Friendship Works mentors are ordinary people doing an extraordinary thing.
As a mentor, you will be asked to give a few hours of your time three weekends a month to bring fun and friendship into the life of a young person living in London, who is feeling lonely and isolated. You will build a safe, stable friendship with your mentee and, over time, you will become someone they can turn to for support, who they know is there for them when they need someone to listen.
Research has shown that for children and young people, the most significant impact of a mentoring relationship occurs after 12 months. Therefore, we ask our volunteers to commit to meeting their mentee regularly for at least two years. If this sounds like something you can commit to, please read on.
Please note: Being a mentor is free – all volunteer activity and travel expenses are fully reimbursed.
Who you will be helping
Our mentors work with two groups of young people – children (aged 5 to 18) or young adults (aged 18 to 25) that have either experienced the care system or are refugees to the UK.
The young people and young adults who are referred to Friendship Works have experienced difficult and traumatic experiences, and as a result, face considerable challenges as they navigate the world in which they live. Some may be young carers to an adult in their family who is ill or misuses drugs or alcohol, some will have experienced abuse or neglect, and many will be living in, or on the brink of, poverty.
All will have suffered some form of trauma, and need a stable relationship that helps to build them up, grow their self-worth and a sense of identity.
The difference you will make
As a mentor, you will make your mentee feel valued and supported, help improve their life chances through building self-esteem and resilience, promote positive attachment models, and help equip the young person with the skills needed to better manage their emotions, thoughts and actions.
An independent external evaluation of the service found that:
- 80% of young people feel happier as a result of having a mentor.
- 76% of care experienced young adults feel more positive about their future since having mentor.
- 60% of care experienced young adults feel more in control of their lives since having the support of a mentor.
- 84% of young people reported increased levels of confidence since having a mentor.
Typical tasks within this role:
- You can help transform a future by regularly meeting with your mentee. We ask for three weekends a month, over two years.
- You decide, together, what you do: You may learn a new skill together, go to the park and kick a ball around or visit local museums.
- You are free to explore mutual interests and participate in new activities together, in and around London.
- You will receive support at every stage, from a training weekend before you start, to regular calls with a dedicated caseworker to support your mentoring friendship.
Who are we looking for?
There is no typical Friendship Works mentor. We want our volunteers to be as diverse as the young people we support. We welcome applications by volunteers from all walks of life, with a variety of life experiences, including people from ethnically diverse communities and faiths.
This role will suit volunteers who:
- Are over 21 years old
- Demonstrate good levels of empathy
- Can show high levels of commitment and resilience
- Are good listeners and non-judgemental
- Have the skills to build a positive, safe friendship with a young person
- Are active and fun, and have hobbies or interests to share
What’s in it for you?
Our mentors tell us that the experience of providing long-term support to a young person can be challenging, but very rewarding.
The strength of the relationship built, through consistent meetings and over time, means that true friendships often emerge. This can have a profound impact on both the young person and the volunteer mentor.
Many of our volunteers also report that volunteering as a mentor has helped them:
- Discover new levels of patience and empathy
- Gain insight into the challenges facing care experienced Londoners
- Try new activities or visit new places
- Gain a new perspective
- Develop greater confidence and self-esteem;
- Experience greater levels of happiness
All Family Action volunteers receive full training and access to regular supervision from our professional casework team, who are experienced in social care, education, child and adult mental health and youth work, and ongoing support for as long as they are in the role.
Hear from our mentors and mentees
Our Friendship Works service has been providing volunteer mentors to children and young adults who have experienced childhood trauma or disrupted attachments for over forty years.
Here are just a few of the people we have matched.
Find out more
This role requires a high level of commitment, so it is important for volunteers to understand what is involved. If you’d like to find out more, book a place at one of our Volunteer Information webinars – an online session where we explain more about what our mentors do and why this model of mentoring is so effective. If you are still keen to progress your application, we will let you know how to book an interview with our team.
I'm interested