A Birmingham City University employee has been announced as the West Midlands ‘Mentor of the Year’ at a special event held at Edgbaston cricket ground.
Nasrin Akthar, who works as a schools and colleges liaison officer at Birmingham City University, was given the award in recognition of her commitment to mentoring with Mosaic, HRH The Prince of Wales’ mentoring charity.
Nasrin has mentored on 12 separate Primary School programmes led by Mosaic over the last five years, as well as organising multiple ‘World of Work’ visits for students on Mosaic’s Secondary School mentoring programme. These visits give groups of young people the opportunity to spend a day with local, high-profile employers in order to encourage them to aspire to a rewarding career.
Mosaic’s Primary School programme pairs mentors from professional backgrounds with small groups of mothers and daughters in primary schools in order to foster high aspirations and to challenge some of the cultural stereotypes sometimes associated with parental expectations of daughters.
Nasrin said: “I have always considered volunteering with Mosaic as a blessing because of all the positive experiences I have seen many mentees and mentors, including myself, go through. Being given the West Midlands Regional Mentor of the Year award is completely unexpected and I feel so honoured. I cannot thank my fellow mentees, mentors, link teachers and Mosaic staff enough for all the support and amazing experiences they have allowed me to be a part of and I hope to remain part of the Mosaic West Midlands family for as long as they will let me!”
Mosaic was founded to inspire and support young people in some of the most deprived areas of the UK. Through its mentoring programmes in primary schools, secondary schools and prisons, as well as its flagship Enterprise Challenge competition, the charity uses mentors from a variety of professional backgrounds to encourage mentees to work hard and aim high.
After winning the regional title, Nasrin Akthar will now represent the West Midlands at the national Princess Badiya Mentor of the Year Awards taking place in London in September. Named in honour of Mosaic’s founding Chairman, HRH Princess Badiya bint El Hassan, a member of the Jordanian royal family, these awards recognise the highest standards in mentoring across Mosaic’s programmes.
Mosaic has recently become part ofThe Prince’s Trustin a move that will allow the charity to broaden its reach still further.