Volunteering
Mentoring
“Volunteering a small amount of time once a week has the potential to change someone’s life.”
Providing one-to-one support for a young person facing disadvantage, to enable them to see lasting transformation. Mentoring takes a relational, tailored, and holistic approach, focusing on both practical and wellbeing support. Mentors offer support to each young depending on their needs, such as:
- Attaining and sustaining education, employment, and training
- Growing in positive engagement in school and the local community
- Steering away from crime, violence, and risk-taking behaviour
- Developing positive social-emotional development and wellbeing
Mentoring sessions primarily take place in public locations such as cafes. However, mentoring also takes place at our centrally based mentoring hub for young people who may feel uncomfortable meetings in a public environment. All mentoring sessions usually take place weekly, at a time and day that is convenient for both the young person and their mentor.
Navigators
“It’s amazing that even a simple conversation with a young person whilst they’re in A&E has the ability to have a massive impact on their life.”
Navigators provide one-to-one support for young people (11–25) in A&E who are involved in a moment of crisis including injuries connected with mental health challenges, risk taking behavior and violence. Through the relational support from a Volunteer Navigator within A&E, young people are helped to access support within the wider community.
Navigators are based in the Royal Berkshire Hospital’s A&E departments for three evening shifts a week – Monday, Tuesday and Fridays, from 7.30–9.30pm. Our volunteer Navigators work in pairs and we ask for a commitment of a minimum of one shift per month.
