2010 Leeds Year of Volunteering

Mentoring - a case study

I have volunteered at Hunslet Hawks Learning Centre since September 2007 and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has been both fun and satisfying! I am even returning to do my third term this month. I heard about it through work and I was very interested in doing something worthwhile and rewarding. I also wanted to expand my experience of working with people, as I knew that it would help me back at work. When I first visited the Learning Centre I was immediately impressed at the strong sense of pride in the place from everyone who worked there. That feeling of being involved in something positive and worthwhile continued when I began mentoring.

I was able to meet and work alongside a very diverse group of pupils and adults and immediately felt I was making a difference and having a positive impact. The location, staff, facilities and mentors all contributed to a unique positive learning experience, which was well organized and highly effective in motivating and educating individuals.

At first I was a bit apprehensive as I had not worked with children before, however the staff were very good at making us new mentors feel supported, valued and very much part of the team. The other mentors were also very helpful and friendly. We had a chance to get to know the children on the first session, as we all played ‘ice-breaker’ games. I then worked with a group of three children; we all filled out a personal profile and discussed our likes, dislikes, and etcetera. This was a good activity for getting to know each other, as it gave us points for discussion. One child in my group was very shy at first, but the other two made up for that – they were really chatty! The children really like working with the mentors and it was great to see them progress over the 10 weeks, especially their confidence.

I enjoyed all of the sessions and I got to take part in tennis and In-door bowls with the children, which was so much fun. I enjoy reading with the children and helping them with a range of different activities and tasks. You do not need to worry if you are not confident with computers, a top mathematician or if you are not the world’s best speller! You are there to help and support – you do not need to know the answer to everything. There will always be a teacher and other staff in sessions and it is the teacher’s job to plan and deliver. They will always demonstrate and explain the tasks at the beginning of each session.

Forward steps in my own personal development were apparent from day one. In particular my skills in effective communication developed significantly, for example, listening, questioning, negotiating, feedback, one-to-one coaching, etcetera. It has been fantastic for my own development and has given me experience in developing others. I feel that I have also learned a lot from the young people themselves and I have picked up plenty of computer skills!

Last term I took part in a mentor forum, where we were given the chance to meet other mentors, share best practise and ideas and to discuss new ways in which the mentoring programme could be improved. I think this was a good idea, as I felt that we mentors were given ownership of the programme and that our views were valued. I have also completed my OCN (Open College Network) level 2, national accreditation in ‘First Steps to Volunteering’. This was free to mentors, kind of like a thank you from the mentoring team for our help and support. I think that this was both enjoyable and beneficial and I am interested in doing further studying in this field. The mentoring team are hoping to offer further short courses in the near future.

I would encourage anyone to give it ago and to give something back to the community; you will have fun, make new friends, get a sense of achievement and help make a difference. It also looks good on your C.V, in an interview or on applications for further studying. I am even thinking of changing my career and working with children and young people full-time.