentoring Scheme Leads, Behavioural Science and Mentoring, Dekko Comics and Reporting Using Stats and Stories: A Peer Learning Session.
This year at the National Event, SMN gave members the opportunity to give feedback via a voting system up on a wall. We asked the members what kinds of topics they would like to see from the upcoming networking events and presented highlights from last year’s networking events.
The day was concluded with the presentation of SMN Project Quality Award certificates to the projects that had achieved this over the past year.
The eight projects which have been awarded the Project Quality Award in the past year are:
GCU Outreach, Glasgow Caledonian University, M.E. Peer Support, Action for M.E., Aberlour Childcare Trust Intandem Mentoring, Kirkcaldy YMCA Intandem Mentoring, Aberdeen YMCA Plusone Mentoring, Central Halls YMCA Plusone Mentoring, Wise Group and Y Sort It Intandem Mentoring.
In addition to these, an additional projects have been reaccredited in the Project Quality Award, demonstrating a continued commitment to embedding good practice in all aspects of their mentoring work. This project is:
Y Sort It Buddy Up Mentoring
Following the presentation of the Quality Award certificates we then presented the final Recognition Awards which included Mentor of the Year which was presented to Ashley King of Kirkcaldy YMCA and Project of the Year which was presented to University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Cares Staff Mentoring Programme. There were two final presentations to recognise the contributions of Morag Cassidy, whose involvement in Scottish Mentoring Network and Glasgow Mentoring Network has been invaluable to the development of both these organisations. We also recognised the 10 Years of Distinguished Service given to Scottish Mentoring Network by Sarah Barr. We very glad to be able to recognise her achievements with the members, to show them our appreciation for her dedication to the organisation.
SMN Director Marie Duncan finally closed the day with a thanks to all the delegates and those involved in the event, particularly the two sponsors of the day: vLearning Solutions and MentorNet.

Award Winners—Category Awards

Scottish Mentoring Network Project of the Year 2019: University of Edinburgh
Contact: Aoife Keenan
The University of Edinburgh’s Undergraduate Peer Mentoring programme pairs new ‘widening participation’ students with a trained peer mentor to support their transition into university. This is a 1-1 mentoring relationship which aims to support new students with the development of skills and confidence around their academic, social, financial and personal development

Award Winners—Category Awards

Mentor of the Year 2019: Ashley King, Kirkcaldy YMCA
Ashley has mentored for Intandem since it began in 2017 and was nominated by Kirkcaldy YMCA for this year’s Mentor of the Year Award. The SMN Judging Panel was unanimous in its recognition that Ashley demonstrates the resilience that is the bedrock of mentoring. The Panel agreed with YMCA Kirkcaldy that Ashley deserves to be recognised and rewarded for the commitment and support she offers young people in Intandem in Fife despite her own devastating personal life events
Thank you to our sponsors, vLearning Solutions and MentorNet for supporting our event.

Award Winners—Category Awards

Outstanding Practices in Safeguarding 2019:
Ypeople Calm Mentoring Programme
Main contact: Laura Tierney
Ypeople deliver 2 mentoring projects: 1. The Calm Project The Calm Project offers mentoring to young people aged 12 to 18 who are involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, antisocial or offending behaviour. This project currently operates within the South of Glasgow. 2. Ypeer Mentoring Service (launching in November 2015) Our Ypeer Mentoring Service offers mentoring support to young people with care experience. All Mentors also have experience of care. This service is for young people aged 14 - 26 who live within Glasgow.

Outstanding Practices in Mentor Development and Support
Growbiz Scotland Growbiz Mentoring Programme
Contact: Clair Smith
Growbiz is a community-based enterprise support service covering Eastern and Highland Perthshire. They provide support to anyone thinking of becoming self-employed, or starting (or growing) a small business or social enterprise. They work right across the community including people from all backgrounds, and those with health issues or disabilities.
They offer a range of services including: one to one meetings with their enterprise co-ordinator, peer support, specialist advice, mentoring and training.
The concept of enterprise mentoring has been at the heart of their support since its inception in 2007.

Award Winners—Category Awards

Outstanding Practices in Staff Training and Development 2019:
Kirkcaldy YMCA Intandem Mentoring
Contact: Linda Watson
intandem is a mentoring programme in Fife run by Kirkcaldy YMCA, funded by the Scottish Government. It provides support to vulnerable young people aged between 8 and 14 years old. intandem is looking to recruit a team of mentors to work on a one to one basis with a referred young person. The mentors role is to build positive relationships with the young person, support them in making positive life choices and divert them into community based activities to help increase confidence and self esteem. intandem seeks to improve outcomes for children and young people who are 'looked after' children but still living at home.

Award for Most Promising New Project 2019:
University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Cares Staff Mentoring
Contact: Aoife Keenan
The University of Edinburgh’s Undergraduate Peer Mentoring programme pairs new ‘widening participation’ students with a trained peer mentor to support their transition into university. This is a 1-1 mentoring relationship which aims to support new students with the development of skills and confidence around their academic, social, financial and personal development

Award Winners—Category Awards

Award for Championing Mentoring and Best Practice Sharing 2019:
Edinburgh Napier University Career Mentoring Programme
Contact: Jo Haddrick
Our Career Mentoring Programme matches students with professional people are recruited and trained to support 3rd and 4th year students with their career planning. Mentors help students to prepare for the workplace including developing industry knowledge, self awareness and confidence to ensure they are fully prepared and ready to compete for graduate level employment. Students get the chance to meet with their mentor 4 times over the year in their mentor's place of work. The programme aims to raise student aspirations, broaden their horizons and support their transition into graduate level employment.

Highly Commended Mentors:

Aidan Lindridge
Aidrien Drocourt
Alan Proven
Alistair McDade
Balfour Beatty
Catherine Farmer
Clare Campbell
Donald Mcphater
Eleanor Urie
Edmund Murray
Ian Hudson
Jan Ward
Jenny Cameron
Jennifer Campbell
Jennifer Lindsay-Finan
Jennifer Martin
Jennifer McGroggan
Jennifer McKechnie
Kathryn Macrae
Leigh Hannan
Marie McKay
Paul Duncan
Rachel Milne
Robert Robertson
Sandra Clarke

Scottish Mentoring Network National Event & Recognition Awards 2019