North Richmond Community Health Centre (NRCHC) provides primary and social services to disadvantaged individuals and groups in the City of Yarra. It’s mission is to “work in partnership with culturally and socially diverse communities to promote and improve equity, health and well being”. Like all community based organisations, volunteering plays an important part in learning opportunities particularly for employees.

When Jane Price, an employee from NRCHC was given a new position at the start of the year, which was also a new role for the organisation, it provided the ideal opportunity for a mentor/mentee relationship. Enter Clinton Licht from NAB who is now mentoring Jane. In Clinton’s role at NAB as Program Director, managing an eCommerce foreign exchange project, he brings with him an extensive skill set including “experience in large complex cross-border international environments”. This has provided Jane the opportunity “to discuss things from a technical point of view, such as business and financial concepts which are not part of our normal ways of working” says Sonia Martinez from NRCHC.

On a monthly basis they meet at a coffee shop in a relaxed and informal environment, which is rewarding for both participants. The mentoring has made a world of difference to Jane in respect to her “problem solving approach” and “thinking about things differently” says Sonia Martinez. It has also given her “more confidence in her ability to fulfil the brief of her new role”. For Clinton Licht, the experience has been just as satisfying. He says, “not only have I seen the improvement in my mentee, which in itself is extremely rewarding, but I have also gained a lot from this experience. I got to see another side of the community health system, how it works, their challenges, and all the good work that is being done by some dedicated persons. It gave me an opportunity to reflect on my experiences, and impart this experience onto my mentee...this was a definite win: win situation.”

Jane has “enjoyed the experience” in what is an ongoing partnership, particularly “having another perspective to bounce off, especially in doing things that are very new to her”. Clinton Licht says, the volunteering has allowed him “to reflect on how I have done things and navigated the complex world of commerce as well as knowing that I am giving back to the community”. The success of the mentoring means that Clinton is now being “referred onto other executives at the same level as Jane Price for mentoring”, says Sonia Martinez “if he has capacity to do so and we hope that “he will maintain connections with the individuals”.