Mentoring programme to reach hundreds in Wolverhampton after successful first year

Wolverhampton's The Way has supported 44 young people since launching its mentoring scheme last October and plans to reach hundreds more.

The team at the School Street-based charity is now hoping to recruit extra mentors to help roll-out the scheme in schools across the city.

Carla Priddon, chief executive officer, said: "Our mentoring programme is going from strength to strength and making a real impact on young people in the city.

"We reached 30 per cent more young people than expected in year one and have ambitious plans to support more than 300 young people across the next four years.

"All the mentees set goals and targets that are personal to them and they are supported to achieve and feel good about themselves."

Mentors and young people take part in personality tests before they are paired based on their interests, hobbies and strengths.

Young people are then given a £20 allowance, which has been used for martial arts classes, art gallery trips and a behind-the-scenes tour of Wolverhampton eatery The Island House.

The scheme - made possible thanks to a five-year funding pot from The Steve Morgan Foundation - has proved a success with youngsters who struggled to leave their homes alone but now have the confidence to socialise with their peers.

Billie James, who designed the programme, said: "The things they have done is amazing.

"We have so many young people who are so capable and they don't see it. When we were young, it would have been nice to have somebody who was on our level, who got you, who was not family.

"My vision was that the programme would not just be for young people, it would also be for mentors, and a way to get people back involved with the community, building connections.

"I did not expect it, when we started, to get such a range of volunteers. We have got people who have just turned 21 up to 60, and from all walks of life."

Volunteers - who are in with the chance of being recruited as a paid mentoring support youth worker - must be aged 21 and over, and able to commit one-and-a-half hours each week.

Young people, aged eight to 19, who think they could benefit from a dedicated mentor during the 12-month programme is encouraged to apply online.

Ms James, 25 added: "I think for a lot of the young people, they would still be sat in their bedroom.

"We don't just stop at the mentoring. If we see they need additional support, we push for that as well. I think it makes such a difference.

"We have got young people who are on the verge of being involved in gangs. We have girls who have been involved in child sexual exploitation, young people who need help managing anger or have gone into care. We have someone who came from Syria and did not know anyone."

See thewayyouthzone.org/mentoring/