Melissa Maynard

Why did you apply to the Members Support Fund?

Throughout furlough I had been volunteering with GEM to coordinate a mentoring programme and as a mentor. With my role being made redundant I’d spent some time considering what I enjoyed doing and how I might continue to do this and be better at it.

What struck me was that I loved mentoring, whether that was through working with young volunteers on projects, learning programmes or line management of staff and volunteers, and I’d never really had any formal training in this area. So I looked for training and then looked at my finances – with the situation at the time I would need some support to undertake the training, so I applied for the Members Support Fund for support.

How did you spend the money?

The funding I received went towards the costs of an ILM Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring course (results pending).

What did you learn?

This course provides a theoretical and practical basis for mentoring and coaching – what the difference between mentoring and coaching is, how these tools can be used in different contexts, using models such as GROW to shape conversations and understanding the ethics involved, as well as some of the more practical examples of contracting and record keeping. I’ve also become a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council as part of my continued professional development in this area.

How have you applied your learning?

My learning has been used through my continued role with the GEM One to One programme, supporting other professionals within heritage learning whether mentors or mentees. The role that mentoring and coaching have in compassionate leadership is immense and something that is more important now as we are going through so much change in society and the sector.

Anything else?

I’m extremely grateful for the MA’s Members Support Fund support as I wouldn’t have been able to undertake this training otherwise.