At our recent team away day, ambassadors Saveera and Liv joined staff to share their experiences as mentees and ambassadors. It was a valuable opportunity for our team to hear directly from young people about mentoring, confidence, future goals and the impact The Girls’ Network has had on their journeys. As a girl-centred organisation, we are committed to ensuring that the young women we work with are increasingly involved in shaping how we operate and the decisions we make as an organisation, so their voices continue to inform and strengthen our work. 

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Saveera reflected on the experience:

"I recently had the opportunity to be part of a panel with fellow ambassador Liv and The Girls’ Network, where I spoke about my experience as a mentee and what I value in a mentor. It was such a fun and inspiring event, and I really enjoyed answering questions, sharing my perspective and hearing from others.

I'm a second-year law student at the University of Birmingham and have attended The Girls’ Network Law Conference twice.

During the panel, I spoke about my journey through mentoring, the challenges I faced while working towards my goals and how having a mentor helped me feel more confident in myself and my future. It was really nice to reflect on my experience and speak openly with staff about the difference mentoring can make for young people."

Liv also shared her thoughts on the day:

"I spoke at The Girls’ Network team away day about my mentoring and ambassador journey. I travelled down from Liverpool to be part of it. Right now, I'm working as a teaching assistant with the Liverpool Empire Youth Theatre, and I'm about to start at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Acting has always been a huge part of my life, and everything I'm doing now is building towards that.

I actually turned up in a catsuit because I had to go straight to rehearsal afterwards, which pretty much sums up my life at the moment: busy, a bit chaotic, but doing what I love.

I really appreciated being part of the day. It meant a lot that the staff genuinely wanted to hear from young people and were open to listening to our experiences. I spoke about my growth, what I think could be better and what corporate partners should be thinking about when supporting young people. It felt like a space where I could be honest, and that kind of openness is really important."

Before hearing from Saveera and Liv, our staff were asked to share one word they associate with mentoring. Their responses captured so much of what mentoring means at The Girls’ Network:

• Inspiration
• Empowerment
• Confidence
• Guidance
• Support
• Growth
• Connection
• Networking
• Encouragement
• Opportunity

Listening to Saveera and Liv reminds us why young people's voices matter. Their honesty, insight and reflections helped us think about how we can continue to strengthen our programme and create even more opportunities for girls and young women to build confidence, broaden their horizons and believe in their potential. Huge thanks to Saveera and Liv for taking the time to join us and for being so open and honest about their experiences. 

Watch a short clip from the session, where Liv and Saveera share what individuals and organisations can do to make the biggest impact with young people: