Past Event

Past News Awards For All Funding

As a result of securing funding from Awards for All, Yorkshire Mentoring Forum has worked with 6 partnerships to deliver activities that support the transition of young people at key points in their lives. The projects have supported transition from school to college, within college from one level to another and into education in the UK. Projects took place in Leeds, Hull, Wakefield and Rotherham with young people from the ages of 11 – 18.

The projects have focused on the recruitment and training of volunteer mentors and has worked with young people at risk of exclusion. Yorkshire Mentoring Forum has provided consultancy support and workshops and ensured that sound quality standards are in place.

The outcome of the projects were disseminated at YMF Celebration event held on the 13th July at Wakefield College’s Castleford Campus in 2013

Project summaries

Leeds – Valued Youth

6 students from Guiseley School were trained as mentors and matched to students from the schools feeder primary schools in years 4 and 5. The students reported that they had gained planning and organisational skills which had enabled them to meet their own targets such as submitting homework on time. They also felt that there social skills were developed with increased patience. They had supported the primary school pupils with maths and English.

Hull MIND

Four volunteer mentors were trained in Youth Mental First Aid to develop their skills in mentoring young people at risk of developing mental health difficulties and those experiencing mental health difficulties. Clients and mentors reported that their support networks have been strengthened, their levels of activity have increased and the clients have visited their GPs less frequently. Some of the volunteers have gone on to obtain paid employment.

Hull Refugee and Asylum Seeks at Endeavour School

Young people who had arrived at Endeavour School as asylum seeks and refugees were matched with mentors from their own country of origin to support their introduction and integration into the UK. The mentors were all volunteers who were trained by Hull Compact. Team building and problem solving activities helped the young people to work as a team and cooking activities supported cultural awareness.

Leeds Looked After Children

Young people in Leeds were supported by undergraduates from the university who had been trained as mentors. The support increased self confidence and academic achievement raising aspirations about future education and career plans. Visits to the university were included. The mentors received a small payment as a reward for their support.

Wakefield Post 16 transitions

A group of construction students had been identified as needing intervention to support their transition to level 2 of their course and to ensure their retention into the spring term. A group of level 3 students were trained as mentors to offer peer support to the level 2 students who were briefed on the programme. The retention of the students increased from 60 to 95% and achievement rates increased by the end of the programme as well as progression into level 3.

Rotherham school to college transitions

Rotherham College had identified 3 stages of transition that could be supported through mentoring. Transition from school to college, within college and college to work. This project focused on school to college transitions for pupils with ASD, Volunteers were recruited from the staff and students and received training on both mentoring and working with students with ASD. Mentors will be matched to those pupils who enroll at the college in the Autumn term.

The future

YMF is exploring opportunities to disseminate the findings of the project, to secure further funding and to roll out the projects in other areas.