The York Research Database

This paper presents the findings from a twelve month investigation into the role of a formal mentoring programme in the leadership development of third sectors leaders in Northern Ireland. To facilitate this investigation, we adopted a qualitative methodology which consisted of a two stage interview process; pre and post completion of the programme with both mentees and mentors. It was evident from the findings that the mentoring programme provided the mentees with an environment away from their daily working lives, with this environment evolving into a “safe space” over the year. In addition to this, this space facilitated the rapid development of sharing relationships within the programme which we refer to as “swift trust”. Indeed, swift trust emerged as a key enabler in the acquisition of both vocational and psychosocial support for the mentee and reverse mentoring for the mentor; thus reinforcing the notion of mentoring as a learning relationship.