Meet the Team - Grace Holland

The Island • February 17, 2020

As part of today's meet the team blog post, we'd like to introduce you to Grace Holland who has been working and volunteering at our children's charity since 2016.

Describe what you do within your role?

I am a Counsellor at The Island. This means I work with young people who need a little bit more support to help them navigate their experiences 


I provide one to one counselling sessions for young people. I am a qualified BACP registered counsellor and psychotherapist. Counselling is a confidential space where young people can work on what they need and have a space to explore the challenges they are facing. Sometimes we can get to a point in our lives where we need a bit more help, my job as a counsellor is to help the young people I work with navigate positive change in their lives. I recognise each individual is different and I therefore, tailor my way of working to meet the unique and individual needs of each young person. I believe everyone, with the right desire, has the ability to grow, develop and become the best version of themselves.


Why did you want to pursue a career in the charity youth sector?

I have always had a passion for helping and supporting people. I have seen first hand how positive, supportive environments and relationships can have a real impact on the lives of individuals. The Island, for me, is that positive and supportive environment and builds meaningful relationships with the young people, families and volunteers we work with, and so being part of that difference in someone's life is a real privilege.



What inspired you to want to work with The Island?

I have had lots of previous experience of working with children and young people from a variety of different backgrounds and settings. I have a passion for supporting the next generation thrive and The Island certainly share this.


I stumbled across The Island when I was looking for a university placement and I was impressed by the work that they offered to the young people in and around York. Since starting with The Island in 2016, I have watched The Island grow from strength to strength with the children, young people and families at the heart of everything we do. I love feeling like I'm making a positive difference in someone's life and seeing young people grow in confidence and their personality inspires me to continue doing good through my work. 


Can you share with us your proudest achievement at The Island so far?

I would say my proudest achievement is my development through The Island. I started as a volunteer mentor, I was then The Islands Group Lead and, most recently been the Mentor Supervisor, to now a Counsellor. I am proud of the work that I've done with each individual young person I've worked with, regardless of the role I was in. It's a privilege to build up a relationship with young people that is unique to us. On a personal level, my work through The Island, highlighted to me the importance of having support and someone there to seek that from, this motivated me to become a qualified counsellor and, complete my Masters in Counselling.



Why are mentoring services important to children and young people? 

Mentoring services are so important to children and young people. Having an opportunity to have that time away from school and home where that young person can have peer support through group provisions or, the one to one time they need to build a positive relationship with their mentor, is so empowering.


For those 1-3 hours a week each young person is the sole focus of the mentors attention which means they are being heard and having their needs met on a one to one basis without any other distractions. Each mentoring relationship provides young people with opportunities and experiences which in turn help the young person to build their confidence, self-esteem and resilience. 



Finally, can you share with us one technique you have used to help improve a child or young person’s resilience levels?

Consistency and commitment are key. I have worked with a young person who has a very chaotic and unstable lifestyle. However, the power of a relationship that is consistent, bespoke and tailored to that individual was so empowering for them. This helped to build up their confidence, self-esteem and resilience. 

An interview with a Volunteer Mentor

By Emma Bewlay • September 28, 2023
What interested you about becoming an Island Volunteer Mentor? I was interested in volunteering and personal development to enhance my career prospects. I was at a stage where I was confused as to where I wanted to go next but I knew I was good with people, and I knew that my personality would suit working one to one with a young person. I knew that I could pass on good advice and life experience. How long did you mentor for The Island? I mentored for around 15 months. Every week for around 2 hours on a Thursday night. Sometimes we would miss a session due to various factors, but these sessions were caught up on. What did you enjoy most about the Mentoring? I enjoyed being able to experience many different activities with my young person and being able to see their confidence grow. I enjoyed catching up and hearing stories from the week and focusing my attention on that session. Different social settings allowed me to guide my young person and relay stories from my experience which I knew would be helpful. This was enjoyable as I knew I was passing on vital helpful advice for adulthood. Why do you think Mentoring is important for young people? I think in today's world with social media and the stresses on life can be overwhelming for everyone. For a young person to be guided by a mentor, they can step away from that world for a short while and express themselves or let off steam in an environment where they can be nurtured and not judged. With the guidance of a mentor, the young person can take the advice into everyday life which will hopefully help them in difficult and stressful situations. The young person can build up a relationship with the mentor and know that they have trust in them to be able to openly talk about their feelings away from a family, friend it school setting. Please let us know how you have found the support from the island and which aspects you have found the most valuable? I found the support very good and easy to access. I knew that if I needed any support or advice, I could email or call my supervisor. I found the group sessions with other mentors helpful as we could come together and talk about our experience and use any advice in future sessions. Hearing stories from other mentoring experiences was highly valued. Has the Island supported you with any future plans personally or professionally? If so, could you share this with us? The island has kept in touch with me regarding several career opportunities throughout the mentoring process that I have considered. I know that I could sit with the island and discuss any plans if I needed to. Most of all, they have helped my confidence and gave me a platform to express myself and follow my goals which has put me in good stead for next move in my career as a health trainer. The skills and experience I have gained from my mentoring will be transferred over to this next role. At the Island, we are constantly looking for people who have the ability to listen, and who feel that they can develop a positive rapport with children and young people in an honest, challenging and non-judgemental way. All prospective volunteer mentors receive training, support and supervision. This covers such areas as communication, child protection, equal opportunities and often, in the process mentors learn more about themselves, too. To find out more about our volunteer opportunities please click here www.theislandyork.org
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Millions of families across the country are facing greater financial pressures than ever before. In recent years, the cost of essentials like food, fuel and energy has increased dramatically. In 2019, the average annual energy bill was £1289. Today, that figure stands at £2500, with the government price cap set to rise to £3000 in April 2023. Click "continue reading" to find out more.
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