The Y’s Girls Mentoring programme, a community-led mentoring programme for female-identifying young people in Brighton and Hove, is getting ready to welcome a new cohort of young people and mentors to build on the successes of its first year!
What is Y’s Girls?
The Y’s Girls programme is an early and effective mentoring initiative that matches trained volunteer mentors from a range of different backgrounds in the Brighton & Hove community with female-identifying young people aged 9-14 years old to support them to thrive and to be their best. Over a year, the mentor and mentees meet regularly and work together to achieve the goals set by the young person. The Y’s Girls Programme aims to reduce the likelihood of young people developing mental health concerns by supporting young people develop new skills, build ties with their communities and enhance their relationships.
Volunteer mentors making a difference
The successes that Y’s Girls have seen over the last year, can mostly be attributed to our dynamic group of volunteer mentors. Varying in background and experience, our enthusiastic mentors have brought forward their own insights to support the young people they are matched with. Our mentors have built trusting relationships with their young people and provide regular space and opportunities for the young person to achieve self-set goals. Many mentoring sessions are used by the young person to talk through their concerns with mentor, who then help them identify next steps or solutions. Other mentors have introduced their mentees to new hobbies and interests which has been beneficial to their health and wellbeing. Throughout all mentoring relationships we have been lucky to witness small yet impactful changes in the young person demonstrating an improved confidence or resilience, for instance: young people who can now order their own food confidently in public, young people now comfortable in taking the bus to school on their own, and joining in with group activities to socialise. For some young people, Y’s Girls has been vital in adjusting back from lockdown.
For some young people, Y’s Girls has been vital in adjusting back from lockdown, as put by one parent: “After a long time of seclusion, our daughter is more confident and active. We are glad that she has developed such a good relationship with their mentor and are thriving again”
And it’s not just the mentees who benefit from mentoring, one mentor explains: “Working alongside a young person is teaching me a bunch of new skills. I am inspired to be the best version of myself and also reach my potential as we work on shared goals together”. Some of our mentors have gained valuable experience which has enabled them to move forward with careers working with children and young people.
Become a mentor
Following on from these successes we are pleased to announce that we are currently recruiting for more mentors, ready for our next cohort of young people. We are recruiting right now for friendly, dynamic and compassionate people from all backgrounds and experience to be Volunteer Mentors for Y’s Girls Mentoring.
To be a Mentor you don’t need to have any specific qualifications or experience – just a willingness to contribute 1-2 hours once a week, a passion for helping vulnerable young people to thrive and a commitment to providing consistent, reliable, and positive support. As a Volunteer Mentor you can have a huge impact on a vulnerable young person’s life – helping them to set goals, build emotional resilience and self-confidence, improve their school attainment and attendance, and reduce their risk of antisocial behaviour. Mentoring is an amazing opportunity to share your skills and experience, learn about yourself and give something back to your local community.
If you would like to become one of our amazing mentors, please click here for further information. Alternatively, please get in touch with the Y’s Girls Project Manager (Brighton & Hove) Kheya Moulton for an informal chat or to find out more details.
Email: kheya.moulton @ymcadlg.org
Phone: 07392 879247
