The new Mentorship for Health Research Training Fellows Scheme held its first national event in at the Royal Society for Public Health in London on Monday 21 May 2012.   The day was an opportunity for mentors to develop their skills in undertaking this important role – which is designed to enable experienced health researchers and clinical leaders to support the next generation to build careers which successfully integrate research and clinical leadership.

Twenty six mentors, drawn from nursing, midwifery, the allied health professions and healthcare scientists in England, took part in the one-day training event.  In the evening Professor Bob Garvey, an internationally renowned speaker, researcher and practitioner of mentoring, entertained and informed an audience of mentors, mentees and representatives of the health professions and Department of Health with his insights into the power of mentoring.  The event is the first to be held by the mentoring scheme, which aims to build a strong community of mentoring practice for health research in England.