We need to raise £180,000 per year to run all our projects so we could really do with your help. There are loads of ways to support us, donating money one off or every month, leaving money in your will taking part in an event or challenge or organising your own, recycling unwanted jewellery, phones etc, holding a dinner party or getting your company to help us.
2013 will be our biggest challenge yet.
A Message From Our Project Director
As Director of Mentoring Plus, I’m very proud of the work we do here.
But, I’m extremely concerned by what troubled young people in the area face over the next twelve months.
We predict that spending cuts across services for local young people will have a serious impact on the most vulnerable.
To combat this, we’re launching a new scheme to help those most at risk of exclusion from school. Permanent exclusion is incredibly damaging in the long-term, and it’s essential we do something to help young people at such a pivotal point in their lives.
To make this service as effective as possible, we need your help.
Find out below how Mark - one of our Volunteer Mentors - is helping a young man called Stephen, and discover the difference a donation could make.
Listen to a young person's experience here..... Mentoring Plus on BBC Radio Bristol
Thank you
Michael Tichelar
Project Director
It takes just a few pounds to help change the lives of troubled local young people. I’d say that’s a good investment.
Wouldn’t you?
I’m Mark O’Shaughnessy, I’m a volunteer mentor. If you know anything about the work of Mentoring Plus, hopefully you’ll have some idea how powerful, effective and important it is. I’m hoping you can do something to help – at one of the most important points in their history.
I believe that the work we mentors do is having a powerful and life-changing impact on local young people and their communities.
I currently mentor a young man named Stephen. He’s only 16, but he has been through a lot for someone so young.
When I first met Stephen no one had really listened to him before. His mother rarely had time for him and he had spent
much of his early life at home alone, fending for himself.
He grew up believing that he was always in the way.
His father was usually in-and-out of prison and when Dad was around he was a bad influence; he used Stephen as a lookout during burglaries.
Stephen’s future looked bleak. He faced starting adult life with no qualifications, and no positive role models to inspire and guide him.
...Ten months later, I’ve seen so many positive changes. He’s really growing into a more thoughtful and less angry young man.
Mentoring Plus are experts at transforming the lives of young people, but they need donations to do it. Which is why I’m asking you now if you can help.
I’ve always felt that a couple of hours of my time each week are a sound investment in the rest of Stephen’s life. If you can donate today you’ll help Mentoring plus to reach many more young people like him.
If someone is a product of their environment, then with the right support they can turn their life in a different direction.
Please make a donation today.
Thank you.
Mark O’Shaughnessy
Stephen’s Mentor
- £10 Could help buy tools and seeds for the Gardening Group - helping people to learn about responsibility and commitment whilst taking pride in their work.Give Now
- £20 Could buy ingredients for our Cook Group - learning to cook increases both independence and employability. Give Now
- £75 Could help cover the cost of a workshop where ten young people and their mentors can get together and take part in a range of activities including woodwork, bike repair, music, and radio club. Give Now
- £150 Could help fun some of the extensive professional training our mentors receive - helping them to become confident and effective mentors. Give Now
Join the Mentoring Plus Team for the Bath Half Marathon on 3rd March 2013
We are hoping to raise £3000 from the event so it will raise vital funds for our work. We offer:
- A T-Shirt
- Cream egg and Hot Cross Bun after the event
- Lots of friendly support both before the event and on the day
- Weekly running group
The registration fee to take part is £39 per person and we ask participants to pledge to raise £175 sponsorship.
To confirm your place please contact Sarah at Mentoring Plus on 01225 429694 or email sarah.thorn@mentoringplus.net.
We will then send you out a full information pack with sponsor forms, training advice and tips on how to maximnise your sponsorship.
Auction of Promises
Date scheduled for Saturday 10 November at Lansdown Cricket Club, Bath. A fantastic fundraising event featuring an auction, dinner and dancing. 7.30pm start - come and support us. Contact us for tickets.
Download the catalogue and pre bid form here
Become a friend or benefactor and make a real difference
Download our Changing Lives Now pamphlet for further information.
Make a donation
This has a direct impact upon our work and even a small amount makes a huge difference. Visit our Just Giving page to make a donation. Thank you.
Donate here- £5 will buy several packets of seeds for the gardening group
- £20 will buy ingredients for cook group
- £75 will pay for an arts workshop for 10 young people
- £150 will pay for an activity session for 10 young people such as quad biking
Encourage your company or organisation to support us
Download our Information for Companies document for further information.
Make a regular donation
This really helps us plan for the future. Download a Bankers Order Form.
Why not take part in one of our events?
We organise several events year and would love you to take part. If your company offers matched funding you might even be able to double the amount raised.
How about some other event ideas?
- Take part in a sky dive at www.skylineparachuting.co.uk
- Trek the Pembrokeshire Coast
- Take part in the London to Paris Bike Ride -
- Take part in the Borneo Ultimate Challenge
You could also organise your own event
Make a difference by planning your own fundraising event, we can help with ideas, posters, balloons and sponsorship forms.
Downloading our Fundraising Ideas document to help you get started.
You can also easily raise money on line through our JustGiving page.
Generous helpings – a great new fundraising idea
We're always on the lookout for imaginative new fundraising ideas – and here's one that we've been very quick to take up.
It's called Dinner4Good and allows you to raise money for us simply by doing something you enjoy – having friends round for dinner! To see how it works just go to www.dinner4good.com/MentoringPlus.
From here you can create and send personalised email invitations – it takes less than 5 minutes. Your guests can then accept and donate online, so there's no awkwardness over asking for money or hassle of collecting cash.
You can all see who's coming and how much is being raised – at the click of the mouse.
Dinner4Good takes care of everything, including claiming the Gift Aid which reduces the admin for us! All you have to do is hold the dinner, eat, drink and enjoy yourselves!
What's really exciting about this idea is that anyone can do it – unlike running a marathon or climbing Kilimanjaro. What's more, those donating get to enjoy the event itself, plus the money is raised by doing something you might be doing anyway. Lastly, but perhaps most important of all, it's 'sustainable' – you can do it more than once and your friends might then also hold a Dinner4Good ... which means that, over the coming months, this simple idea could raise more money than even the most heroic of feats!
So get the ball rolling with a dinner of your own and let's see how far it can go. Dinner4Good will keep you informed of all the money that's been raised as a result of your first dinner being duplicated by others. They've calculated that your single dinner could generate up to an amazing £100,000 over a period of five years* – how good would that feel?
*Go to www.dinner4good.com/how-you-can-make-money.php to see the calculation.
Donate money as you shop
Thousands of stores will donate money to your favourite charity (Mentoring Plus) when you shop online.The store donates directly - it costs you nothing!
Register at Give As You Live
Volunteering opportunities
For a different volunteering experience, how about becoming a mentor. Mentoring Plus provides structured training, support and supervision for volunteers mentors as well as a variety of opportunities to build on existing abilities and develop new skills. See our Experience for mentors page for further details.
eBay
Are you looking for a new and unique way to support Mentoring Plus. Now you can sell an item on eBay and donate from 10 to 100% of the final sale price to help us provide support for young people in Bath. www.ebay.co.uk/ebay-for-charity
Gifts in kind
We currently need tools to mend bikes and vegetable seeds.
Recycling
We can give you a box or envelopes to collect printer cartridges, phones and unwanted jewellery.
You can also visit www.eachonecounts.co.uk/mentoringplus to signup and order/register recycling bags.
Or perhaps try BAG4SPORT where you can raise funds fast and recycle your clothes etc. They even collect!
Talks
We are happy to give talks on our work at local clubs, schools, breakfast meetings, etc.
Leave a legacy
Make a huge difference to the lives of young people. Download our Legacy Pack.
