After two years of mentoring and a baby I'm trying something new.

In January I reflected on 18 months of mentoring, what I had learnt and observed from those sessions and now that I've passed the two year mark I wanted to do it again.

• I've completed 65 sessions now, which is quite the increase from 37 in the first 18 months. Those 28 additional conversations also fit around the fact I took 3 months off for shared parental leave. Demand is up!
• The mix is roughly the same, with most people looking for a one off conversation to help them figure out the next step in their careers or how to deal with a knotty problem in their current job.
• It's still quite a lonely space to be working in - one of the reasons I joined the NPA board to help with their growth and further their reach.

Since I re-opened my mentoring calendar 3 weeks ago post paternity leave I have been bowled over by the number of people looking for help. However, as just one person I do have limits on my time.

I'm trying a small experiment to see if it changes the way people think about what they need from me and how they'll use the time most effectively.

Pay-What-You-Can-Mentoring

Demand for my mentoring services is growing faster than I have time to support, so I am trying an experiment. When you go to book a slot, you will now be asked to 'check out', rather than 'book'. You will see this copy under the fee and a 'change amount' button.

A mentoring session is worth £80. Students, early career journalists and those who can't afford to pay are welcome to change the amount to £1. Honestly. (Stripe won't accept £0 unfortunately).

Those who can afford to pay, I trust your judgement as to how much that is.

I hope that this means everyone who needs help still feels it is available while also placing a sense check on booking my time.