COULD YOU BE A MENTOR FOR A YOUNG PERSON?

WHAT IS A MENTOR?

A one-to-one, non-judgemental relationship in which an individual mentor voluntarily gives
time to support and encourage another. This relationship is typically developed at a time of
transition in the mentee’s life, and lasts for a significant and sustained amount of time.
(Source: Active Community Unit of the Home Office)

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Our mentors are volunteers from the local community who give a regular amount of time to that young person. They can meet up to play football, go for a walk, learn a new skill together or just chat. The sessions are led by the young person and facilitated by the mentor. It is through this relationship that confidence is built to talk about challenging issues that the young person may be facing such as self-esteem, behaviour issues, disengagement with education, and loneliness, to name a few. Continuity of contact is key for our mentors and mentees and is why we work to form positive long-term relationships.

WHY BE A MENTOR?

Mentoring is a really rewarding experience for all involved. You’ll have lots of fun on your sessions, exploring new parts of London and enjoying activities you might not otherwise have tried like building a campfire or learning to fix a bike. You’ll meet new people; from the child and their family to other Step Out mentors.

You’ll develop new skills (including leadership, organisation, mentoring, planning) plus our sessions are encouraged to be active and outdoors so you may not need that gym membership anymore.

Ultimately, we are striving towards a more connected, emotionally healthy community for all involved in our mentoring programme.

1.

Fill out the volunteer mentor application form and return it via email or in person to a Step Out staff member.

2.

We love to get to know our potential new mentors so we will arrange a time to meet you to answer any of your questions and tell you all about the program.

mentor application form

3.

We will organise for you to have a DBS check which involves filling out a form and showing us some ID.

Steps to becoming a mentor

4.

Attend our mentor training sessions which will take place either over a weekend or on weekday evenings. This is where you find out how to be an amazing mentor.

5.

Whilst this is all happening we are busy trying to match a young person to you so that the mentoring relationship has the best opportunity to thrive. We will then meet with you and the young person for the first few sessions.

‘The sessions have helped me get through my week. Having a mentor give me advise on how to cope with my mental health has really changed my mindset on everything. I liked the fact that it’s a one to one session, so I had no trouble speaking up and talking about myself and how I feel. Also, getting information on extra-curricular activities was really helpful.’

-Female mentee

We like our mentors to commit to the programme for 6-12 months. They meet with their matched child every week for 2-4 hours. The sessions take place outside of home and school time and in a public space