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How we help

Mentoring

About mentoring

Our mentoring programme gives children and young people a safe, supportive space to grow, build confidence, and be themselves. The child or young person will be matched with a trained adult mentor who offers consistent emotional and social support through one-to-one weekly sessions.
Sessions are flexible and can include a variety of activities out in the community. The sessions are led by the young people and what they would like to do!
Mentors meet with young people once a week for at least six months.
Our mentors aren’t teachers or therapists. They’re consistent, caring adults who are there to support the child or young person emotionally and socially, helping them feel more confident and resilient.

Craft Teenage

Connect, Trust, Inspire

Enabling strong, proactive relationships between young people and trusted adults is at the heart of what we do. We support the community to come together to help young people when life gets tough. Mentoring is a simple yet powerful tool for early intervention by creating meaningful connections that can transform lives and lift aspirations for the future.

A trusted adult can make all the difference by:

  • Helping young people feel seen, heard, and valued, especially during times of uncertainty.
  • Encouraging positive choices, guiding young people through challenges and navigate complex decisions with confidence.
  • Boosting resilience and self-belief by building a young person’s ability to bounce back from setbacks and believe in their potential.
  • Offering stability in a young person’s life when other relationships may feel uncertain.
86% improved confidence

The Impact

Mentoring delivers measurable, long‐term benefits. Building meaningful, supportive relationships with trusted adults helps young people across many dimensions: emotional wellbeing, educational success, life skills, reduced risk, and stronger communities. Studies, across the UK ,on the impact of trusted adult mentoring show:

  • 84% of young people felt they were more positive and could manage their emotions.
  • 77% felt better able to stick at things even when struggling.
  • 82% showed increased motivation and improved attitude towards school and work.
  • 67% reported an improvement in mental wellbeing.
  • 72% said mentoring helped with confidence.
  • 94% said mentoring provided a positive role model.
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Become a volunteer mentor

We are always looking for ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference to a young person’s life.

Start your mentoring journey today

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Refer a child or young person

We are currently closed for new referrals. Join our mailing list to be the first to hear when referrals reopen.

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Who are you here for?

Are you a young person looking to explore mentoring, or a parent, carer, or supporter seeking guidance and support? Click below to find tailored information just for you.

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Young people

Find out about getting a mentor and how we help if you are a young person.

I'm a young person

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Parents & Carers

Find out how we can support your child through mentoring.

I'm a parent carer

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Supporters

Find other ways to support The Island and our mentoring programme.

I'm a supporter