Black and ethnically minoritised people are already leading change across the North East VCSE sector, yet too many do so without access to mentoring that reflects their lived experience, values and realities. Leadership support is often designed without us, delivered to us rather than with us, and rarely rooted in long term relationships or community accountability. This programme exists to change that. By offering free, Black-led mentoring grounded in solidarity, co-learning and trust, it creates space for emerging leaders to grow with confidence, clarity and connection. Our aim is not only to support individuals, but to strengthen collective power, retain and sustain Black leadership in the sector, and build a lasting, community-owned mentoring infrastructure that shifts who leads, how leadership is nurtured, and whose knowledge is valued in the North East

Our first task from May 2026 is to recruit and train mentors.

If you are looking for mentoring, the programme will open for you in the summer. If you'd like us to tell you when it opens, give us your contact details below.

If you haven't seen it already, download the Black-Led Futures NE programme overview. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, fill in our short expression of interest form.