Man Enough to Mentor?

Chance UK launched the 'Man Enough to Mentor?' campaign in August 2002 to encourage more men to volunteer to be a mentor to a 5-11 year old child. Currently only one in ten of our volunteers are men, yet 80% of the children we work with are boys many without a positive male role model in their lives.

Often men don't think about the positive influence they can have on children especially if they haven't yet become a parent and sometimes they are worried about what others might think. Men are especially nervous because of the age group we work with, however, the younger the children are the bigger the difference a mentor can make.

		"Many of our children do not have any positive male role models in their lives and this is where a male mentor really can make a difference"

We want boys to grow up knowing that it is OK for a man to be a role model, to be a father and have paternal feelings. For those boys we work with who have a good role model in their life whether it's a father, grandfather, uncle or older brother they know what it takes to be a positive male even if for the moment they choose not to be. However, many of our children do not have any positive male role models in their lives and this is where a male mentor really can make a difference.

To be a mentor you need commitment and enthusiasm above all else; you will receive three full days training on how Chance UK works, the Solution Focused Approach which is a method we use to work with the children, child protection and practical tips on working with children and their families. All our mentors are police checked, interviewed and we require two references.

Mentoring requires a significant time commitment; you will meet with your child every week for 2-4 hours, for a year; have monthly supervision and you will need to prepare your sessions and write them up afterwards. You will have a review meeting with your Programme Manager to help the mentee work towards his/her goals, build new skills, improve behaviour and have fun.

	Chance UK knows this is a lot to ask, which is why we ask you: Are you man enough to mentor? If you would like to know more download the application pack from this site or contact us at: vol@chanceuk.com or you can call on 020 7281 5858 ext 201 Read about other mentors' experiences on the media page

If you are not able to commit to being a mentor and would like to support the work of Chance UK then see our Donations page on this site for more details. Thank you.