Leadership mentoring
Fun 4 Young People
Background
When Sophie Stock, CEO of Fun 4 Young People (F4YP), first connected with Cranfield Trust, her charity was at a pivotal moment. F4YP supports disadvantaged children and young people through a range of programmes, helping them build confidence, creativity and life skills. After more than a decade with the organisation, Sophie had led it through a major period of change: becoming independent again after several years within a larger organisation.
Since then, F4YP had experienced significant growth, and Sophie wanted a fresh pair of eyes to offer a different perspective. She explained, “I knew I was doing all right, but I wanted someone totally independent, not a trustee or colleague, who could help me step back, reflect, and think strategically.” Sophie signed up to Cranfield Trust’s mentoring programme, and that fresh pair of eyes came in the form of Muriel Tersago, an experienced mentor.
Challenge
Sophie’s challenge was twofold: steering the charity through continued growth while ensuring her team could adapt to the new demands that growth brought.
“We were looking at how to grow sustainably,” she said. “It couldn’t just be the two of us doing everything. I needed space to think about what my role should look like, how to involve the team, and how to handle some of the staffing challenges that come with expansion.”
Muriel saw quickly that Sophie’s leadership instincts were strong. What she needed most was validation, confidence, and structured space to think.
“She’s very clear-thinking, agile and committed,” Muriel said. “Our sessions were about helping her pause, reflect and make sure her decisions were as strategic as she wanted them to be, particularly around team development and sustainability.”
Solution
From the outset, Muriel focused on building trust and creating a safe, reflective space. Their sessions followed a regular structure, an hour every month, but evolved organically as new priorities emerged.
“I think mentoring only works if both sides are open to challenge,” Muriel said. “It’s about asking the right questions, not giving answers. I’d encourage Sophie to talk through what was happening, then we’d explore options together. Afterwards, I’d often send follow-up notes or tools she could try with her team.”
That proactive, responsive approach was exactly what Sophie needed.
“She always followed up with useful resources or ideas,” Sophie said. “And she’d challenge me, but in a gentle way. She’d ask, ‘Why have you made that decision? What’s behind it?’ It really made me slow down and think.”
Muriel drew on her background in change management to share practical frameworks, from process mapping to team development tools, which Sophie could adapt to her own context. Over time, their sessions became a blend of reflection, strategy and personal support.
Impact
For Sophie, the mentoring relationship became both a professional sounding board and a personal lifeline during a busy, high-pressure period.
“It’s been so helpful to have someone I can talk things through with who isn’t connected to the charity,” she said. “Sometimes it felt like I was venting, but always in a productive way. I’d come away thinking differently about things.”
The experience gave her renewed confidence in her own judgment and strengthened her leadership. She now continues to check in with Muriel every six weeks, a testament to the value of their connection.
Muriel believes the greatest impact was helping Sophie trust her instincts. “I think the mentoring gave her confidence that her thinking was robust,” she said. “She tested her ideas carefully, considered different perspectives, and came to see that her approach was sound.”
That confidence has rippled out across the charity. Sophie is now involving her team more deeply in planning and decision-making, strengthening collaboration and morale.
“Muriel helped me realise the importance of asking the team for their ideas, not just giving mine,” Sophie reflected. “It’s made us stronger as an organisation.”
One of Sophie’s senior colleagues has since taken up mentoring too, further embedding that culture of reflection and growth within F4YP.
For the young people the charity supports, that means a more resilient organisation, better equipped to sustain and expand its impact.
Download the Case Study
