We are recruiting volunteer youth mentors who can give 2 hours a week supporting a young person aged 8-18 through outdoor based mentoring sessions. This could include going cycling, visiting museums, enjoying new foods and trying new fun experiences.
We are striving towards a more connected, emotionally healthy community for all involved in our mentoring programme. We believe our holistic approach, which places young people at the centre, helps them on a journey to becoming active and fulfilled members of society. Your help is enormously valued!
- Before starting volunteering, you’ll receive training by a Mentoring and Befriending Approved Provider on how to create fun and engaging sessions and a DBS check.
- You will also meet the young person beforehand to make sure you are both a good match for each other. After you will be matched, you will agree on a timetable (you will be supported by a mentoring manager throughout the whole process).
- You will be encouraged to plan your session in advance and come up with exciting sessions ideas, such as cycling to swimming, art workshops/classes, going to cafes or restaurants, going for a walk or going to an amusement park! You will receive a budget to enrich the sessions!
- You’ll have to opportunity to take part in our group activities and trips, and partner with other children and young people’s services in the area.
- Benefits of programme include improved self-confidence, health, access to community services, skills, social relationships, engagement in school, self-reflection, family relationships, and resilience.
- Families benefit from improved relationships with their child, sense of community, and opportunities to engage in fun activities with their child.
- Mentoring is a rewarding experience that allows individuals to connect with their local community, learn and grow personally, and make a positive difference in the lives of others, is also a great way to get out of the house, connect with the community, get to know well a young person, do fun activities and learn in the process.
- You will help to improve the self-confidence, self-esteem, physical and emotional health, relationships, and life skills of mentees.
- Mentoring also helps to gain a better understanding of other cultures, enhances the relationship with one's own children (if a parent), and improves physical health.
- You’ll learn how to support a young person and create outdoor-based mentoring sessions.
- You’ll receive ongoing training and support by mentoring coordinators.
- You’ll be able to receive external training sessions covering topics such as neurodiversity, trauma-informed practice, and mental wellbeing in young people.
- You’ll have opportunities to learn new skills, such as skiing, snowboarding, horse riding, skateboarding, cycling, and arts and crafts.
Once you receive training, you will be able to:
- Build trust.
- Listen.
- Value the mentee’s opinions and beliefs.
- Offer a non-judgemental attitude towards the mentee’s problems.
- Identify strengths, interests and barriers.
- Encourage the mentee to achieve.
- Be reliable.
- Build confidence.
- We value everybody's life experiences and know that we can all be a huge support to young people. No previousexperience with young people is necessary as full training will be provided. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and come in all different shapes and sizes.
- To help with practicalities, we find it helpful if the volunteer lives or works in Lambeth and Southwark.
- Volunteers who enjoy outdoor activities are preferred as our mentoring sessions are encouraged to be outdoors, engaging with the natural world as much as possible.
- We also feel it is important that our mentors and mentees have some elements in common, whether that is interests or growing up in the same environments.
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