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Become a Volunteer Mentor

Are you looking for a rewarding and fun volunteer experience?

Join us as a Volunteer Mentor and help change the lives of young people in your community.

We train and support Volunteer Mentors and match them with a young person aged 7-25 years old who needs a positive role model - someone who will take them out each week, encourage them to explore their interests and try new activities and have lots of fun with them. 

For a child or young person struggling at home, school or in their community, spending time with their Volunteer Mentor each week can make a huge difference to their happiness and well-being. 

If you’re kind, empathetic and have 1-2 hours to spare each week we would love to hear from you.

Green brush stoke circle with small blue circle
Mentor and Mentee

Volunteer Mentoring - what’s involved

Volunteer Mentoring sessions are positive and playful. From café trips, photography, painting and cooking, to football, go karting and bike riding.

Volunteer Mentoring is rewarding, and great fun!

Watch our short video

Want to find out more?

Download our Volunteer Mentor Pack for everything you need to know about volunteering as a mentor. 

Get in touch - our team would love to hear from you.

How to become a Volunteer Mentor

one

Get in touch

Get in touch to find out more about what's involved and decide if Volunteer Mentoring is right for you

Tel: 01225 429694

Email us at volunteering@mentoringplus.net

Two

Apply

Using our application form, tell us about yourself and provide the info we need for background checks. We'll also ask you to apply for a DBS.

three

Attend training

Complete a 1-2-day training course - we run interactive, fun training sessions three times a year.

Our next round of training takes place on Saturday 11 May and Saturday 18 May.

four

Have an interview

An informal conversation to check you are ready to be matched

Got a question?

You can check out our FAQs and Volunteer Mentor Pack for more information or get in touch with our team, who are available Monday-Friday to tell you more about the Volunteer Mentor role.

Life for young people today can be incredibly challenging. Poor mental health, low self-esteem, anxiety, and loneliness are just some of the issues the young people we support are struggling with.

However, when you begin your journey with your mentee, all you'll know are the things that truly matter - their interests and the hopes they hold for the time they'll spend with you. You'll be a positive role model in their lives, making a difference one step at a time

Our mentees are usually referred by their school or family. Once they come to us, we work closely with them to ensure they genuinely want to be mentored and understand what’s involved. We spend a few weeks getting to know them, exploring what their hopes are for mentoring, where they need support and what their interests are.

What makes Volunteer Mentoring so successful and special, is that both mentor and mentee have chosen to be there. Our mentees know their Volunteer Mentor will support them without judgement or agenda, and time with their Volunteer Mentor is time when they can just be themselves, relax and have fun.

What do our volunteers say about mentoring?

Enjoyable

I really enjoyed spending an hour of my week, having fun, chatting and being with a young person who was a delight to spend time with.

Positive

I enjoy helping them to think differently about things, share positivity and help encourage them to gain wider experiences. It’s good to be able to make a difference to someone’s life.

Rewarding

I have learnt a lot from my mentee. It’s challenging and rewarding in equal measure. It’s particularly rewarding to have those moments of connection, eye contact, a smile!

Insightful

I've learned about IT and the minefield of social media. I've learned how to talk confidently about mental health. I've learned to be authentic and connect better at home and at work.

Educational

I've learned a lot, like how learning difficulties really impact daily challenges. Staying within the boundaries as a mentor also helps my other relationships.

Useful

As well as making a difference for a young person, my coaching skills are benefiting from insights gained. Support and supervision from Mentoring Plus is also beneficial professionally.