We have been truly humbled by the donations that we have received which allow us to deliver the programme and support young people in difficulty. If you would like to donate then please visit the link below
donate to grit.“ The best part of it for me was the mentoring, one on one conversation about how life was going and having a pep talk as well as being in a super relaxed environment like a coffee shop helped a lot. It didn’t feel intimidating to me and my mentor is absolutely lovely and easy to talk to.”
A mentor for GRIT is someone who provides a supportive relationship which allows the young person to flourish. This may be emotional support or more practical support such as CV writing or revision support for exams. Usually a mentor will be able to use their experience or common interest with the mentee to support the mentee in achieving their goals. The experience a GRIT mentee has with their mentor can be very variable and will depend on many factors but when it is at its best it can be an incredible platform to support change in the young person. The mentor/mentee relationship can last much longer than the programme itself and we have found that the experience to the mentor is just as valuable as the experience to the mentee.
All of our mentors are DBS checked and we provide an amazing 2 day training programme delivered by Learning to Listen at East hall Farm in St Pauls Walden with regular ongoing supervision groups afterwards. At the most mentees may have contact with their mentor at an agreed time once a week but again this is very dependent on the wishes of the mentee.
Below is an account from one of our mentors
“ I have been a GRIT mentor now for almost 3 years. I have experienced my own mental health problems and was looking for a way in which I could support others and then I came across GRIT. I loved the way that GRIT uses simple tools like talking and exercise to help people build connection - things that can be hard to do on your own.
As a mentor you are very well supported by the team with training on safe guarding, mentoring and regular support groups to talk through anything that comes up. Through this it has unearthed a passion in me to explore coaching as a career and I am currently undertaking training to become a coach!
Being a mentor has had more of an impact on me than I thought it would but all in the most positive of ways. I would highly recommend this to everyone no matter the experience, age and background.”
If you think you might have something to offer as a mentor we would love to hear from you! Please email grithello@gmail.com for details.
We are always appreciative of the very generous nature of people willing to give up their time to help us. This may be in the form of organising fundraising events like our biannual ball or assisting someone to deliver The Rumble programme. Please contact us if you would like to offer your time.
