|
children |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
Mentees and Mentors
Before meeting Zahara I was obviously a little apprehensive, however we just “clicked” and now we have a great relationship. From day one Zahara had no problem in confiding in me about any issues she may have, and the special thing about her is that while she is talking she provides a remedy or explanation to whatever it is that she had an issue with in the first place. Mentoring for me keeps me grounded. It makes me look at my own life and appreciate what I have. Mentoring is a big commitment and shouldn’t be taken lightly. On those days when its cold and you just want to stay in bed on a Saturday morning I admit it is a struggle, however the joy and fulfilment you get from spending time with your mentee is quite amazing and worth every minute. The monthly supervision is very helpful and gives you the opportunity to throw ideas around to work out the best course of action. The support and understanding provided by all the staff at Chance UK has empowered me to become much more involved in the whole mentoring process. The kinds of activities we do when we meet each week are the things that we have a common interest in, but they also enable us to work through any issues and worries that Zahara has. I am pleased to say that these are becoming few and far between. We go to the cinema, bowling, swimming, shopping and dog walking, we go to parks for picnics (summer and winter) and take part in group activities organized by Chance UK. A recent example of this was a cookery session, sponsored by FHM and in conjunction with Jamie Oliver’s Kitchen. We don’t always do just fun stuff, we work on Zahara’s homework as well! The best thing for me is when I see Zahara smile and I know she is happy, and that the mentoring is really helping her to build on the qualities that she has. One memory that sticks in my mind is when I took Zahara swimming, it was actually her first swimming experience and before we arrived at the pool she was squeezing my hand and said “I’m sorry if I am squeezing your hand but I am just so excited”. This is exactly the fulfilment I am talking about! It never gets any easier to say goodbye. When the mentoring year ends it will be a sad day but the memories will stick forever. I can’t really put into words the feeling of making a difference in a young persons life, but I would recommend the experience to anyone." Debi Weech, mentor
Supporting comments from child and MumJ (aged 10) on the benefits of mentoring...“It's fun having a mentor... something to look forward to, going out. It gets boring at home and it's fun to go out. It helps you more. You can read with them. Someone to talk to, you can tell them your problems that you wouldn't tell anyone else.” J's mother on the impact of mentoring on her child...“As a parent of J I'd like to say he has benefited tremendously from Chance. I have seen a positive change in his learning and behaviour after only 4 months; his whole attitude to what he does has changed as well; concentration is much better; he does a lot more things for himself and doesn't rely on me so much. I am very pleased with all the hard work from his mentor Fay who is very committed and very positive with J.” Quotes from Mentors“I had a great deal of fun.” “The best thing for me was that I was able to help bring about changes in the child's behaviour.” “I learned to negotiate and realised that children had excellent ideas too.” “I felt I was doing something worthwhile.” “I explored London with my child, I also learned a lot about the education system.” “I have made a friend for life in my child - I never expected that.” “I learned to play!” “It was harder than I expected it to be, (fitting this new person into my life) but it was also much more rewarding than I expected.” “I had to learn to listen all over again.”
ReferralsPlease contact the Programme Manager for your local area if you would like to receive our Referral Information Pack.
Results & ImpactOutcomesChance UK mentoring programmes are designed to achieve the following outcomes for children:
Alongside the benefits for those participating directly in the programme, the costs can also be regarded as an investment for education and future employment, with an associated contribution of taxes and national insurance, against the potential of the very much higher costs of later statutory interventions, state benefits, health costs, criminality and youth justice interventions. Monitoring & EvaluationWe collate and analyse a range of qualitative and quantitative information about progress and outcomes relating to our programmes. The quantitative measures include:
The qualitative measures include:
Chance UK is in the process of identifying mechanisms and resources for longer term follow up of the children to ascertain long term impact. Some of the follow up may continue for up to five years from the end of mentoring.
Independent EvaluationChance UK has built upon independent evaluations carried out by:
The latter addressed the implementation of the mentoring programme and assessed immediate outcomes for the children in terms of changes in overall and individual SDQ scores and behaviour. Two groups of 25 children each were assessed. One group consisted of those who participated in the mentoring programme and the other group was a ‘comparison or control’ group of children with comparable problems who did not participate in the mentoring programme. Of the mothers interviewed, 75% saw positive changes in their child's behaviour; 81% saw the mentor as a good influence; and, 69% reported benefits for their own relationship with the child. All the mentors and teachers interviewed saw positive changes. The schools hold Chance UK in very high regard and also value the professionalism, accessibility and rapid response of our staff. A summary of the Research Findings is available on the Resources page. The findings were underpinned by some of the comments from the children themselves on their relationship with their mentor: “She makes thing better; shows me the way to find the answer.” “She helps me to get on with work and finish it; not to be rude to teacher; not to shout out; to put up my hand.” “She explains the consequences. I've learned to deal with disappointments.” |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Before
I began working with Chance UK I had been looking for some time for a
suitable voluntary position working with children. I originally wanted
to gain experience for my CV to support my Psychology studies, now I work
with Chance purely for my personal interest and belief in what they do.
I found out about Chance through a newspaper article. The three-day training
was thorough but easy to follow. 
