Each of our volunteer mentors supports one teenager over the course of their year-long Mentoring Programme. Through fortnightly sessions, each mentor tailors their support based on the young person’s interests, needs and preferences. By providing a range of experiences, their support can help the young person to build confidence, learn new skills and raise aspirations for the future.
One of our mentors, Clare, shares here her recent experience of taking her young person, Will, to visit a college open day during one of their sessions. This trip not only helped to alleviate Will’s worries, but also helped to inspire him with options for his next steps in education.
“I have shared many games, walks and chats with my mentee, however one of the most fulfilling sessions was the Open Evening at Chippenham College.
My mentee had shared on several occasions the stress of exams and the challenges of “getting into sixth form”, so alongside his very supportive mum, we decided that exploring alternative pathways was a valuable option.
So… off we went to Chippenham College Open Evening. We were welcomed and shown around the barbering suite (my mentee is doing work experience with a barber). Here the tutor both explained the course, but also how the course operated at different levels depending upon GCSE results. My mentee was both inspired by the options and reassured that there was a pathway that would be both open and suitable for him whatever. This was enormously reassuring and has helped dissipate some of the stress of mock exams and the thought of the upcoming ‘real thing’.
I was particularly impressed with how the tutor engaged with my mentee, made him feel safe and encouraged him to ask any questions. It was also fabulous to see how my mentee grasped hold of the opportunity and was both prepared to share some of his challenges and use the occasion to broaden his understanding of what a college pathway actually looked and felt like.
This session has truly shown me some of the value that we deliver as mentors – it was a session that wasn’t originally one on my list of ideas, but one that evolved with the support of my Mentoring Manager as we discussed the outcomes of some of my early sessions with my mentee.”
We are so grateful to Clare and to all our mentors for their commitment to support young people on our Mentoring Programme, but also for their creative and flexible approaches. We also appreciate our young people for their continued enthusiasm and openness to new experiences.
We are currently in need of volunteers to mentor young people in Somerset starting in October. If you are interested in this role, please do get in touch with our Mentoring Manager, Abbie Allender on 07724 887005 or abbie@youthadventuretrust.org.uk.