Trustees Expand Our Board of Trustees Sue Rimmer-Wilson OBE (chair) Sue Rimmer-Wilson is Chair of The Girls’ Network and Vice Chair of Council at St George’s University of London. She is also a fellow of the RSA. Until July 2017, Sue was Principal and CEO of South Thames College for over 16 years and has over 30 years experience in the further education and skills sector. Sue has advised on and shaped a wide range of educational and skills strategies and policy developments at local, regional and national levels. Throughout her career, Sue has demonstrated a passion for and strong commitment to pursuing equality, diversity and inclusion. In addition to being CEO & Principal, Sue held a number of external positions including: Chair of the Association of Colleges (London Region), a Board member on the London Development Agency, Chair of London Capital Colleges; Chair of the Principal’s Professional Council; a trustee of the Helena Kennedy Foundation and a Commissioner for the All Parliamentary Group for Skills. Sue has a BA (Hons) in Sociology and Psychology and a postgraduate Certificate in Education. She was awarded the OBE in the 2011 New Year’s Honours list for services to Further Education. Hannah Essex Hannah Essex is Vice-Chair and Founding Trustee of The Girls' Network. She met Co-Founders Becca Dean and Charly Young while she was Director of Communications at Teach First. They told her about their idea for what became The Girls' Network - she was immediately hooked and has been involved ever since. A life-long feminist, Hannah is passionate about improving the life chances of the least advantaged young people and creating a more equal and inclusive society. Hannah is employed as Co-Chief Executive at the Society of London Theatre, a role she shares with her long term job share Claire Walker. Hannah and Claire joined the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre in September 2022. This is their third role together as a partnership. They are considered trailblazers in the concept of co-leadership, proving it can have significant benefits in terms of innovation, influence and relationships. Hannah and Claire were previously Co-Executive Directors of the British Chambers of Commerce between 2018-2022 working on behalf of their members on critical issues such as Brexit, Covid and workforce. They are regarded as two of the most effective, credible and tenacious influencers in Westminster and were both recently recognised as two of the Top 100 Women in Westminster by House Magazine in 2022. Michelle Rodrigues Michelle joined the Board of Trustees of The Girls’ Network in 2018. Having studied law at Cambridge University, she spent 11 years as a Corporate lawyer at City practice Taylor Wessing before moving to financial services firm Instinet Europe Limited, a Nomura company, where she currently serves as General Counsel. Her area of specialism is Corporate Governance and in 2020 she received an award for Excellence in Governance at the European Women in Finance Awards. Michelle is passionate about The Girls’ Network’s mission to connect girls from the least advantaged communities to professional female mentors, having had personal experience of the positive impact of mentoring during her teenage years. Lauren McCluskey Lauren joined the Board of Trustees of The Girls’ Network in 2023 and is the Chair of the Finance & Risk Committee. Having studied at St Andrews University she qualified as an accountant with Deloitte, gained experience in several senior finance roles before joining AAB and becoming head of Virtual Finance function in 2018. She focuses on providing support for complex charities and AIM listed businesses. Lauren is passionate about The Girls’ Network’s mission to connect girls from the least advantaged communities to professional female mentors to empower them to see a future outside of their situation.
Chief Executive Officer Expand Becca Dean MBE Becca Dean MBE co-founded The Girls’ Network over 11 years ago with a mission to ensure that no girl’s future is limited by her gender, ethnicity, background, or parental income. Returning as CEO in 2025, Becca brings a commitment to empowering girls from the least advantaged communities to realise their potential and achieve their ambitions. Becca is a social entrepreneur, education leader and advocate for equity. An ex-English teacher and Teach First Ambassador, Becca has founded and led multiple education initiatives, including a pioneering literacy programme in the South East that combined creative learning environments with one-to-one support to raise aspirations and attainment. Her leadership and impact have been widely recognised: MBE for services to young people (2020) Forbes 30 Under 30 in Social Impact (2018) Stylist Magazine Prix Award winner (2017) Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award finalist (2017) Honorary Doctorate from the University of Portsmouth for services to education and social mobility Becca is an experienced charity leader with a track record of building and scaling impactful programmes, securing investment, and working in partnership with government, corporates and communities. Through The Girls’ Network and her wider work, Becca has supported thousands of teenage girls to develop confidence, skills and networks, ensuring they feel seen, heard and able to pursue their ambitions. Becca’s vision and dedication remain at the heart of The Girls’ Network, driving its mission to build a world where every girl and young woman can reach for her unlimited future.
Managing Director Expand Em Lowe Em is an experienced senior executive leader, she has gained varied expertise during a career spent in the military and for the last twenty two years in further education. Her expertise includes problem solving, relationship building, resilience, strong leadership skills, coaching and mentoring and a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. She has led a large college group through three successful Ofsted inspections over the past decade demonstrating improved outcomes and student experience. Her previous role was Deputy CEO for a large and complex college group with £93 million budget.
Programme team Expand Head of Programmes and Impact: Kate Allen National Programme Manager: Amy Longley-Cook Data and Impact Manager: Caroline Appleton Safeguarding Policy Support: Faye Oliver Programme Coordinator and Administrator: Sabyna Sackey Regional Programme Lead London: Iman Najeeb Regional Programme Lead London: Lena Jensen Regional Programme Lead North West: Ellie Birkett Regional Programme Lead North East: Lauren Patterson Ambassador Community Ambassador Community Lead: Rabina Khan
Operations Expand Director of Operations and Finance: Christine Knight People and Culture Manager: Tejal Navnit
Fundraising and Communications Expand Head of Fundraising: Rebecca Searl-Stevens Fundraising and Partnerships Manager: Grace Keane Partnerships Manager: Amy King Communications Manager: Sadie Carr Simons
What do I do if I have a concern about a mentee’s safety or wellbeing, or my mentee makes a disclosure? Expand We have a comprehensive section on safeguarding in our online training. For more information or support with safeguarding while you are volunteering on a programme, please contact your Regional Programme Lead.
Do mentors get paid or receive expenses? Expand We don’t want expenses to be a barrier for anyone becoming a mentor. Apart from local travel for in-person sessions or basic costs for connecting online, we do not expect you to incur expenses.
How do I apply? Expand You can view upcoming programme cycles and submit your application with us via The Girls Network webpage. Read more about our application process here.
How much choice do I have about and how/where, I mentor? Expand Mentors are encouraged to review The Girls' Network regions at the application stage. The location of in-person mentoring and the timings of sessions are usually fixed per the school or college you are matched with. Mentor sessions typically take place at the end of the school day, during the working week. If you are mentoring online, please note that the mentee you are paired with could be located anywhere in England.
How do you match mentees and mentors? Expand Matches are typically based on shared interests, geographical location, and availability of mentor and mentee places per programme. We collect information from both mentees and mentors through application forms and prioritise based on shared interests. Our Regional Programme Leads are brilliant at making matches. While this is not an exact science, we do our best to ensure you and your mentee feel comfortable and equipped to go on the mentoring journey together.
How are young people selected to receive mentoring? Expand The Girls' Network has clear eligibility requirements for mentees. Mentees, as well as their parents or carers, must provide written consent to engage in our programmes. It is important that mentees are given the choice to receive mentoring and that engagement is not forced. In addition, we encourage schools to refer girls to our mentoring programmes if they: Are eligible for free school meals (or close to this threshold, including students receiving a bursary) Are on a social care plan Are in care or a care leaver Are a young carer Are a young parent Are the first generation in their family likely to attend higher education Are a young refugee or asylum seeker Are living in poverty Are living in insecure housing and/or temporary accommodation Are under 18 and living independently Come from a diverse background, including Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic communities Come from a marginalised community (for example, living in poverty or insecure housing) Are academically high achieving but lack access to extra-curricular opportunities or networks to compete with more advantaged peers Lack access to positive female role models or supportive communities Lack confidence or a sense of self-worth Are underachieving and in need of external motivation and support to develop the skills needed to succeed Are unlikely to engage in a voluntary programme that takes place outside school or college settings. All schools using The Girls' Network mentoring programmes will have already engaged in a set of workshops designed to inspire and empower girls with these characteristics.
How do you work with schools and colleges? Expand Schools and colleges often approach us or select programmes they would like to receive from The Girls' Network. We are particularly interested in working with schools and colleges that are high up on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, where girls are likely to experience intersectional barriers to access around education and life chances.
Why do young people need volunteer mentors? Expand Life for young people today, particularly for girls, can be incredibly challenging. Declining mental health, low self-esteem, anxiety, and loneliness are just some of the issues the young people we support are struggling with. Yet, when you begin your journey with your mentee, all you'll know are the things that truly matter: their interests and the hopes they hold for the time they'll spend with you. You'll be a positive role model in their lives, making a difference one step at a time.
What is not a mentor's job? Expand Mentoring is not counselling, therapy, or formal teaching. The golden rule is to guide rather than solve problems for your mentee. The most crucial skills for a mentor are active listening and remaining mentee-led.
What will I be doing during the mentoring sessions? Expand You will act as a positive role model, supporting your mentee to build confidence, develop career readiness, and inspire ambition. You will also act as a sounding board, helping your mentee explore choices, set personal goals, and work through challenges. Mentors are supported by The Girls' Network Regional Programme Leads, who are always on hand during sessions.
Who do I turn to for support? Expand Every programme has a designated Regional Programme Lead. If you ever need advice or a sounding board, they are there to mediate and support you in the role.
How long does volunteer mentor training take? Expand Our online training takes about 2 and a half hours. Mentor training is crucial as it helps you develop essential mentoring skills that will make you an effective mentor.
Can I meet or communicate with my mentee outside of our mentoring sessions? Expand No. Mentoring sessions are limited to in-school or in-college time only. Mentors and mentees do not exchange personal details or communicate outside of sessions, including via social media platforms.
Where can I meet my mentee? Expand All mentoring sessions are arranged and supervised by our Regional Programme Leads. In-person mentoring sessions take place in a single space, on site at a school or college, alongside a number of other mentor-mentee matches. If you are mentoring online, mentors will be given a link to join the virtual meeting and will meet with their mentee in a breakout room organised by their Regional Programme Lead.
Are the days and times of mentoring sessions fixed, or is there some flexibility about when meetings happen? Expand The Girls' Network supports schools and colleges on site, which means mentoring sessions are typically fixed to specific dates where education providers can accommodate the delivery of our programmes. The way in which mentoring happens (face-to-face or occasionally online) will be determined by the school or college to fit in with their timetables, usually just after the end of the school day.
What is the time commitment and where can I mentor? Expand Our mentoring programmes run in six-month cycles, primarily across the following regions: North East, North West, London, and the South Coast. Please note that the schools and colleges we work with change from time to time and may vary across each mentoring cycle. Mentors are expected to attend a set monthly in-person sessions at a school or further education provider in one of our programme regions. Each session typically lasts 60 to 90 minutes, excluding travel time. Sessions usually take place just after the end of the school day, during the working week.
I have a DBS check, do I need another one? Expand If you are on the update service, we will need to confirm this so that your DBS check is up to date and you hold an enhanced check specifically for this volunteer role.
Are background checks required? Expand Yes. Since mentors work with children and young people, you will be invited to Your Match Chat, a short conversation to explore why you would like to become a mentor. Following this, we will complete an enhanced DBS (police) check, which is covered by The Girls' Network. We will also collect two references for you, typically one professional and one personal. Read more about our application process here.