Becoming a mentor is really simple! The first step is to fill out the application form. Someone from our team will then review your application and contact you to arrange your initial training. During training you will be able to express any particular interests which will then be used to match you with one of our young people. A member of the team will then support you in meeting the young person to get to know each other and to arrange for mentoring to start.

The training will be held over two evenings. You will cover the rights and responsibilities of a mentor; interpersonal relationships and communication skills; boundaries and professional relationships; working with young people – activities and support; child protection and confidentiality; equal opportunities and discrimination and administrative matters.

Typically, sessions last between 1-3 hours, it all depends on the activity and the young person. Occasionally mentors may like to take their young person on a day trip but this will always be organised with you beforehand. Each individual relationship is different and you will find that you soon establish a routine. Most mentoring relationships last around 52 weeks.

Anyone can mentor! – You do not need to have specific qualifications or experience, we welcome all applications. Previous mentors have had varying levels of experience with children and young people, from professionals to parents. You will need to have a DBS which will be completed during your training with us. We have a number of mentors from all walks of life, with varying personal situations.

You will be allocated a mentor supervisor who will be there to help you with all aspects of your mentoring. If any issues arise during or between sessions you can contact your supervisor to discuss these. You will also attend regular supervision meetings (approximately every 6 weeks) to discuss how the mentoring is progressing and voice any concerns you might have.

There are so many things you and your mentee can get up to! The opportunities are endless. Take a look at some activity examples and read what our current mentors get up to with their mentees. When you become a mentor you will be given an activities guide with exclusive discounts to use on your sessions. Activities don’t have to be extravagant; many of our mentees enjoy simply going out for a walk or visiting the library. A lot of our young people love to take an active role in planning activities, so you will never be out of ideas!

Yes, each mentoring pair is allocated £10 weekly to spend on activities. This can be used each week or if the session is less expensive it can be rolled over to pay for subsequent activities. Each pair are also allocated £5 to spend on travel each week, however this does not roll over. All expenses will be paid back to you, all you have to do is keep a record on your expenses form and submit this to the Island at your convenience by post, email or hand.

Mentoring requires you to commit a few hours a week for one year. If this satisfies the conditions of your placement then please feel free to contact us to discuss more or fill out an application form. 

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved here at the Island! Alongside our 1:1 mentoring we also operate a school based mentoring scheme and four youth groups. We are always after enthusiastic people to give us a helping hand, so if you’re interested please do get in touch.

The Island matches a mentor to a mentee by first ensuring that there are common interests, personal qualities - we have a range of mentors available with varying skills. Anyone can Mentor if they are over the age of 18 -  the Island endevours to offer a broad range of ages, experiences, skills and qualities to ensure that each mentoring relationship is unique and tailorted to the individuals.

All mentoring takes place out in the community. In most cases, you will collect the young person from their home and engage in a mutually agreed activity (with your allocated £10 budget per week).

No - you will go out independently with a child after a thorough induction, matching and link up processes have taken place. You will at all times however have access to The Island Duty Team - who are just at the end of a phone, should you require assistance, support or have a question. All of these details will be shared with you during training. 

No - the support you provide is just for the young person you are working with. Should you experience any issues with wider family, please  contact your supervisor or The Island Duty number on 07595 695 559.