Our She Leads mentor programme is back for its second year, continuing to champion women across Cumbria by providing valuable mentorship and guidance to help them unlock their potential.
After a hugely successful first year, we are delighted to see this initiative grow and welcome an even larger group of inspiring mentors and mentees into the programme.
Reflecting on the first year of She Leads
The inaugural programme brought together pairings of mentors and mentees for the first time, creating an environment where women could share knowledge, ideas and encouragement. Over the 12 months, the benefits were clear: mentees stepped into new roles, built confidence, and achieved tangible business growth, while mentors also discovered how rewarding it could be to support others on their career journeys.
Rebecca Graves, Director at NRL and founder of the She Leads programme, shared her reflections:
“Everyone fully embraced everything we hoped the She Leads mentor programme would achieve, and it’s been inspiring to see how both mentees and mentors navigated the journey. What we perhaps underestimated, was how much value our mentors gained too. Both sides walked away with learnings, confidence and connections that will last a lifetime.”
The success of those first participants has set the foundation for an even stronger second year.
Introducing the new cohort
The 2026 programme officially launched this July, welcoming more new mentors to support mentees from across the region. The increase from six to nine pairings reflects the growing demand for opportunities to connect with experienced business leaders. These mentors represent a wide range of industries, including law, finance, education, energy, and media, providing mentees with access to diverse expertise and perspectives.
- Rebecca Graves, Director at NRL
- Emily Wood, Sales Director North West at LOCALiQ
- Claire Aindow, Pro Vice Chancellor, Growth and Development at University of Cumbria
- Clare Corkill, Lead OMA Business Manager at Ørsted
- Deanne Shallcross, Chief Executive Officer at Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners
- Helen Hornsby, Control Specialist at Nationwide
- Joanne Stronach, Managing Director at Cartmell Shepherd
- Lydia Parlett, Head of National College for Nuclear Dept at Lakes College
- Pip Beasley, Chief of Staff to the Group CFO at Standard Life
Whilst last year’s mentor Sharon Brook continues her support of the programme in a new role providing assistance to new mentors in need of advice to navigate their own partnerships.
Meet the mentors
Forging mutually beneficial partnerships
Participants will work together over 12 months, committing to regular meetings, collaborating on career development goals and exploring the challenges and opportunities women often face when trying to progress in business.
Rebecca Graves explains the ambition for year two:
“She Leads was created to give female business leaders a platform to support others taking the next step in their career or business growth. Last year demonstrated the significant impact these mentoring relationships can have, so we’re excited to see what this new cohort achieves. The rise in interest shows just how valuable mentorship is, and our goal remains the same: to empower women to progress with confidence and purpose.”
Building a lasting community
As the new mentees begin their journey, our first-year participants join the She Leads alumni, creating a growing network of women who can continue to support each other long after their formal mentoring ends. This alumni group will help strengthen connections within Cumbria’s business community, supporting a culture where women champion one another and share expertise.
What’s next
Throughout the programme, we’ll be sharing updates from this incredible group of mentors and mentees, through our partnership with in-Cumbria business magazine.
She Leads remains at the heart of our commitment to diversity, inclusion and investing in people to level the playing field and champion personal development. By creating a space for open conversations, practical development and shared learning, the programme is delivering tangible change for individuals and the wider community.
For transparency, AI has been used during the generation of this article, with every care taken to verify its accuracy.