Following extensive consultation with its members, Northern Soho has launched Mentor Match an innovative scheme which gives members the unique opportunity to work with experienced mentors working in the creative industries.

Northern Soho was set up by business women Sarah Cheal in June 2010, with the aim of raising awareness of the North West’s distinctive creative proposition, facilitating and encouraging a productive dialogue between the industry and client marketers, and to create greater collaboration between members.

This innovative mentoring scheme has been developed by the Really Useful Research & Development Consultancy and Next Ideas, with help from Northern Soho members including freelance graphic designer, Kate Wilde, who set up Kinder Creative after using the services of a mentor.

Kate said: “Working with a mentor helped me develop my confidence and was instrumental in making me decide to take the leap and go freelance, so I really understand the importance of this service.”

Kinder Creative designed the logo for Mentor Match and since launching in August, Kinder Creative has worked for a Manchester high school, collaborated with other designers and public relations agencies and has created work for a number of start-up businesses.

Sarah, who was recently nominated for the Forward Ladies ‘Not for Profit’ Business Women of the Year Award for Northern Soho said: "I am so pleased to see the results of everyone’s hard work over the last 12 months. This new service has been developed after a series of structured innovation sessions with members, facilitated by Next Idea…! Mentoring and Coaching was voted the number one activity that members wanted to see to help them develop their careers and further showcase the great talent that comes out of the region.”

Mentor Match will see Northern Soho members matched with independent and experienced high-level business mentors who will help them with their personal and business development. Mentoring will be delivered through a network of providers across the North West, from the largest agency group in the North of England to the smallest freelancers working on their own, and one-to-one sessions will be supplemented with a series of Mentor Match events in the coming months.

Northern Soho members can download a copy of the questionnaire by visiting www.northernsoho.com and then bring it along to any one of the special Mentor Meetups being held in 2012.

The next Mentor Meetup will be held on Thursday 26 January, 3-6pm at the Circle Club and it will be a drop-in clinic for anyone who wants to make an appointment or just “drop-in any-time” and “Meet a Mentor” and have a quick free-of-charge/no obligation discussion.

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Picture credits (from left to right): John Donaldson, Neil Lewis, Sarah Cheal, Stefan Bradley, Uncle John Ardern, Gordon Jones, Mike Cowburn, Trine Moore, Johanna Bolhoven and Mike Knudsen.

Photograph © 2011 by Alyson Blanchard Photography

About Northern Soho
Northern Soho currently has 317 members. It exists to support and promote the talents and strengths of the North West regions creative community that includes design, digital, marketing and communications professionals. To become a member individuals must pledge to donate just 12 hours of their time over a 12 month period to participate in activities that support the objectives of Northern Soho. There is also an opportunity to meet on the last Thursday of every month to share ideas on how to expand businesses, discuss successes and explore opportunities for collaborative working. Members have already worked together to support high profile initiatives such as the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation (www.dmsf.co.uk), In The City (www.inthecity.co.uk) and Salford University project, “Issue 25” (www.issue25.com).

Website: www.northernsoho.com
Twitter: @northernsoho