The Wolverhampton Mentoring Network meets monthly to share the wisdom, experience, and insights of a diverse, multi-sector pool of business leaders and leading business growth organisations.
Whether you're looking to grow your business, expand your network, or gain fresh perspectives, our sessions offer a supportive space to connect, learn, and be inspired.
If you've not yet joined us at one of our free monthly lunches then why not book onto the next one on December 2 please click here
Please note a number of the mentoring and growth programmes listed below have application deadlines of January 2026
 At the Mentoring Network Lunch on December 2, we will be welcoming Amandeep Chima, and Harinder Kaur from the Nat West Accelerator Programme as our spotlight speakers. We will again also have members of our Business Mentors panel present to take your questions.
Whether you're looking to grow your business, expand your network, or simply be inspired, this is the place to be.
📅 Date: Tuesday 2 December ⏰ Time: 12pm - 2pm
📍Location: Wolverhampton Science Park, WV10 9RU
👉 Click here to book your free place.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Mentoring Network Lunch earlier this month! It was a fantastic afternoon filled with inspiring insights and valuable connections - and it was great to hear from Business Panel members:
Each speaker brought unique perspectives and experiences that sparked great conversations and ideas. We've captured some of their thoughts and tips in the final section of this newsletter.
We also had an update on the 51% Club - the home for ambitious female founders who are ready to scale their businesses and unlock their full potential.
With a thriving community of over 800 members (and growing daily) across the West Midlands, they are building a national movement to empower women entrepreneurs and create a more equitable ecosystem. Using the power of community, they educate, inspire, and amplify the success of women across all industries.
What’s on Offer?
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Free to join community
- Monthly masterclasses and workshops
- Quarterly strategy planning days
- Annual IGNITE Conference
- Transformative 12-week Female Founder Growth Programme
- Regular networking events and collaborative co-working days
- Vibrant WhatsApp and Slack communities
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Mentor match-making scheme for tailored support
For more information click here
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 Back in October we heard from Lorna Bladen, Chief Marketing Officer at Enterprise Nation on the fantastic support they provide to their community of members. We would again encourage colleagues to consider signing up on their website (membership is free) to take advantage of the wider community support. Specifically, this month we would highlight their Discovery Tool (supported by Strive) that helps members to start and/or grow their small business with a free personalised plan here
And if time is tight then why not try their Lunch and Learn webinars that cover a range of topics – here are some taking place over the next month:
Social media marketing
How to write and win bids
Scaling and finance
Creating business leads
Also don't forget the great Podcasts that are available:
Small Business Podcasts
Some of you will recall being at our August meet up where we had a great presentation from Karolina Jagodzinska, Community Manager at Be the Business on their Productivity Programme that can connect you to a board of mentors - and a great discounted offer for colleagues to take advantage of.
In this newsletter we want to highlight the incredible wealth of information available in their online resources library. Action Plans, guides, tools, templates, and real business case study stories - and an easy to use search tool to look at digital, sales and growth, leadership, planning, people and team specific business problems.
For further information on this great library of information click here
 The salary threshold has now been lifted so employees from any SME within healthcare, engineering and manufacturing living in the Wolverhampton Local Authority postcode areas can apply for the free spaces.
What’s in it for your business?
✔️ Build stronger, more inclusive leadership
✔️ Upskill your managers in digital transformation, sustainability - and crisis leadership
✔️ Immediate on-the-job application and tailored coaching
✔️ Practical workshops delivered flexibly, online and in-person
Next cohort starts: January 2026
Find out more about this course here or contact the WLV Business School Executive Education team at execed@wlv.ac.uk
Spaces are limited, so early registration is encouraged.
HSBC has created a free, open to all programme designed to support small businesses to grow and build resilience. The programme of training, events - and insights provides you with the tools you need to succeed. For more information watch the video here
You can gain practical insights from HSBC and our partners on a wide range of essential business topics to help you navigate your growth journey. Explore each topic below to help you build the tools you need to succeed.
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Cybersecurity for small business: Why now is the time to prioritise security. Get the lowdown on the challenges facing small businesses and why investing in protection is a strategic imperative. For more information click here
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What I’ve learned about... finance systems: Why scalable financial tools are the key to thriving in today’s competitive landscape. For more information click here
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What I’ve learned about… sales pipeline management: Understand the importance of sales pipeline management for small business growth. For more information click here
 We would like to invite you to join the new peer support group. This has been requested by a number of those who have attended the events – in short, the peer support group would see colleagues sharing with each other their contact details, a short summary of the business, and those mentoring organisations currently engaged with. This would be managed through the city council.
The thinking is that this will complement the support provided through the mentoring organisations and the local mentors promoted at each of the monthly Mentoring Network lunches – allowing you and colleagues to engage in dialogue and mutual support outside of the meetings. To be part of this group please complete the following very short questionnaire
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