#OneCrew in Action: Reverse mentoring

In our ‘#OneCrew in Action’ series, we are sharing stories from across the RNLI about how people have made changes, taken new approaches or considered how they can promote and support inclusion.  

As part of the Young People’s Network (YPN), Molly Donohue has taken a leading role on running their reverse mentoring scheme, which means flipping the traditional mentorship model on its head and allowing leaders to learn from the next generation of talent. Find out more about the difference it’s been making.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello, my name is Molly and I’ve worked for the RNLI for 7 years now. I joined the Face-to-Face (F2F) team when I was at university and fell in love with working for this great organisation. I then became the F2F Manager for 2 years when I graduated, but eventually moved over to Marketing to pursue the career I trained for.

How long have you been a part of the Young People’s Network and why did you decide to support them with their objectives? 

I’ve been a member of the YPN for 2 years now and became the Co YPN Reverse Mentoring Objective Lead, alongside Heather Nice, at the beginning of 2025. I came across the opportunity when a previous manager of mine was the Events Objective Lead and recommended taking a lead role.  

I was attracted to the reverse mentoring scheme because it felt like a role that would allow me to have a substantial impact on the growth of the organisation. The pairing process in particular is extremely rewarding, being able to create impactful pairs to develop their careers, but also wider policy and decision-making across the charity. Because many senior leaders took part this year, the impact we could drive was amazing – and what an opportunity for junior members of staff and volunteers to be paired with such influential people.

What is reverse mentoring? And why did you want to create opportunities for reverse mentoring? 

The reverse mentoring scheme is about flipping the traditional mentorship model on its head, allowing senior leaders to learn from the next generation of talent, through strong partnership pairings across the RNLI. The scheme is all about challenging the norm and ultimately asking: ‘Why?’ Heather and I wanted to lead on it because it is an innovative scheme that opens doors to fresh perspectives and new growth opportunities.

Inclusion is important to us at the RNLI, what does it mean to you? 

Inclusion to me is about breaking down barriers and allowing all voices to be heard. It’s about offering opportunities to people of all ages and at all points in their career journeys the chance to share their experience and opinions, and influence change, because their opinion counts and is just as important as that of someone more senior.

Can you tell us a little bit about how reverse mentoring supports inclusion? How have you made sure that everyone feels included and welcome? 

Reverse mentoring is for all volunteers and staff at the RNLI. Although it sits within the Young People’s Network, you can decide what that means to you – there is no exclusion here.

The scheme also allows you to ask for what you are looking for. Whether you are looking to be the mentor or the mentee, or just want to network. You can also decide whether you want to be matched within your directorate and the goals you want to achieve by the end of the scheme. 

What has been the biggest change you have seen since you started the reverse mentoring scheme? 

One of the biggest changes has been the quality of conversations taking place across different levels and experiences within the organisation. Reverse mentoring has given people a safe space to share perspectives, helping to increase understanding, challenge established thinking and strengthen relationships between colleagues who may not otherwise have connected.

How have the changes you made impacted other people? 

Recent feedback from this year’s mentors and mentees reflects the growth in confidence on both sides of the mentorship, opportunities for increasing knowledge and understanding of the RNLI, sharing of open and honest conversations and opinions and a deeper understanding of some of the challenges faced by other roles. The mentors felt that their mentees valued their skills and feedback and that the information shared has directly and positively impacted people in their roles.

What would your top three tips be for other people to consider inclusion in their role? 

1. Ask yourself if you’ve only thought about something from your perspective – can you consider another lens?

2. Make participation accessible for everyone.

3. Challenge bias and champion fairness.

What do you have planned next?

The reverse mentoring scheme is just ending for its latest cohort, and we will be looking for feedback from our participants to help improve and grow the scheme. It is in the works to relaunch the scheme in September 2026, when we will be advertising and recruiting applicants.

Get in touch with the Young People’s Network at [email protected]

Find out more about all our people networks and how to join on the Inclusion page.

'#OneCrew in Action' needs you 

Please get in touch if you would like to share your approaches to inclusion and encourage others to consider similar changes which can have a positive impact. 

If you know of an example or have one to share yourself, please get in touch at [email protected]