PHASE are looking to grow the community of support for for young people
Could you be a PHASE Mentor ?
PHASE mentoring is all about empowering the young people in our community to believe in themselves, make positive choices and raise aspirations. Could you help make this happen?
We have a large team of volunteers from diverse backgrounds and age groups. We provide training and supervision – if you are interested in joining our fabulous team and can spare an hour or two a week to support young people in this way please get in touch phasethornbury@gmail.com Training starts in September 2023!
Read on to learn more…
“It takes a village to raise a child” (African proverb) – this has been our inspiration. We love to equip and empower members of the community to be part of supporting our families. Would you like to be part of our village? We are a diverse group of locals of varying ages and backgrounds.
Voluntary work can be so good for our own wellbeing – research led by Jump shows that ‘volunteering is associated with higher levels of wellbeing, better general health and fewer mental health problems’.
Our success so far is mostly due to the team effort and the time our amazing volunteers invest in the services. Our Volunteers have varying skills and experience and come from all walks of life but the common thread is a passion to see our young people and their families supported and cared for through the ups and downs of adolescence. It’s wonderful to be part of seeing a young person reach their potential and overcome adversity whether that is by direct or indirect support. We need volunteers to work face to face with those referred to us as well as those who can help with admin, finance, fundraising etc. We have volunteers that offer anything between 1 hour a week to a couple of days a week.
Voluntary Mentors – our mentors work directly with a referred young person in a one to one situation. Training is given before the Mentors start working and regular development sessions are offered to continue to improve skills but also to offer supervision and support. Experience in working with teenagers is helpful but not essential. Listening skills, empathy and a big heart are essential – the rest we can teach you! There are also opportunities to get involved in delivering group work.
Counsellors – We have a team of qualified counsellors who offer more specialised support and are always looking to expand this team. We can also offer placements to those in training.
Parent Support Workers – For this role we are looking for people with experience in social care, family support services or similar. We offer parents one to one sessions, sometimes alongside mentoring for their child but not always and are hoping to offer parenting courses and support groups in the near future.
Administration – We are always looking for support behind the scenes, a lot can be achieved in a short time! This mostly involves working from home supporting the Directors Team and those in co-ordinating roles. We also need help with book keeping and finance admin.
Fund Raising – We are looking for people to organise fund raising events and initiatives and a volunteer to assist with strategic funding applications.
If you are interested in any of these voluntary roles please get in touch with us for further information or to start the application process.
Testimonials
When I signed up to being a Mentor, I thought I was just doing my bit for the community. It’s actually one of the best things I’ve ever done and I look forward to catching up with the lads I work with in school and helping them make better choices for themselves. Simon Varney – Mentor
Being a mentor is so much more than simply guiding a young person. It is definitely a two way street, I have learnt so much from my mentees and they continue to amaze me with their resilience in the face of adversity. Lindsay Alden – Mentor
Meet two of our recent mentors:
Caroline Blake (photo below) “I heard about Phase whilst working at The Castle School, where some colleagues encouraged me to look into mentoring as it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I have always wanted to be the person I felt that I needed when I was younger – someone neutral but grounded that I could talk to about home, school and friendships. If I can make even a small difference in a young person’s life, then I’ve done something good. I am enjoying listening to my mentees, giving up time for them and making sure they have a safe outlet. Through being a mentor myself, I’ve recognised the people who have helped and supported me along the way. I think it’s really important to look after yourself – I love to read and try to read as often as I can, it really calms my mind and resets me. I enjoy walking with my family and our dog, being in the countryside and in the fresh air which is good for the soul. The inspiring quote that I would like to pass on is ‘Until you spread your wings, you have no idea how far you can fly.”
Phil (photo below) “Ally (Budd) is a friend of the family so I have followed the growth of PHASE since the start. In recent years, I’ve valued having someone to talk to as I’ve faced significant personal challenges. I’m really appreciative of the time that those people gave to me and I’d like to do the same for someone else. I am now working from home more and this has given me time to mentor. I really enjoy supporting young people to come up with their own ‘game plan’ and then celebrating their successes as they make progress, no matter how small the steps, towards their goals. Completing two back-to-back ‘walk and talk’ mentoring sessions is also a good way for me to get fresh air and increase my step count 😉 I encourage the young people that I work with to be the best version of themselves and enjoy getting to know them on a weekly basis, hearing about their hobbies and ambitions.”
