Chartered Financial Planner Ella Davies of Clarion Wealth Planning in Cheshire has begun a mentoring role as a ‘big sister’ to a teenage girl.

It’s part of a programme run by award-winning social enterprise Girls Out Loud.

The Big Sister programme sees role models from diverse backgrounds mentoring girls to help empower them to succeed.

After undergoing training earlier in the summer, Ella Davies teamed up with a Year Eight pupil for the year-long programme.

The scheme aims to help boost the youngster’s self-confidence and aspirations through one-to-one sessions and was launched at the Co-op Academy Manchester, where Ella was introduced to her ‘little sister’.

Ms Davies said: “I’m proud, excited and thrilled to be involved in the programme and to act as a role model to my ‘little sister’. It’s a privilege, and I am looking forward very much to spending time with her.

“It’s a big responsibility, but it is a great way of giving back and hopefully making a positive difference.”

She said her ‘little sister’ is “super active and very bright but feels frustrated in school. She hopes to be a forensic scientist, so we spoke about how she can harness her energy and learn to enjoy her lessons, which will help her to meet her career aspirations.”

Ella added: “At Clarion we are committed to changing lives for the better through supporting our local communities and good causes in a variety of different ways, and this is another illustration of that commitment.”

Clarion, based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, provides Financial Planning to business owners and families across the north west and beyond.

Girls Out Loud, founded by Jane Kenyon, is dedicated to helping teenage girls to achieve their goals by boosting their confidence, emotional resilience, self-assurance and self-esteem.

Ms Kenyon said: “Our teen girls are navigating a challenging landscape today and having someone to listen and talk to can help them with a myriad of decisions and options they face on a daily basis.”

She said that after more than a decade of leading the programme, she has seen many of the Big Sisters go on the same journey of discovery, “as the process of mentoring a teen girl is a self-reflective one and creates learning and development opportunities for both mentor and mentee.”