If Evolve were an animal…

As part of his research for the Evolve masters degree, National Health Mentor of the Year Brian Padden asked staff what animal Evolve would be and why…

Ana Pirca, Marketing and Communications Executive, looked at how Health Mentors develop rapport and relationships with the children they work with in schools. ‘I would go for dolphins because they are the most sociable and altruistic species in the world. They care for their own and other species at the same time, whilst being curious which captures our ability to understand children in order to communicate with them better.’

Operations Manager, Ash Burd, considered how Health Mentors are adaptable and flexible to the requirements of school settings. ‘It isn’t the biggest or most powerful, but is clever and successful.  It can adapt to numerous situations, environments and scenarios, can get itself out of impossible positions and ultimately continues to achieve positive outcomes to move forward.’

Jeevan Chagger, a Health Mentor in Birmingham, acknowledged how staff are always keen to continue their professional development. ‘I would go for Great Ape. They have the ability to learn from new surroundings and can use different tools to find things they need. They are good learners and can communicate well with other people, whilst having a good level of understanding amongst other species.‘

Fellow Health Mentor, Abi Antcliff, was also keen to explore how Health Mentors work together to progress their learning and understanding. ‘I would go for a tiger. They are determined and persistent which help them strengthen their leadership and work in their packs together. They have a sharp eyesight and we have an eye for detail.’

The Chairman, Graham Morgan, added: ‘Evolve and its wonderful Health Mentors are like the Border Collie which is an extremely hard working dog who performs well in all conditions. Considered highly intelligent, extremely energetic, acrobatic and athletic, they frequently compete with great success.’

As for Brian, here is his take. ‘A lion cub, just about to enter adulthood, he has spent his life learning the skills to survive in an ever-changing, dangerous and uncertain environment. He needs to continue to grow bigger and stronger in order to become the king of the jungle.’

We would like to hear from you on this. If you know about the work Evolve do or have seen a Health Mentor in action, tweet us @Evolve_Impact with your reflective metaphor.