Contact John Kinnear on
0207 643 1322
Grandmentors
Offer guidance and support to a young person in Islington, Hackney or Camden
Grandmentors is an innovative project harnessing the energy and experience of older volunteers (50+) to support young people to find work, stay on in education or take up training.
With youth unemployment nearing record levels, hundreds of thousands of young people across the UK are struggling find work. For many, however, there are additional barriers preventing them from achieving their goals. Many of the young people we support do not have positive adult role models, others need to find their path in life whilst some have been in trouble with the police. What is needed is a bit of extra support - mentoring offers this.
Mentoring gives a young person (age 16-23) a positive relationship with an adult who is there just for them: someone who isn’t paid to be there, but wants to spend time with them because they enjoy it and want to help. We believe that having an older mentor can make a massive difference to the lives of young people and are running a project (being researched by ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity) in order to do this.
Who makes a good Grandmentor?
Grandmentors are not specially trained career counsellors or support workers. You willoffer guidance and support based on your own experiences and work with a young person to help them achieve their goals. You will have a genuine interest in helping young people fulfil rewarding and successful lives.You need patience and a non-judgmental attitude in order to establish a beneficial relationship. The best relationships benefit both the young person and the volunteer.
What does a Grandmentor do?
- Visits the young person weekly.
- Builds up a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.
- Acts as a positive role model,helping boost confidence and self esteem to encourage
ambition and aspiration.
- Helps the young person plan and work towards goals in relation to employment,
education or training.
What support do Grandmentors receive?
- Initial and on-going training.
- Individual support from the project manager.
- Regular group support from other befrienders.
- Reimbursement of travel and other out-of-pocket expenses.
To find out more about this project, please call or email the project manager (details below).You will need to complete an application form with references, attend an interview, and consent to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check.
Contact John Kinnear on
0207 643 1322