Midlands business mentor wins national award for innovation

A business mentor from Leicestershire has been awarded the Innovation Award at the National Mentoring Matters Awards 2024 for the outstanding work he does to help businesses to unlock their growth potential.

Les Gill has detailed experience across the automotive and rail industry and has held senior engineering, commercial, purchasing, project management roles within the sector as well as being a visiting lecturer at Wolverhampton University teaching lean and agile manufacturing.

In 2017, he decided to use that vast experience to help create and support future UK business leaders, and set up TABA Associates offering consulting services.

In 2021, he enlisted as a volunteer mentor on the Help to Grow: Management Course and has already mentored 28 business founders.

His work was recognised earlier this month, at national awards where he was one of seven mentors rewarded for their contribution to UK growth.

Les said:

"I am immensely proud to have won the Innovation Award. Innovation is crucial for the development and expansion of our mentoring services, enabling us to effectively meet the challenges of tomorrow.

"My aim is to continue learning and collaborating with esteemed mentors. By applying the 'Turning the Triangle' technique, I aspire to unlock and maximise the growth potential of executive clients and their organisations. Continuing to innovate in my mentoring and coaching practices remains a fundamental goal."

Emma Jones CBE, founder of small business support platform Enterprise Nation, said:

"It's brilliant and so important to see the outstanding contribution that dedicated mentors like Les have on the economy, helping businesses to grow and thrive.

"Since the launch of the voluntary mentoring scheme, we've recruited thousands of experienced mentors who give up their time and energy to support the next generation of ambitious, growing businesses that go on the Help to Grow: Management Course.

"The course and its mentors have become an important stepping stone to business success s playing a critical role by increasing resilience."

The Help to Grow: Management Course offers senior business leaders 50 hours of leadership and management training across 12 weeks, with the government covering 90% of the costs involved. They each receive one-to-one support from an experienced and rated business mentor. Training is delivered via a national network of over 50 business schools.

Each participant is matched with a voluntary business mentor via the online Help to Grow: Management Course platform. A consortium delivers the mentoring element of the course.

Led by business support group Newable and including Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors, the consortium was appointed by the government to develop a national network of business leaders and experts who will share their skills and experience with firms on the practical management training course.    

Led by business support group Newable and including Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors, the consortium was appointed by the Government to develop a national network of business leaders and experts who will share their skills and experience with firms on the practical management training course.    

ENDS

About Newable    

Newable is the leading provider of Money, Advice and Workspace to SMEs. Now employing over 1,000 professional staff, it has grown to become a national business with a presence from Aberdeen to Brighton, serving over 43,000 client companies each year. 

About Enterprise Nation    

Enterprise Nation is a business support platform and provider delivering support to more than 50,000 small businesses every month. Its aim is to help people turn their good ideas into great businesses through expert advice (including a comprehensive resources library), events, acceleration support and networking.  

Enterprise Nation was founded in 2005 by British entrepreneur Emma Jones CBE, also co-founder of national enterprise campaign StartUp Britain. She is author of best-selling business books and is a frequently called-on and regular media commentator on a range of issues which affect the UK's growing number of SMEs. 

About the Association of Business Mentors   

The Association of Business Mentors (ABM) is the UK's leading professional body supporting the business mentor and coach sector while raising the profile of the value of business mentoring to small business owners.