Could you give some time to help a child in York who needs your support?
The Island is a registered charity that offers one-to-one support to children and young people between the ages of 8 to 13, and 14 to 18 if the young person has a disability.
It is looking for more mentors to transform the lives of young people in York.
Enhancing the quality of life for children and young people in York through sustainable quality mentoring relationships
– what The Island does
For children who face adversity in their lives (such as family breakdown or disability), growing up can be especially tough.
This can increase their risk of marginalisation within their communities, or increase the likelihood of anti-social behaviour.
Therefore, having someone who will meet them regularly, build a positive relationship, have fun, learn a new skill and provide help with making positive choices can have a life-long influence.
Could you be a volunteer?
The Island are constantly looking for reliable adults who have the ability to listen, develop a positive rapport with a young person in an honest and non-judgemental way.
The Island wins the first York SoupThe Island selects, trains and supervises volunteer mentors who make a commitment to meet with their mentee consistently through a period of transition or difficulty.
The volunteer mentors give their time freely but are provided with a small weekly budget to enable access to positive activities in the community, and travel expenses.
Mentoring makes a real difference
An independent review of The Island found that:
Parents and carers of mentees stated the mentoring their child had received had positively impacted in a range of ways. The vast majority of mentees stated that their overall experience of being mentored was ‘brilliant’. Improvements in self-esteem, cooperation and behaviour, respect, peace of mind/calmness and general happiness, were also reported by parents and carers of mentees.”
The Island is a charity for the community provided by the community.
The Island currently has three areas for volunteer opportunities:
One-to-one support as a volunteer mentor
North Island and South Island are two clubs which provide a safe, enjoyable and supportive environment for children and young people awaiting a volunteer mentor
School based group mentoring provides a weekly opportunity to volunteer during term times only
For more information about becoming a volunteer mentor, young peoples’ club volunteer or school based volunteer, then please do contact us – details below.
