John Nicholls: Independent Consultant

John Nicholls is a volunteer business mentor with Bolton and Bury EBP. He regularly meets with his Year 10 student at Canon Slade School in Bolton.
		Here, John explains what motivates him to give his time in this way. Ten years ago I had virtually no idea what mentoring was all about. My local Education Business Partnership contacted my company and asked if we would be interested in becoming mentors for pupils in schools around the area.

Not entirely sure what I was letting myself in for, I signed up and imagined that this would probably be an interesting 'one-off' experience and no more. But I was wrong about that.Ten years on and I am still mentoring! For me it has become one of the most rewarding roles I have ever taken on and one which gives me the opportunity to make a positive difference in another person's life. A mentoring meeting can often be the highlight of my working week.

I've discovered that mentoring can flourish in a wide range of situations. Every mentoring relationship is unique and that's part of the fascination. From a mentor's point of view this means that you can't just rely on what you may have done before. In a way, you re-learn how to be a mentor every time you begin getting to know the young person you're supporting. You may be able to help with a short-term problem or you could be opening up possibilities for a young person which could take years to become a reality - it's something you can explore together.

Some mentoring relationships seem to have a special chemistry from the beginning while others may take longer to develop but either way there are usually very positive outcomes both for the young people and for the mentors themselves. I think what I enjoy most is building trust, sharing interests and giving encouragement. There are often quite a few laughs along the way too!

As I write this I'm preparing for my first meeting with a new pupil and wondering how it will all go. One thing I know for sure is that I wish I'd had a mentor when I was at school all those years ago!