Business Associations
Mentoring Plus aims to promote community based intitiatives. We have encouraged local businesses to take an active role in youth crime prevention work. This has been achieved by developing a range of partnerships.
Your chance to help!
If you see the value in developing the potential of young people, please consider how you can beome involved. Options are:
BENEFITS OF BEING A MENTOR
BY LAURA MATLESS
2004 Bath Chronicle 19 Feb 2004
Teenagers who are at risk of becoming involved in crime are being offered a helping hand by a Bath company. Mentoring Plus targets youngsters between the ages of 12 and 17, and offers a structured programme of mentoring and educational support over the course of a year. The initiative, which is backed by registered charity Crime Concern and supported by Bath and North East Somerset Council, aims to reduce the spiralling costs of dealing with crime by stopping the problem before it starts. While it costs just £2,000 for a teenager to go through a year's Mentoring Plus programme, 12 months in a young offenders' institution costs the taxpayer £53,000, a secure training centre costs £159,000 and a local authority secure unit costs £164,000. Now Cramer Systems, which employs 180 people in its Lower Bristol Road Site, has given £2,000 to the scheme. It will also be promoting the benefits of becoming a volunteer to its staff, as well as encouraging other companies in the area to support the initiative. "Mentoring Plus is about supporting young people who have few of the privileges that many of us take for granted," said Cramer's head of human resources, Rachel Hansen. "Time and money dedicated at this stage of their lives can have a significant influence on helping them develop into confident, motivated adults making a positive contribution to the community. "Cramer is proud to be supporting Mentoring Plus and we would encourage other firms in the region to look at the work they are doing, and to recognise the long-term benefits for all of us. "We want to try to help our staff to take part - the mentoring skills will really help them grow and in terms of people skills it is an extremely positive thing." Briony Waite, who leads the initiative, said: "Mentoring Plus believes that the whole community can help to reduce the risk of young people offending. "Our emphasis is on prevention, rather than cure." In 2002, 262,570 young people, aged between ten and 17, committed crimes in England and Wales. Crime Concern helps around 3,000 young people each year through youth inclusion programmes, which aim to reduce levels of crime across communities. Volunteers act as positive role models and, in a recent survey, 89 per cent of young people said that they thought mentors were an effective way of discouraging youngsters from crime. Potential volunteers must be over the age of 21 and will be subject to checks by the Criminal Records Bureau. They should be able to give at least two hours of their time a week over the course of a year.
PUBLISHING HOUSE DONATES £2,000
TO MENTOR PROJECT
11:00 - 06 October 2004 Bath Chronicle
Photograph, copyright The Bath Chronicle www.thisisbath.co.uk
Young people at risk of committing crimes have been helped by a Bath publishing company. Future Publishing has donated £2,000 to the Mentoring Plus project.
The charity works with at-risk youngsters in Bath and north east Somerset on a one-to-one basis in a bid to prevent them turning to a life of crime. Volunteer mentors meet with the 12-17-year-olds once a week for activities such as cinema visits. Mentors are also someone for the young people to confide in, and talk through any issues.
Future Publishing's managing director, Robert Price, said: "Future is happy to support Mentoring Plus as we recognise the work they do in helping tackle the issues faced by some young people. "Additionally, one of our employees has decided to give some of his spare time to become a mentor, and we're pleased to back him in this way." Mentor Helen Samuel said: "It costs £2,000 for a young person to take part in the programme for a year. "So Future Publishing are effectively sponsoring a young person. "We are grateful for this support and are hoping to build relations with other businesses as well."
Any businesses which would like to support the Mentoring Plus charity should telephone 429694
We would like to thank the following businesses for their continued support:
Thring Townsend Solicitors, Bath
Andrews Estate Agents, Bath
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