An immersive learning experience for women leaders who are ready to do things differently
"I learned as much in [this programme] as I have from years of training and professional mentoring.
A wholly unique and rewarding experience. I've felt supported, challenged and completely inspired."
—Mylinh Cao, Head of Creative Content, Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (2018 Mentor)
📸 Sausan and Sally (2019 Mentee and Mentor)
Leadership training with social impact
This is a four month programme, bringing together women leaders who are ready to do things differently, with women who are refugees or asylum seekers and ready to take their next step.
Through 15 hours of training + 10 hours of practical mentoring experience, women leaders learn and grow, building a truly inclusive and empowering leadership skill set. Meanwhile, refugee women are supported to make tangible progress towards their professional goals.
Through their 10 hours or mentoring, mentor and mentee build a life-changing new relationship, giving them both a new perspective and a broader network, through a joint learning experience.
"The space [Routes] curated was incredibly inclusive, nourishing, inspiring and beautiful. It felt so genuine and was truly like nothing I've ever experienced, and was the sort of training or work environment that I would've dreamt up with my own career coach."
— Alicia Walker, Head of Policy, Research and Campaigns at Centrepoint (2022 Mentor)
A new kind of leadership training
The organisations we partner with are ambitiously working to nurture more diverse, inclusive and thriving workforces, and they know that this starts with meaningful support for their leaders.
The Routes Mentoring Programme combines high quality training with real world leadership experience: broadening perspectives and supporting women leaders to build a practical, inclusive and empowering leadership toolkit.
Mentors improve their leadership and management skills
Mentors are more confident in their ability to nurture truly inclusive and empowering professional relationships
Mentors practise activities and tools that can be taken back and used with their teams
Mentors widen and diversify their professional networks
Hear from our alumni
“We all get absorbed in our day to day lives… through programs like Routes you are able to step outside of your comfort zone and take on the challenge of making a difference.”
— Nahida Rahman, Comms Planning Director, M/Six
Statement from Routes on the importance of accountability under international law - and what we can do to demand the UK uphold its international legal duties.
Postdoctoral researcher Mel Ramasawmy reflects on her time on the Routes Mentoring Programme, and what she learned from the immersive leadership training that the programme provides for mentors.
Mentee Saba and mentor Mel reflect on their time on the Routes Mentoring Programme, in a conversation about education, goal-setting and confidence building.
Mentoring can be seen as mutualism: a relationship in which both mentor and mentee learn and grow together, in ways that generate long-term impact. In this blog, Routes mentor Honor refers back to her days studying biology, to discuss the mutually beneficial aspects of mentoring.
For Refugee Week 2024, Routes organised a Banner Making Workshop for women from the Routes Community. Read a bit more about the Workshop in this blog - and have a look at some of the beautiful designs!
For Refugee Week 2024, Routes shares reflections on the theme of ‘Our Home’ and the implications of the Hostile Environment on people’s sense of safety and belonging.
Routes alumni mentee Karla reflects on the importance of food for her identity, connecting through food and the joy of making baladeas.
Since the summer of 2022, Routes has a partnership with the City & Guilds Foundation, to support women from our community to apply for the City & Guilds Bursary. In this blog, we share lessons learned on making the application process more accessible for refugee women - and for all.
Following the passing of the Rwanda Bill, here are some actions you can take to show your opposition, and stand with refugee rights. Use your influence in petitions, your workplace, direct support, and more.
Mentor Joana and mentee Nanou write together about their experience on the Routes Mentoring Programme, which they describe as 'More than a mentoring programme, it is a human journey celebrating women!’. In this blog, you’ll learn more about what they’ve worked on together, and what they’ve learned along the way.
Time to celebrate! Photos and poem from the Celebration Event for our 11th Mentoring Programme.
For the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, Routes Alumni mentor Nushrat Khan reflects on transferrable skills from mentoring and her work in global health.
Get in touch with us
We are always looking to connect with individuals and organisations who share our vision of a a fairer, more inclusive, and better connected society. If you or your organisation are interested in joining the programme, please reach out to our team who will be very happy to chat!